Things are getting out of hand with the shopping bill last week was around $240 without the extra's and thats for a family of 3.It was also with a planned menu from the economy gastronomy show.I guess it didnt work to well.So this week I am going to try damed hard to get the shopping bill down to $150.
Any tips are greatly appreciated
elliehen,
Jan 16, 8:05am
You mention last 'week'.Try shopping fortnightly.Once inside the supermarket, it's difficult not to be sucked in to buying things that are not on your list.
timetable,
Jan 16, 8:07am
hi.... we have found that menu planning is so the way to go cos then you go with a list of only what ya need... although if menu's are not your thing you can wing it as long as your frezzer and cupboards are well stocked in the staples.. we make the most of specials so i tend to check them sat or sun when they come and then suss out what will be a cookin, built in and around which one of us is home and what our cooking time frame is... the other thing is that i also make the most of the holidays and fill up the lader on preserves etc, stock up the frezzer again on ordinary stuff like meatsauces etc for quick meals with pasta or rice and pour through the cookbooks and restock on any bits for seasonal cooking - at the mo annable's and jamies salad's etc for the warm days... we have cut out all junk and buy what we don't grow and our usual things each fortnight like toliet paper etc.... last fortnight we spent $65 in total and today spent $46... will shop again on thur for the fortnight i have budgeted a total of $150 for the fortnight (if needed) and that is for 2 adults, mr 11 and 2 cats... vege garden and greenhouse good at present and still working through christmas stock up in frezzer and cupboards....
tortenz,
Jan 16, 8:16am
We've noticed a difference since cutting down on meat.Over summer we've had lots of rice and pasta meals, sometimes with meat, sometimes vege, using pumpkin, broccolli and sometimes nuts (walnut or cashew).With meals like that you tend to use less meat than having meat + veg, also cuts out on potatoes which I think are overpriced!
We've also found it good growing our own lettuce.Especially during the warmer months, no need to buy veges as we just have salad.Instead of pulling the whole lettuce out, just break off leaves as you need.We buy tomatoes, etc.But lettuce is super easy.
Definitely menu planning as mentioned above.And maybe home baking for the kids instead of buying snacks.
Last week, I went shopping for 2 of us and it cost about $40 for the week.When we are buying pet food as well it's substantially more (and didn't need any cleaning items, toothpaste, etc.)
suzanna,
Jan 16, 11:33am
Go to the 'we don't have to buy it cos we can make it thread' (hope this is right !) as it has fantastic ideas such as the spray and wipe. Don't try to do everything at once or you will become confused and give up in frustration. If you shop at some pak n saves after about 8.30pm the whole bread/bun range at least halves in price which is great value and even means that you can buy loaves for breadcrumbs if you wish to. Dont be too harsh re 'best before' dates as some of these products are not only cheap but excellent. I picked up several brie and camembert cheeses for 99c only a day before the bb date. it is the 'use by' date that is more relevant.
suzanna,
Jan 16, 11:39am
Great suggestion re planting lettuce but silver beet too is fantastic as easy to grow and can be used in so many dishes. We like 'bright lights' as find that people will eat this before the old green/white stalk one. Try to buy one or two extras per shopping day such as herbs and spices so that 'everything is taste and everything is taste' becomes your motto. Grow parsley, rosemary mint as staples and easy and I'm sure that someone would give you some plants. Use this message board as it is not only unequalled but pure gold in the 'mafia principle'...sharing, caring (most of the time) and totally knowledgeable. Journey well on this exciting path.
suzanna,
Jan 16, 11:50am
There is a fantastic site re using alsorts of dried beans complete with explanation of soaking, boiling etc. justbeanrecipes.com If you hunt out the asian/indian warehouses that are popular (quick turnover) then they are often very cheap for rice, beans, spices, nut etc. I even buy dates at a very good price there and make loaves, muffins, scones etc. I always make extra and freeze some so as to make good use of my oven and time. Also buy bulk soy sauce, curry pastes etc. Remember that a pottle of green curry paste may cost a bit but it will last not only for a long time but also several quick and tasty meals.
kob,
Jan 16, 5:33pm
my advise is to make sure you know exactly what you have in your pantry, freezer *& fridge before starting a task like this , if you jot it down and of course minus it when its used , its easy enough to take the note book with you to the supermarket, I used to find id panic and buy those tins of beetroot or dried beans because i wasnt sure if i had them at home and then I would find I had already had them and could of spent that $5 on something else, there are heaps of saucxes and home made meals you can make fron scratch without needing a pkt of this or a pkt of that just explore through old recipe books and you will be amazed what you can create for next to nothing.Sometimes we totally fall into this commercial world where we fry mince and open a pkt or can to complete meal when really all it is are a couple of ingredients we prob alreasy have in our store items, happy budgeting I do have a budgeting thread called, who needs a budget ME just search for it in the search engine and hit anytime and it will come up for you, there are great tips and cost saving ideas in there for all to use
fastlanenz,
Jan 16, 6:27pm
I save money on milk by buying milk powder and only using milk made from milk powder for all my baking.
