Want to save $ on groceries?
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Topic: Want to save $ on groceries?
Posted By: jazzy
Subject: Want to save $ on groceries?
Date Posted: 26 December 2009 at 9:02am
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Me too, this topic is to follow on from the frugal 2010 one.
I am sick of paying too much & over buying I want to cut the food bill down & the junk out. I want to plan menus that we can stick too & everyone will eat. I want to stop going to the shop during the week for the odd thing & walking out a $100 down. Does anyone plan out how much they spend on a meal? What meals do you make to keep your budget in check? |
Replies:
Posted By: peanut butter
Date Posted: 26 December 2009 at 9:20am
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I know I should do it but I HATE menu planning. I hate the idea of only having the ingredients in my cupboard for the meals I plan to cook...because I am indecisive and like to change my mind.
How do I save money on groceries without menu planning as that seems to be the key? |
Posted By: FreeSpirit
Date Posted: 26 December 2009 at 9:26am
| I have found that I can save $50 by buying meat from our AAFCO (the meatworks) butcher shop. They do great meatpacks - our current favourite is the BBQ pack - $30 for 50 pieces of meat - chops, meat patties, ham steaks, sausages and chicken nibbles. Because there's only 2 adults in my house I halve everything except the chicken so that's 9 meals of meat for $30. MUCH cheaper then buying meat from a supermarket. |
Posted By: jano1
Date Posted: 26 December 2009 at 9:39am
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NZ piper we are the same- I don't know what I'm going to feel like eating tonight let alone in 3 days time. BUT we do need to cut back on food shopping as our bills are getting way out of hand. ------------- http://www.thebump.com/?utm_source=ticker&utm_medium=UBB&utm_campaign=tickers"> |
Posted By: myfullhouse
Date Posted: 26 December 2009 at 9:48am
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I menu plan sort of and I think it cuts back on the grocery bill.
I go to the butcher and buy my meat at the beginning of the month, enough for 28 meals, I go on about 300g of meat per meal for DH, Jack and I. I think one of the reasons that I was over spending before was that I was using more meat per meal than we actually needed. I plan what I am going to make with the meant then I go to the supermarket and buy the ingredients, and other things of course. I write a list of all the meals we have and each day pick a meal off the list depending on what I feel like and how busy my day is. Because there is a range of meals on the list I can choose pretty much what I feel like each day but it is still planned and saving me money. I definately couldn't plan exactly what we will have each day in advance ETA: I find that online shopping helps as I have less impulse purchases although I do sometimes forget things which I probably otherwise would have spotted at the supermarket and remembered to get. Here is a website with discount coupons for Woolworths/Foodtown online http://www.contest.co.nz/sales-discounts-coupons-etc/13932-discount-code-woolworths-foodtown-line-3.html - link ------------- Lindsey 
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Posted By: T_Rex
Date Posted: 26 December 2009 at 11:39am
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I can't bring myself to meal plan either. Instead, I tend to have a shopping list that says "meat, veges, ..." and get whatever is on special. I do try to think about how the meat and veges I buy will work together, but often I end up changing my mind about how I cook things when I get home. All the staple items that keep for a long time (cans, rice, etc), I just purchase when they are on special. My pantry is always pretty well stocked but I don't pay full price for almost anything in it.
Then each night I just cook what I feel like. I do have to pay attention to what fresh veges need using but that is the only limitation. ------------- http://lilypie.com">  http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: kebakat
Date Posted: 26 December 2009 at 12:03pm
| I hate meal planning too. Some of our meals take a long time to prep and some don't so what we have often comes down to how much time I have at the end of the day and what I can be bothered doing at the time.However I do have some meals that we have every week so I make sure I get the stuff to make those. Like pizzas, pasta, roast etc |
Posted By: jazzy
Date Posted: 26 December 2009 at 12:47pm
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I never planned meals, but bought what we usually did.
I found in winter I used the crock-pot so had it organized early in the morning & did not have a lot to do to finish the meal off. Lately due to the heat, busy with kids & can not be bothered attitude I have left the dinner decision to later in the day & have had a mad dash attempt to cook & feed everyone or get takeaways which is such a wast of money. So I am going to plan meals, not necessarily a day to day thing but make sure I have at least 2 weeks full of interesting & different meals to make. I want to do healthy, fun, filling foods & not just meat, potatoes, veg & pasta. I am also planning a date night & family night 1 a week, so DH & me have Friday night together & an adult meal. Saturday nights as family nights with home made pizza or somethings the kids really like. So what ideas do you have for meals? |
Posted By: SMoody
Date Posted: 26 December 2009 at 1:07pm
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Okay we sort have done the following the last few weeks and it works great.
I have written down everything as we were eating it and then you sort of get an idea how often you eat your favourite meals. Then hubby came home after a course he is on and we changed almost everything. We were eating our healthy 5 + a day fruit and veg with loads of other crap. So now we changed that and eating about 7 veggies and about 3 fruit portions per person per day. We do pasta once a week with loads of veggies in it. Stirfry about twice a week and the rest we plan for that week. I buy every week for about 8 meals so I can chop and change. I dont plan meat stuff for the week as I buy when it is on special. Say rump steak if $8 a kilo then I will buy quite a few packs and put it in my extra freezer. My planning save a lot. Where I do however mess up is when I make that imprompt visits for say milk. I intend to stop that by buying a few longlife so when we do run out I have and dont have to go in again. And stock up on that when it is on sale. And get the veggie garden going. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: kebakat
Date Posted: 26 December 2009 at 1:12pm
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We are loving pizzas at the moment. I put potato slices, egg, capsicum, tomato relish, cheese etc on them and they are soo tasty. Never would have thought egg and potato would work so well on pizza but they do and tomato relish is a really tasty alternative to tomato paste.
