5 Tips To Save Money On Food

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I am always interested in tips to save money. Some of the hints I read wouldn't work for me or don't suit my lifestyle but others do. Here are 5 tips that work for me.

1. Buy groceries online
Okay, so I must admit the first couple of times it took me ages to do my order. However, now that I am in  the habit of ordering online I find it quick to place an order. I shop online once a week. I have a list on the fridge where we write things needed. I save money by being able to check the fridge and cupboard when I order so I don't buy items we already have.

The things I have ordered before are in a list on the site which make reordering so easy. I bulk buy things when they are on special but I don't stock pile a great deal, just the amount I think we will need before the item is on special again.

Some items come on special monthly. I look at what's on half price special and order any items we will use. I am careful to ignore the snack foods (well most of the time) which seem to make up quite a large proportion of the half price specials. Buying things when they are on special saves money.

You may be wondering about the delivery charge. 'My' supermarket used to charge $4 if one isn't too fussy about the time of delivery and is happy with any time from 6am to 2pm or 2pm to 10pm. Sadly, the lowest fee has jumped to $8 in the last month. However if the order is over $150 delivery is free.

I also save by not picking up 'extras' (chocolate bar, chewing gum, magazine) while waiting at a physical check out.

With online shopping I can easily 'remove' an item if I change my mind or go over budget. Every time I add an item to my shopping I can see the total. No estimating. No fiddling around with a calculator, not that I ever did use one at the shops, but I did consider it.

Click here for more info-
http://minamaries.blogspot.com/2018/04/pros-and-cons-of-online-grocery-shopping.html

     Coles is just one of the stores that delivers groceries                     Image:Marie Vonow

2. Cook extra
When cooking stews, casseroles and the like it is easy to cook extra and perhaps freeze some. Sometimes the extra can be for the following day. Last night we had spaghetti bolognaise and tonight used the extra tomato mince in tacos.

When buying things like mince it is sometimes cheaper per kilo to buy a kilogram than 500grams this week and another 500 grams next week. It doesn't use much extra power to cook a double lot. Having extra in the freezer reduces the temptation to buy take away when in a hurry, tired or you've had a bad day.

3. Use a slow cooker

Meat that is cooked slowly will be very tender which means you can use cheaper cuts like gravy beef and stewing steak. At the moment it is winter here and I am making frequent use of my slow cooker for a variety of meals. I often cook extra and freeze some for another meal. Some people prefer a pressure cooker to make cheaper tougher cuts of meat tender.

4. Use up leftovers 
Even though I try to cook the exact amount we need for a meal, occasionally there are leftovers. Sometimes I can use the extra for tea the following night. I may need to add something to make it stretch far enough. Sometimes I add a can of spaghetti to leftover cooked mince to make it go further or put mashed potato and grated cheese on top of leftover stew before reheating it in the oven.

I freeze suitable leftovers (no, I don't know of a way to successfully freeze lettuce or cucumber!) for another night. If there is only enough for one person this can be used as a lunch.

5. Get creative with what's on hand
There may be odds and ends in the crisper that need to be used up before they spoil. Adding them to soup and stews is an obvious use for these items. Sometimes I grate veggies and smuggle them into rissoles, spaghetti bolognaise or other mince dishes.

Grated cheese can be sprinkled on top of many savoury dishes and cooked rice can be made into savoury rice.

These are just a few ways of saving money in the kitchen. I'd love to read your tip for saving money in the kitchen so please add it in the comments.