I don’t know about you, but reining in my grocery bill seems to be a never ending challenge this year. In fact, recent ABS CPI data over the twelve months to the June 2024 quarter, showed the cost of food and non-alcoholic beverages rose by 3.3%. Of note, meals out and take away foods (+4.2%) were the main contributor.
So what can we do to tackle this rising cost in our budget and create some more breathing room? I wanted to share with you six ways I’ve been lowering the cost of my household grocery bill, from veggies to toilet paper.
Shop Outside of Coles & Woolworths
We’re all busy and would prefer doing just about anything else than going to the supermarket. However, if you look outside the dominant players, you can often find better produce at better prices. That could mean getting some of the groceries at ALDI, finding a local fruit and vegetable grocer, subscribing to a veggie box through a company like Farmers Pick, or becoming a regular at your local farmers market.
Use Click & Collect or Online Delivery
I’ve fully converted to Click & Collect for my main grocery shops this year for a few reasons.
- I can plan my meals and make sure I haven’t forgotten anything, as I’m not under time pressure to navigate the changing store layout, checkout and get things into the fridge.
- I can track the total cost as I add things to my cart. If a certain veggie is very expensive that week, I’ll swap it out for a lower-cost alternative.
- I’m not tempted to buy things I don’t need just because it’s a bargain or add snacks to my cart because I’m shopping hungry.
- I use the saved list function for core groceries (like milk & butter), and I cook regularly for meals to speed up the process.
- It saves me time to enjoy my weekend more (or, in my case, more time to study).
You can use Google Home or Alexa devices in your chicken to ‘add to shopping list’ so when you’re walking around the kitchen, add your list
Add Some Seasonal Variety to Your Cart
If you want to eat Australian produce, it’s a good idea to get acquainted with the seasonal produce available. Check out this sustainable produce guide as a reference point. Then you can find and adapt recipes that feature in season ingredients, rather than paying a premium for out of season produce. For example, blueberries are abundant in the Summer – make the most of them this Christmas!
- See the sustainable/seasonal food guide below – use it to purchase clean, fresh and lower cost vegetables.
- Loose alternatives versus packaged products – don’t pay extra for plastic. Choice found a family could save $1,900 per year to swap to loose package products.
- “Bananas, green beans, Jarlsberg cheese slices, chillies, ham, mushrooms, salmon fillets, tomatoes and seafood marinara mix were all cheaper in their loose format at both Coles and Woolworths. “
- You can also freeze things yourself
Get Acquainted With Your Freezer
Your freezer can be a great tool in your mission to cut costs and reduce food waste. From freezing meat and bread, to making meals in bulk and freezing serves for consumption throughout the month, it’s made my life a lot easier. I always make sure I have some frozen veggies, bread and cheese in the freezer, to make quick and easy meals, rather than resorting to Uber Eats if I’ve got nothing prepared.
Key tip: if you fresh things like bread, fish or meat – use a freezer bag and write the frozen date on it.
Mix in a Few Low-Cost Meals Each Month
Adding in a few simple recipes each month like soup, veggie curries like dahl, eggs on toast or fried rice, can help alleviate the strain on your budget. I love cooking recipes from RecipeTinEats, and always make sure to add plenty of herbs and spices to make things taste a little more exciting.
- Red vegetable pasta – standard pasta sauce, a touch of brown sugar, a taste of tomato paste, olive oil, olives and basil – no meat, no expensive stuff, just red silky velvet pasta sauce (add veggies) – easily make 5-10 meals from this.
- Choice found it’s often cheaper to buy your own salad dressing ingredients versus the made for you option – 1 tbsp vinegar, 3 tbsp olive oil, ½ tsp mustard. Done!
Buy Staples in Bulk (On Sale)
Finally, there are a lot of more pricey things we get in our weekly shop, like dishwasher cubes and olive oil, that I’ll make sure to buy extras of when they’re on sale (though in an apartment, space can be a little tricky). I’ll also pick up some extra tins of cooking staples like coconut milk when they pop up, as they last for ages, and I know I’ll use them. Occasionally, I’ll also use Amazon to buy substantially cheaper hair and sanitary products to last the year.
Owen highly recommends:
- Aldi Logix Dishwashing tablets – platinum (Choice says 79%)
- Aldi nuts and grains packs – massive savings right now
- Aldi El Toro Macho – yummy yummy yummy for only $5.99 per bottle!
Over to you!
Well, now that I’ve shared some of my money saving grocery tips, I want to hear yours! Jump into the Rask Community here to let us know what works for you.