Quiches are good and pretty easy which I've started doing. Pasta frittata bake is yum and easy and fast. Its just like a normal pasta bake but you basically put some beaten egg all over the top. Gives it a slightly different taste and its very filling. Plus it gives me as a a vego a protein alternative and DH doesn't need meat with it. We have some kinda cheesey pasta (sour cream and chives, mac n chees out of a packet) with some side vege and meat. Daniel loves those days lol Roast vege - kumara, spud, red onion, carrot, sweet corn, capscium, leek etc. We chop them up quite small so they cook faster and put in a roast sprinkle and italian herbs from greggs. Its already in a nice size for toddlers. And any left overs from that goes inside some filo pastry parcels the next day for another dinner option. We are doing corn and vege fritters too. They are cheap and really easy and just add whatever meat is in the freezer and coleslaw if we have cabbage in the fridge. Home made fish n chips is really cheap |
Posted By: Bizzy
Date Posted: 26 December 2009 at 1:20pm
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sometimes spending a bit more money on quality items can be a money saver, cause you dont use as much. for instance i dont buy flavoured sausages and i buy a good quality bacon.
i dont plan meals and write it all down but like someone else said i do have an idea when i buy stuff what i want it for. we are pretty boring here, lots of salads in summer. it helps having a garden tho and lettuce, tomatoes , cucumber etc right outside the doorstep! ------------- http://www.myfitnesspal.com/weight-loss-ticker"> 
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Posted By: kebakat
Date Posted: 26 December 2009 at 1:22pm
| I envy you guys with vege gardens. Ours just got flattened from chopping down some trees so what little there was in there is very squished |
Posted By: Snappy
Date Posted: 26 December 2009 at 1:48pm
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I need to knuckle down.
We are trying to have at least one vege meal a week to cut down the costs. ATM that is wholemeal pita bread baked in the oven, with tomato paste, tomatoes, feta and spinach on the top. We buy those big packs of chicken breast meat from paknsave, they are $15 for about $20 worth (I even raid the whole shelf and make sure I pick the one with the most weight! We get 3 meals out of those. Same with steak. We mainly buy lean meat. I don't plan meals but I make sure I have at least two things I can make in the cupboards relatively quickly, so that I'm not tempted to do takeaways. If I do a salad (which is most nights) I will make the kids something different. Its usually sweet corn, grated carrot and cheese, boiled eggs and home made chicken nuggets. Or sausage muffins and mac cheese. I make my own sauces, I just have a big thing of tomato paste in the fridge and cans of budget tomatoes in the cupboard. I also use tuna a lot and will stir that through a pasta instead of bacon, or even in a salad. |
Posted By: jazzy
Date Posted: 26 December 2009 at 2:30pm
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I used to use foodtown online shopping.
Think later on I will write out a weeks meals & then fill in there online list & see what it will cost. I so want a veg garden, we are going to clean out a little area to grow some veg. I don't buy chicky nuggets & a lot of processed things, I make my own, & will stop buying sausages also. I used to buy fish fingers till DS1 found a piece of blue plastic in one, turned out to be a bin liner they use when making them....so put me off. |
Posted By: jazzy
Date Posted: 26 December 2009 at 2:35pm
| kaiz231 what is sausage muffins??? |
Posted By: Shezamumof3
Date Posted: 26 December 2009 at 4:52pm
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Im like Bizzy, when I go the supermarket I have a rough Idea of what I want to do. I am not very creative so I just buy packet stuff!
But we have Roast lamb once a week cos its so yummy, and I always use frozen vege, we usually have baby beans and carrots, we have chicken sticks a lot, and things like fish cakes and chicken tenders. I find if I buy the frozen stuff it lasts us a few meals, and its easier for me at the moment. ------------- |
Posted By: Caro07
Date Posted: 26 December 2009 at 6:22pm
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One thing we do which saves us heaps of $$ is do a big supermarket shop once every 5weeks. I know that this sounds impossible but we just stock up on all the basics so we always have spices, tomatoes etc and then I buy meat, fruit and vege on a weekly basis.
I don't really meal-plan but we do tend to eat the same 10 or so meals on a regular basis so I make sure I am stocked for these. I always cook from scratch so don't buy processed food either. Shopping this way has saved us a huge amount of money and means we are only tempted by the specials once a month. I usually have to pop in occasionally for sandwich meat and things like yoghurts. It also means we don't have to find time to do the groceries every week which has to be a good thing  ------------- Caroline, SAHM to 2 boys, S (4 years old) and J (2 years old) 
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Posted By: caitlynsmygirl
Date Posted: 26 December 2009 at 7:21pm
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Near me , there is an asian supermarket ,
Two weeks ago I got A pumpkin 5kg bag of potatoes bag of carrots bag of apples bag of bananas bag of pears bag of onions 3 avocadoes 2 punnets of strawberries a cabbage a bag of frankfurter sausages 3 beef eye fillet steak and altogether it cost me .....$33 . Suh -weet. now combined with that , and the fact that we are going to start meal planning , we should start saving a bit on groceries ------------- 
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Posted By: EmDee
Date Posted: 26 December 2009 at 9:04pm
Like most of you we don't plan meals however we have meals that we have regularly so know what we need in the cupboard. We try to keep basics for a quick meal in the cupboard i.e. tins of tomatoes, tuna, dried pasta etc, and stock up a wee bit on meat when its on special. Today we visited friends who are farmers and they sent us home with a tonne of meat, I  them!
Our big thing is remembering to take meat out of the freezer in the morning for dinner (DH and I both work full-time), I hate defrosting meat in the microwave - this is where we often fall into the 'takeaways' trap. Also we usually have roast chicken on the weekend and this will last us up to 3 meals (use leftovers with pasta, rice or salad or on sandwiches etc). I find shopping without DH or the kids is a good way to keep the shopping bill down. Usually when I shop with the kids I go so fast because I want to be out of there before any grizzling starts! ------------- DS 8 DD 6 DS 4 DD 2 |
Posted By: flakesitchyfeet
Date Posted: 26 December 2009 at 9:22pm
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Kelly thats impressive! I need to have a look at this online shopping thing, is it worth it after delivery costs?
