Added to this we have Corona Virus and a mounting impact. Last week we ordered pumps since we have rainwater tanks and almost all pumps in Australia come from China. So we quickly ordered spares. But there are many drugs and other things that could become a shortage problem.
Then the dairy industry has been in so much trouble and now overseas companies are buying some of the biggest dairy businesses. World wide there have already been butter shortages and dramatic price rises there. Next week Vicky will teach us how to can butter. This was going to be today but she was half way through when her power went out!
At the bottom I will link to some past posts that are helpful on this subject. Laine taught me to approach grocery shopping and menu planning in an entirely different way. The way she does things basically flipped how I shop! Now I shop many different shops. Not all in the same week but I check out a wide range of stores over a month. I run a little book of lists so when I am in certain store I will check my list and remember what I need.
Now things vary from area to area but in general I have found ...
I can get toothpaste and laundry power cheaper in discount chemists than the supermarket. Also often toothbrushes and other cleaning products.
The discount chemist sells prescriptions at around half of the cost of our old chemist. In the first year this saved me over $600. At the time I had it in my head that all prescriptions were priced the same. WRONG! If you have prescriptions ring around for the best prices.
Plastic and paper products are cheaper in the cheap store/$2 store. I get most garbage bags, snap lock bags and so on in the cheap stores. Also often shampoo, conditioner, cotton buds, soaps...
Whatever is on my list I look there first.
I do check the supermarket catalogues and write down any deals I want to get. This week I will be in two towns on different days. I will check each catalogue first and note anything on a huge deal.
This is worth doing however the very best specials are rarely in the catalogue! The best specials will usually be clearance, markdowns and discontinued items. You have to look for those.
Last week I had a really successful shop. Before I left I had gone through the catalogues and there was not one single thing I considered a good deal. It was GRIM!
I decided God is greater than a catalogue and went to town anyway. I did what Laine does and I prayed over my trip.
The first store I went into had the best priced roasts I have seen in a couple of years so I grabbed several of those.
A lady was going along the shelves in the fruit and veggie department marking things down. I got 2 bunches of asparagus, a bag of avocados, a container or mushrooms and so many things that looked fine although I knew I would need to use them within a day or two. Each were under $1 as opposed to the $11 a bunch asparagus I saw the other day!
The next supermarket had marked down bread, pizza bases and rolls, brie for $2 and so on. Over all I had a great shop! None of these things were in the catalogues. You have to hunt.
Once I have shopped I consider what I have brought home, what I have in the garden, fridge, freezer and pantry and then I get planning. What can I make from all this stuff?
Last week we ate a lot of asparagus, mushrooms and avocados! I had some cream so one night I made a creamy mushroom sauce with a steak. It was beautiful! Those mushrooms were also a big mushroom, tomato (from the garden) bacon and eggs (from the chickens) brunch.
This week I have zucchinis. Suddenly there are lots of zucchinis! And eggs! So I am planning zoodles and making zucchini slices for dinner and lunch. I have noted that with the purchase of cream I can make a heap of meals. The excess zucchini (after sharing some with the girls) will go into the freezer to be added to winter soups. I love putting some food away for later!
Dad tells me the apples on the big old tree will be ready in a couple of weeks. So I will start thinking of loads of things to make. Apples are wonderful as they are so versatile.
The big apples in this photo are some of Dad's apples from last year. This picture is the back of my car on one apple picking trip...
Now what free food we might have available to us will depend on a lot on our location. I hear of my Queensland friends getting bags of mangoes and avocados! But the thing is usually free food doesn't fall out of the sky. The first thing I do anywhere is learn where the fruit trees are. I let everyone know I will pick fruit and return with jam or a pie. I can barter with eggs too. I don't mind knocking at a door if I see fruit going to waste and I don't mind stopping by the side of the road and picking from a road side tree.
Markets can be fantastic and if I go I shop in the last half hour as vendors don't really want to take left overs home and often reduce it greatly.
A lot of us can grow some things ourselves. Vicky has her annual Victory Garden. She grows just rows and rows of veggies. During the world wars governments encouraged everyone to grow whatever they could. Well], we can still have a Victory Garden! You can grow a surprising amount in a small space. Also in a few pots!
