The heatwave has passed, but inflation is still sky high. I am still not a financial advisor, but I am happy to share the knowledge I have acquired and share my practices. This time I will focus on saving money with food. This post follows my earlier post about bills.
Meal prep
I can not emphasise this anymore. However, I can’t give such an umbrella term and not provide my definition. By meal prep, I don’t mean buy all my groceries and cook them on a free night and freeze them. I don’t have to time to do that. Managing this blog and a full-time job is a little difficult, so free time to cook is minimal. By meal prep, I mean, plan what you want to eat this week. It doesn’t have to be the same meal every day. I plan roughly 2 meals a week and make them in bulk (not at the same time). Then with the cooked goods, I mix and match, pick and mix, stir it up, and have different meals for the week.
I find the key to meal prepping is keeping it tasteful to your buds. If your taste buds don’t enjoy it, you won’t want to eat it, even if it’s already cooked.
Meal prepping allows you to go to the shops already knowing which ingredients to get. You won’t need to go every week to buy spices, seasoning, frozen fruit and veg. However, you might need meat and dairy products (or equivalents). This already reduces your weekly shop, because you’re not overstocking, and you will eat everything you have purchased with minimal waste. Solid.
You don’t need fresh food
Honestly, I hate how quickly some fruit and veg perish in my fridge. Especially, if I bought it to last the week and then it only lasts a few days (you know which shops I’m talking about). How do I overcome it? I buy it frozen or tinned. They are just as good, have a longer shelf-life AND are cheaper. Especially, if you prepare all your meals for the week in advanced, you’re going to freeze Thursday’s and Friday’s food anyway, so why buy it fresh? I bet you have a bag frozen veg in your freezer that you add to your food. Think about that, mic drop.
Buy dry bulk
Pasta, lentils, oats, rice, the list is not endless but it’s long. Buying these dry items in bulk, will save so much more money. They have a long shelf-life. And for the duration that it will take for you to consume the 5 kg bag of rice, you would have bought about 10 small bags of rice. That’s already 9 too many. Plus, add the time you took to go buy the rice, or the fuel it cost you, or bus/taxi fare. Those 9 extra bags are more expensive than that 1 large one. Bulk buy.
Take advantage of shop offers
Tesco is there with their Clubcard deals, and you’re not taking advantage of them. Seeing that price drop when you get to the till is like *chefs kiss*. Lidl has a similar concept, and it’s one of the cheaper shops, come on! Aldi is also one of the cheaper shops and is normally more accessible.
Need I say anymore.
Shop around
You don’t have to do your weekly shop at 1 shop. You might like the grapes at one store, but the butter from the other. You don’t have to be loyal to your shops, it’s not an exclusive relationship.
Don’t shop hungry
Just don’t. I have done this too many times, and it’s annoying. I look at any food, and think ‘Oh, I can cook that when I get back’. No, I won’t! I never do. I get back and eat the quickest thing I can get my hands on, and then I no longer feel this culinary wave to whip up a salmon dinner. Also, I would spend a whole lot more on my food bill on snacks. So, eat a meal. If you’re going for a big shop, make sure it’s a decent size meal, so you don’t get hungry during the trip.
Moral of my story:
- Meal prep– This definition is whatever you make it, but it will allow you to buy what you need and not what you think you need
- Don’t buy fresh– If you can get it for cheaper with a similar quality, why risk having to throw it away when you can have it guaranteed in your fridge or cupboard?
- Buy bulk– It will save you time and money, and having a bag of pasta in the cupboard is always good for an easy meal
- Take advantage of shop deals– They are throwing cheaper deals at you, why aren’t you taking them?
- You don’t have to be loyal– You don’t owe them your business just because they are close. You give them your business if you want to.
- Don’t shop hungry– Just don’t, you won’t cook it when you get back.