We've just decided to have a 'frugal' year, there are some wants rather then needs for the new bubs and we are saving for a 3 room tent as well, ours is shrinking at the speed our family is growing! This year, I WILL stick to a budget. Yup aha. -------------  http://lilypie.com"> |
Posted By: Bobbie
Date Posted: 26 December 2009 at 9:56pm
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I find if you have the time then shopping for fruit and veg at a greengrocers and the meat at a butchers is often cheaper than buying everything at the supermarket. Plus if you find a greengrocer like we have that stocks produce from the local market gardens it tastes a million times better than the supermarket stuff too.
I plan our meals for the week (well not currently but I did) but I never costed them out. That seemed like far too much hard work for me. -------------  
 
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Posted By: Snappy
Date Posted: 26 December 2009 at 10:01pm
3 eggs 2 cooked sausages chopped finely 1 cup of mixed veges (brocolli, frozen veges, anything really!) 1/2 tsp salt 1/3 cup grated cheese 1 cup milk 1 cup flour Salt & Pepper I think this is from the incredible egg recipe book? Just pop the mixture in a muffin tray and bake for 25 mins on 180. |
jazzy wrote:Posted By: jaz
Date Posted: 26 December 2009 at 10:05pm
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I used to shop at the fruit and veg shop and butcher but usually find that as they are all in the same block the supermarket usually matches the prices. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: monkey33
Date Posted: 26 December 2009 at 10:27pm
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I have planned our weekly meals for years! I wouldn't have a clue what to buy otherwise!
I don't plan what day we are having the meal but I buy 6 meals for the coming week. 5 meals are something substantial and one is an easy one like toasted sandwiches for a night that we can't be bothered cooking much. We then have takeaways on another night that we are feeling lazy. If we end up eating out or getting takeaways twice in a week, then one of the meals just get saved for the next week. I try to make sure it is not a meal that had fresh veges, or make sure I use those veges up in another meal that week ------------- http://lilypie.com">  http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: monkey33
Date Posted: 26 December 2009 at 10:33pm
I would love to do this! But we definitley don't have the space! Might start to try fortnightly shops though.... ------------- http://lilypie.com"> http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: jazzy
Date Posted: 26 December 2009 at 10:34pm
kaiz231 thanks I am going to try that, anyway I can get veg into my fussy child I will give it a go 
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Posted By: cuppatea
Date Posted: 27 December 2009 at 8:08am
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We have started using the online shopping thing just to plan out our list. I only actually have it delivered when I get a free voucher. By doing the list online I can sit here and cull what I'm buying to keep it in budget. I try to still buy a couple of treats, so will try to afford a tub of ice cream etc but will trim those out if need be. I print the list off and send Dh to the supermarket with it, it gives him the exact quantities and brands etc to buy.
I'm trying to do some veggie meals cos our main expense is on meat. I try not to buy anything that is processed so we don't do chicken nuggets or anything like that. Should probably learn how to make my own, doubt it's that hard. We've been having pancakes for lunch recently, not sure if it's cheaper but it is yummy! ------------- 
 
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Posted By: jazzy
Date Posted: 27 December 2009 at 9:23am
| cuppatea, I was doing a list last night & also looked at their recipes...wow the $$ of them, they did look nice but $60 for a stay at home meal no thanks. |
Posted By: Snappy
Date Posted: 27 December 2009 at 11:22am
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Cuppatea, we make our own chicken nuggets and they are delicious. They are really crispy too!
I just stir 2TB milk and 2 eggs, dip the chicken into that and then in a glad bag I put 3 cups of crushed cornflakes and some wholemeal bread crumbs and mixed herbs. I dunk them into the bag and then oven bake them on baking paper for about 15 mins. I cut the chicken into 4cm pieces. |
Posted By: kellie
Date Posted: 27 December 2009 at 1:04pm
That and the sausage muffins sound awesome ------------- 
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Posted By: cuppatea
Date Posted: 27 December 2009 at 1:11pm
I don't buy sausages, I can't find any without preservatives and I worry when the best sausages have 70% meat -------------
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Posted By: ellabellame
Date Posted: 27 December 2009 at 1:20pm
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i've found that since DP started his new job and started getting paid fortnightly instead of weekly we've been saving money on groceries.
i used to spend about $150-$160 a week and now i'm down to around $240-$250 a fortnight. we buy milk and bread and put it in the chest freezer and get it out as we need it so that saves me going in and buying impromptu stuff. i do buy fruit weekly though because that gets used up quickly and goes bad over the 2 weeks but i just buy whatever is on special. it also helps that i don't buy much meat as we bought a cattle beast and a couple of lambs for the freezer which saves lots of money as now i only buy chicken and some fish. ------------- |
Posted By: peanut butter
Date Posted: 28 December 2009 at 9:24am
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Sheza, do you find your grocery bill expensive buying all the packaged food? I hardly ever buy packaged food and our bill is horrendous. I know it should be the case but I wondered if your packaged food works out cheaper....stranger things have happened
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Posted By: jazzy
Date Posted: 28 December 2009 at 9:36am
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How does one get there food bill down to $250 a fortnight, it just seams imposable to me.
We spend approx $400+ & I don't count takeaways or the quick trips to the shop to get 1 or 2 things & then end up walking out $100 poorer. |
Posted By: FreeSpirit
Date Posted: 28 December 2009 at 9:49am
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Shop at the local markets for fruit and veg (this means you only get what is in season but you also get it cheap), grow your own vege's if you have room (beans and tomatoes both do really well in pots if you're in a little rental).
Buy from the works or a butcher for meat. Stock up on basics when they're on special - if you'll be buying it next week, you may as well buy a few weeks worth if it's on special. Don't be fussy about brands. Buy cheap cheese, and never tasty. You can freeze cheese if it's really cheap! Make your own baby food if you're feeding baby puree (use the meats and vege's that you have in the cupboard, don't buy special food). If you know a young single man (eg your DP's mate) who hunts, see if he'd be willing to trade some meat for cooked meals once a week. (We get really good wild pork and venison this way) |
Posted By: ellabellame
Date Posted: 28 December 2009 at 9:58am
i buy the cheapest of everything, nappies, toilet paper, washing powder etc. i buy 1kg of cheese for the fortnight and if it runs out, tough luck. it helps that i don't buy much meat. i also only buy the fruit and veges that are on special and buy potatoes in 10kg bags. i make my own baby food because the canned stuff is so expensive. we also don't buy biscuits or cake because it's much cheaper to bake. ------------- |
Posted By: Bobbie
Date Posted: 28 December 2009 at 11:11am
I totally agree with this. We rarely have sausages. And I never knew you could freeze cheese -------------
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Posted By: palomino
Date Posted: 28 December 2009 at 12:47pm
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Made sausage muffins with some of our left overs and they are yum. So easy and eaten by everyone! Definatly going to be a regular in my house.
