As promised, here are some of my tips on how to make a small grocery budget stretch like Elasto-girl in between shopping trips:
- Have a shopping routine – periodic trips make planning easier and minimises wasted food. Work out whether daily (!), weekly, fortnightly, or monthly shopping (or some combination) suits you best.
- Have an idea of what will be eaten that week. I don’t use a menu plan, because I like to improvise, but I have a very good idea of how much food we need for each meal and/or week.
- Use up leftovers. Label and freeze smaller portions for quick lunches later; make double of basics like bolognaise; stretch portions which are not quite big enough with extra veggies or carbs (rice, potatoes, bread on the side). Tinned beans are another great option to stretch meat dishes for a second meal.
- Plan egg-based or legume-based meals as alternatives to meat
- Learn how to bake basic sweet treats from scratch – cakes, brownies, scones, muffins, pikelets, pancakes, etc. Keep a good stock of baking supplies on hand and make use of online recipe collections.
- Investigate keeping chickens, and/or planting a veggie patch.
How do you save on your groceries?
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