As your family grows, your grocery bill
grows too, right? Not so. If you’re savvy with your choices in the
kitchen you can make great savings. Club editor Faye James shares her
top 10 budget-saving secrets.
Being a mum has taught me many useful things and
frugality is one of the most important. That said, I still want my
family to eat healthily so through trial and error I’ve managed to
achieve both while keeping my hubby, toddler and baby happy. Here are my
top 10 secrets:
1. Meatless Mondays
One thing about going meat-free is that it’s cheap as well as
healthy. If you serve up at least one vegetarian meal per week you can
ensure your shopping bill is reduced and provide your family with
proteins other than meat. I feed my family plant proteins such as
lentils,
chickpeas and butter
beans,
all which make great curries or accompaniments to salad, and are easier
to digest than some meats. You can buy a tin for as little as $1.
2. Leftovers
If you want to get more bang for your buck, while encouraging your
family not to overeat, try making dishes that you can use the
leftovers for another dish the following day. For example, save roast chicken for a lovely hearty
chicken soup or turn your leftover pasta into a tasty frittata. Leftover mash also makes a great topping for fish or
Cottage Pie.
3. One-pot wonders
Never underestimate the power of a one-pot wonder. If you have a slow
cooker, just pop the ingredients into the cooker in the morning and
come home to a fragrant, melt-in-the-mouth stew. I don’t have a slow
cooker so often make
casseroles
when I get home from work and simmer on a low heat to serve up next
day. One-pot wonders are great because you can use cheaper cuts of
meats, they’re easy to make and are healthy for the family.
4. Simple tuna recipes
You can buy a can of tuna for a few dollars and make a plethora of
healthy dishes for your family. Canned fish is high in omega-3 fats and
you can mix with salads, curries or yummy
patties, which are extremely popular with toddlers who might not otherwise like fish.
5. Make your own pizza
Ordering takeaway pizza seems like a budget-friendly option, but you
can easily make your own homemade one for a third of the price (around
$5 as opposed to $15). I pile mozzarella, tomato, ham and rocket onto
pita bread for a cheap and quick meal. If you have more time, you can
make your own dough with your little ones and whip up some
Mini Pot Pizzas. My daughter loves to make hers with smiley faces. A cheap, healthy, tasty and entertaining meal!
6. Pack lunch
If you buy lunch every day you could be spending on average $10 a
day, which totals up to more than $200 a month. Pack your own lunch and
you can save heaps. Homemade soups, salads, wraps or
tortillas
cost on average $2 a day to make, which totals up to just $40 per
month. That’s just $480 per year as opposed to $2,400! Take note,
working parents. (Particularly my husband!)
7. Keep a stocked pantry
Do your good intentions to cook five staple meals a week go out the
window when you open the fridge and discover there’s ‘nothing to cook?’
Keep a well-stocked
pantry full of staples
such as tinned tomatoes, chickpeas, tuna, pasta, quinoa or rice, and
you can always whip a last-minute, nutritious creation without too much
effort or expense.
8. Eat with the seasons
Avoid opting for recipes that require out-of-season produce. Not only
will you end up paying extra, but also they won’t taste as nice.
In-season produce is tastier, and easier on the pocket.
9. Shop online
I swear by
shopping online
because it allows me to track what I’m spending as I’m dropping items
into the basket. I can browse for specials, search for recipes and plan
ahead for weeknight meals. I can also track what I bought in the
previous shop and do an educated inventory of my pantry. I definitely
save time and money by shopping online – and I think I shop ‘smarter’
too.
10. Buy in bulk
Check the specials and buy non-perishable or goods with a long shelf
life in bulk, such as cereal, rice and pasta. You’ll save heaps of money
and time. There’s nothing worse than realising you’re spending extra
dollars and wasting time by buying last-minute small packets of pasta
when you could streamline your shop by planning ahead and buying big,
especially when these items are on special.
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