We do a big shop probably once a month and then do a smaller couple for fruit and veg etc. Everything we buy has to be on special and cheap brands always. I used to make all my baby foods, although its a lot easier now hes eating what we eat. BLW is great no worring about 'the babies meal' I used to think coupons were pointless and for old people but now i find myself using those $1 off etc coupons in mags, online etc... |
Posted By: ellabellame
Date Posted: 28 December 2009 at 1:03pm
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also, i know it sounds really cheap but if you find a problem with something you buy, call the company and let them know! not only do you hopefully stop it from happening again, but usually they send you either a supermarket voucher or a voucher for a replacement product. ------------- |
Posted By: Daizy
Date Posted: 28 December 2009 at 3:47pm
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I think we manage to do pretty well with our groceries. We have budgeted for $120 a week but never ever reach it this week we spent $45 (not including the doll for Madd I snuck in there) That usually just covers the basics and maybe 1 or 2 ingredients for cooking meals. I dont think we eat that badly so I'm not entirely sure what we do so differently. We also spend maybe $40 a week at the 4-square across the road on meat and vegies (and any other extra treats) But only as I need it.
I like to plan out meals as by the time it comes to dinner its a stress trying to decide what to eat when you have 2 hungry children hanging off my legs. When I dont plan (which hasnt been for a while ) Our meals are really booring and not exacly the healthiest - home made burgers, or wraps..... oh how I'm sick of wraps  ------------- 
 
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Posted By: lizzle
Date Posted: 28 December 2009 at 8:25pm
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I have two lists - one with things we have in the cupboard, and the other is stuff we buy everyweek. I then use the 1st list on the fridge and check things off as we use them up.
I use the countdown brochure to plan our meals - PNS is a specials follower. generally whatever Progressive has on special, PNS will follow. |
Posted By: jazzy
Date Posted: 29 December 2009 at 10:36pm
| Dinner tonight was Leggo's Cabonara pasta sauce ($3.60), pasta ($1.80), xmas ham, few slices of cheese, sprinkle of parsley, yummy & cost $7approx for a family of 5 & leftovers. |
Posted By: xLUCKYx
Date Posted: 06 January 2010 at 7:59am
I ALWAYS have certain things in my cupboard that go on the shopping list as soon as they are used. Things like spaghetti, creamed corn (corn fritters are a yum easy last minute dinner), pasta, canned fruit, tinned tomatoes, etc etc so there are always those 'staples' there in addition to our 'meal plan' stuff. |
Posted By: WRXnKids
Date Posted: 06 January 2010 at 12:31pm
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we have a big freezer that is always full of meat bread and frozen vege and the cupboards always have extra in them so i know if we go through a rough patch in winter when all the bills are higher we are probably right for a good month or more and will only need milk and maybe potatoes or just small things.
Freezer bags are awesome as well i buy the large bacon packs when they are on special and split them into smaller servings to freeze and new world by my parents does big meat packs which if you buy on the useby date to split up and freeze you end up with $35 worth of meat for about $15. I think mondays mornings is the best time for getting the meat specials like that. My problem is im suckered into cleaning products that promise the world! i have 2 types of exit mould stuff and have used both once in the 6 mths ive had them dont get me started on carpet cleaners! This year i think i will try more of babes tips rather than waste money on this sort of thing or just hire a rug doctor! -------------   
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Posted By: jazzy
Date Posted: 06 January 2010 at 1:12pm
| I used to buy every different cleaning product out there, but now use mainly jiff, sick of paying heaps on things that promise to make everything clean & sparkly. |
Posted By: cuppatea
Date Posted: 06 January 2010 at 1:21pm
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I mostly use baking soda and white vinegar. I do buy harpic for the toilet though, although that is nowhere near as good as the ads make out either.
I have a carpet cleaner, a bissel, that I bought about 5 years ago, it has more than paid for itself. I use the rug doctor cleaner in it though so one of their machines probably does just as good a job. -------------
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Posted By: caliandjack
Date Posted: 06 January 2010 at 2:21pm
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I've managed to get our grocery bill down to $50-70 a week for 2 adults and the cat. Most weeks its around $60 I don't meal plan as such but I tend to buy the same things each week.
I buy meat in the bulk packs and divide them up into 300gm portions usually I get mince and chicken, and alternate them through the week. Tried the vege garden thing but as I'm the worlds laziest gardener I've stuck to herbs instead. I do bake a lot so always have the staples on hand, flour, baking powder, eggs, butter, milk etc makes it easy to whip up a pie or a pizza with limited notice and uses up cheap ingredients. I'm wanting to try more vege cooking this year and experiment with different beans possibly in a curry. My bestest cheapest dinner is mexican - a tin of chilli beans and a tin of mexican tomatoes cooked together and wrapped in tortillas, dinner for under $5. ------------- http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow">   [/url] Angel June 2012 |
Posted By: SMoody
Date Posted: 06 January 2010 at 3:12pm
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wow that is great mrsg1. That is about what we spent on fruit and veg alone each week. Before you add any of the other stuff.
------------- http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: cuppatea
Date Posted: 06 January 2010 at 6:51pm
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I looked at all the tortillas that my supermarket had today and couldn't find a single one that didn't have preservatives, not to mention all the other rubbish in them. Do you make your own? if so is it easy?
