Do you get that sinking feeling every time you head to the supermarket and the bleep of the checkout till keeps adding up to what seems like an infinite amount of money? We have a couple of tips to help you cut your grocery bill – we know some of these seem like logic, but we thought we’d remind you just in case you’ve fallen off the straight and narrow budget path.
Stop eating out
We’re all busy – no doubt – but all those takeout meals do start adding up. Look around for quick and easy meals to cook – or cook big over the weekend and put food in plastic containers to freeze – this way, you’ll have a ready cooked meal available even on those nights when you simply do not feel like cooking.
Buy for the week and the month – not just for the day
One of the cardinal sins of grocery shopping is to buy on the day. Going to the supermarket at the end of a long day at the office probably means that you are hungry, a little bit grumpy and you just want to get out of there. This makes you more inclined to just grab whatever you think makes sense at the time, often loads of this food will go to waste.
Instead of doing your grocery shopping on a whim, plan out your meals on a weekly basis – or monthly even. Go to the supermarket once and buy everything you’ll need for the upcoming week. It might not be entirely possible, as you might need some fresh produce for some meals, at least your structure will be planned and you’ll know exactly how much you are spending on food and when. You’ll be surprised at what a difference this can make.
Stock up on staples
Staple foods are dry and non-perishable food like rice, pasta, canned goods, dried beans and so forth. These foods can help you throw together a quick and nutritious meal in no time or they can help you enhance food you already have in your freezer of fridge.
Buy in bulk
Buying your food in bulk will always work out cheaper, especially when it comes to meat. Obviously you don’t need litres of soya sauce in your pantry, but it might work out cheaper to buy half a lamb and freeze or rice, pasta and other non-perishables might work out far cheaper when bought in bulk. Keep an eye on leaflets to see where there are specials on.
Cook from scratch
We know that those crumbed and frozen fillets or frozen meals that you just pop in the oven can be very tempting, but they are often way more expensive – not to mention not all that healthy.
Buying raw, fresh ingredients will be much cheaper and healthier. It might require a little bit of extra effort, but it will be worth your while.