There's no denying that grocery prices are going up. Bank balances are being squeezed and it seems like there's nothing we can do Or is there ?
As you know Darren and I buy all our groceries, cat food / kitty litter, basic toiletries and cleaning ingredients for $100 a month. This has been our budget for the last 14 months ( from memory ). To most people this seems like a ridiculously small amount to spend and we couldn't possibly be eating healthy.
Guess what ? We are eating healthy and we are not starving. We eat home cooked basic, yet tasty meals each night and there's plenty of food on the plate. Our lunches and breakfasts are nothing fancy but we are satisfied. Morning and afternoon teas are also included in the $100 per month and there's always something delicious in the biscuit jar.
Here are 10 of the tricks and tips I've been using to keep to our grocery budget to $100 even when it seems impossible.
* We constantly look out for meat on clearance. Most of the clearance meat we've bought has been around dinner time which seems to be when the meat manager puts the reduced stickers on. But in saying that, we don't buy the meat just because it's on clearance. The reduced price needs to work out to $10 per kilo or less. Steak reduced from $40 to $25 a kilo ( for example ) is not a sale price for our budget.
* Almost no convenience food makes it onto my shopping list or into the trolley. This includes jars of pasta / chicken bake sauces, gravy mixes, noodle cups, pre cut food, microwave food, frozen meals, frozen snacks, soft drinks, chips, lollies, juices, bakery items, deli items, dips, breakfast cereal ( unless needed for a casserole / baking ).
* Generic brands are always bought except for curry powder, toothpaste, tomato soup, teabags and chocolate. Generic is cheaper 90% of the time. It is rare that a sale item makes it cheaper than generic.
* I am not brand or supermarket loyal. I buy Australian made / owned products when I can but they need to be the cheapest on offer. I'd much rather have money in my purse than fancy brands in my pantry. I'm not out to impress anyone except my husband and he sure is impressed with the quality of food we eat.
* I don't chase loyalty points to convert into cash. If I get points for buying my basic groceries then I see it as a bonus. Too many people are mesmerised by the bonus offers / points that loyalty programs offer. You end up spending more than usual to get a couple of dollars back in cash. Bonus offers are only a bonus if you don't go out of your way to get them.
* I always have a shopping list when grocery shopping. It's written in general order of where things are in the supermarket. I also write how many of each item is needed.
* I always check my pantry, fridge and freezers before writing my list and shopping.
* I only buy what can be used within a reasonable amount of time. I don't buy 20 jars of Vegemite if we only go through one or two a year.
* I rotate all items in my pantry, fridge and freezers. New items go to the back and older ones go to the front to be used first.
* Any chips, lollies, biscuits or chocolate we like is given at Christmas in our stockings or for birthdays, Mother's / Father's Days and Easter throughout the year. It's kept in the pantry with our initial on it so we know whose is whose.
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| Photo taken about 2017 |
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| Clearance beef mince. |
Hi Wendy,
ReplyDeleteyou have some great tips and strategies for shopping on a limited budget. I use some of them already and plan on trying out the others.
When trying to save money on groceries we have to be prepared to put in some time and effort. Making meals, snacks and baked goods from scratch is more economical than buying them already made but it takes more time and effort and also planning.
I can only eat sourdough bread for health reasons and make my own using spelt flour mixed with baker's flour. It costs me about $4 to make three 700g loaves of this bread or $7+ to buy one.
A few years ago when I told my brother how inexpensive banana bread is to make, he replied, "Why wouldn't you just buy it?" He buys a 5 slice loaf for $8 each week. His attitude would be shared by many, who also don't have budget constraints.
We save money each week by having our lovely hens. They lay enough eggs for our family and there are also some to sell. They are great pets, love kitchen scraps and contribute to the compost every day.
Growing some of our own fruit and vegies keeps the cost of our shopping down. I think that with the current and predicted increases in the cost of fresh produce, 'growing our own' will be an essential task.
Looking forward to next week's post.
Cheers, Emm.
Thank you for this blog update Wendy. Very timely, as always.
ReplyDeleteWe are in isolation this week due to one of the teens catching Covid. Thankfully this means saving petrol! That's the one bonus with Hubby driving to and from work Monday to Friday. Last week because of the petrol prices, I started walking to work again. Saving money at the bowser = increased exercise!
We have quite a few pumpkins growing at the moment and loads of self sown tomatoes. Some are even popping up in our lawn and I am determined to let them flourish now that the sun is back out and the heavy rains have ceased. I think it will be unique having tomatoes growing in the lawn! Our beetroot crop (second and third) are doing well.
