The Savvy Shopaholic’s top tips on how to save at the supermarket
As prices increase, your spending doesn't need to.
By Jo Munro from Savvy Shopaholic
Aussie parents are busy enough, without having to think about dinner.
So it can be tempting to pop into the supermarket for a quick and easy meal, reaching for processed ingredients like tinned spaghetti or jarred sauce as a way to cut costs on dinner.
But not only are processed options less tasty and healthy, they have recently increased in price.
As supermarket prices increase, Aussies are looking for new ways to feed the family without blowing the budget.
These are my top tips for how you can outsmart the supermarket and avoid a budget blowout in the aisles.
Jo Munro sharing some savvy supermarket tips with Nine News.
Top tips for saving at the supermarket
Ditch the processed pantry ingredients
It can be tempting to pop into the supermarket and grab what might look like quick and convenient dinner options, such as jarred sauce or tinned soup. But more often than not, these often tasteless, unhealthy processed items end up collecting dust at the back of the pantry. Plus, the cost of processed foods recently increased, making them a pricier dinner choice than preparing dinner from scratch. By planning ahead and prepping your meals for the week, you’ll save on groceries while serving up a tasty, healthy home-cooked meal for the family
Avoid the bulk fruit and veg
One of the biggest supermarket traps is falling for the pre-packaged fruit and vegetables that convince you to buy more than you need. Try your best to buy the exact amount for your recipe, opting for two carrots or a handful of spinach rather than a whole bag. Not only will this help you save money, but you’ll also save on food waste. This is where meal kit delivery services save the day, by sending perfectly pre-portioned ingredients to ensure you’re only paying for the exact amount of ingredients that end up on your plate.
Be on guard for the supermarket temptations
Supermarkets are designed to trick you into buying things you don’t need, so if you do head in store, make sure you’re aware of the temptations in every aisle. Stick to your shopping list and never visit a supermarket on an empty stomach – otherwise you’ll be caught out with a trolley full of snacks, lollies and drinks you don’t need.
Skip the top -up shop
Because of these temptations, every time you step into a supermarket you’re bound to walk out with more ingredients than you had planned. This means if you’re doing multiple shops each week, you’re spending more than you would by only making one visit to the supermarket.
In fact, according to data from Finder, those who shop for groceries twice a week tend to spend more per week than those who opt for weekly visits ($187 and $162 respectively). To avoid a budget blow out, stick to one weekly shop and save yourself both money and time.
Every Plate’s fuss-free recipes have only four simple steps and use less ingredients to create tasty meals that will satisfy the whole household.
Use a meal-kit delivery service
Outsmart the supermarket completely, and swap the aisles for a meal-kit delivery service instead. Opting for a meal-kit like EveryPlate is the perfect way to source quality ingredients for your weekly meals, at a consistent cost with no surprises. As Australia’s lowest price meal kit, starting at $3.99 per plate, EveryPlate is cheaper and smarter than the supermarket when it comes to preparing quick, winning dinners for the family.