I spent $130 at the supermarket today and that was after buying meat and veggies elsewhere, oh and I spent $11 at bin inn, but won't bother again as they don't seem any cheaper. So all up today I spent $187 on groceries and I didn't buy any nappies which I actually need cos they were out of the ones i get . So ooops. $7 over our upper limit, I will try to take it out of next weeks though to even it up again. |
Posted By: minik8e
Date Posted: 07 January 2010 at 10:19am
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What's unhealthy about homemade burgers?!?!?!?! Make sure you have heaps of salad in them and they're not so bad...we have them quite often. In saying that, ours are homemade patties as well and I only buy premium mince because of the fat content in the other stuff. I don't cook in oil either, just use a spray. We don't usually use hamburger buns though, we sometimes use ciabatta bread, or turkish bread, or wholemeal buns etc. We also have homemade chicken and bacon burgers...so much nicer than store bought ones!!
Fleur - your grocery bill would cover our formula and not much else 2 tins last us about 10 days so we buy 2 tins every week (the only thing we buy at PnS because it's $15 a tin instead of $19) and it accumulates so if we are having a tough week, we usually have enough in the pantry to miss buying it that week.
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Posted By: Snappy
Date Posted: 07 January 2010 at 11:12am
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I went shopping yesterday for our fortnight and managed to get it down to $210. We usually spent about $300 and then another $50 or so for fruit and bread top ups. That included 16 litres of milk and some protein powder so I didn't do too bad. Oh, and 90 eggs
Our meat was $50 for the fortnight thanks to the big packs of steak and chicken. I got some dried apricots from the PNS bins for home-made muesli bars for the kids - it cost me $4 for a small bag
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Posted By: cuppatea
Date Posted: 07 January 2010 at 12:47pm
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minik8e who said homemade burgers were unhealthy? I can't see whose comment you are replying to
I don't buy apricots, they use preservatives on them to keep the colour. I got some from the organic shop a while ago and they were delicious, kids loved them too, but they are just so expensive. I really don't get why they need to be kept apricot colour, the ones from the organic shop are black looking but taste just the same, well better actually. -------------
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Posted By: T_Rex
Date Posted: 07 January 2010 at 2:35pm
90 eggs Kaiz?  What do you do with them all? (Seriously, I want to know, cos I can never keep up with all the eggs my chooks lay).------------- http://lilypie.com"> http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: minik8e
Date Posted: 07 January 2010 at 3:15pm
Sorry, it was Daizy.... |
Posted By: Natalie_G
Date Posted: 07 January 2010 at 3:45pm
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I love planning meals for the week.
I always buy what I need not what I may want cause it will mostly be junk food which is bad for me. I dont go to the supermarket during the week, unless I couldnt find something the previous time. Now that Arianne is getting bigger I need to plan the weekly meals again to fit her in and try our foods. ------------- http://lilypie.com">  
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Posted By: jazzy
Date Posted: 07 January 2010 at 3:51pm
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My DH makes the best burgers from scratch, funny how the kids eat the lettuce & onions & tomato in them but moan about eating a salad on their plates.
I am going to check out a shop with foodtown online to see what it will cost. |
Posted By: kellie
Date Posted: 07 January 2010 at 4:25pm
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Homemade burgers are pretty healthy..well the ones we make are. Homemade lean mince patties and TONS of veges (beetroot, lettuce, tomato, onion, cucumber) and a tiny slice of cheese
Kaiz, I made the sausage muffins about 30mins ago...They are really nice!! I just got 2 kransky sausages from the deli at the supermarket. Also I just found a butcher that does an awesome meat deal: 1 chicken size 16, 8 lamb loin chops, 8 lamb shoulder chops, 8 sausages and 500grams of mince for $25 The supermarket and most fruit/vege stores have their prices way up at the moment as where I live is the biggest town on the Coromadel penisula -------------
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Posted By: Shezzey
Date Posted: 07 January 2010 at 9:56pm
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I made the sausage muffins for Tea tonight, it was so easy and my partner had 4 and ate them with his mash... he luuurved them. I think i am on my way to being a domestic goddess |
Posted By: Snappy
Date Posted: 07 January 2010 at 10:07pm
We boil them and eat the egg whites. DH eats about 6 egg whites a day I think - he's on a high protein diet. I eat them as well just not as much as he does. I also use them for baking and the kids will eat them as well. |
Posted By: Daizy
Date Posted: 07 January 2010 at 10:15pm
Yeah, the ones DH made were not nearly as nice minik8e described... fatty greasy patties, stacks of cheese, stacks of bacon.... And then of course there's the oily chips that he just has to have with burgers -------------
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Posted By: Mamma2N
Date Posted: 07 January 2010 at 10:25pm
Try 'The Real Sausage Company' - can buy them at Meditteranean Foods on Tuam St. Absolutely no preservatives, all meat & herbs/spices - quite pricey (around $8 for 5) but so dang tasty
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Posted By: cuppatea
Date Posted: 07 January 2010 at 10:31pm
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Oh thank you, i will give them a try, then I can have a go at those muffins. Always struggle for lunch time things here as he doesn't eat sandwiches and the only thing he eats on toast is jam
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Posted By: caliandjack
Date Posted: 08 January 2010 at 12:02am
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Our grocery bill is only for 2 adults, no kids to worry about as yet. We don't drink or smoke either, we only drink water or raro at home.
We make homemade burgers a lot, and vary the mince I buy I used to buy premium but the normal one makes better burgers as the fat content helps bind them saves having to add an egg or bread crumbs. I was quite spoilt at Xmas and DH gave me a scan pan havn't used any oil in my cooking for the past week as don't need it. All the meat etc cooks in its own juices yum and great for us. I try not to obcess too much about preservatives most of them are only sugar or vit c anyways. But then we are shopping on a budget. ------------- http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow"> [/url] Angel June 2012 |
Posted By: ooEvaoo
Date Posted: 08 January 2010 at 7:54am
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Well have started putting together a list of pantry essentials and things we need but don't buy on a weekly basis..like dishwashing liquid, shampoo etc...and then putting together a weekly shopping list..with meat, veges and fruit. Though in March we're chaning to monthly shopping..with weekly fuit/veg...hopefully it'll save some pingas, which would be nice as both dp and I are planning our holidays..he's off to Saudi (his mum's over there but coming back when he does) and I'm thinking of somewhere tropical lol ------------- 
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Posted By: cuppatea
Date Posted: 08 January 2010 at 8:41am
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This is some info on preservatives, I can't see just sugar or vit c on there anywhere, if they use just sugar (like in some jams) then it's on the label as sugar
http://mbm.net.au/health/200-290.htm -------------
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Posted By: SMoody
Date Posted: 08 January 2010 at 9:31am
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I have to be very careful with certain colors and flavours that are added as well as certain preservatives. McKayla goes totally balistic on certain e numbers and stuff so our shopping changed a lot last year and we are still finding stuff that we have to change. It also makes for a bit more expensive items.