We planted a second crop of corn before all of the severe weather a month ago and we thought it had been lost. Today, I think they are nearly five foot tall and a lovely green colour. There is always hope in the garden! I would love a crop before the chill begins.
I recently bought some sausages from a different butcher and was most happy with the quality - Irish Pork sausages. I was also impressed with their selection and this has allowed me to not only compare prices with our usual butcher and buy a different selection, but gives us a greater chance of snapping up specials! Buyting Click & Collect will also stop me from overspending because something looks lovely in the butcher shop window!
I have decided to go back to a f&v grocer as I am tired of the old produce from the major supermarkets; even my kids are beginning to complain about sour apples.
Sundays have become my baking day. For a few hours in my kitchen last Sunday I cooked up pita chips from two bags of pita bread, a yummy chocolate Weet-Bix slice and apple and cinnamon muffins. I have frozen the muffins to help them last longer!
I have also carried out a contentment challenge today. The house over the past few weeks has led to feelings of discontent and looking over the fence. So, today I bought in an old bench from outside and after a good wipe over, is now a breakfast bar. We can sit at it and look out over the backyard whilst nourishing our bodies over breakfast. I gave the back verandah a good sweep and removed some cobwebs but left the Daddy Long Legs be to help combat the mozzies.
Tonight is Spaghetti Bolognese with Coles brand spaghetti and pasta sauce and discounted pork mince. It is sure to fill their bellies.
Vicky
Hi Wendy, what do you typically have for breakfast and lunch? Melanie from NZ
ReplyDeleteHello!
ReplyDeleteThankyou for more useful tips and advice. The prices you get for reduced meat are amazing and must make a huge difference. I turn any leftovers in the fridge into frittatas or soup. Works well!
Deborah
Hi Deborah, the mince was a huge blessing for us.
DeleteSoup are an awesomely cheap meal.
What a sensible post! Lovely to read common sense on the internet!
ReplyDeleteWe (in Belgium) receive meal vouchers for every day we work. This is a work benefit many employers give. They start at €6/day, but can go up to €10/day. They can be spent on any type of food (from Aldi to a fancy restaurant; most restaurants and shops have opted in). From my husband and me this comes to about €300/month, and this is our food budget for us and our 2 daughters (13 and 10). It also needs to cover the months we have less vouchers, due to vacation or sickness. I stock up on shelf stable products like pasta, spices and tins.
We have a posh supermarket nearby, and have subscribed to their loyalty programme. They send me a voucher for 1 free product per month, and I always go and pick it up.
Whenever I'm there, I check out the specials and discounts. They are rarely any good, not going further down than 30%, even on the last sell-by date.
Like you, I have a top price I'm willing to pay for meat (€10/kg), fruit (€3/kg) and veg (€2,50/kg).
I check our fruit and veg regularly for soft spots.
DDs get a cut-up carrot or apple to snack on when they come home from school. I bought a 10 kg bag of 'animalfeed' carrots some time ago for €3. They are just very large, but taste fine. I have cut most up and frozen them to use in soups and sauces. DD2 (10) does not like chunky sauces, so I make the sauce and then put the stick blender in; I can add so many cheap veggies (many from frozen, and bought when really cheap) without anyone noticing!
Many people I have worked with have indicated that 1 person's meal vouchers were just 1 weekly shop's worth!
Stick blenders are great for hiding veggies aren't they. Siebrie, it sounds like you shop very wisely.
DeleteWow impressed by your trays of mince. Here in Sydney that would never happen. I was shocked when I walked past the butcher of meat prices. Even chicken. I saw a home made shepherd's pie in the window $27 !!! Ridiculous. I have been eating a lot more fish, tuna, bakes, and beans. Nothing like eggs in toast or baked beans. I also find cuppa soup (I like aldi ones) with a toastie makes a nice change. Petrol here has now surpassed $2.22 a litre !! I'm also using up what's in the freezer this month. I was shocked to see because of the recent floods here all green veggies have gone through the roof. Iceberg lettuce $6.50/$7.50 most places. Brocholi $9 a kg, and capsicums $20 a kg. Renting I can't plant and I only have a tiny balcony. Thanks. Sonia
ReplyDeleteI am still amazed at your $100 a month. I think I'm doing well if we stick to $125 a week. I don't buy biscuits, sauces, packet mixes of any kind. Fruit & veggies are costing a lot at the moment. The tips you gave are very good and $1.60 for the mince that is amazing to get it for that price. Have a good week.
ReplyDeleteHi Kathy. Can you grow some fruit and veg to help ?
DeleteI've never found mince that cheap before either. It sure was a huge blessing for us.
I love all your tips and ideas. I use a lot of them but I really need to cook more from scratch. I only buy when I find a good deal. I appreciate your blog.
ReplyDelete