If you have the space and could possibly have chickens this is one of the very best ways to improve your food security. You don't just get eggs but also fertiliser for the garden.
Another idea from during the war and depression years is to form a club or group. One person might have the space for chickens yet several people could help and set up a share programme.
I read that pig clubs were a thing during the depression. A group would form and they would all save scraps and weeds etc to feed pigs kept at one persons farm. The costs and work were shared and everyone then had a portion of meat at the end.
Similarly if you can grow or produce one thing you have something to barter with. My main barter item is eggs. Sometimes parsley, spinach and Bay Leaves. I want to increase my barter items.
There are whole sale and restaurant supplies, wholesale butchers, spice markets, co ops, food pantries and pick your own orchards. We need to consider going outside of what we have always done.
One thing for sure... supermarkets are no longer the cheapest places to buy your food. The convenience of shopping in one place comes at a price. Just comparing the fruit and veggies to those at a little grocery shop out of the way might be a massive surprise. This sometimes saved 3/4 the cost of a supermarket when I lived in Adelaide.
Not wasting food is a big saver. It is not just what we pay for food but how far we make it go!
I think it has been gradual but I really re assessed what I cook. I am just not going to buy one random ingredient to make a recipe if I think that I will use one spoon out of a jar (or whatever) and the rest will probably be wasted. Nor will I buy some outrageously expensive ingredient. I will probably just skip the recipe altogether. When I make Pesto I completely ignore the recipe that says"pine nuts"
as they are so expensive here. Almonds will do for a fraction of the cost.
We have to remember that many recipes are aimed at getting us to buy certain things. Free recipes come out in magazines the supermarkets give way. Many of these are great but also they try and get us to buy things and are a form of advertising.
I have also lowered my expectations. It is ok to have a toasted sandwich or omelette for dinner. It is good to have something simple. If I can make enough for lunch the next day then I do. If I can make enough for a couple of dinners then I do!
Pizza, fried rice, soups, frittatas and impossible pies are my favourite meals that will use up all kinds of left overs. They are all yummy and use up that little bit of bacon and left over roast veggies and goodness knows what!
Use what you have. If you have an ingredient and don't know what to do with it google for ideas.
Do not feel defeated or worried about grocery prices. We just have to change out tactics and maybe our habits. Maybe even by shopping for simple basic ingredients we will also be healthier. Basic ingredients give you so many options.
Here are some past posts on this subject...
Laine's Menu Planning. Sorry about the test size changing in this article! But Laine sheds light on how she shops and menu plans and it is really good!
How to beat rising prices like Nana did. This is from last year and a general post on simple ways to save.
How to make meat go further. Nan knew how to make meat go a long way.... just as we need to know now.
The Money Saving Baking Day.
Never waste one slice of bread. If you have a challenge of filling hungry tummies and making lunches etc this post is for you.
Take a jar o f jam. There are a lot of saving tips here and a few tricks!
Economical and yummy cake. This is good if you have left over stone fruit of any kind.
Miracle Muffins. These are savoury or sweet and will use up anything from bacon, corn, cheese, herbs... to fruit, cereal, dried fruit, jam, yoghurt... you name it. These can be good for breakfast and filling lunch boxes.
Consider that many with young families are reading. What are your tips for filling hungry kids after school, filling lunch boxes and teenagers when they go through that inhaling fridges full of food stage?
Right there I have one word. Pikelets. Boy did we eat some pikelets when we were young. And fried rice and toasted sandwiches! All cheap yet I thought they were all heavenly!
Enjoy your weekend. Use up what you have and be inventive.xxx
Thank you for all your tips. I am not finding much in the way of fruit and veg days of late and as for meat...
ReplyDeleteI wish I was not allergic to egg yolk. Eggs are such a versatile and nutritious thing to use. I also cannot eat pulses or many whole grains so I am having to become very creative.
Thank you for a great reminder on many things. Good post.
ReplyDeleteI guess I sort of live in a bubble here in Indiana (U.S.). I find the prices haven't changed much and really don't see any shortages.
This tends to be one of the areas in the U.S. where prices stay reasonable.
