Best Recipes for Budgets
Finding the best recipes for budgets can be hard, but it’s possible to save money on food while still eating delicious and healthy meals. Here are a few tips for cooking on a budget and top recipes to help you and your family save on your weekly shop.
Tips to make the best recipes for budgets
Plan your meals and shop accordingly
Planning your meals in advance can help you to save money by reducing food waste and avoiding impulse purchases. Make a grocery list based on the recipes you want to make for the week and stick to it when you shop.
If you hate planning and need inspiration, many Australian supermarkets have weekly specials on fresh meat and produce that can help you shop seasonally and save money.
2. Use perishable ingredients first
According to OzHarvest’s Food Facts, one of the most-wasted food products is bagged salads and spinach. This shouldn’t come as a surprise to most Australian households as bagged salads seem to go bad even days before their recommended use by dates.
To save money and ingredients, cook your recipes that use perishable ingredients like bagged salads first.
3. Buy in bulk
As you know, buying in bulk can save you money on pantry staples, such as rice, beans, and grains. Keep an eye out for sales and discounts on bigger-ticket items like large bags of rice at your local supermarket.
Always remember though, even if it is on discount at Coles and Woolworths, it could be cheaper at alternatives like ALDI, so remember to look it up quickly before investing.
4. Cook with less meat
Meat is an incredibly expensive ingredient, and has been heavily affected by rising grocery store costs. ABC Australia’s Rising Grocery Prices show that the cost of mince has nearly doubled in the past few years, and it’s only accelerating.
Finding vegetarian recipes, or recipes that don’t use the full 500 grams of a packet of mince can help you cut costs and reduce waste. There are many other protein sources that are less expensive, such as beans, lentils, and tofu. These ingredients can be used in a variety of recipes and are a great way to add protein to your meals while staying within your budget.
5. Use cheaper cuts of meat
Rather than buying expensive cuts of meat, try using cheaper cuts. For example, oyster blade steaks are a cheap, tasty cut of meat to pan-fry, and chuck is a great cut to slow-cook to get all the flavour out.
6. Shop around
Discount stores, such as Aldi, can be a great place to find affordable ingredients (if you can avoid the dreaded middle aisle).
These stores often have a more limited selection of products, but they’re almost always of equal or even better quality. They also make budgeting your weekly shop easier with additional information on product pricing.
