The cost of living crisis is hitting many people hard. Prices are going up all the time and when it comes to the grocery bill, you never know how much it's going to cost from week to week. I've given up expecting certain items to cost a certain amount. It seems the prices change constantly.
If you want the cost of living crisis to have a minimal impact on your grocery bill, things need to change and the change has to come from you.
My grocery budget for Darren and I is $120 per MONTH and it's been at that amount for about 18 months. Has it been tough ? A little. Have we made changes to keep it that low ? YOU BET WE HAVE !!! And that's the trick. CHANGES !!!
Here are 7 ways to lower your food bill and still eat well.
* People expect to eat the same food and complain about rising prices. I don't know how many times I've come across people who insist on buying fancy steaks for their meals and then tell me food costs too much. Nothing's going to change if nothing changes. Steak is now a luxury. Save it for a special occasion.
* Trying different brands. Why do people feel the need to fill their pantries, fridges and freezers with branded products ? Who are you trying to impress ? If people are judging you on what brands you consume, you might want to rethink your friends. Unless it's curry powder, chocolate, tea, coffee or tomato soup, it doesn't matter what the brand is. It will still do the job. Remember, flour is flour and sugar is sugar. I use generic flour to bake all our biscuits, slices, cakes and breads and it works perfectly.
* Going without the extras like lavish sauces / gravies, gourmet oils ( avocado, coconut etc ), fancy cheeses, deli meats, recipe bases etc. You know what I'm talking about. These items are like icing on a cake. It's nice to have but not needed. Save them for special occasions.
* Portion controlling food. Have a look at how much you are putting on your plate. Could you eat a little less ? If the meal is meant to serve 6, are you only getting 4 or 5 serves ? Could you stretch the meal to 7 serves ?
* Eating whole foods. I'm not necessarily talking about going to a whole food store and spending a fortune on overpriced nuts and flours. If you are hungry, eat an apple or banana. Think back to when you were a child. What did you eat in your lunchbox ? It was most likely whole foods.
* Cooking simple meals. No one can sustain a Master Chef menu. That tv show doesn't know what a food budget is. Meat and 3 veg, casseroles, stews, pasta or bakes are comfort foods without the high price tag. If you'd like some budget friendly, tasty meals then have a look in the recipe section on this blog. I personally cook every one of those meals on my tight budget and there are no expensive ingredients.
* Expensive dinners as a treat. We all like a good roast don't we ? Or steak, or salmon for example. Salmon is one of my favourite meats but we don't have it just because I like it. Salmon is saved for my Mother's Day meal or my birthday and you can bet I thoroughly enjoy it. Best of all, it doesn't blow our budget because we know it's a treat.
Here in The Netherlands we have the same problem. Our son has moved back home, now there is 4 of us again. Before I could manage my budget, but he is used to eating a lot of meat and doesn't like potatoes, so I have to plan other things, which is hard on the budget. I am going to look at your recipes 😉
ReplyDeleteGreetings from The Netherlands
Monique
Meat-free meals can save a lot. We have at least one, and now often two, meat-free meals a week. Last night we had brown rice and veg rollls which were delicious and an alternative to sausage rolls. Fried rice (with egg), quiche and frittatas are also easy to make without meat. Even scrambled eggs with mushrooms or baked beans on wholemeal toast are fine for quick, easy meal. One thing I also try to do is use ingredient, like mushrooms, across different meals so having them with scrambled eggs, on homemade pizza and then putting rest into a bolognese sauce.
ReplyDeleteMeg
Great information, Wendy. I never buy F&V at the supermarket as you get seasonal products at a better price at the green grocer or weekend markets. Any leftovers can be made into fritters, muffins or cakes. Failing that, I make soups. We love soups! Sometimes I add curry pastes or powder for variety.
ReplyDeleteI grew up on a farm and we only went to town once a week but had an acre of vegetables, many fruit trees and an almond tree. We had a cooked breakfast, then morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner, always with pudding! All home made. We were so lucky!
When I make a meat-free meal, I usually make a pudding, to have for dessert. Apple crumble or a self-saucing pudding are favourites here.
DeleteMeg
You’re doing an amazing job! $120 AUS is equivalent to $80 USD. There’s 2 of us. I wonder if we could do only $80.
ReplyDeleteMy dd (15) is in carer training secondary school. One of her classes is 'cooking' and a couple of weeks ago they had to think of, buy and prepare a budget meal. The budget was €5 for 2 people, and none of the class managed to stay within budget, and the teacher let them get away with it!
ReplyDeleteWhen she told me afterwards, I asked her to look up budget meals, and we are planning to cook several over the 9-week summer break.