A little while ago, I looked at our weekly grocery spend and realised it was getting out of hand. With three young mouths to feed, food costs were creeping up fast.
So I made a few simple swaps. Nothing extreme, just gradually over time made smarter choices to help us eat better and save more.
Here are six easy grocery swaps I’ve made to cut our food bills and stretch the family budget further.
1. Whole Chicken instead of Portioned
Buying diced meat costs more. Now, we buy whole chickens, roast them, make broth from the carcass, and use the leftovers for lunches, pasta, or soup.
One change leading to big savings.
2. Block Cheese instead of Shredded
Pre-shredded cheese costs extra and comes with a bunch of additives to stop it going goopy in the packet!
The better plan is to buy a block and get what we need.
Cheaper, cleaner, smarter.
3. Whole Lettuce instead of Bagged
Those bagged salads would always go off and wind up in the bin.
A whole lettuce generally lasts longer and costs far less per kilo.
PRO TIP – to help keep your Cos fresh, pluck off the leaves you need instead of cutting into it. You’ll save having an edge that goes brown and stale the next time you use it.
4. Frozen Berries instead of Fresh
Who doesn’t love a bowl of fresh berries, right?
Well, nice though they are, prices can fluctuate wildly, and you never quite know if those delicious berries will last a day or five before going soft and mushy.
Frozen berries, on the other hand, last longer, retain the nutrients, and go really well in your smoothies and baking.
Grab a couple of packs next time you’re at the store, stick them in the freezer and count the upside at the end of the month
5. Natural Yoghurt instead of Sour Cream
Natural yoghurt is cheaper, more versatile, and lasts longer in the fridge.
Get creative with how you use (think curries, baked potatoes, snacking with honey) and you’ll never look back at any of those other creams!
6. Homemade Snacks instead of Packaged
This is the big one, folks.
Pre-packed snacks (especially “lunchbox” ones) are insanely overpriced AND full of rubbish!
We’ve built up a repertoire of simple recipes we use now instead.
Muffins, trail mix, protein balls, cookies…all made at home using simple pantry ingredients at a fraction the csot of the shop-bought versions.
Get on this one today!
(Head HERE for the recipes to a few of our favorites)
You don’t need a full food overhaul.
Just try one or two of these grocery swaps each week and watch the savings add up. That’s smart shopping in action!