Shop right when your budget is tight

The weekly grocery bill can take a considerable chunk from your hard earned weekly income, and feeding a family today is a huge expense.  With many of the fast food chains currently advertising family sized meals for $20 it can seem like an easy affordable option for those who are time poor and need something that’s quick and convenient.  Packaged, processed food tends to be made using cheaper ingredients with minimal nutritional value in them as they are mass produced.  We all know the health risks associated with a poor diet – diabetes, obesity and heart disease to name a few so it’s important that we learn healthy eating habits from a young age and how to ‘shop right’. 

 Here are my top tips to help you shop right:-

1.  Plan Ahead – make sure you go shopping with a list.  Plan your week ahead; What will you be having for dinner each day? Who else will be eating with you? Do you need extra items?  Create a list, take the list with you and stick to the list.
2. Buy in Bulk – when Supermarkets have special offers on like buy one get one free or 20% off this week only, utilise this opportunity to stock up.  Basic everyday household items such as coffee and toilet roll can all be brought cheaper when you buy bigger.
3. Buy Home Brands – Items manufactured by a big brand name are more expensive than lesser priced home brands which have evolved recently to be of similar quality and as there is no need to spend so much on fancy packaging the cost for the consumer is reduced.
4. Shop Around – Visit your local green grocers to compare prices on fresh fruit and vegetables.  Generally as these items are grown and brought locally transport costs are kept down which makes them cheaper. 
5. Compare Prices – If you have a couple of supermarkets next to each other why not visit both and compare prices of the items you require as well as checking out the special offers they are currently running to see if suitable for you.
6. Buy Wholesale – Currently there are many wholesalers opening up their doors to the individual consumer who wish to buy wholesale products at wholesale prices.  Do your research online and find out where your local wholesalers are and benefit from their cheaper prices.  Items such as meat can be brought in bulk, split into portions and frozen.
7. Learn to Cook – treat yourself to a recipe book, pick up a recipe card from the supermarket or utilise the recipes available through ClubVision and get creative in the kitchen.  When making your evening meal, why not cook up a little extra and take it the next day for lunch?  Another option is to take an hour from your Sunday afternoon and spend it cooking up for the week ahead.