Recently the price of food has gone up with inflation which means our dollars don't go as far as they used to, but the below tips can help to keep your grocery bill in check.
Tip 1. Prepare food at home!
When dining out or getting take away, you are paying for the meal and for someone to prepare it. Making food at home is the first way to save.
Tip 2. Plan meals where you cook once and eat twice.
Preparing meals which use similar ingredients or cook enough for leftovers the following day. This saves you time in the kitchen, particularly after a busy day when you don't feel like cooking.
Examples:
Cook a large batch of mince which can be used for spaghetti bolognaise one meal and the remaining mince can be used for cottage pie or tacos another day.
Roast chicken and vegetables for one meal can have leftovers to include in a stir fry the next night.
Stew or curry with rice and vegetables for one meal, with leftover stew used in a pie another day.
Tip 3. Plan budget friendly meals for the week ahead
Step 1: Set a budget (How much can you afford to spend on food for the week?)
Step 2: Know what’s in your kitchen. Shop at home first.
Check the fridge, freezer and pantry to see what you already have at home.
See which food which may be nearing its best before or use by date.
Find out what staple foods you are running low on. It can be useful to have a whiteboard in your kitchen where you keep a list of foods which need to be re-stocked.
Step 3: Plan a weekly menu and write a shopping list
See what recipes you can make using ingredients you already have and ingredients you would need to buy.
Recipes that let you substitute ingredients based on what you have available at home. E.g. homemade pizza can have many different toppings or flavour combinations.
Look at specials advertised in supermarket catalogues or healthy food.
Plan what meals you will eat for the week. Remember to plan quick and easy meals for days when you don’t have much time to cook.
Make a shopping list so you buy what you need, and stick to it!
Step 4: Go grocery shopping
Buy staple pantry and freezer items in bulk when they are on special. E.g. flour, pasta, rice, oats, cereals, tea, coffee, dried or canned beans and lentils. Frozen vegetables, meat, chicken and fish.
Purchase fresh fruit and vegetables that are in season.
Frozen or canned fruit and vegetables are alternatives to fresh food and can prevent food waste.
Compare similar products using the price per 100 g or 100 mL to find out which product is more affordable.
Look for items placed below or above eye level on the shelves, as more affordable brands are generally placed outside of eye level.
Make your meat dishes go further by adding beans or lentils as they are also a good source of protein.
Tip 4. Make the most of leftovers.
Turn dinner leftovers into tomorrow’s lunches or use them as components for the following night’s dinner.
Tip 5. Don’t shop when hungry or stressed.
This is to prevent yourself from making poor decisions and buying food you don’t need because you are either stressed, time poor or hungry.
Tip 6. Purchasing Fruit, Vegetables and Herbs.
Avoid purchasing fresh pre-chopped or prepared fruit and vegetables as they are often more expensive and need to be eaten sooner.
Go to farmers markets to buy fresh in season fruit and vegetables at a lower price in comparison to supermarkets.
Fresh herbs can be expensive, buy dried herbs or try growing common herbs at home such as parsley, rosemary, thyme and mint.
Start your own vegetable garden - not only will your food be fresh but you will be saving money as well
If you can’t always afford fresh fruit and vegetables, then frozen, tinned and dried are still a healthy option.
Useful Resources
Healthy, easy and budget friendly recipes: www.nomoneynotime.com.au/healthy-easy-recipes
LiveLighter website: www.Livelighter.com.au
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