I love having alternate sources for everything - it is the smart thing to do. Putting back for another day is so smart as well.
Thank you for the reminders and ideas.
Annabel, this is an excellent post. I try to do the same kind of things you talk about in the post, it's nice to see others doing the same. You are right, we have to change the way we think about the meals we eat... and the way we shop. That will make a huge difference in our ability to put nourishing food on the table. It's definitely time for everyone to think outside of the box, I don't think food prices are going to get any better any time soon and I think availability is going to become an issue for some food items. Very timely post! Great job!
ReplyDeleteLove all your ideas and inspiration, Annabel and Vicky! This can be helpful for beginners as well as “ old-timers” in the world of stretching food dollars and building our food storage!
ReplyDeleteHere’s a link to my blog that I have labeled “You don’t have to go to the store!” about how to start a food reserve (stocking up) even if your budget is already stretched paper- thin!
https://pin.it/4BQcfQ5
Such wise tips. I'm looking forward to re-reading all the links you gave us at the end of the article.
ReplyDeleteI recently made a long list of ways to save money by using things normal people throw away ( I can proudly say I'm not normal 😃).
It was a long list! I love the challenge of making something from nothing. If you look at it as a game - and not deprivation - it can be quite fun. I did put some of the list on my blog hoping I can be a fraction as helpful to others as you are Annabel.
Today is a shopping day for me and as you say, looking at the grocery store flyers can be depressing . I often think I wold not pay that price for that item! Thank you for the reminder to pray before going.
Bless you for all you do.
With love,
Cheri
Dear Cheri,
DeleteOh you just gave me an idea for a post! I have been doing the same/similar to you. I will give you an example... last year when I had all the apples I made so much from them. It was so good. The chooks loved the peels and cores. But this year I can do better. I am going to make apple jelly from the peels and cores then also mint jelly. You could also make vinegar. I think apple jelly will be just lovely and also good for the children. It will be interesting to see how much I end up with from what I threw out last year. But this could be a wonderful subject. There are many things that are like this! I hope your shopping trip will be a good one. Yes with the catalogues I often notice one item here is ham. It is in the catalogue on special at $20 a kilo or something. When in the store it is often more like $8 a kilo. So the special price is trying to get you to buy some expensive brand and NOT telling you the best deal at all! I wonder how many people fall for that one!?
Thanks Cheri as these subjects could be a real help to others, with love Annabel.xxx
Hi Annabel, I just love reading your blog, but don't often comment. Just one thing to be aware of when buying ham is the country of origin - They have to give a % of Australian content, and usually the cheap stuff is only about 2% Australian. I had a young deli staffer helping me find some the other day - he was horrified - everyone thinks "fresh" produce is Australian but you do have to check. I only buy 100% Australian meat
DeleteLove this post today! Especially the links to the other topics.
ReplyDeleteMakes me think outside the box!
What a great post and thanks for the links! I'll be looking in to those the rest of this week. My savings were meager as I only saved $19.68 during two shopping trips this week. We have one main grocery store, WalMart and a few dollar stores. The advantage of having just a few local stores is you get familiar with when and where they have their sale items. When I do go out of town I like to visit different stores looking specifically for their specials and loss leaders. My best tip I guess would be to label and date everything (canned goods, spices, left overs, frozen items, etc.) I use masking tape and a marker. This prevents me from wasting food as I try to use up everything before it expires or goes bad. The things too close to the end go straight to the chickens (or compost pile) so nothing goes to waste. Check your pantry and fridge before grocery shopping, make a list and stick to it unless there are specials too good to pass up. Well, that's my two cents worth. If I think of others I'll add later. Have a great week!
ReplyDeleteGreat tips Annabelle. We are now empty nesters, so food really does go farther when there's just the two of us. I still really like seeing how far my dollar can stretch, though. When our boys were teenagers, we ate a lot of soup. It's cheap and filling and fortunately, they loved it. We usually had it with scones and a tray of veggies. The daughter of a friend of mine used to come home from school and make herself a pot of rice to eat. Also, good fat is important for kid's brains and it really does hold them over from meal to meal, so having some good fat at each meal helps, too.
