Like many nations, Australia is currently facing a cost of living crisis. Millions of people across the country are feeling the squeeze as prices increase while wages stay the same. It is more important than ever before to try to make your dollars go further.
It is during the weekly grocery shop that most people are really feeling the cost of living crisis hit them. It is one of those essential activities that can’t be cut out of our budget. But the good news is there are ways you can save a lot of money without having to cut down on your grocery essentials. We have compiled a list of tips and tricks that will help you save more money while grocery shopping each week.
Plan Meals
One of the main ways that people end up wasting money is actually through food waste. It is all too easy to buy more food than you need and it will go off before you end up using it. Which is why you should carefully plan your weekly meals ahead of time.
Write out detailed ingredients lists and stick to them while shopping. We know how tempting it can be to grab something extra when you’re in the shop. But resist that urge. By planning your meals out you will find you are buying less ingredients and actually using all of them.
Buy Online Where Possible
The cost of living crisis doesn’t mean you have to cut out all the treats from your grocery shop. Instead you should look to online stores to find cheaper alternatives for some of the more luxury products. Baking, for example, is one area where it is often cheaper to shop for equipment and ingredients online.
I am an avid baker and love using whipped cream and candy in my recipes. But both these products have risen sharply in price at most supermarkets. So I started using nangs to make my own whipped cream and bought my candy online. There are plenty of amazing sites to choose from but I recommend Joys Delight for candy while Kingwhip sell nang products.
Sites like this will end up saving you a considerable amount of money across the board. You should also look at doing your regular grocery shopping online too. Most supermarkets do home delivery for free if your order is over a certain amount. Which can save you money on gas. And there are often better deals online too.
Vouchers Are King
Vouchers and coupons are the unsung hero of the grocery shopping game. People often ignore the deals printed at the bottom of their receipts or in magazines. But the savings you can make by using vouchers is astonishing. Especially if you use them year round.
Commonly you will see vouchers being printed for newer products. Or by companies looking to reinvigorate interest in a product that hasn’t been selling so well. This might mean you end up switching brands a lot. But it is well worth it for the amount of money you will save over the year.
Buy In Bulk
Bulk buying is one of the best ways to save money. Provided you have the space to store all the items. There are numerous wholesalers around Australia that will allow you to join provided you either have a business or can prove you will be making enough purchases. And buying in bulk at wholesale price is a must if you want to save a lot of money.
Items like toilet paper, canned goods, cleaning supplies, and bottled water are ideal for bulk buying. Supermarkets are putting the prices up on these items by a considerable amount. And they will undoubtedly go up more as the year progresses.
If you don’t have the space to store all these items you should consider creating a shopping pool with your friends and family. You all chip in and buy these products in bulk then evenly distribute them amongst yourself. This is a great way to also save money on gas as you can all split the cost of the trips to the shop.
Use Supermarket Apps
A lot of the major supermarkets will offer you cashback rewards if you make use of their apps. Everytime you make a purchase you will earn points that can be redeemed for future discounts or money back. This is especially useful if you’re shopping for a bigger family.
These apps also often contain exclusive deals and vouchers. And these deals are changed pretty regularly too. So you can save a fair amount of money by being smart about which shops you visit based on what app deals they are offering.
