Sasha Farley is a busy mother of four from Sydney, and like most of us, she’s experienced the effects of the rising cost of living first-hand. She shares with us her foolproof budget hacks to help you save money while feeding your family healthy meals and snacks.
Get serious about implementing foolproof budget hacks
With a large family, Sasha has always focused on getting a great deal, but like most of us, she has to get serious about finding “creative” ways to save more money, and that starts with the weekly grocery store.
“I’ve always been good at budgeting, but now that we’re getting more expensive, I really need to add all the budget hacks and tips I’ve learned to save more.” Sasha says:
Here’s how you can save $50 a week. That’s $200 a month and $4,470 a year!!
Have a plan, it won’t take long.
First, you need to plan. Sascha loves to plan and is super committed to sticking to it. Her most cherished habit is opening her grocery store with a scan of what’s left in her pantry and refrigerator to see what she has on hand, and then she checks the supermarket catalog to see what’s on special. She then plans her family meals using The Healthy Mummy app and uses a handy shopping list she creates based on her weekly meal plan.
Commit to a plan and save time and $$!
With a plan and “commitment to the plan,” these simple hacks will help you save at least $50 a week (for a family of six).
- Check your pantry and fridge each week to see what you have so you don’t double up or waste food.
- Look through the catalog before visiting the stores to plan your meals and confirm what you need.
- Exchange product types and brands; go for good quality house brands, use frozen fruit and vegetables and buy in bulk to freeze.
- Eat less meat with 2 or 3 vegetarian options each week.
- Replace fresh herbs with dried herbs.
- Stock up on pantry staples when they’re special: rice, pasta, canned tomatoes.
- Avoid food waste by freezing overripe bananas and save your bread crust to turn into breadcrumbs.
- Meal plan inside Healthy mummy app.
- Do regular meal prep throughout the week to create double batches for the freezer, saving you $ but also time.
More useful tips to help you save the family budget
- Don’t shop when you’re hungry.
- Avoid grabbing the first brand; view all options.
- Check the price per 100 grams for the best value (as shown on price tags on the shelves of major supermarkets).
- Double recipes and use the same protein for multiple recipes.
- Shop at a supermarket you know.
- Shop online or Direct to Boot to avoid anything NOT on your list.
Check them out 5 no-cook chicken recipes which are good for the family budget.
What Sasha cooked to feed her family
Sascha chose chicken as a great value protein that was on Special and made several dishes that her family loved using ground chicken in different ways.
“I love getting my kids to try new things, but honestly, I tend to stick with what they like so I know they’re eating nutritious food and mealtimes aren’t difficult.”
Save money by avoiding food waste tips on how to properly store your fruits and vegetables.
Protein exchange! Switch out the beef for the chicken
Check out these delicious and healthy recipes that use chicken to save some money:
Easy Fried Rice – 6 servings
Get the recipe here.
Appetizers
Sasha applied all the hacks and tips she’s picked up over the years to whip up 42 nutritious meals and 64 healthy snacks for less than $200 spent on groceries. Healthy mummy app.