If you are struggling to put food on the table with constantly rising grocery prices, it's time to do things a little differently. When writing out your shopping list, ask yourself a few questions -
* Do we need it ? Can we go without ? Can we make it ourselves ? Is there a cheaper option ?
Last week I shared 6 ways you can save a small fortune on your grocery bill. This week I have another 6 ways to save and every single one of them I personally use for Darren and I. Our grocery budget is $120 a month for 2 adults and has been for about 18 months.
* Make your own. If you want to stretch your food budget so you can buy more or save money, then start making things from scratch. Jam is dirt cheap to make and even cheaper if you grow your own fruit or know someone who does. Make gravy from scratch instead of buying those little sachets or ready made. Make your own wedges / chips / fries instead of buying a bag. Make foaming hand wash, surface spray, custard, desserts, lasagnes. Cut you own veggies bake your own biscuits, cook your own pasta sauce.
* Bulk buying. Buying larger packets / bags is usually the cheaper option but make sure you know your prices. Also make sure you can use that quantity within a reasonable time frame. Go halves with friends or family to split the cost.
* Buy ingredients. A trolley full of ingredients will cost far less and provide more meals than a trolley full of processed food. My grocery bill is proof of this. Don't listen to the so called experts who report that healthy food is dearer than processed. My pantry, fridge and freezers are full of ingredients all bought for $120 ( or even less ) a month. I had a distant family member tell me recently that it's cheaper to buy a box of biscuit mix to make rather than buying ingredients. I don't think she understood the concept that buying ingredients might cost more upfront but can make many batches of biscuits. The box mix she uses only bakes maybe 12 - 18 biscuits in total.
* Less meat, more vegetables. I'm not going to tell anyone to give up meat. That's a personal choice and should be talked over with your doctor to make sure you get your nutrients elsewhere. Darren and I quite enjoy meat but you won't find a hunk of meat on our plates. On the rare occasion I cook a roast, I get 2 slices of meat and Darren might get 3. We fill up our plates with veggies and no one goes hungry. Chop suey, stews, soups and casseroles are a great way to have meat and stretch it further.
* Cut the treats and give as presents. If you like chocolate, chips and lollies, consider adding them to gifts within your family. They make great Christmas stocking stuffers or gift bag fillers for a birthday present and the recipient will be thrilled to get what they love to eat. This is the only way Darren and I can afford a food treat and not have it impact our grocery budget.
* Grow your own. Have a look at your shopping list. What fresh items do you buy regularly ? Could you start growing some of these ? Lettuce is super cheap, easy and quick to grow. It can be grown all year round in many areas. You can grow it in a pot or in the ground. Even if you start with this you could save $2 - $4 a week.
I think buying ingredients that are versatile helps. For example, I buy brown basmati rice and use that in a number of ways rather than buying three different types of rice.
ReplyDeletePlanning how to use that ingredient in different meals saves me time and money. For example, I cooked this rice to serve with creamy mustard chicken and the next night, using leftover rice, made a big pan of fried rice.
Meg
Versatility is the key isn't it. I buy white sugar and make castor sugar and brown sugar from it.
DeleteHi Wendy.
ReplyDeleteI use the same methods as you to save money on our groceries. There are four adults in our family so a month's worth of shopping is slightly more than two times as much as yours.
We buy most of our groceries at Aldi and stock up on some branded products when they are half price at Coles.
Our fruit trees save us money year after year. We have changed our front garden into an orchard and have ten fruit trees planted there. I make jam from the apricots and plums and quince paste from the quinces. In our back garden we grow lemons, limes, pears, feijoas, mulberries, peaches, blood oranges, figs, pears, dragon fruit, mandarins, cherries, olives, almonds and rhubarb. I make jams or preserves with the fruit as well as giving some away as there is more than can be eaten fresh.
Growing herbs, silverbeet, lettuces, rocket, kale, spring onions, tomatoes, chillies and cucumbers saves us having to buy them at ever increasing prices. I save the seeds from the plants and use them when I next plan on growing them.
Our beautiful hens provide eggs that taste better and are fresher than any free-range eggs in the shops, some of which are $10 per dozen.
