Posted in The Homestead
Today is my grocery shopping day and with food prices sky-rocketing, I am trying hard (like everyone else) to keep the bill down. And because we don't have a regular income coming in at the moment it is even harder. We are in the process of setting up a business and there have been a few bumps in the road. So, I am having to work to a very tight budget and trust me when I say I am not a budget girl! My Dad tried to teach me, my maths teachers tried to teach me and my dear husband tries oh so very hard to teach me, but me and math and money do not compute... but I am trying hard because I have to.
Anyway, I was reading in our local city newspaper yesterday that a stay at home mother of three with her husband being the sole 'bread winner' has a weekly grocery bill of $400 and she has managed to reduce it to $350 a week. I was feeling quite proud of myself, because our weekly bill has been $350 and I can get it down to $200 a week if I try hard. ;o)
Because I have been growing vegetables we have not had to buy veges in months - just eating what we grow - this does make you get very sick of the vege that you're eating day after day, but it has saved us at least $50 a week. And I am also finding recipes that I can use for more than one day. Today, all the meat that I have to buy is 2kg mince and 2 whole chickens. This will do us for the entire week, and that is eating well too.
Here is my menu plan:
Friday - Mince Burgers
Saturday - Roast Chicken
Sunday - Mince Burgers
Monday - Chicken Casserole
Tuesday - Chicken Casserole
Wednesday - Lasagne
Thursday - Lasagne
* And I should still have one meal of Mince Burgers left over in the freezer, and I have been stock piling meat on special as well, so this week I should be able to do two meals for two friends who are going through a difficult time.
This may not be very good frugality, (I mean, perhaps I can do better and make a meal stretch even further), but for someone who does not take to this naturally, I am feeling pleased with myself for achieving this much.
I'll post the recipes in the next post in case anyone else wants to try it.
I need to blog & share about my shopping. I am really winning - Stockpiling is the secret.
This week I spent $165.00 at the supermarket - covers all meals, cleaning etc. And we eat well.
You might want to freeze a lasagna for another night - and have another meal instead of two nights in a row.
I promise to blog more about our food shopping - I finally feel we are winning.
Love Leanne
I wonder if you will get addictive to frugal living like I have - I am quite tight now - & find it a hobby - but take me to quilt shops & I seem to overspend BLUSH
Friday, April 18, 2008 - Frugality...
If you can get your hands on a copy of theTIghtwad Gazette Complete (in US I get at our local library) she will amaze you with her tips on how she fed a family of 6 for $200 a month! Now, if I remember correctly - your prices over there are MUCH higher than here. A friend lived in Australia for a while and I remember her sticker shock in the grocery store. She had gone with a budget (US type) on how much to live on and was amazed that it didn't go as far on your side! :0) It's hard. We too started our business and I thought I was pretty frugal - but learned to be even more frugal. We were sometimes amazed (and shouldn't have been! ;0) we serve a wonderful God) when I would take a certaina mount of cash to the store, and a list. I sometimes checked out within $1 of what I had getting what we needed on our list. Canning helps a lot, eating basics, don't buy what you can make yourself (pasta is one of my exceptions! :0) Make it all from scratch, generally ingredients are less costly than convenience. You can make your own convenience to save you time. Fry up hamburg and cut it in half or 3 portions - use one and freeze the other (supplement the meat with lentils - they mix well) or just have less. I did that to our spaguetti and we really didn't notice much - it just wasn't as "meaty" - all these things add up a little at a time. And occasionally when there's a sale, etc I will go buy nuggets to have on hand for fun. We make pizza every Friday, that's a pretty economical meal (homemade dough, sauce, etc). I'm always on the lookout for how I can continue improve! I wish you the best on your venture!!!!
wendy
I love just the NZ Women's Weekly site I think it is. My Aussie favourite that I use all the time for vegies with a bit of sausage or something in it, rather than buy a whole heap of sausages is: www.taste.com.au
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