Fed up with the rising cost of groceries? Is your grocery budget constantly blowing out? We are all too aware that groceries are very expensive right now. Some sources estimate the increase of average groceries price has gone up around 20-25% since 2020. That is crazy!
Keeping your home well-stocked so that you are able to cook from scratch can get really expensive, really quickly. But finding ways to keep it stocked without over-spending can be tricky.
Following some or all of the below helpful tips can help reduce your groceries cost at the supermarket and help reduce food wastage too.
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11 Ways to Help Lower Grocery Costs
Cook from Scratch
Using ingredients to make your meals from scratch, rather than buying pre-made/processed meals can be a money saver. It may seem excessive or expensive to buy each individual ingredient required, but you are able to make multiple meals with those ingredients, rather than just the one meal from the pre-made purchase.
How you purchase these groceries can make a difference in the budget too as you can see below.
Buy Groceries in Bulk
Purchasing your groceries in bulk can ensure not only that you have what you need when you need it, but that you can also buy when on special or at a cheaper price in general. You will also save on packaging and wastage, which is always a good thing.
What Groceries To Buy in Bulk
- Meat – such as beef mince, whole cuts of beef (& cut into steaks yourself), whole chickens & sausages
- Flour – if you are anything like me and like to bake your own bread, cakes & biscuits, you will go through a lot of flour. Buying flour in large quantities, like 25kg bags from Costco is a huge saving
- Oils & fats – olive oil, coconut oil & ghee are all items that can be easily purchased and stored in bulk
- Produce – depending on the types of produce your family uses the most, you could purchase onions, potatoes & pumpkins in large quantities as they all store really well if done correctly
- Dairy – butter, milk & cheese are all great options for buying in bulk and freezing until needed
- Other household products – such as baking powder (yes this can be used elsewhere in the home, not just in the kitchen), laundry powder, dish liquid, bathroom products. These types of items generally don’t spoil, so can be kept long-term with no real issue
Just remember – when buying groceries in bulk, how your store your items is vital. Without sufficient storage, your items will spoil and become wastage, which defeats the purpose of buying in bulk to save money.
Utilise airtight containers and food grade tubs such as these to ensure your groceries stay fresh to avoid spoilage.
Shop your Pantry & Fridge/Freezer
Before heading off to the grocery store, and while making your meal plan, shop your home. Have a look through your fridge, freezer and pantry to see what needs to be used up before they spoil, what you have an excessive amount of and need to use up & also what inspires you.
There is no point going out and buying some steak for the week when you already have steak in your freezer. See here my posts on stocking your pantry & fridge/freezer with groceries for from-scratch cooking.
Meal Plan & Use a Shopping List
Knowing exactly what you are going to be cooking ensures that you aren’t buying unnecessary groceries when shopping. You can meal plan on a weekly, fortnightly or monthly basis depending on what works better for your family.
You can base the meals that you will be making on what you already have on hand and also what is currently on special. Making the most of the money that you will be spending and also what you already have at home, as not to waste anything.
Utilise a shopping list. Write down exactly what you actually need, even splitting it up into grocery types to make it easier while you are there. This will help keep you focussed and help you avoid overspending.
Only Buy Groceries on Special & Shop Around
By keeping a well-stocked home, you will be able to shop the specials rather than just what you need.
Doing this can mean that you will plan your meals for the week only from what you already have at home, and the shopping that you do is just a “top up” shop purchasing only what is on special.
Don’t rely only on the big stores. Sometimes, even though it is more convenient to get everything in one place, by shopping around you can save money in ways you didn’t think possible. Check out the fruit & veg market, the discount supermarkets that sell canned & packaged items that are close to their use-by date or even direct from the producers.
Grow What You Can
Growing your own food is somewhat of a dream for a lot of people, and at times can seem out of reach. Do what you can!
Don’t add pressure to your life by trying to grow every single thing you consume but give it a try by starting small. Grow your own herbs on your kitchen windowsill, plant some fruit trees so that in a few years you will have more fruit than you know what to do with.
Preserve What You Groceries Can
Utilising an overabundance or oversupply of produce by preserving it is a great way to keep your groceries budget low. If right now your garden is overflowing with citrus fruit, go ahead and preservice it. Slice those oranges & dehydrate them to add to charcuterie boards or use as Christmas decorations. Squeeze the juice from all the lemons & turn it into lemonade concentrate.
If you are able to purchase a large box of tomatoes when they are in abundance during summer, go ahead and learn how to turn it into a pasta sauce & can it up and store in your pantry.
Yes, this may also seem overwhelming, but once you start, it is actually easier than you think.
Don’t Shop Hungry
This is the number 1 mistake I make a lot! Rushing to the shop after work before getting the kids from school, getting there right when 3-0’clock-itis hits and all I want to do is go down the chocolate aisle!
If your belly is full, your eyes won’t wander, and you will avoid purchasing things you don’t actually need & you will be able to stick to your shopping list.
Eat Seasonal Groceries
Knowing what seasons afford your area with what produce can reduce your grocery spending.
There is a reason why in winter we all look for a hot apple crumble, or in summer for a delicious fresh salad. It is because these are the items that are in season, and that our body is craving during these times.
Producers generally will have an abundance of produce when in season and therefore be selling cheaper than they do when they are having to utilise greenhouses to grow when out of season.
What is in season is also a lot more delicious that those things forced to grow out of season.
Buy Only What You Need
Sticking to your shopping list & meal plan ensures that you are only buying what you need and won’t be purchasing items that will eventually go to waste. Of course, there are times when we see something at the store that we just “need” to buy, and that is totally fine, but ensure that it is something that will be used. Not just pushed to the back of the pantry shelves and eventually thrown out in your next pantry reset.
It is estimated that the average Australian household wastes up to 20% of the groceries they purchase, which can be between $1000 & $3000 worth of food each year! I don’t know about you, but I don’t have a spare few thousand dollars to just throw straight in the bin.
Batch Cook
Utilising one cook, to feed the family for multiple meals is so handy. If you are already in the kitchen making a meal, doubling or tripling the quantities generally doesn’t add much more to your time, but can then provide your family with multiple meals.
Cook up an extra-large batch of bolognese mince, utilise it on the first night for lasagne, the next night for some spaghetti bolognese and freeze any leftover mince to be used at a later date.
Roast up your leg of lamb and enjoy it with plenty of roast vegetables. The next night slice all of the excess meat off of the bone, mince it up and make a shepherd’s pie.
Slowly cook a delicious beef stew on the stove top all day on a cold and wintery day, then use the leftovers to make some tasty pies for lunch the following day.
Utilise some or all of these frugal kitchen tips to save on your grocery shop and lower your household wastage.
Do you have any other ways in which you save on your grocery bill? I would love to hear about it in the comments below.
Thankyou! Great idea’s. ❤️❤️❤️
Thanks Tanya. If I can help people save a few dollars, it’s the least I can do ☺️