Simple Tips To Cut Shopping Bills
With families really beginning to feel the pinch of the credit crunch and with predictions of an impending recession, Gordon Brown is now suggesting Britons make cut backs to their weekly shopping in order to deal with the rising cost of food.It’s worth noting that last year British households threw away an enormous 6.7 tonnes of food waste - a third of the food bought in the UK. In monetary terms, this equates to each household throwing away a whopping £250 – £400 worth of food a year.
So the advice is that families ensure they are getting value for money from what they buy as this is just as important as not over spending in the first place. This can be achieved with a little bit of good old fashioned organisation and planning.
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Sarah Sadler at Organised Mum recommends the following:
 Start by making a note of what is already in your cupboards and fridge; bring things to the front that have a shorter use-by-date. This will ensure you see them when you open the cupboard and this will act as a reminder for you to use them.
Take the time to sit down and make a weekly meal plan making sure that you include recipes that will use any food stuffs that are nearing their use-by-date. When making the list ensure that you have considered the week’s activities, for example, one of your children may be out at a sleepover and won’t require dinner that night. You can then use the meal plan to make a shopping list that makes sure you only buy the food you will need for that week’s meals.
Make sure your shopping list includes everything you need for the week. As well as the extra petrol used to get the supermarket, popping back for the odd item you forgot means you may be tempted to buy extra food. It’s a good idea to have a shopping list somewhere handy and visible in the kitchen so that as soon as you have run out of something you can write it on the list.
Golden rules of shopping: don’t shop when you are hungry and if possible, don’t shop with your children. Inevitably, if you food shop whilst hungry you are more likely to be tempted by the mouth watering delicacies on show and without the children in tow you are more likely to stick to your list without being swayed by the plaintiff cries of your children urging you to buy the latest sugar-covered cereal with the toy in it!
Be realistic about your portion sizes. You may want your fussy toddler to eat more but if they’re not going to, it’s only going to go in the bin. If they are still hungry, you could always make them a sandwich and cook more next time.
Buying cheaper meat is not always cost effective in the long run. Instead buy cheaper cuts and bulk out stews and casseroles with more vegetables.
Buying lots of fruit in the vain hope that your children are going the achieve their ‘5-a-day’, can lead to bowls of decaying fruit, especially in the summer months when delicate soft fruits such as raspberries and strawberries have got knocked about on the way back from the supermarket. Pureeing the fruit, straining and freezing in lolly moulds not only saves you from throwing it away, but will also provide you with a healthy tempting treat for the children on a hot summer day.
· Save leftovers and use for another meal. Bubble & Squeak is great for using the remains of Sunday Lunch and left over pasta, rice and vegetables can always be added to soup to make it more substantial.
And finally, if you think you have a touch of ‘green fingers’ why not grow your own vegetables. A packet of carrots seeds, for example, costs about £1.50 and contains over 1,000 seeds! This is not only a way to save money but it’s a great activity to do with the children. Obviously what you can grow will depend upon the space you have available but even if you are short on space, you could grow herbs or a tomato plant in a planter or pots; which will not only save you money but brighten up your kitchen too!
July 2008
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