I think a lot of the ways to save money on groceries, involve some kind of effort.
Many of my friends and family members prefer the less effort option and will buy whatever they need or want instead of making it with ingredients or growing it.
I often hear the words, "Why would you bother making it yoursef?" or "I just can't be bothered." One friend would rather spend $8 on a 6 slice loaf of banana bread and throw out their overripe bananas than make it herself. She also buys pre-made meatballs.
I buy spelt and rye flour in bulk online and Baker's Flour at Costco. I make sourdough bread for dietary intolerance reasons and have found that each loaf costs about a fifth of the price of a similar loaf from a bakery.
Sorry for such a long comment Wendy. I hope you are keeping warm there -it has been so cold in Adelaide. Cheers, Maria.
I hope it's okay to say hello here to Meg from 'a hopeful nature', who is a regular reader of your blog.
"Hi Meg. I hope you and your family are keeping well. Best wishes from Maria xxx."
I loved your comment Maria. I think we are kindred spirits. Imagine the fun we'd have if we lived next door to each other. We could swap produce. Saving money does take a little effort, but the rewards are great.
DeleteI really enjoy these posts Wendy. I'm impressed your grocery bill is only $120 per month for 2 adults, especially in these cost of living crisis times. May I ask if this is purely food or also toiletries, cleaning products nd other incidentals? I would be very keen to see a post with your shopping and list if that wouldn't be too much trouble. Very inspiring especially as we spend more than that for 2 adults. Maybe I'm overstocking.
ReplyDeleteThe $120 a month covers food, basic toiletries and basic cleaning supplies / ingredients. I use kitchen detergent to clean just about everything in our home. Toiletries are bought from the supermarket as well as The Reject Shop, NQR and discount shops.
DeleteHello Wendy just about the bread making please. Is just homebrand plain flour ok to use or do I need to purchase bread flour. I tried the recipe but my loaves were quite heavy I must be doing something different. Thanks wendy
DeleteHi Brigitte. I use home brand plain flour for my bread. The bread will not come out as soft as supermarket bread because my bread has no preservatives etc. Make sure you knead the dough well and let it rise just above the tops of the tins.
DeleteOk thanks Wendy I’ll give it another try. It’s pretty cold here I’ll put the dough nearer to my wood fire to see if that helps with the rising process and knead longer. Thank you for sharing and getting back to me.
DeleteHello Wendy I so enjoy reading about your money saving tips. I am amazed that your grocery bill is only $120 per month. Even though I prepare everything from scratch I am no where near this amount. My husband and I are pensioners. We have a small dog and 8 chickens living with us on our acre here in Perth. I have just created my annual budget and am now looking at how we will manage the expenses. Thank you for your encouraging tips. God bless
ReplyDeleteWendy, great post! If someone only tries one of these a month, it would make a difference. I have one small idea to add. I have tracked our grocery spending for years, but had difficulty actually reducing it ;). I decided to aim to spend $100 less a month (we were at $600 for just two of us). That worked, over time I got us down to $300/month. I just needed a smaller and more specific goal. Hilogene in Az
ReplyDeleteThat's a great tip.
DeleteI started out by planning vegetables in my backyard; I had shared an allotment with a friend for 4 years when I was younger, and was convinced I could manage growing all sorts of vegetables on my own, living with my husband and 2 daughters, and having a fulltime stressful job. I couldn't manage. So, over the years I only planted fruit trees and bushes, and herbs, and the occasional pumpkin and courgette plant. That, I can manage. The fruit plants are there for life and need very little daily care, most care is in pruning once a year and harvesting; those can both be done at a time I am ready for. The courgette and pumpkin are bought plug plants that are definitely worth the expense.
ReplyDeleteI'm now looking into evergrowing spinach (New Zealand spinach, I think? You plant it once and it comes back every year?).
My tip: grow what you will actually eat and what you have time and energy for.
There are some things we make from scratch for dietary necessity. We are trying to grow basil as all dried now contain wheat, two of us are ceoliac. We're thinking about hydroponics, start with tomatoes due to space. Unfortunately, we can't do less meat more vegetables. Paediatrician changed our child's diet to high protein, carbs,dairy.
ReplyDelete