Rent and bills are hard to change this month. Food is different: you choose what to spend on it several times a day, so small habits add up quickly.
The habits
Shop from a list, after checking the cupboards Easy
Write the list from your meal plan and what is already at home. Stick to it, with one "treat" line so the list feels fair.
Compare unit prices, not pack prices Easy
The shelf label shows the price per ounce, pound or 100 grams. Bigger packs are usually cheaper per unit, but not always, especially on offer.
A 32 oz tub at $4.99 is 15.6 cents an ounce; two 16 oz tubs on offer at $2.25 each are 14.1 cents. The small ones win this week.
Cook once, eat twice Some effort
Make double and freeze half, or plan dinner leftovers as tomorrow’s lunch.
Buy the store brand first Easy
Try the store brand of staples like flour, rice, tinned tomatoes, pasta and frozen vegetables. Keep the brand names only where you can taste the difference.
Use the freezer properly Easy
Freeze bread, cooked rice, grated cheese, ripe bananas and leftover herbs in oil before they go off.
Plan a "use it up" night each week Easy
One dinner a week made from whatever needs eating: soup, fried rice, omelette, pasta bake.
Take a snack and a drink when you go out Easy
Most unplanned food spending happens because someone is hungry or thirsty away from home.
A $3 snack and a $2.50 drink three times a week is $858 a year.
Learn five cheap meals by heart Some effort
Dal, bean chilli, egg fried rice, a tray bake and a big soup. When you can cook them without a recipe, takeaway is less tempting.
Example figures are simple arithmetic to show how amounts add up. Your numbers will differ.
Frequently asked questions
What is the easiest way to spend less on groceries?
Shop from a list made after checking what you already have, and compare unit prices on the shelf label.
Tips from travellers
Tried Food and groceries? Share what helped. The first good one goes right here.