By Melissa Grant
Feeding a family is an expensive exercise.
It doesn’t matter how many mouths you have to feed or the ages of your children – grocery shopping is one of the biggest expenses for a household.
It’s also an expense that constantly increases and one that seems to have gone up significantly for many families during the COVID-19 pandemic.
If you’re not careful it’s easy to spend way more than you want to at the supermarket checkout. So how do you keep your food bill under control?
It’s a topic many money savvy mums are tackling online.
There are a growing number of blogs and social media accounts dedicated to providing tips on how families can save money on food.
Among them is Budget Mum Blog, run by frugal mum of two Madonna Bechaz.
Madonna started her blog while on maternity leave with her first son. Her Facebook page has more than 20,000 followers and her Instagram account isn’t far behind.
Madonna wanted to show that living on a budget can be fun and liberating, rather than restrictive.
She spends about $180 per week on groceries, which includes nappies for one child, dog food and clearing products.
She has a few simple tips for families wanting to reduce their shopping bill.
“The simplest way is to meal plan,” she said.
“I know everyone recommends it, but once you’re organised it saves a ton of money.
“Cook once, eat twice – if you’re busy this makes life and the budget run smoothly. Cooking extra and freezing it for a busy night, saves using take away as plan b.
“Also having vegetarian nights cut down on meat costs.”
Madonna’s go-to budget meals include spaghetti bolognese with extra veggies and lentils, tuna mornay and chilli con carne.
Another advocate for meal planning is mum of four Rebecca Sayers, the woman behind the frugal_family_of_6 accounts on Instagram and Facebook, which have a combined following of 20,000.
Her weekly grocery bill is around $220, up from about $200 before the pandemic.
She says it’s always a good idea to audit the cupboard or fridge before hitting the supermarket.
“Go through what you already have in the kitchen and make meals from there.”
Rebecca loves to cook and her favourite frugal feeds include fried rice, pasta dishes including spaghetti bolognese, and soups.
Rebecca says sticking to in season fruit and vegetables and buying in bulk saves money.
Avoiding the checkout can also help.
“Write a shopping list and stick to it. Grocery shop online to avoid impulse buys,” she said.
If you head to the shops, be sure you fill up before filling up the trolley.
“Don’t go shopping on an empty stomach!” Rebecca advises.
If you want to save money on groceries and need some inspiration, check out these Instagram accounts:
BUDGET RECIPES
BUDGET MUM BLOG’S CHILLI CON CARNE
INGREDIENTS
500 grams mince
2 red capsicums (or green)
800g tin tomatoes
800g red kidney beans
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon chilli powder (add more to taste)l
Serve with steamed rice, avocado and sour cream (optional)
METHOD
1. Place capsicum, mince and garlic into pan. Break up and fry until browned.
2. Add chilli powder and tomato and allow to simmer for 15 minutes.
3. Add drained kidney beans and allow to simmer for another 10 minutes.
Serve.
Note: Don’t be tempted to add kidney beans early – they will break down and go mushy. If you need to bulk it out more (for extra guests) or if you’re out of kidney beans try a tin of corn. It’s delicious!
TIP: Chilli is like lasagne and gets better on the second day. Leftovers can be served in wraps (like soft tacos) or made into nachos. It’s also delicious in baked potatoes.
FRUGAL_FAMILY_OF_6 TUNA BAKE
INGREDIENTS
500g penne pasta
425g tin tuna drained and flaked
1 brown onion diced
1/4 cup plain flour
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
3 cups milk
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon chicken stock powder
1 tin corn kernels drained (or 2 cups cooked veg of choice)
2 cups tasty cheese grated
50g butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper for seasoning
METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 200C (180C fan forced). Boil pasta and set aside.
2. In a pot over medium heat, melt butter and oil. Fry onion for 5 minutes. Add flour and fry for another 2 minutes. Add milk gradually, and whisk with each addition to get rid of lumps. Season with salt pepper. Stir in garlic powder and chicken stock powder. Allow to simmer on low for 5-10 minutes, or until it thickens, whisking frequently. Stir in half a cup of cheese. Take off of heat.
3. In a large rectangular baking dish combine pasta, tuna, sauce, parsley and veg. Top with remaining cheese. Bake for 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving.
