Once I’ve created a menu plan, not only has
this made mealtime easier, but the task of shopping for groceries has
now been simplified too. The menu plan allows me to easily collate a
shopping list to take to the supermarket.
Shopping lists
Shopping lists are the
key to efficient shopping for our family. I have two options for
creating a shopping list: I can manually scan the meals I’ve chosen into
the menu plan and write up a list; or, I can use a free menu planner
tool such as the one provided on the blog. This menu planner has a simple, five-step procedure:
1 Select the date for the beginning of the week.
2 Choose your meals.
3 Choose the number of serves required for each meal.
4 Tick the boxes of the recipes you wish to print out.
5 Print out the menu plan, recipes and shopping list.
The shopping list
is arranged by food type, making the task of finding the items you need
when you’re at the supermarket quicker and easier. As the menu planner
only looks at the evening meals, our shopping list is still a work in
progress and needs to have other groceries and household items added to
it. To help build a comprehensive shopping list that ensures no
last-minute rushed trips to the supermarket, there are a couple of other
lists I refer to:
• Pantry checklists. I have checklists stuck to the inside of the pantry cupboards. As I run out of items or items are close
to running out, I place a tick next to them on the checklists. When it
comes time to write my shopping list, I simply add the ticked items to
it.
• lunchbox items.
Fresh fruit and vegetables are the easiest way to fill the kids’
lunchboxes. To retain some variety, I refer to lists of seasonal fruit
and vegetables that I know the kids will eat.
Where to shop
Living
in a capital city, I’m lucky to have several options when it comes to
shopping for our family groceries. My shopping routine over the past few
years has consisted of a monthly online grocery shop, a monthly visit
to the butcher and a weekly trip to a fresh fruit and vegetable market.
Not all of these may be available where you live, but it’s worth
considering them if they are.
Online shopping
The
first time I shopped online it took me ages, and I thought it was a
very time-consuming process. However, it’s really only slow the first
couple of times you do it — after that it’s a super-efficient way to
shop because:
• all your previous orders are listed and you can quickly tick the items you wish to add to your trolley the next time you shop
• you can buy in bulk because the goods are delivered to your door
• you can see exactly how much you’re spending and either remove or add discretionary items so you stay within your budget
• you can easily compare prices as products can be listed by unit price
Markets
We
shop weekly at a nearby market, and have found that buying fruit and
vegetables at markets is significantly cheaper than purchasing them from
the supermarket. In addition, the quality is far superior. If you
haven’t tried a market, consider these tips for your first visit.
• Take with you a list of prices for the items you buy regularly from the supermarket so you can compare.
• Allow
yourself plenty of time to walk around the market first to note the
varying prices and quality of the produce. Even at markets you’ll find
stallholders who don’t offer value for money.
• Go
back and make your purchases, noting how much you pay and the location
of the stall that you bought them from. If you know the location of the
stalls you like, this will make the process quicker next time.
• When
you get home, do some quick calculations to see how much you saved. It
can be more of an effort to go to a market than to the local shops, so
having a concrete dollar amount can be a great incentive to keep up the
habit. Table 1 illustrates how much you could save on your grocery
bill by going to the market.
This
is just a sample of the savings we made on five of about 15 items. Even
if you deduct the extra petrol it costs us (about $3.00) to drive to
the market, we still save significantly.
Table 1: market savings
Butcher
For
a number of years I worked on the false assumption that because
supermarkets have chains they should be able to deliver cheaper prices
on meat. I was very much mistaken. Meat is often very expensive at the
main supermarkets in Australia. From my experience, I’ve also found the
quality of meat superior at a local butcher shop. Not all butchers are
cheap, so I spent some time comparing prices and quality and have found a
local butcher shop that provides great meat at a great price. When
looking for a local butcher, think about whether:
• they
offer discounts for bulk purchases. For example, chicken breasts are
$3.00 per kilogram cheaper if I buy more than 2 kilograms at a time
• you can ring in your order and pick it up later — a great convenience when you’re shopping with little ones
• they have regular specials you can take advantage of (not all of them do)
• there’s
a market near you that sells meat. Big markets such as the Queen
Victoria Market in Melbourne — and (increasingly) farmers markets
throughout the country — are selling local meat at great prices.
Discount retailers and warehouse clubs
In recent years,
Australia has seen the introduction of a number of international stores
such as Aldi and Costco. They can help you save significant amounts of
money, but you should keep the following in mind:
• Buy only what you need. Cheap is tempting, but remember to stick to your list.
• Buy in bulk.
I love buying items in bulk as this offers great value (when I know
we’ll use everything). To make the most of bulk buying, consider teaming
up with a friend and sharing the goods if the discounts only apply for
large volumes.
• Be prepared to try new brands.
Don’t expect to see all your familiar brands at these stores. I’ve
tried different brands for products such as tomato paste, pasta sauces,
plastic wrap, chocolate and nappies and have found the quality
comparable.
• Factor in the extra fees.
Some of these stores have surcharges for credit cards. There can also
be costs for purchasing bags, as well as membership and parking fees
that you might have avoided elsewhere.
• Add up the transport costs. Did you have to pay tolls to get there, and how much petrol did it cost?