For many of us, sticking to a diet is a top New Year’s resolution, with sticking to a budget a close second. But each year, it seems, the budget falls by the wayside — sometimes even before we succumb to the allure of that cheesecake in the dessert aisle.

If this is so hard for us, how are we going to teach our kids?

A good way to start is by making, and actually following, a family food budget. Sound mundane? It is. But it’s also a huge expense for most families — according to government statistics, the average family of four spends at least $8,000 a year on food. Getting a handle on your food spending can really help you save, and unlike some other parts of your budget (mortgage, for example), it’s an expense even younger children can easily understand.

The first step is to figure out what your family is spending now on all your food in a given week or month — everything, including those vending machine sodas at work and the bagel you pick up as you’re running errands. Write it down, and get your children to help. Once you know what you’re spending, you know where you can make cuts.

The next step is to set a goal. Begin by counting the number of meals you’ll be eating at home each week. Explain to your children that eating out is much more expensive than eating at home, and decide how many times a week (if any) the family wants to eat out. This count should include lunch too — each of you can save a lot of money by bringing lunch to work or school instead of buying it while you’re there.

All the remaining meals, of course, will be made at home, so next it’s time to set up menus. Discuss this at a family meeting. Set nutritional goals too. Do you want meat with every meal? Do you want to serve only organic foods? Are sugars and fats restricted in your home? Articulate your rules to your children.

Now comes the actual shopping. The idea here is to get your kids involved in saving money on the products you need by teaching them to use coupons and buy in bulk. A very effective incentive: Allow your kids to keep half of the money saved with coupons they find and use. And when it comes to bulk purchases, send them “on a mission” to locate deals on products you use in the sizes you want.

For younger children who can read, a label-checking game can help get them involved: Assign your child the task of finding a product with your specifications as to price, size, calories and ingredients. This task will teach your kids to read labels and decipher price information too. As they get proficient, you can make the “game” harder by stepping up the rate at which they’re to find the items. (For safety’s sake, of course, always make sure your young shopper stays within view).

After a few weeks of setting eating-out goals, packing lunches, clipping coupons and buying in bulk, it’s time to check the spending levels again. If everyone has been disciplined, the amount of money your family is spending on food should have dropped. Get your kids to help add up the new spending and compare it to the old. Explain that this new, lower amount can now serve as your family’s realistic, tried-and-true food budget.

One way to make the process especially rewarding for kids: Explain that over time, the amount of money saved per week will really add up, and promise to use some of that extra cash to reward yourselves, maybe with a family vacation or some other special treat. Once your kids see the good things that come with making and sticking to a budget, they’ll be on the road to financial success of their own.

Financial expert Neale S. Godfrey has written 15 books, including “Money Doesn’t Grow On Trees.” Her show, “Your Money, Your Children, Your Life,” has aired on public television stations.