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Dear Cath
Q Hi Cath, My question is about how to stick to $75/person per month for an Indian family of two adults and a toddler.
I am trying very hard to reduce the food bills. Currently our monthly food bills is $380-$400.
We do the following:
strictly buy things from Aldi and veggies from local grocery stores
MOO yoghurt and pancake batter
MOO cake
take lunches to work except for days when team lunches are there. I make sure to check the menu before I go and choose lowest priced meal
buy Indian stuff in bulk
cook all three meals of the day from scratch
avoid soft drinks
shop with the shopping list
stick to a shopping day.
Can you tell me where am I going wrong?
Regards,
Sherrin
A. Sherrin you're doing all these things, but first things first: do you have a grocery budget? Trying to trim the grocery bill without a spending limit (budgeted amount) is like trying to stop the tide from coming and going. You can talk about it all you like, but until you put a sea wall in place that tide will still come and go, and so without a budget in place you'll continue to just spend money on groceries.
I suggest you grab the inventories from the Tip Sheets page and do a thorough pantry, fridge and freezer inventory. List everything you have, and how much you have of each thing. Don’t forget herbs and spices, foil and clingwrap and other incidentals you buy as a part of your grocery shop - you don't want to buy them if you don't need them.
Use those inventories to create your meal plans. Download the What's for Dinner meal planner and fill it in. It has spaces for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. Use the food you already have to make up your meal plan. Try to use only the ingredients you already have so you don't need to buy anything.
Repeat the process until you have used all the ingredients you have on hand. How many weeks can you go without shopping? Bank that money into your home savings account so it doesn't get frittered away.
Here are some tips to help you stick to the $300 a Month Food Challenge:
1. Stop buying snacks. This means no more chips, biscuits, cakes, soft drinks, lollies, popcorn, mud cakes, donuts, lamingtons - you get the idea.
2. Shop at one store.Don't go running from store to store. Aldi will save you money, fill your trolley with real food and because of the limited range, keep temptation at bay.
3. Shop once a month.
4. Make a meal plan before you shop, using ingredients you already have and rounding it out with things you'll add to your shopping list.
5. Write a shopping list. Keep a whiteboard on the side of the fridge or a pad in the pantry. Every time you realise you need something add it to the list.
7. If it's not on the shopping list and you don't absolutely need it, don't buy it. Learn to substitute with what you already have.
Sticking to the $300 a Month Food Challenge isn't easy. It will be a challenge, especially if you aren't used to shopping to a budget but it can is and being done, every month, by Cheapskaters all over the country, and they are not only saving money but having fun too.
I am trying very hard to reduce the food bills. Currently our monthly food bills is $380-$400.
We do the following:
strictly buy things from Aldi and veggies from local grocery stores
MOO yoghurt and pancake batter
MOO cake
take lunches to work except for days when team lunches are there. I make sure to check the menu before I go and choose lowest priced meal
buy Indian stuff in bulk
cook all three meals of the day from scratch
avoid soft drinks
shop with the shopping list
stick to a shopping day.
Can you tell me where am I going wrong?
Regards,
Sherrin
A. Sherrin you're doing all these things, but first things first: do you have a grocery budget? Trying to trim the grocery bill without a spending limit (budgeted amount) is like trying to stop the tide from coming and going. You can talk about it all you like, but until you put a sea wall in place that tide will still come and go, and so without a budget in place you'll continue to just spend money on groceries.
I suggest you grab the inventories from the Tip Sheets page and do a thorough pantry, fridge and freezer inventory. List everything you have, and how much you have of each thing. Don’t forget herbs and spices, foil and clingwrap and other incidentals you buy as a part of your grocery shop - you don't want to buy them if you don't need them.
Use those inventories to create your meal plans. Download the What's for Dinner meal planner and fill it in. It has spaces for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. Use the food you already have to make up your meal plan. Try to use only the ingredients you already have so you don't need to buy anything.
Repeat the process until you have used all the ingredients you have on hand. How many weeks can you go without shopping? Bank that money into your home savings account so it doesn't get frittered away.
Here are some tips to help you stick to the $300 a Month Food Challenge:
1. Stop buying snacks. This means no more chips, biscuits, cakes, soft drinks, lollies, popcorn, mud cakes, donuts, lamingtons - you get the idea.
2. Shop at one store.Don't go running from store to store. Aldi will save you money, fill your trolley with real food and because of the limited range, keep temptation at bay.
3. Shop once a month.
4. Make a meal plan before you shop, using ingredients you already have and rounding it out with things you'll add to your shopping list.
5. Write a shopping list. Keep a whiteboard on the side of the fridge or a pad in the pantry. Every time you realise you need something add it to the list.
7. If it's not on the shopping list and you don't absolutely need it, don't buy it. Learn to substitute with what you already have.
Sticking to the $300 a Month Food Challenge isn't easy. It will be a challenge, especially if you aren't used to shopping to a budget but it can is and being done, every month, by Cheapskaters all over the country, and they are not only saving money but having fun too.