continued from: Part1
Decrease Waste
Stick to your menu plan so items you bought don’t go to waste. Avoid buying items on special because they are close to their use by date unless you plan to use within 24 hours or freeze (note: check item hasn’t already been frozen before).
Buy ingredients in bulk, cook large portions and either freeze half or use for lunches. Buy bulk packets, split and freeze or cook large meals in bulk. Casseroles, large crock pot meals, quiche and even lasagna make great leftovers. Leftovers can be frozen or taken to work/school for lunches.
Grow your own
A great way of reducing food expenses is to grow some items yourself. Even the smallest home with no garden can find space to grow tomatoes or a few herbs in a sunny window spot.
You can use planters for a concrete/paved yard or balconies to grow a few essentials like lettuce, spinach, tomatoes, radishes. Choose vegetables that grow quickly and don’t take up much room. Fun, especially if you have children!
If you can’t grow your own, consider buying eggs, fresh fruit and vegetables from a local grower and support their business.
Meat, Fruit and Vegetables
Meat is generally more expensive than vegetables so try having a meat free day once a week. Experiment with vegetarian meal options. Buy whole chickens rather than buying chicken breasts as you can get two or more meals from one chicken and use the carcass to make your own broth for soups.
Choose large meat roasts over individual portions of chops for example as you will get more meals from the cold leftovers.
Don’t pay the extra for diced steak, buy a steak and chop it yourself. Make your own chicken skewers. Buying pre-made you will pay much more pound (kg) than if you do it yourself. Fruit and vegetables are cheaper if you buy them from a local farmers market and when they are in season locally.
DO
- buy seasonal ingredients
- eat before you shop
- eat leftovers for lunch
- write a list and stick to it
- menu plan for at least a week
- cook in bulk (freeze or eat leftovers)
- buy in bulk (join a wholesale group)
- organize your pantry, fridge and freezer
- clip and save coupons
- buy store brands
- buy large tins/packets and freeze/store excess
- buy from local farmers markets
DON’T
- waste food
- buy small, individual sized tins
- take children shopping with you
This article compliments our first in the series of reducting food costs:
- View: Part 1: How to Reduce Food Expenses and cut Your Weekly Grocery Bill in Half!
- Also view: building a family budget
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Now you have a number of strategies to implement to try reducing food expense in your monthly budget. Do all of them immediately or start slowly. You will see improvements and a reduction in food expenses even if you do just one new tip each week.
Share these tips with friends and family and you can all save together. Let each other know which grocery stores have the best specials. Start your own wholefood co-operative to buy in bulk from wholesalers if there is not one in your local area.
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