As for sausuges I am going to make my own. As soon as the floors are done and we can actually move our stuff from downstairs to upstairs and things have settled a bit I am making my own. As well as nice droewors and biltong. Yum yum. ------------- http://lilypie.com">
http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: caliandjack
Date Posted: 08 January 2010 at 10:05am
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If I knew how to make borewors and biltong i'd make my own too yum yum.
Citric acid is vit C. I don't buy a lot of packaged food, and I make my own sauces etc. Our regular shopping list is usually - vege, fruit, meat, milk, cereal, bread, loo rolls, tin tomatoes, eggs, butter and cheese if we need them but usually only get them every second week, and that's mostly it, cadbury's cranberry museli bars are the only ones DH will eat as they don't contain nuts or raisins so I get those for him. I now buy yoghurt mix and make up my own much cheaper than buying the individual pottles. ------------- http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow"> [/url] Angel June 2012 |
Posted By: jazzy
Date Posted: 10 January 2010 at 9:44am
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I was reading that some (sorry can not remember who) do a pantry shop 3-4wks & do fruit/veg/meat more often. So I am wondering for those that do fewer bigger shops do you find you spend more if you need to top up on a non shop week?
We are going to plan meals (more so when I start WW), so want to have all the pantry/cleaning stuff stocked up so we only need to get fruit, veg, bread, milk & meat more regularly but wondering if I will really be saving anything. |
Posted By: WRXnKids
Date Posted: 10 January 2010 at 10:01am
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I am busy stocking up on all the cleaning products and bathroom products as they are on special (and getting the brands i prefer) so i wont need to worry about them running out when i have a newborn and toddler to wrangle and will hopefully save a bit by only buying specials. Will do the same with canned stuff and packet stuff later on i just need to clear out a cupboard or sort the spare/baby room as i dont have much storage here.
Hopefully this way the grocery bills will be lower when the baby arrives and it will mean quicker visits at the supermarket -------------
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Posted By: jazzy
Date Posted: 10 January 2010 at 10:12am
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Good idea, when I was pg I used to stock up on baby stuff, nappies on special, shampoo, talk etc, funny thing with DS1 as he had no hair the shampoo lasted a year, lol.
We are going to do shopping online as I am sick of taking 3 or 2 kids shopping...I tend to either over buy or not finish it due to kids playing up. |
Posted By: WRXnKids
Date Posted: 10 January 2010 at 1:46pm
i miss online shopping i use to use it in chch when i was preg but they dont have refridgerated couriers down here so wont sent produce or meat  I use to love the free samples they would send every now and then and that they were good at giving you a quality product as a replacement if they run out of the product you requested.-------------
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Posted By: KM1979
Date Posted: 20 January 2010 at 7:38am
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Hi,
I currently subscribe to the Healthy food magazine, which I have done for a couple of years now & I plan most of my meals out of this. 1. It's healthy 2. Different varities of food. 3. Twist on classic's 4. They have how much each serve is going to cost. I swear by this, if you don't want to get the mag the have a website www.healthyfood.co.nz, because of meal planning we have saved so much. I know meal planning is a pain but at least when I get to the supermarket I know what I need to buy & I stick to it. |
Posted By: jazzy
Date Posted: 20 January 2010 at 8:26am
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I love that mag also.
I still have not done online shopping & the kids are eating everything in the pantry, think I wont actually be able to get my food bill down till school starts back
but on the up-side we have not had takeaways for a couple of weeks, so saving there
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Posted By: Caro07
Date Posted: 20 January 2010 at 1:31pm
Hi Jazzy We shop once every 5 weeks for the basics. I have it sussed now so that we *generally* don't need to stock up on non-fresh items during this time. It took a couple of trips to work out how much we actually needed for this time period (and then we did have a few top-ups which weren't cheap) but now we are sorted it works really well and definitely saves us money. I don't plan meals but have a very well stocked cupboard and make most things from scratch depending on what meat is on special. We usually spend between $275 and $350 every five weeks on basics which is heaps better than the $100-$125 we were spending on a weekly basis
So to cut it short it saves us a lot but you do have to think about what you are going to eat to prevent the emergency dashes to the supermarket at 4pm for something for dinner!!! ------------- Caroline, SAHM to 2 boys, S (4 years old) and J (2 years old)
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Posted By: angel4
Date Posted: 20 January 2010 at 3:14pm
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we plan all our meals. and can live on $40 a week supermarket shopping. That does not include much meat and hardly any fruit though. But we have had to do it quite a bit lately. Looking at the budget for this next year and am hoping to be able to spend $100 on food for the week so yay more fresh food. It frustrates me so much that healthy food is more expensive than unhealthy food.
We buy meat in big pack and i break it all down into smaller meal size packs and put it in the deep freeze. The thing i am going to work on this year is making and keeping a list of what is actually in the freezer. Cuppatea - i make wraps from scratch. Tortilla recipe 3cups flour 1tspn salt 1/3cup oil 1cup warm water combine flour, salt ad oil in large bowl. Mix until crumbly. Add water, mix until you can gather into a ball. Kneed (i use a kenwood for this so makes it really easy) until smooth and elastic. Divide dough into 12 equal parts. Roll into balls and then roll out/ stretch. Cook over high heat. You can wrap and refrigerate these once cooled for up to 3days. |
Posted By: jazzy
Date Posted: 20 January 2010 at 4:44pm
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angel4, i'm going to try your wraps thanks...how do you manage on $40 does that include cleaning & bathroom stuff or just food?
