8 tips for saving money on the grocery bills

1) PLAN YOUR MEALS

Meal planning can also help keep tabs on the grocery budget.

There is so much inspiration around to help make quick, easy and affordable meals. Take a look at the internet; follow food blogs, read  Sunday Times Food. And it’s proven the more invested  you are about making a meal, the better the food will taste.

We are a nation of meat lovers and with the  rising cost of meat revisit the Meatless Monday concept ( an idea created by the US Food Administration during WW 1 to reduce the consumption of staples) and with the wide variety of different ingredients -  think pulses,  vegetables, pasta, rice, mealie meal, canned fish, the family  won’t even miss meat. And who says it can only be one night of the week?

With cooler weather on the way think of soups, stews, casseroles and stir fries, all ideal for using the more affordable cuts of meat, especially the forequarter cuts, which are perfect for long and slow cooking methods.

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2) SHOP WITH A LIST

Shopping with a list is a simple tip that has proven to be really effective. I find what works best is to draw up a meal plan for the week and shop accordingly. This way you know what’s on hand and don’t end up duplicating ingredients and apart from saving money on tempting impulse purchases it makes the grocery shopping routine so much quicker and more cost effective.

3) NEVER SHOP HUNGRY 

Theirs is nothing like an array of tempting goodies – especially standing in the check-out  queue - to break down and buy something nice to nibble on. It’s best to shop after a meal and try and avoid the straight-after-work shopping routine when one is feeling stressed and a little peckish.

4) SHOP ALONE

A difficult one but grocery shopping with the family can turn out to be an expensive and stressful exercise as everyone tries to add their favourites to the trolley.

5) BE CAUTIOUS WHEN BUYING IN BULK

Be a savvy shopper and think before you buy and don’t  be fooled by bulk buy options. Ask yourself if it’s something you will use and the family enjoys? Check the sell-by dates on the product and can it be utilized before that time? If it’s fresh produce will it be eaten before it goes off or can it be frozen?

Stop and think if the sums add up. Often two packs of a special offer can work out more expensive than buying the bigger pack which offers better value.

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6) CHECK QUANTITIES

Don’t be fooled by packaging as bigger does not always mean better value. Be wise and check the weights and do the sums.

7) END-OF-DAY SPECIALS

Selected supermarkets offer special offers on fresh produce and ready-made items from the deli and bakery at the end of the day some of which are excellent buys.

8) SAVE YOUR SHOPPING BAGS

Plastic shopping bags can cost up to 40 cents per bag (depending on where you shop) and an average shop of 6 bags will cost an extra R2.40 per shopping expedition. If you are shopping twice a week, that’s an extra R19.20 a month and R230.40 a year.

Make a habit of returning the bags to the car, recycling the broken ones and for a more permanent solution, invest in a couple of shopping carrier bags.