With the rising costs of well, everything, South Africans have had to tighten their belts as much as they can, and the food budget is usually where we all start to try and cut costs. But even with buying fewer non-essential items, most of us are still feeling the pinch.
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So what are the best tried and tested shopping hacks to follow in order to save on your grocery shopping bill? Adrienne Bredeveldt has posed the question to fellow South Africans, and although most of the answers were not new ideas, it’s worth the reminder.
Here are some of the ways South Africans are saving on their grocery bills:
There was a consensus that shopping online saves money as you are more likely to buy only what you need and not be tempted to impulse shop. And also have some lunch, do not! I repeat, do not go into a store as a ravenous beast – we all know how that ends.
- ‘Always draw up a grocery list, If you shop without a list you’ll be bound to overspend. Also, look for bundle deals that work for your family.’
- ‘I buy specials when I can, and then buy bits and pieces from factory shops for most of the rest.’
- ‘month-end specials, I’ve managed to stockpile a helluva lot!’
- ‘Growing my own herbs and small variety of veg ~ usually something in the garden I can cook.’
- ‘Menu planning. Buy only what you need through apps and avoid going into the shops and impulse buying.’
- ‘Focus on seasonal plant-based meals. Use lentils instead of mince. Vegetables like aubergines and mushrooms have a great “meaty” texture in stews.’
- ‘Also work the system for all loyalty cards. It makes a difference.’
- ‘I download all the shop apps then if I am looking for something particular I first check which is the cheapest.’
- ‘I stock up when they have specials. For instance, I bought 6 tins of coffee on a really good special and now won’t have to buy for 4 months.’
- ‘Foodlovers on a Friday. They have the best specials ever.’
- ‘Pick n pay and Woolies have a section daily where they put out reduced foods. We buy our fruit and veg most days from this section. Nothing wrong with them just nearing the expiry date so need to be used within a few days of purchase. I think it’s between 3-4pm they put the specials out.’
- ‘Invested in a deep freezer and put on the slow cookers once a month and cook and freeze for the month. Put in fridge to defrost the night before.’
- ‘I go between stores to compare prices.’
- ‘If something runs out before the next grocery run, add it to the list but DO NOT GO AND PURCHASE THE SPECIFIC ITEM. I must stress this because if you do, you’ll more than like find yourself spending unnecessary money in a shop that you didn’t budget for.’
So there you have it, tried and tested hacks to save money on your next grocery bill, and one last hack: Don’t forget your shopping bags!
The original version of this article was published by Cape Town ETC.
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Feature Image: Unsplash