Caro07, I'm going to do a pantry list & see if I can do what you do...without panicking & overspending, lol |
Posted By: FionaS
Date Posted: 20 January 2010 at 6:48pm
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I very much like to cook meals that suit my mood of the day. However, we are on a very tight budget nowadays so each week I plan out what meals I think we'll have...but I don't assign them to a day. So I have all the ingreds needed for say 8 to 10 meals and then each day or so I choose what I feel like.
I get our fresh food from a green grocer and meat from the Mad Butcher. I spend roughly $40 per week on fresh stuff, $40 per week on meat and the rest on supermarket stuff. I get wholegrain bread from our green grocer at only $1.90 per loaf...vital when DH eats 8 slices a day. I love to cook and invent new things so always need a good range of fresh foods on hand. We too make mini pizzas using pita's so I find lots of fresh veges + bacon are essential things for the fridge. I buy big packs of bacon when on special and freeze it in 2 piece packs so it does loads of meals. I also bake often instead of buying packets of things...if you buy butter when it is 1/2 price it makes it very reasonable to bake. I tried fortnightly supermarket shopping but I found I'd end up buying to many of the multi-buy things and accidentally missed things we actually needed so it ended up costing me more. For that reason I have gone back to weekly and find that saves us more. ------------- Mummy to Gabrielle and Ashley |
Posted By: cuppatea
Date Posted: 20 January 2010 at 9:24pm
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Oh thank you for that recipe. Am trying to incorporate some new meals cos I feel like we always eat the same meals, which are nice but a bit boring now, want to try new things.
I made home made fish and chips tonight (probably not that healthy but it was yummy). I used this batter mix, I am not a very good cook at all and it still came out great. http://www.fishex.com/recipes/batters/all-purpose-batter.html -------------
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Posted By: babyg
Date Posted: 20 January 2010 at 11:22pm
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We managed to spend less than $20 a week on groceries *once*. Thanks to not having to buy meat (we have our own organic beefies in the paddock), growing our own veges and fruit, baking and having a well stocked pantry and keeping the nappy stocks and cleaning/hygiene products up well in advance. I think all we had to buy that week was milk and bread Shame the freezer is looking empty (and our beefies, not fat enough) and the veg patch has gone by the wayside over winter Now begins the real challenge We still manage to keep our grocery bill under $100 a week, even with buying meat and fresh food. But we are avid meal planners and shop around for the best deals on all our food. ------------- Ev, Mum to: Carys Ruby - 4 October 2007 Spencer James - 2 July 2010 |
Posted By: angel4
Date Posted: 21 January 2010 at 3:46pm
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we are students so i buy bathroom stuff and cleaning stuff during the summer when we have more money (which didnt work this year as dh hasnt been able to get a job for the summer).
We also dont have nappies to buy as we use cloth. And generally eat mince, sausages and chicken as our meats not by choice but its either that or no meat. We also get eggs free from MIL and I get given butter in exchange for baking for my bible study group. They give me 500g butter and i bring baking on the day, which leaves me with enough butter to bake other stuff for us as a family. We were looking into getting half or quarter of a cattle beast for this year but will take us a while to save up. Sadly we rely on work during the summer. Have learnt my lesson this year not to rely on that. Have re budgeted for the year and work next summer will be a bonus |
Posted By: MaeBeeBaby
Date Posted: 21 January 2010 at 9:25pm
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Hi, I haven't read through the whole thing but in the first few pages but I have a heap of tips that I have passed on to many friends and they have worked! So here goes...
Meat eaters - find 3 other families besides your own, and ask round for a lifestyle block owner who might have a handful of calves that they are rearing for beef. For a whole beast, you will pay between $1200-$1600 (depending on weight). Divide that up into 4 (1 lot for each family), and you will have enough beef for a YEAR. I know it's a bit of an initial outlay, but we do it yearly and it saves us so much money. We mostly get mince and casserole cuts, roasts, and steaks. Basically it all works out to approx $5 PER KILO - yes even for ribeye and fillet steak! Of course you will need a big enough freezer...but if a friend has a huge freezer then perhaps you can share that? It's easy for me to say this cause I am a lifestyle blocker and friends have the beef cattle. Another thing that is easy for me is that when we finally live on our own land again (we are building ATM), we will once again have a kick-@rse vege garden and fruit trees. We did swaps with friends, and any surplus that needed to be eaten in a hurry (ie those courgettes that grow into marrows overnight!) I sold cheap to workmates. So it's kinda a wee money maker as well. I know a lot of you aren't lifestylers, but have you considered turning a major part of your lawn into a vege garden? We are renting in town ATM and are AMAZED at how many vege gardens (ex lawns!) that we see on our nightly walks with the dog! We also had a 'wee' bonus this week - well, for the past 2 months we have had 4 EXTRA sheep grazing at our place and the neighbours. They are feral. They have eaten our newly planted tree's tops off, and also the neighbours. So after asking EVERYONE in the neighbourhood if they belong to them or do they know where they have come from (no, and NO), we decided the only way to get rid of the blighters is to take them to the meat processors, along with our 2 that we own. $40 plus GST per sheep - chops and roasts. YUM! We get 3, the neighbour gets 3. A small payback for the trees?! We think so! As for meal planning, I quite often pick a few meals out of the Foodtown magazine and buy specifically for them - the weeks that I have done this my grocery bill has been sooooooo much cheaper, and we have eaten like royalty! You don't have to follow these recipes exactly, the potato bake cooked in cream sounds divine, but it really IS best to substitute with low fat evap milk...! Stockpile at the supermarket - those '3 cans for $5' deals are great, but don't go buying TWO lots! They WILL be on special again soon, I promise.
