We all need food to stay fueled, but at what cost?
Grocery prices increased by 14% from April 2022 to April 2023. The average single Kiwi spends around $105–$130 each week on food; if prices continue to increase at the rates we’ve seen, then we could be spending as much as $150+ per week!
Gone are the days of walking out of the supermarket with a week's worth of groceries for under $100.
Although most of us feel the pain of increased food prices right now, there’s always a way to manage how much we spend on what keeps us running each day.
So here are five ways to help keep your pantry stocked up without emptying your pockets every time you hit the checkout.
1. Review your budget and see if you’re getting bang for your buck.
It's often the case that we feel like we’ve walked out of the supermarket knowing we’ve spent an arm and a leg on only a bag full of items.
Before looking at making any changes to how you shop, review your budget and see if what you’ve set for your food expenses is realistic and sustainable. If you feel you’re always going over budget each week, review if that’s because you’ve set it too low or if you’re sneaking off for too many after-dinner sweet treats. If you know, you know.
It’s good to be honest and realistic about these things, if you need to increase your budget for food, then great. If you find that your budget’s blowing out because of all the spending outside of your weekly shop, then the following tips will help you.
2. Track your calories for a week.
I know this one sounds a bit odd, but hear me out. If we bring it back to basics, how many calories do we actually need per day to sustain our energy levels?
Below is a table on daily calorie consumption based on different activity levels each week.
Now, based on the table, see what category you fit into. Use an app like MyFitnessPal to track your calories and see how much you’re actually consuming per day compared to how many you need to consume.
Track your calories for a week and see where you end up. If you find you’re consuming more calories than you need, then cutting back could mean some decent savings on your grocery bill and not feeling guilty for overindulging in snacks.
3. Use online shopping to compare prices.
Some of us like to use our weekly grocery shop as a bit of therapy time, and that’s ok, but shopping online could help keep more coin in the back of our pockets and save us the extra stress of having to go in store. Using online shopping for our groceries means we can see everything in one place, find deals, and make comparisons.
Using online shopping, you can compare prices across all the different supermarkets. Have different tabs open wth different supermarkets when doing your online shopping and compare which is the cheapest. Place your order at each supermarket and pick it up all in one trip.
Platforms like Grocer also help ensure we’re shopping from the most cost-effective places. You can select which supermarkets to shop at and then search through your shopping list to find the best prices across your preferred locations.
4. Use a staple for breakfast and lunch, but mix up dinners.
It sounds boring, but often the best way to save some time and reduce your grocery bill is to keep a staple in your weekly meal plans by keeping your breakfast and lunch the same each day. Having this staple each day means your budget doesn’t vary too much, and you know exactly what you need to get when doing your weekly shop.
To keep things exciting, mix up what you have for dinner each night. That way, you only have to make plans around dinner while having a good meal to look forward to at the end of each day.
5. Don’t be afraid to treat yourself without overdoing it.
Yes, of course, you can still have that treat every so often. Trying to change the way we do things or reduce what we spend can often mean we don’t get to enjoy as many of the finer things in life.
Treat yourself every so often with that late-night run to get movie snacks or a cheeky chocolate bar in your weekly shop. Be wary not to go overboard though otherwise you’ll end up right back at square one.
Treating yourself gives you a reminder that you’re on the right track.
Combine these five tips, and you’ll be able to feel much better every time you stock up your pantry each week.
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Final words
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Disclaimer
This blog or any other information provided by BudgetBuddie is not financial advice. If you're needing financial advice please get in touch with a licensed financial advisor or professional.
