FOOD

With supermarket prices skyrocketing, food spending often claims the biggest part of your budget. However, you can save at the supermarket without compromising on quality or sacrificing your favourite foods by buying in bulk, comparing prices, watching the checkout scanner for errors, buying online and being flexible.

If you shop for food every few days you’re more likely 
to grab expensive ingredients, ready-to-eat meals or a few “extras”. However, doing 
one large shop every week 
(or even month) saves on money, hassle and petrol.

While the supermarket is convenient for buying everyday items, stores that offer food packaged in bulk are good places to save. For example, lentils, chickpeas and dried beans are cheaper to buy in bulk than individual packets or cans.

Shopping online for groceries can be a clever way to stick to a budget. It is quick and convenient and allows you to delete non-essential items from your virtual trolley if you’ve exceeded your budget. As with all online purchases, remember to factor in the delivery fee.

Saving money on food isn’t just about what you 
buy. It’s also about what 
you throw out. Australians and New Zealanders throw away a third of their food – and with it thousands of dollars – each year.

Avoid the lure of takeaway by buying recipe ingredients you can assemble quickly and easily at home. As for eating out, fish and chips on the beach or a picnic in the park with a bottle of wine can be just as enjoyable as a five-star restaurant experience. If you do eat out often, buy a discount voucher entertainment book.

TOP TIPS

• The best markdowns at the supermarket are offered during off-peak hours (usually between 9pm and midnight).

• Compare the prices of items on particular shelves. The cheaper options are often below or above eye level.

• Use a discount card where available and don’t discard receipts as they often offer deals and discounts.

• Spending $10 a day on lunch and a coffee quickly adds up over a year, leaving little change from $2500. Rethink your daily spending: do you order a coffee just because it has become a habit? Enjoy your takeaway coffee as a weekly treat.

• To avoid buying extra treats for your children at the supermarket, give them tasks to keep them entertained. Ask them to count the potatoes as they put them in the bag or collect certain items from the shelves.

• Decide on a pre-shopping weekly menu plan so you know exactly what ingredients to buy and you avoid waste and buying extras.

GROW IT

Growing your own vegetables is easier than it looks and you’ll save money on your greengrocer bill each week.

New Zealand TV presenter and mother of three Lana Coc-Kroft planted a vegetable garden 
for the first time last year, which now includes lettuce, salad greens, strawberries, carrots and tomatoes. 
“With fresh produce being so expensive I think growing your own is the way to go,” she says. “Gardening is 
made so easy these days 
as nurseries and other 
stores have many [DIY] brochures available.”

If you don’t have a large amount of room, even the smallest spaces, including balconies, can yield vegetables.