Write a grocery list and STICK TO IT. Do not go shopping without that list - and that list WILL take time to put together - but will save you $$$! And if you see something and think 'I think I need that, I am not sure' - don't buy it - buy it next week. Do the shopping on the same day of the week, every week. And do not go back! Draw out your BUDGETED amount for groceries in cash and leave your Eftpos card at home, or in your glovebox while in supermarket. Because you know you are limited to what you can spend, you won't go overboard. If anything is leftover, keep it in a separate kitty for bits and pieces before the next shop. Buy a $5 supermarket voucher everytime you shop and stockpile them for the weeks you are running really tight with cash, or for Christmas (preferred). If crockpotting, always cook double the amount needed, and freeze one meal, or use it the next night. If you cook rice, make extra and freeze it. Then you have a 'frozen meal' option if you are ever running late, can't be bothered, or are tempted to get takeaway cause it's convenient. ONLINE SHOPPERS - I have done this and find the quality of the veges and fruit is CRAP. You are far better off to compile your list online, and PRINT IT OUT and go shopping with it! (Betcha you save at least $20 bucks off what they quote IF you stick to the list!). Avoid the supermarket! Go to greengrocers, asian markets, butchers shops. You can buy your butter and milk and bread at those as well. That way you avoid all the temptations in the supermarket aisle - and you won't eat as much processed foods as a result - and they certainly bump up the bill! (Sorry my post is so long). |
Posted By: Ariane
Date Posted: 22 January 2010 at 12:37am
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With our income cut right down due to me being home looking after our little one, I'm having to get very creative to keep us well fed. Food prices have really gotten crazy! Healthy food is something I won't compromise on however and these things I have found to help:
- Shop at Pak n Save for general groceries if you can. It is a lot cheaper, and their bulk bins are far superior to Foodtown or Woolworths. - Buy fruit and veges from an independent greengrocer, market or Asian supermarket. They are often much cheaper and the variety is usually better. - Take your time when shopping so you can select the best prices and deals. - Grow whatever you can - even a few veges or herb plants in pots can make a big difference - and it feels so good to use ingredients you've grown! - Get cunning with leftovers and scraps. Look out for the kind of things our grandmothers did. Eg. Bones and scraps from a chicken can be the basis for flavouring a pot of soup. I've also saved the juices from cooking lamb shanks (which were on special!) to flavour other dishes. - Most versatile ingredients and also cheap - onions and tinned tomatoes! - A little bit of planning before you go shopping goes long way. Adding rough prices as you go also helps you keep track of what you're going to spend and is a great deterrant to impulse spending. |
Posted By: mumoftwins
Date Posted: 14 February 2010 at 8:16pm
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I have spent the last year trying to cut our grocery bill by as much as possible!! I have read the whole thread and notice that no-one seems to make their own cleaning products!!! The amount of money you can save, not to mention the huge number of chemicals you can remove from your homes is well worth the time it takes to make them (which isn't that much really!!!)
Baking soda and white vinegar will keep your house lovely and clean, or you can try this recipe for spray 'n' wipe/floor cleaner (I have found all these recipes on trademes message board) Cleaning spray 1 ltr water, 200ml vinegar, 40ml dish detergent, 40ml eucalyptus oil (I only use 15mls as the smell is quite strong), 2 dspns washing soda crystals. Mix together, put is spray bottle and use or add 60ml to a bucket of hot water and use for floors. (if you have inside pets, leave out the eucalyptus oil as it is toxic to cats & dogs) Or make your own laundry liquid!! In a 3lt bottle add 2Tbsp lux flakes, 3Tbsp washing soda, add a cup or 2 of very hot water and carefully swirl to dissolve (this can of course be done in a bucket and stirred!) once the soap etc is dissovled, top bottle up with hot water, leave to cool. When cool put top on (plastic tops can split if put on while liquid is hot!!) and give bottle a couple of shakes, turning it upside down a few times. To use, shake before use, then add one cup to a full load of washing. Best to add to a small amount of hot water in a bucket first to dissolve, then add to empty machine, start adding cold water then add clothes. 1/4 c white vinegar in the fabric softener thingy and you have perfectly clean clothes!!! Add a few drops of essential oil to the liquid as you make it for a lovely smell. Google uses for vinegar, its amazing what a bottle of white vinegar can do!!! |
Posted By: mummyofprinces
Date Posted: 14 February 2010 at 8:29pm
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I second the baking soda and vinegar... I am amazed how I well it cleans compared to store bought cleaners!!!! -------------   
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Posted By: MyLilSquishy
Date Posted: 15 February 2010 at 6:36am
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we working on growing our own veges/fruit and when we get to the supermarket we kinda do an "on the spot" meal plan type thing that normally ends up being something like "steak on 2 nights, silverside one night, chicken salad one night, mutton one night a mince something one night and sausages another night" then just kinda wing it for the rest of the groceries. but i do take a quick list before we go out. just open the fridge and look at what we running out of, and look in the pantry and take a stock of whats there as well. we get our meat from a butcher aswell. 3-4 whole grocery bags full (2 re-useable bags) of meat, plus a box of hash browns (DP loves em) and some milk will cost us between $60-$70 and last us 2-3 weeks. also suggest things like the farmers markets (i know we have em in dunedin, im assuming they have them other places aswell...) coz you can get fresh stuff, might cost the same as the grocery store, but will also last a bit longer and be a little better for you....
cleaners, for the bathroom i use bleach and water. and mopping i use home breand disinfectant. have heard good things about vinegar, but i use vinegar in cooking enough that i would annoy myself using it for cleaning and running out too quick lol. but if anyone uses that napisan oxy action stuff..... use the white Frend one instead.... i reckon it does a better job than the napi-san and its half the price. |
Posted By: myfullhouse
Date Posted: 23 February 2010 at 7:34pm
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I watched Good Morning today and Simon Holst made a http://tvnz.co.nz/good-morning/simon-holst-s-orzo-salad-gallette-and-museli-bar-recipes-23-february-3377711 - Muesli Slice which he said cost $6 and was cheaper than buying muesli bars. He also mentioned that homebaking was cheaper than buying things at the supermarket. Does anyone know if that is true? I would love to try it if it is correct. I shop every 4wks and buy 13 boxes of muesli bars each time! ------------- Lindsey
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