\nWhen Jeni first met her husband, Ray, she was convinced of one thing\u2014she never wanted children. Ray, on the other hand, dreamed of having at least four. Fast forward over 30 years, and the couple from Toowoomba, Queensland, now have 16 children and two grandchildren.\n
Raising such a large family is no small feat. Jeni spends $600 a week on groceries, a budget that has recently increased due to inflation. Their weekly shopping list includes 50 liters of milk, 14 boxes of cereal, 45 tubs of yogurt, and four dozen eggs\u2014and that\u2019s just the basics.\n
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With eight kids still living at home, their daily routine is carefully structured. Between school drop-offs, part-time jobs, and sports, life is a juggling act. \u201cI used to think life was busy with little kids,\u201d Jeni says, \u201cbut I\u2019m certainly busier now with older children.\u201d\n
Even the simple task of taking a family photo is a challenge. \u201cYou need an extra-wide lens, and there\u2019s always someone looking away or pulling a funny face,\u201d Jeni laughs. But for the Bonells, those imperfect moments are what make family life fun.\n
To keep the household running smoothly, Jeni uses a roster system for chores. \u201cWhen a kid turns eight, they get put on the roster,\u201d she explains. From sweeping floors to setting the table, everyone has a role to play. The kids also learn to cook early\u2014by age 12, they can prepare meals for 20 people with minimal supervision.\n
Laundry is another massive task. Jeni runs three full loads of laundry daily, totaling about six average-sized loads. Even grocery shopping requires two full trolleys, with one of the kids always tagging along to help.\n
Stretching every dollar is a skill Jeni has mastered. She prepares meals costing between $2 and $10 and shares grocery hauls on YouTube to help others manage their budgets. \u201cIt\u2019s a struggle for everyone right now,\u201d she admits, \u201cbut we make it work.\u201d\n
Despite their careful budgeting, raising 16 kids still comes with financial pressure. While they pay their own mortgage and don\u2019t rely on government assistance, the Bonells do face criticism for their large family. But they have no regrets. \u201cPeople have to do what\u2019s right for them,\u201d Ray says. \u201cHaving 16 kids isn\u2019t for everyone, but it\u2019s what works for us.\u201d\n
The Bonells are deeply religious and attend church regularly, but Jeni insists that faith alone didn\u2019t drive their decision to have so many children. \u201cGod has a funny sense of humor,\u201d she jokes.\n
Even with their busy lives, Jeni and Ray make time for each other. \u201cDo I get alone time with my wife? Of course. We make it a priority,\u201d Ray says.\n
With two of their children now married and raising their own families, the Bonell clan continues to grow. And despite the chaos, Jeni wouldn\u2019t have it any other way. \u201cLife is very hectic\u2014but it\u2019s good.\u201d\n
For the Bonells, the key to making it all work is organization, teamwork, and a whole lot of love. They prove that no matter how big the family, it\u2019s the memories, laughter, and shared experiences that truly matter.\n
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When Jeni first met her husband, Ray, she was convinced of one thing\u2014she never wanted children. Ray, on the other hand, dreamed of having at least four. Fast forward over 30 years, and the couple from Toowoomba, Queensland, now have 16 children and two grandchildren. Grocery Bills and Daily Life in a Family of 18…\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":111931,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[657,642],"tags":[818,426],"class_list":{"0":"post-111927","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-love-and-relationships","8":"category-moral-story","9":"tag-moral-touching-stories","10":"tag-love"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/lorevista.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/aus-fam.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lorevista.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/111927","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lorevista.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lorevista.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lorevista.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lorevista.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=111927"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/lorevista.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/111927\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":111932,"href":"https:\/\/lorevista.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/111927\/revisions\/111932"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lorevista.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/111931"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lorevista.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=111927"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lorevista.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=111927"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lorevista.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=111927"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}