ReplyDeleteI am 100% in agreement with you. I cannot understand the thought that we deserve to eat expensive food everyday and that everyday food has to be a treat. We have always lived by basic food and it has been delicious. I filled up those hungry children with biscuits. If a meal looked skimpy I got to work and put a pan of biscuits in the oven. Some of our boys would eat 6 of them along with their meal that included meat and veg and salads. Pancakes and waffles fill them up too. A waffle iron is a good investment because waffles can also be good lunches and they are inexpensive if you don't buy mixes. Casseroles, pasta and rice dishes keep those kids going and you can use much less meat than is called for. As for the boatload of recipes that call for a half pound of cheese on top just use up those bread crusts made into crumbs or the end of the crackers or even potato chip crumbs. My Mom and my grandmothers would have never even considered cheese on top of a casserole. We have also learned to really enjoy meatless meals that contain lots of beans. My daughter taught me that you need to begin with onions and garlic and other veg along with spices and you will have truly delicious bean dishes. It is worth reading some vegetarian cookbooks to learn. I did not really like beans until recently because they were always just beans with a little seasoning and I did not know how to make the best of them.
ReplyDeleteIn our area we have not had shortages of anything and our prices have remained low due to a lot of competition. It is shocking to me to hear of your prices there.
I really enjoyed reading this, Annabel, and hope lots more tips will be shared in the comments so I can learn more from everyone.
ReplyDeleteI agree that discount chemists can be much cheaper. Our son needs a medicine that costs $29 a bottle at our local chemist. It only lasts him 2weeks and so we shopped around and found it at a discount chemist for $23 bottle. That saves us $12 a month or $144 a year.
I think pikelets are great for hungry teenagers too. I add an extra egg (for extra protein) and use half wholemeal (for more fibre) and half plain flour. I typically grate in a pear or add mashed banana to the mix too. And I make a double batch then freeze half for a quick school breakfast. I also make little homemade sausage rolls with chicken or pork mince, breadcrumbs (from leftover crusts), an egg, grated zucchini and a little splash of tamari. Great for a hungry teenager to munch on after school and more protein too which they need for growth and also fills them up!
I have been trying to cut my grocery bill too. I check the specials for the four supermarkets within a reasonable radius of home. I don't find much but when I do I stock up. This past week, one had 40% off special on replacement heads for my son's brand of electric toothbrush. I bought 3 packs (6heads) for my stockpile. I also got pork mince (for those sausage rolls) on special. The other week, I bought 3 x frozen chickens at $5.50kg which was cheapest price I'd seen for a while. I also got lasagne sheets that week but I've forgotten now what price I paid for them. I think I need to start a price book!
Looking forward to reading links you've listed and everyone else's tips too. Meg:)
This is such a lovely, sensible post and I think many people today would benefit from reading it.
ReplyDeleteI have never understood menu planning before shopping and yet most frugal living blogs consider it the holy grail of grocery shopping. It's just counter intuitive to me, fine make a note of what you have and what needs using up quickly, but I menu plan when I return with my shopping and I know what I have and what I want.
Simple food is so underrated, there's nothing wrong with soup and a sandwich or an omelette, it's cheap, nutritious food, uses up lots of odds and ends and is a comforting meal. We don't need to eat meals from every continent in order to thrive, going back to basics does no one any harm.
As a complete aside, I have lost weight, totally by accident, by eating simpler, eating when I'm actually hungry rather than at designated times and cutting back on my food budget! I don't feel in the slightest deprived, so I think I will just continue.
Hope everyone has a good week.
Annabel my tips for filling hungry growing tummies are to bake filling items like ANZAC biscuits or slice - the oats tend to fill you up more (I also have a chocolate chip biscuit (cookie) recipe that has oats in it as well as a chocolate ball recipe as well as another slice recipe. These were all on high rotation when we had a house full of teens. I also have a cake recipe that uses very little butter and I would change the fruit component up to what was in season.
ReplyDeleteProtein is also a tummy filler - hard boiled eggs or use the pie maker and make some up using left overs.
Likewise sausage rolls - my grandmother use to make a batch of sausage rolls to take on our trips out to the country - we ate them cold in the dead of winter but they filled us up. This brings me to other pastry items like the 2 ingredient dough that is generally used for pizzas but I have now seen it used for scrolls to be made in the pie maker.
