There's no denying it, food prices are going up and hurting people's household budgets. At times it feels like we can't do much about it. We all have to eat - right ?
Here are the strategies I've been using to keep my food budget under control.
* Buy herbs, spices, dried fruits, nuts, grains and flours in bulk from Indian type shops. If you live in Melbourne Hindustan Imports in Dandenong is the place to shop. They offer items in various sizes to suit any budget and are far cheaper than supermarkets. There is free delivery in metro Melbourne for orders over $90.
* Substitute ingredients for cheaper ones. For example, milk can sometimes be used instead of cream, tinned tuna used instead of salmon, rice bran oil instead of olive oil. In baking I use cheaper nuts like peanuts instead of cashews, walnuts, macadamia nuts etc.
* Buy cheaper meats. Roasts of any kind are now off our menu. We generally eat beef mince, chicken, sausages, tinned tuna / salmon and frozen fish fillets ( not crumbed ). Steak on a plate is not an option when it costs more than $20 a kilo.
* Buy generic. I know this is an obvious tip but you'd be surprised at how many people insist on buying branded flour, sugar, rice, eggs, butter, cheese etc. In Australia we don't import flour and sugar so a branded product is no better. Quite often branded and generic products are packaged in the same factory on the same machinery. Think back to the days of the peanut butter contamination in 1996 when many brands were recalled.
* Use any discount cards, loyalty cards, Flybuys, Woolworths Rewards on offer. Redeem any money you have sitting on these cards. We have an insurance with Woolworths because it was the cheapest we could find. A side benefit is getting 10% off my grocery shop once a month. You can bet your bottom dollar I make it a big shop to get the most dollars back.
* Buy ingredients not ready made, prepackaged, microwavable, precut etc etc. My grocery list consists of flour, sugar, milk, butter, cheese, tinned toms, tinned tuna, frozen corn and beans, carrots, pasta ( the cheap brand ) etc etc. When money is tight, ingredients go so much further.
I like your idea of using peanuts, rather than more expensive nuts, some of which are VERY expensive, even for a small bag. I don't know about prices in Australia, but one thing we have noticed here in England is that it is often cheaper to buy frozen veg than fresh, plus there is less wastage. I know that not everyone likes the taste of frozen veg, but it is something that works for us.
ReplyDeleteI've heard tinned veg is cheaper than fresh in England. We buy frozen beans and corn because it's cheaper than fresh.
DeleteHi Wendy,thanks for this gr8 advice as always,iam thinking of moving my car insurance is woolies a good option? Thanks Wendy @ have a great day.
ReplyDeleteIt depends on where you live and what car you drive. Well worth looking at Woolies insurance.
DeleteMelissa,
Deleteyou will also get 10% off a grocery shop once a month with Woolworths if you get their insurance and you have a WW everyday rewards cards
Wendy you are so right about the flour, sugar etc,. My husband worked in one of the sugar mills here in Qld. The pallet of home brand sat beside the pallet of branded sugar and it all came out of the same bin.
ReplyDeleteThere you go. I shake my head when I see people buying CSR sugar. It's so expensive.
DeleteHi Wendy, there is also Savemore Supermarket Discount Store in Noble Park - 250 gm butter $2 at the moment
ReplyDeleteThankyou. Is the butter salted ?
DeleteAll great tips. I would add - once you have a decent pantry set up then - aside from fresh food like fruit, veg and dairy - I would concentrate on shopping the sale items and using those items to further build my pantry while saving money.
ReplyDeleteTotally agree. I've found that generic ingredients don't come on sale and there isn't much else I buy that comes on sale except choc chips for baking and some sauces like mint sauce.
DeleteVery good tips Wendy. I am going to reintroduce vegetarian meals a couple of nights a week to help our budget. Also if I need a couple of 1or 2 cups of milk in a recipe I will make it up from milk powder, it is cheaper than fresh milk (because I insist on buying local milk) and you cannot taste the difference in a dish.
ReplyDeleteYes milk powder is great. I use it in baking and to make the white sauce for lasagne.
DeleteI also find looking at the specials catalogues on line allows me to decide where I will shop for what I need. I do have to think about whether the fuel and wear and tear on my car is worth the effort of traveling around for a few cents saving. Sometimes I will rethink my menu plan rather than go to different shops. Making my own cleaning products (thanks Wendy and Annabel)
ReplyDeletehas also helped as growing some vegetables and fruit. I rarely buy meat now.
Janine
Now that I'm mostly buying ingredients, they don't come on sale except choc chips for baking.
DeleteWe live on a farm so get free meat (there are of course lots of hours to get it though), but am growing as many vegs as I can to eat fresh now and to preserve for later. A win if its less time and money spent in supermarket
ReplyDeleteI have great admiration for those who raise their own meat. Well done
DeleteIngredients, not food is my shopping mantra and has been for most of my adult life. I plan my meals based on what I have in my pantry and what's on sale, so we've been fortunate that our food costs haven't gone up too much.
ReplyDeleteOf course the 'food, not ingredients' mantra isn't exactly fun when you just want something to eat and don't feel like cooking! :D Fortunately, I've got a stash of quick recipes I can fall back on when I need food fast. :)
Now that it's just Darren and I at home, our groceries are mostly ingredients ( except for a packet of potato chips ). I can make hot chips but not the packet ones.
DeleteOur food costs haven't gone up much either but our meals are simpler.
I always buy generic staples like flour, sugar etc but refuse point blank to buy no name eggs as most are from caged hens. I rarely buy eggs these days as we are usually given some from various friends and family who keep chooks but when I do I go for free range from a company which is upfront on how many chickens per hectare
ReplyDeleteIt's good to have the info about free range chickens. All is not as it seems with many companies.
DeleteI buy generic flour, sugar and salt too. Wendy, do you find it better to just buy Plain Flour and Baking Powder separately, or do you also buy and keep a stock of Self Raising Flour? I buy Plain, Self Raising Flour and Baking Powder at the moment, and am wondering whether I should stop buying S/R but am worried the cost of more baking powder would be less cost effective. Was wondering what you do re this.
ReplyDeleteI use almonds in place of other more expensive nuts, due to cost and other nut allergies in the family eg. in pesto instead of using pine nuts, and in rice salad instead of using cashews, etc. Tastes great still and you don't even notice the difference. Cheers, Kelly
Hi Kelly, I've always bought SR flour for baking cakes and some slices. SR flour and plain flour cost the same and it's just easy to measure out SR for baking .
DeleteWe are impatiently waiting for our veg garden to start providing us with produce. We have little cucumbers beginning to form, a few cherry toms beginning to change colour and a mango tree that looks to be coming along with a bumper crop! Our sweet potatoes have gone crazy so I might check out some of the older growth for produce. Patience is not my strong point! :) Vicky
ReplyDelete