Supermarket savvy

As the cost of living continues to rise, the majority of Australians are looking at ways to tighten the purse strings. For a lot of us, this means skipping the deli and the fresh fruit and vegie isle at the supermarket.

This week, we've got tips to help you reduce your grocery bill and make your diet dollar go further.

The price of food

There's no doubt that good, healthy food costs, but so does unhealthy, packaged and processed produce. For example, compare the cost of a packet of Tim Tams – priced at around $3.30 per pack or around $16.50 per kilo. You can pick up a kilo of bananas for just $2-$3 so in a weight-for-weight comparison, you’d get five times more food by opting for the bananas at a fraction of the calorie cost.

Here are some other cost-saving suggestions for when you're doing your weekly shop:

• Do some detective work. Track down the supermarket in your area with the best prices as costs can vary hugely.
• Cut down on your shopping trips. Buying everything once a week is far more economical than daily trips.
• Take a shopping list and stick to it! Never go shopping when you’re hungry to help avoid paying the price of impulse buys.
• Eat seasonal produce. Fruits and vegetables are at their best in season and are much better value.
• Go home. Opt for home brands so you don’t pay for pricy packaging. Reduced or bulk buys are also great value.
• Buy frozen produce. As it’s frozen soon after picking, vegetables and fruits maintain most of their vitamins (just don't overcook!).
• Buy local. Local farmers markets are a great way to snap up reasonably priced foods without paying for added-on transport costs.
• Buy on sale. Check the weekly catalogues that are dropped in your letterbox and seek out the best-priced foods in your neighbourhood. If something you eat regularly is on sale, stock up!

The price of lifestyle

It’s not just the food you buy that costs, your lifestyle can also have an impact on your food bill. Heed these suggestions and waste not, want not:

• Eat breakfast at home. This is far more economical than breakfasts bought near work and are likely to be much lower in calories, too. Cereal with low-fat milk takes seconds to prepare or grab some fruit and yoghurt as you’re walking out the door. If you really can’t face breakfast first thing in the morning, pack it the night before and eat it at work.
• Pack your own lunches and healthy snacks. If you've bought in bulk, making meals and snacks for when you're away from home saves you loads of dollars. Compare the cost of your cafe-bought sandwich with the cost of bringing a similar lunch from home. Do your sums and see just how different the costs are – you'll be aghast!
• Limit the caffeine carry outs. A large skinny cappuccino costs $3 or more, so one or two a day adds up to $700-$1400 a year! This is enough to treat yourself to a short beach holiday on the Gold Coast or even in Bali!
• Drink tap water instead of canned and sugary drinks. This way, you’ll keep your body hydrated and bloat only your bank account.
• Enjoy dinner at home. You'll know exactly what you're eating and it’s much more cost effective. Cook up some extra and freeze for another night.
• Waste not. A shocking report from the UK recently found that households dump just under a third of all the food they buy, equivalent to 15% of all food bills. If you’re an outrageous food waster, it’s time to stop. Careless food waste has another cost: much of it ends up in landfill sites contributing to greenhouse gas emissions and global warming. Worldwide, researchers are urging us all to plan ahead, buy just what we need and always store or freeze foods correctly to prevent them spoiling and ending up in the bin.
• Don’t call for takeaway. Takeaways cost your waistline and your wallet. Planning really helps here, so keep a store of easy-cook ingredients such as chicken, pork or tofu and whip up a fast stir-fry with seasonal fresh vegies or frozen varieties, flavoured with garlic, ginger, herbs, lime and soy sauce. It’ll be ready before your home delivery arrives and with just one pot to wash up, cleaning up is quick too! Cooked from scratch, a chicken and cashew nut stir-fry costs around $4 per serve compare to about $15 which you'd pay at a Thai takeaway – now there's a bargain!