I like the Pioneer Woman's pancake recipe - it has yogurt in it which not only makes them light and fluffy but also filling.
My grandmother's pikelet recipe is lost but I do use my mother in law's - when I make them I freeze them now because there is just the two of us and I am gluten free so my husband gets to eat them on his own (he would devour them in one sitting if I let him) likewise anything else that I bake or cook.
I also use my mother in law's scone recipes - never had a failure yet. The old traditional rub the butter in type, I just cannot get the hang of the lemonade scones but they would do to fill hungry tummies.
Lunch boxes do not have to be the traditional sandwich - our son detested sandwiches so I use to make a savoury muffin and pop salad in. There wasn't the variety around nor ease of ingredients as there is now - no doubt he would have loved some pizza style ones rather than boring old cheese ones but he never complained.
I belong to two FB groups and the discussion of late (because it is back to school time) has been all about lunch boxes - teachers sending notes home saying that what is in the lunch box is not appropriate (the child is on the spectrum and has sensory issues so the lunch box contained foods that were being eaten) and then there are the others with loads of packet things in the lunch box and wondering why their food bill is sky high.
Making your own saves so much money, not only that you know what they are eating (believe me we had a child that was quite ill and knowing what she was eating and how much was necessary when talking to doctors).
There is no need to buy special ingredients to what you would normally buy - it is just how it is put together.
My shopping is changing - I have liked pages on FB so that I know what the specials are. Some places do not do paper advertising in any form these days.
We have a new supermarket chain called Fresh & Save (they are Queensland owned). They do $2- weeks. I went to the last one and noticed lots of items marked down to $2-. Because we were waiting for things to be finished here I didn't buy anything that wasn't needed but next time I will scour the shop and buy up.
We also have the Golden Circle Factory outlet - they have fortnightly specials - sometimes they are good for stocking up but other times they are more the snack packet items that people are putting into school lunch boxes these days.
Then we have a few discount places so keeping a price book is now getting more important than ever.
Lynette
Great post Annabel. I love that you have covered all the ways to save on food. The biggest saving being not to waste what you have.
ReplyDeleteWhen my two were teenagers, pie makers, like a toasted sandwich maker, had just come out. I was given one. That pie maker was one of the most used items in my kitchen. The teenagers would get home from school, turn on the pie maker and pull the leftovers out of the fridge. They made some amazing combinations of pies. I always kept, and still do, frozen sheets of the cheap pastry in the freezer. Pie makers are now so cheap and there are Facebook groups that share an amazing amount of simple recipes for other things you can make using your pie maker.
Knowing your neighbours can also be a great way to add to your pantry. The local widowers bring their trousers and mending to me. I get fresh caught fish in return. Bluey mowed a neighbours lawn yesterday. Their lawn mower broke down a couple of weeks ago. They don't have a lot of money and just cant afford to repair it yet. We were given half a large watermelon as a thank you. Another neighbour grows the best green beans and shares the excess over the fence with us and we share our excess with them. Bluey accidently purchased dry cat food instead of dog food. I gave this to a lady I had recently met who has a cat. She is a pensioner and loved being able to give her kitty some of the expensive brand food. She gave me a bunch of flowers from her garden. Knowing your neighbours is a wonderful way to develop community and add to your pantry.
This is a really good post! I love finding new ways to stretch things or add to the pantry. I like to shop different stores and pick up the sale items and look for the mark downs. I buy ingredients and meal plan with what I have. And if I find great mark downs I ask myself what I can make with it before it goes in my cart if it's going into the pantry for later.
ReplyDeleteI know you probably don't have many there, but here most stores are offering some kind of reward like a free item for example. Even if the sales are not good I pop in and get the free item and look for good mark downs.
There is nothing wrong with simple meals as long as everyone is full and growing what we are able to helps keep the grocery budget down.
Foraging is another wonderful thing. From wild berries and onions to other edibles like dandelion greens and lamb's quarters and purslane. Sneaking them in some meals adds health benefits and they are free. They are starting to sell them in the supermarkets here.
We also barter eggs and canned goods too. I love bartering!