lilyfield,
Jan 16, 7:37pm
ditto.Have never bought fresh milk inthe last 40 years. Must have saved half a house with that. The kids grew up big and strong on milkpowder. No formulars those days.
think frugal and act it. Its easy. I prefer to go cruising to eating my hard earned cash
Sophie Gray shoes you budget cooking, cheap recipes, shoestring shopping, frugal food… and she's a New Zealander.
marywea,
Jan 16, 8:05pm
Rainbowpride, suggest if you still have the receipt for your $240.00 spend that you go through item by item and see if/wherethereare goods that you needn't have bought.Maybe there were some good specials and you stocked up on them or something you need only every 6 months or maybe the family just needed a food treat.It seems when needing to reduce costs that food is the first target because we have easy control over that but I personally think that using the car without really thinking about it creates unnecessary ( this is a word I always have trouble spelling, dictioary used!) costs Does anyone know what the kilometer costs are these days?Let us know how your spend goes.
ant_sonja,
Jan 16, 8:40pm
I could give you some ideas but everyones shopping lists and food priorities are different - what did you buy that totaled $240? We have had to adjust our food & household budget over the last few years - currently spending on average $220 per fortnight for 2 adult, one 8 year old boy, 3 dogs & 3 cats. We could spend more now but there's no need and seeing we have a baby on the way now we better stick to the less is more approach lol We don't buy cheap meat and pretty much no processed foods so most of the budget goes on Quality meats/seafood and fresh seasonal produce. We have grown our own veggies/salad greens over the years also but I seriously lack the green thumb in that regard so unless the gardens are doing well, we buy as fresh and seasonal as possible via our local green grocer. We have chooks for eggs and I make our own bread/pasta. The only 'processed' things I buy are flour, tinned tomatoes, tinned tuna, sugar/coffee and Salami as well as Milk/cream/Butter/plain greek yogurt & Cheese. I cook from scratch everyday. The dogs and cats eat a lot of chicken frames/necks/hearts/livers which are cheap and more nutritious than commercial pet foods and they also get wild Venison/rabbit & possum plus fresh eggs as we get so many of them. I also cook for them but that's more for my benefit as I love cooking :-) For snacks we have veggies/fruits/eggs/cheese & cold (left over) meats or Salami..stuff like that - the odd sandwich or some toast once or twice a week. Breakfast is whatever we feel like (don't do cereals or muesli on a regular basis) apart from my son who eats the Sanitarium version of wheat bix with a bit of milk most mornings or we have porridge over winter sometimes. I have found the less we spend at the 'stupidmarket' the better we eat. A love for fresh simple foods helps as well. You've had a lot of advice already so I'll leave it at this - tips on making your own cleaning products etc are readily available online so google is your friend here if that's something you want to look into - have fun :-)
elliehen,
Jan 16, 9:24pm
I think I've bought several trips abroad with saving on milk :)
Nothing but milk powder in this house, although occasionally a picky person will buy a bottle of what we call 'Fat Milk' for personal consumption.
If you drop a rounded teaspoon of skim milk powder into a cup of tea and stir quickly, you get a smooth HOT cuppa every time. (Don't put the spoon into the hot drink before you've dropped the milk in, though).
bedazzledjewels,
Jan 16, 10:40pm
Something I do every 6 months is to try to just use what's in the pantry and freezer for the week's meals. So using what you already have. Of course you may need to add some fresh produce.
magenta,
Jan 17, 3:14am
If you are at home working rather than going to a workplace try making your own bread.The price of good quality bread is very high and you can save a lot by making it yourself. I use breadmaker to mix and bake in the oven.
winnie15,
Jan 18, 8:56am
is milk powder a lot cheaper option than bought milk?
elliehen,
Jan 18, 10:16am
Yes, and it never goes 'off' and you never run out :)
Always mix it up in a glass jug, not a plastic one, and leave it to reconstitute in the fridge for about half an hour to get the taste of fresh milk.
I buy the generic brand.
charlieb2,
Jan 18, 10:42am
Yeah, I'm not convinced that its a cheaper option either. Last time I costed it, there wasnt a great difference between powder and milk
charlieb2,
Jan 18, 10:45am
ok. i've just gone online woolworths and a 400g packet of milk powder makes 1litre and costs $7.29
no way is that cheaper than real milk
popit_nz,
Jan 18, 9:08pm
the anchor 1kg bag of powder makes 12 litres for $12.99
popit_nz,
Jan 18, 9:10pm
the description says 1 litre but the if you look on teh bag in teh big picture it says 4 litres it makes for the green pack and 3 for the blue pack
lilyfield,
Jan 18, 9:46pm
have never paid more than 8.99 for milkpowder. That is 90 cents a liter from p&S
kay141,
Jan 19, 1:28am
I bought the 1k bag of Homebrand Skim Milk powder for 8.99. Says on it makes 10 litres. Haven't tried it yet but that's less than $1 a litre.
timetable,
Jan 19, 1:35am
if you have a bin inn in your area so shop there!!!milk powder can sometimes be as cheap as $7 pr kilo...
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