I wanted to continue on yesterday's theme of pinching pennies to talk about a few things we can all do to save money. One of the best ways to save at the grocery store is to work out the unit price of what you are buying. For example, if you want to buy coffee and one pack is 200 grams for $8.98 ($8.98 divided by 200 grams = 0.044 cents a gram) and another pack is 500 grams at $18.33 ($18.33 divided by 500 grams = 0.036 cents a gram), the second pack is cheaper. So even though the second price is more, it's actually cheaper coffee. Or pineapple slices might be $1.86 for one pound (16oz) ($1.86 divided by 16 oz = 11 cents an ounce). Another brand is $3.05 for 1½ pounds (24oz) ($3.05 divided by 24 = 12 cents an ounce), so here the larger one is more expensive so you'd buy the smaller one. Take your calculator with you to the shops when you're working out your unit prices.
Another thing you can do is to make do with what you already have. If you find you're short of one ingredient when you're cooking something, do without it or make do with something you already have. The housewives of the depression years and those during the world wars developed a fine tradition of making do. Many of them continued on long after they needed to because it saved them money and resources, and it was the sensible thing to do. Learn to mend clothes, so you don't have to throw good clothes away just because they have a rip in them. Sew on buttons, mend zips, stitch hems. Unravel an old jumper and knit something else with it. Good yarn will always look nice, even on it's second life.
Try to give up meat, or eat less of it. Meat costs a lot to buy and it also takes a huge amount of water, space and resources to produce meat for the table. There are many delicious recipes to be cooked that have no meat. If you cut out meat, keep chickens and grow vegetables and fruit in your backyard, you'll be well on your way to reducing your food bill considerably.
Use less of everything. Smaller servings, less dressing on salad, less toothpaste on your toothbrush, less sauce on spaghetti, less butter on bread, fewer peaches in the cobbler etc. Reduce your amounts a little bit, no one will notice but it will add up.
Generics - buy them. When I was a spender, I wouldn't even look at generic brands. Now I buy them all the time and have been amazed that they're the same as the advertised brands. They're cheaper because you're not paying for advertising. There is one word of caution here though. I always check that my generic is made in Australia. Make sure what you buy is from your own country. This is important for the economy of your country and it cuts down on your food miles. If you keep buying cheap food from another country, there will come a time when that is all there will be to buy. And we all know what happens when there is no competition - the prices go up.
These are a few of the things I do to save money. They are all small steps that add up to a big difference. If you have something a bit unusual that works for you, something we might not have heard of, please share it with us so we all might benefit.
Another thing you can do is to make do with what you already have. If you find you're short of one ingredient when you're cooking something, do without it or make do with something you already have. The housewives of the depression years and those during the world wars developed a fine tradition of making do. Many of them continued on long after they needed to because it saved them money and resources, and it was the sensible thing to do. Learn to mend clothes, so you don't have to throw good clothes away just because they have a rip in them. Sew on buttons, mend zips, stitch hems. Unravel an old jumper and knit something else with it. Good yarn will always look nice, even on it's second life.
Try to give up meat, or eat less of it. Meat costs a lot to buy and it also takes a huge amount of water, space and resources to produce meat for the table. There are many delicious recipes to be cooked that have no meat. If you cut out meat, keep chickens and grow vegetables and fruit in your backyard, you'll be well on your way to reducing your food bill considerably.
Use less of everything. Smaller servings, less dressing on salad, less toothpaste on your toothbrush, less sauce on spaghetti, less butter on bread, fewer peaches in the cobbler etc. Reduce your amounts a little bit, no one will notice but it will add up.
Generics - buy them. When I was a spender, I wouldn't even look at generic brands. Now I buy them all the time and have been amazed that they're the same as the advertised brands. They're cheaper because you're not paying for advertising. There is one word of caution here though. I always check that my generic is made in Australia. Make sure what you buy is from your own country. This is important for the economy of your country and it cuts down on your food miles. If you keep buying cheap food from another country, there will come a time when that is all there will be to buy. And we all know what happens when there is no competition - the prices go up.
These are a few of the things I do to save money. They are all small steps that add up to a big difference. If you have something a bit unusual that works for you, something we might not have heard of, please share it with us so we all might benefit.
