How to save money on groceries

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Groceries is one of the biggest household expenditure and I was somewhat curious about how much we spend compared to others. We are a family of 4 with 2 young children. According to data shown on Budget Direct website (December 2018), the average Australian household spends just under $255 weekly. Couples with children spend between $282 and 332 a week. Singles under 35 spend $122 per week.

Because of COVID-19 outbreak, we spend a lot of time at home. My husband has turned to the internet searching for recipes to cook at home, limiting takeaways to once a week. Our family spends between $750 and $900 a month on groceries during this period. Despite spending less on takeaways, we still felt the pinch at spending that much on groceries.

The following are tips that I found has helped to save money on groceries.

Bring a shopping list

How many times have you gone shopping for “just a few items”, only to come home with 3 bags full of food? For me it is way too many times. While we might justify that they are on sale or we need them to make our meals or school lunches, in the back of my mind, I know it is hurting my budget. Sometimes, the food ends up in the bin or we would find ourselves really trying to finish them before the use-by date.

Having a shopping list helps to focus our attention to what we need. 

Organize the items by category to save time and avoid missing items during the shop.

After you are done, take a photo of it just in case you are out and about and decide to go grocery shopping or you left in hurry without the list.

Buy generic brands 

There are certain brand names that we are used to buying because they are what our parents have always bought or because they happen to be placed on the shelf at eye-level. These products cost a few more dollars and over time they add up. For things like sugar, flour, canned beans, cereal, we can buy generic brands. There is usually no difference in taste or quality. 

Try them out and if you believe there are differences and they just do not taste good, then switch back or find some other alternatives.

Also, try products that are placed at a lower or higher shelf instead of at eye-level. They are often cheaper.

Buy less meat can save money

We love to eat meat but meat is more expensive than vegetables. Instead of having meat at every meal, perhaps try to have a meatless meal once a week. Tofu is a great source of protein and taste just as nice when stir-fried together with capsicums, snow peas and carrots. 

Alternatively, try having meals where meat is not the star, but rather is the side dish. Put together a meal where meat is part of a main dish made of rice, noodles, or vegetables, so you have them in smaller portion.

Meal plan with ingredients on sale

To make a shopping list, it’s best to start with meal planning.

I have noticed our grocery bill is higher recently; mentioned how much we have been spending on groceries to my close friend and they agreed that food prices have risen recently. Now I try to buy food that are on sale, so I will go online to see what’s on special especially if I have to buy from supermarkets.

And then think of different ways to use the same ingredients, perhaps in stir fries, in noodles or pasta, and fried rice?

Click here for a free Weekly Menu with grocery list.

Consider using meal kit services to save money

Meal kits such as HelloFresh offer a great variety of recipes which you can choose according to your preferences. The deliveries are made weekly which you can skip or cancel at any time. They arrive safely in cardboard boxes which have cool packs to keep ingredients cool.

Ordering meal kits can be very helpful because you do not have to plan your dinner for up to 5 days. It also helps you save time shopping and reduce wastage because they are pre-measured. 

This is good way for budgeting for your meals and buying only breakfast and some other necessities. this limit your trip to the grocery store hence saving money on groceries.

Shop the fresh markets or Aldi

Every Saturday morning during the school term, I would park my car after dropping my daughter off at the language school and walk to the market. Luckily the school is situated not far from a fresh market. Takes about 15-20 min walk. I’d bring my trolley along.

I enjoy shopping at the fresh market, there are more varieties and looking at the vast amount of choices makes me happy. The butcher and poultry stalls usually offer discounts on certain cut of meat if you can buy 2kg or more. The fruits and vegetables also cost less than at the supermarkets. Sometimes you are able to snag a huge bargain if you are looking for bulk purchase, when the fruit and vegetables are offloading their stock. Beware though, these produce might not be the freshest.

If you like steak, Aldi’s prices are the lowest, if you prefer premium cuts, then check out the fresh markets.

Use bulk buying wisely to save money

Bulk buy items such as rice and snacks for packing school lunchboxes or daytrips. Our family eats rice everyday; we would finish a 10kg of rice in 5-6 weeks. So we buy 20kg! While snacks and biscuits may not come in jumbo sized Packs, we try not to buy those individually wrapped ones, such as 12x80g packs. We buy the normal-sized one and portion them out for school lunchboxes, put them in a little container.

Meat can be frozen so it is suitable to buy a whole lot especially when they are discounted at the end of the day. 

Don’t buy items in bulk if just one lasts forever. Think of items that can be stored for quite a while but are used up or eaten quite quickly. The costs of these can add up quite quickly if bought in small quantities at higher prices.

Buy in-season fruits and vegetables

Off-season produce tend to be more expensive because supply is less than in-season time. Besides in-season produce will look and taste the best. It is a great to be able to enjoy different fruits at different times of the year, so we don’t get bored. It makes us feel more adventurous to try a variety of different fruits and veggies. I don’t know about you, I feel having seasons is a great reason to tell the kids they cannot have cherries until next summer or mandarins until the next winter and get them to try something else. Yeah, I know this doesn’t always work.

Use reward points to save money on groceries

Do you rake up quite a fair bit of loyalty points with your credit card or loyal customer card? If so, check whether you can redeem the points for grocery dollars. 

If you use your credit card all the time and only pay off the balance at the end of the month, see if you can sign up for a free rewards membership if you haven’t already or find a card that comes with free reward membership if you don’t mind changing cards.

These points may just be enough for you to indulge in small treat every month without guilt!

I hope these points are able to help you save money when grocery shopping. If you have any more tips and want to share, please feel free to comment below.

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