XOXO
Vicky
I would divide my shop between different places, but I simply don't have the time or the energy, especially when I can do a fortnight shop at ALDI for under $170 most of the time. I don't buy snacks apart from chocolate and there are only two adults and two cats here. That said, I miss having chickens and really should get some veggies and herbs growing in pots. $9 dollars for some mint, parsley and basil in plastic containers I don't want is ridiculous.
ReplyDeleteAnnabel - you are speaking my language here. I'm constantly on the lookout for ways to stretch our dollars further. One of the things that has worked for me has been to shop weekly instead of weekly. While I am sure I do miss some special offers, I have still heavily reduced how much per week I was spending. On shopping day I can hit 2 supermarkets that are close together, plus there is an Asian market nearby - good for buying seeds, lentils and beans. The best times for going are first thing in the morning, when the mark downs are put out - especially during the school holidays.
ReplyDeleteAlso, you have inspired us to try foraging, which would never have occurred to me before. I am hoping we will post photos on the Facebook page on Tuesday - but Alison and I went out on Thursday and picked over 170kg (376 pounds!!!) of pears from our city's red zone (area abandoned after earthquakes 9 years ago). My dehydrator has been going like mad ever since... That's rather a lot of pears!
I brought up 4 boys.
ReplyDeleteI bought a popcorn maker and we always had popcrn kernels in the pantry. When they wanted a snack, it doesn't get much healthier (or cheaper) than air-popped popcorn!
When they were in primary school and lower secondary school I'd often have a whole cake available for when they got home. They'd cut it in quarters and inhale it!
I had to share this fabulous post on my Facebook page so all of my kids can learn how to save money!! Thank you for such a great resource!!!
ReplyDeleteThank you Annabel and you are so right on so many points.
ReplyDeleteBy shopping around and bartering we can indeed reduce our grocery costs considerably.
I have adopted a new approach is if I see good specials just get it out of the grocery money where ever I am. I run under budget anyway so since I have noticed there are less and less good specials when I see them I grab all I can get.
Have a great week ahead.
Sewingcreations15 (Lorna).
Love reading the comments and articles. Thanks for the great inspiration.
ReplyDeleteWould love to know of good value gluten free tummy fillers. A lot of folk mentioned gluten based fillers that the gf alternative are cost prohibitive.
We are a family of 4 coeliacs. The children have massive appetite/fast metabolism inherited from my side of the family.
My usual go to fillers used to be lots of fresh fruit/ veg /popcorn and rice,home made yogurts,boiled eggs ect. And stocking up on crackers/bread when on special/cclearance items ect . I need to really rethink what I do here . Oats are also off the menu as they cause us similar symptoms.
I had major sticker shock this week. In 2 weeks Fruit and veg prices in my area are through the roof. My regular shops where I'd once found specials past prime/defects 40 -80c/kg are now $1.20-$2/kg but same quality.Markdowns are few and far between it seems as well and not great when they are.
With the blessing of rain though the garden can be planted this weekend after the jungle is mowed:) . But not before I forrage all the wild amaranth that grows so well well here:) hopefully seeds will grow as fast as the weeds did :)
I also second building community with neighbours. We have an older couple next door who often share there excess as a way of saying thankyou.
Zucchini is one of those crops where you wait and wait for the first one and before you know it, there is an explosion and suddenly you have baseball bat size. Some suggestions, if I may, for zucchini! Make zucchini fritters...basically a potato pancake only with zucchini. I use Martha Stewart's recipe and omit the oregano and parsley. They are delicious! Chocolate zucchini bread is another favorite and no one can tell the veggie I said in there. I make the Chocolaty Zucchini Bread from Taste of Home, but do not put the raisins in, nor do I add chocolate chips because there is no need to! I freeze grated zucchini (I use my food processor) in 3 cup amounts to use for each recipe. Make sure you drain the unfrozen zucchini before using in the bread recipe.
ReplyDeletethank you for your encouraging post! And I love your produce bags and china from the last post. I have been rereading The Tightwad Gazette III by Amy Dacyczyn. Lots of great money-saving tips esp. for housewives and home-owners! Be of good corage and do not weary from doing good!
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Leslie