Cutting the cost of grocery shopping

I'm guessing that most of us try to live well without spending too much money. Some of us are forced via our circumstances to do it, some make a philosophical decision that they want to live that way. One thing is for sure, if you cut the amount of money you spend, not only on food and groceries but also on the modern trappings of life, you'll be able to pay off your debts sooner and you'll also be helping to reduce green house gasses as well. Bravo!

Living well on a small amount of money is not about the big choices. It's a series of consistent decisions to live on the budget you've defined for yourself. It's about shopping for bargains and making as much at home as you can. If you have the time to make some of the things you now buy, you'll save money, and probably get a better product. If you can reduce your grocery bill, you'll be able to make consistent savings every time you shop. So let's talk about the everyday decisions we all make.

The first decision is about organising your money, and that just means making up a budget. Now if your eye just glazed over and your pulse started to race, it's not as bad as you think. YOU set your own limits, YOU write your budget according to what money you have coming in and what you need. YOU are the main definer of your fate. If you've been pretending that the B word is for everyone else, think again. Budgeting will help you live well, help you pay your bills on time, calculate what you have to spend and generally keep you on your financial track, whatever that is.  Some of us can get away with no budget, but it's so easy to fall back into those modern day spending habits, a budget will keep you focused. And it gets easier the longer you do it.

But let's focus on shopping now. Staples, or the ingredients you need to make up recipes, are the real foundation of your pantry and stockpile. They don't change from month to month - flour, tea, coffee, sugar, butter, honey, dried fruits, oats, rice, spices etc. Work out what you use as staples and keep your supplies topped up when you shop. It's the fresh food such as vegetables, fruit, dairy, meat, fish etc that will change. When you prepare to go shopping, check what's in the fridge that has to be used, make up a menu plan, then work out when you'll shop. If you get supermarket flyers in the post and check out the bargains that way, then you'll wait until you have that week's flyers and make up your menu plan according to what's on special and what you already have in the fridge and garden. Then you'll do your shopping. I think it's a better idea to check the fridge so you don't buy what you already have, then go shopping with a list of the staples you need. I like to see what's in the shops, especially the seasonal foods, and buy what is cheap because it's in season and fresh. But whether you shop after seeing what's available or already have your meals planned before you go shopping, always shop with a list of what staples you need so you don't have to run back to the shops during the week to buy a pound of butter, flour or some onions.

I encourage you to shop for ingredients rather than frozen meals and you'll save money if you don't buy convenience foods such as washed salads, sliced or grated cheese, bottled cooking sauces or packets of prepared spices. By doing the work of washing, grating and making up your own recipes, you'll save a lot of money and develop your skills in the kitchen.

Now that we shop at Aldi, I find it's only the meat specials I'm interested in, and then only the free range meats. If they have nothing I want, I usually end up at the butcher shop because he has better quality meat, it's local and often cheaper than the supermarket meat. I encourage you to check out your local butcher and green grocer and don't just rely on the supermarkets. Another quick tip is to not always rely on meat as your main meal protein. Legumes, grains, fish, eggs, tofu and dairy products are all valuable and reasonably cheap sources of protein.

In most circumstances, but not all, stockpiling will save you money and time. It works for us but doesn't work for my sister, Tricia, because she lives alone and tends to shop for what she needs every couple of days. But if you're part of a small, medium or larger family, or a group of students, stockpiling should work for you and you'll always have food on hand.  There is a post here about stockpiling.

If you have some land, another food strategy that will save money as well as give you the best organic fruit and vegetables, is to grow your own, or some of it. If you do this, you'll also have to learn about when to harvest, how to manage your harvests so you don't waste anything and often that means you'll learn how to preserve in jars and freeze your produce. There are many posts here about that as well. The best way to search my blog is to look in the search facility in my side bar.  Type in the word or phrase: "stockpiling", "menu plan", "soap making" etc and a list of posts should appear.

I just want to remind you that it is rare to make big savings doing this.  It's all about consistent, regular small savings when you do the grocery shopping, but menu planning, shopping for bargains, stockpiling and buying less because you grow it and make it yourself, will all make a difference. So don't think small savings aren't worth it, they add up. When you look back over a year, you'll be surprised just how much you were able to save by sticking to your plan.

Tomorrow we'll talk about, and share, our recipes and thoughts on frugal food. I look forward to reading your comments about today's topic. I'll see you again as we carry on this important discussion tomorrow.