Trying to cut down on the amount of money we spend on the weekly shop has become something of an obsession for me over the last few years. Doing the bulk of my shopping at Lidl or Aldi has made a huge difference, as has being strict about making a meal plan for the week and writing a shopping list.
I’m working with Organix again to continue with their #NoJunkJourney campaign and my first post of the year is about eating well on a budget. I’m hugely passionate about making sure my kids eat a balanced diet, but also that they really enjoy and appreciate the food they’re eating. Sure they love the odd take-away pizza, but I’d rather make my own using healthier ingredients for a fraction of the cost! Plus they get to help me make it and choose their toppings, so it’s much more fun.
Meal planning
As you can see from my meal planning blackboard above, we don’t eat meat every day. This is partly because my husband is a vegetarian, but I also find this keeps the costs down too. I tend to buy high welfare meat but in smaller quantities – it’s a luxury really.
Planning your meals in advance is a great way to make sure you’re putting together a good balance of meals and also steers you away from eating the same old stuff week in, week out. The boys also really love having a menu on the wall as it makes them feel like they’re in a cafe – it certainly feels like I’m working in one a lot of the time!
Organix have come up with 8 great ways to keep your costs down when you’re shopping:
My tips for eating well on a budget:
- Go through your fridge, freezer and store cupboards to help you come up with meal ideas for the week ahead using what you have in. This cuts down dramatically on the amount of food you’ll need to buy at the supermarket.
- Make a shopping list before you go to the supermarket so you don’t end up buying more than you need. Really try and resist the urge to buy things just because you fancy them. Do you really need it?
- Freeze your leftovers for fuss-free meals when you’re busy
- Chop up and freeze any leftover ingredients that’ll otherwise go off. Fresh herbs, over ripe bananas, bread, grated cheese, chopped onions, lemon wedges – these are all fantastic ingredients to have at hand.
- Cook as much as possible from scratch. Make your own soups, pizzas, chicken goujons – it’s far cheaper and more nutritious!
I’d love to hear how you keep costs down while still eating well. Let me know in the comments below!
What is the Organix No Junk Journey?
Organix are passionate that we take more care with how we’re feeding our children. From paying close attention to food labelling, to making sure that children have a clear understanding about the food they eat, and of course minimising the amount of junk in their diets. You can find out more about the research they’ve done and why I joined the campaign in this blogpost Why I’ve Joined the Organix No Junk Journey
Disclosure: This is part of a series of partnered posts I’m working on with Organix to promote their No Junk Journey campaign. It’s an issue I feel strongly about and want to share with you here on my blog.
This is so great. I have times where I try really hard to meal plan and stay strictly on a budget – then it all goes wrong! but simple tips like going through the fridge and cupboards and making a meal of what you find, and freezing the leftovers are brilliant!
Thanks Mary, it’s such a simple thing but makes SO much difference. I’m such a hoarder of food in my freezer and cupboards to it’s brilliant to actually go though it coz you find some real gems in there!
I completely agree with writing a list – it is always better to go prepared! I’ve been using frozen green beans and peas a lot more recently too – I actually prefer them to fresh!
Frozen veg is such a winner and a lot better for you as it’s not been hanging around for days on supermarket shelves.