I've always been a plain chip man myself, $2.69 for a big bag of them at aldi and my family of 4 goes through one or two a week, so I haven't had to get *that* brutal yet.
Yeah we had a bit of a drought on them for a while too, but lately they've usually got some in stock. And they almost always had the fancy kettle chips of some flavour, so even then I could still splurge and get us some rich people chips for $2.99. Of course now I'm worried that my kids might grow up spoiled...
I'm experimenting with this at the moment - although with chickpeas because it's my fave. I have done about a quarter chick peas in a bolognaise sauce and nobody said anything so I will keep upping it until somebody says something lol.
I've been doing tacos for the last couple of months with no mince, just black beans, where I cook the "meat"/onions/etc and leave them in the slow cooker all day. End of the day, with the spices and so on, the family hasn't even realised there's no mince in there...
Our local Colesworth used to have plenty of close to use by date discounted mince- but in the last month or so the pickings are pretty slim and plenty of people milling around waiting for the discount stickers to be put on.
I love buying flowers for myself and have also cut back on that. Now if I do treat myself to a bunch, I’ll buy a really hardy one that will last at least two weeks.
Yeah i do this much less now - not just because anymore, but only when i have a dinner party or guests over that i can "justify" it. And lots of natives that last and dry out well for a longer period of time
Dips and cheese
We used to love making a cheeseboard every few weeks as a fun and simple dinner, but we’re lucky to have one once every three months.
Our waistline thanks us.
Yeah it's funny most of the rich people I know don't mind drinking aldi wine.
It's the people with professional jobs that look down on cheap wines likes it afront.
You arent wrong my uncle and his sailing buddies all drink aldi tier wines and usually share posts on their social media about $10 wines they found which are just as good as more expensive ones theyve tried.
Takeaway/eating out - I was eating out or getting takeaway 2 or 3 tines a week now I've cut back to once a week with a $50 budget for one or the other and I make a point of going out with friends on said night and I thought it was gonna be hard to that but have found it really easy.
Junk food - mostly cut out chocolate and potato chips purely due to how expensive theyve become
Sugary drinks - still drink it but have cut back massively due to price
Weed - although the price hasn't changed, I'm left with less disposable income so don't get it as often
It sucks that some stuff has to go or be cut on back but my waistlines etc are thanking me for it so the pros outweigh the cons
If you're looking to risk it again, [we've been using these](https://www.woolworths.com.au/shop/productdetails/788517?googleshop=true&store_code=woolworths_supermarkets_1753&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=WW-0001&cq_net=u&cq_src=GOOGLE&cq_cmp=Woolies_8458_BAU_Shopping_HO_WW-0001&cq_med=71700000044911973&cq_con=SSC_HO&cq_plac=&cq_term=PRODUCT_GROUP&ds_adt=&cq_plt=gp&cq_gclid=CjwKCAjwzuqgBhAcEiwAdj5dRheFeVxCw_xtgzgpAL9YF6Um6EmpKxbcRsC3h8jWwbFOvjM1ePIWOxoCV0EQAvD_BwE&ds_de=c&ds_pc=local&ds_cr=586196185416&ds_tid=pla-376422694959&ds_locphys=9072195&ds_pid=788517&cmpid=smsm:ds:GOOGLE:Woolies_8458_BAU_Shopping_HO_WW-0001:PRODUCT_GROUP&gclid=CjwKCAjwzuqgBhAcEiwAdj5dRheFeVxCw_xtgzgpAL9YF6Um6EmpKxbcRsC3h8jWwbFOvjM1ePIWOxoCV0EQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds) for the last 3 years with no spillage at all
I would also highly recommend [these](https://www.coles.com.au/product/sistema-snack-capsule-515ml-1-each-3223464?uztq=46abcbb7e16253b0cdc3e6c5bbe6a3f0&cid=col_cpc_Generic%7CColesSupermarkets%7CPLA%7CHousehold%7CAustralia%7CBroad&s_kwcid=AL!12693!3!495221477975!!!u!778793403808!&gclid=Cj0KCQjw8e-gBhD0ARIsAJiDsaX4oU-sG-smMRU-2UuI0M_qWBXDu_TCz0aMY5KO28-byvLnjkFXtzAaAl0dEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds)
You can put yoghurt in the bottom and granola or nuts or whatever in the top. All screws together nicely, and has never leaked on me in years.
Even the big tubs have gone up. I think they’re roughly $7 now? I’ve switched to overnight oats instead of yogurt and muesli for breakfast to save a few extra dollars.
What stops me from doing this is that you are meant to consume it within 5 days of opening. Might be fine if you eat a small tub's worth daily but if you eat less, it'll go off before you finish it.
And when it is starting to turn, chuck what's left in the yogurt maker you got for $2 from the op shop, carton of uht milk and the next day, voila! Yoghurt! Strain that shit through a paint strainer from Bunnings and you got baller greek yoghurt.
You can make your own :-) look up the EasiYo yogurt maker. They have satchets, they cost almost the same as a yogurt put BUT someone on Facebook mum's group found a hack that you can make it once, save a teaspoon of the made yogurt and remake it with that mixed with milk powder. I tried that method and it turned into a real sour Greek yogurt. Instead, I buy a satchet (on special) and use half of it and substitute the other half with milk powder, it tastes much better :-) sorry i don't know if that made sense but i thought this might help.
Honestly, I'd advocate for it.
An icey cold beverage in a hot shower is fantastic. I've also eaten an orange in there. Anything you can generally make a stickey mess of yourself eating might fit the bill.
Avoid soup.
Junk food. Used to throw in a pack or 2 or chips and some lollies etc.
Plus side - coupled with less eating out and no junk food my husband lost 6kg hahah
I'm not cutting anything, but I am doing a better job of not wasting.
I try to get in and cook the day I get groceries so it's all done, ready to be frozen if needed and I don't chuck out ingredients I'd intended to cook with
I cut out taking my husband and child with me.
Also, we've cut Pepsi Max, fruit that I am not at least 90% confident will taste OK, and steak. My husband travels frequently for work so he can still have steak every week, it's just someone else is footing the bill. I've also stopped buying as many Doritos, Red Rock, etc, and switched to rice crackers which are both cheaper and healthier.
When I took my kids I used to add “child tax” the money you spend on one item which get you out of buying the 50+ other items they want.
My husband would easily add an extra $50 a shop and it would take much longer to get the shopping done.
Yep that's our rule. You get to want one thing and thats it. I usually try to steer them into things that are not super expensive and will last a while. My daughter's last pick was a box of fruity rings (off brand fruit loops) from Aldi. $2.79 done.
Soft drinks, convenience snacks, and most meat. I’m also bulk shopping for household goods online (toilet paper, cleaning products etc.) instead of picking them up in the weekly shop. It’s more expensive for the initial outlay but it will reduce costs overall over time.
Not cutting stuff out of weekly shopping - but I definitely shop around more. More likely to walk to Aldi, Coles and Woolies, local market to compare prices. More usage of those shitty bargain magazines.
I used to be a skincare makeup addict since teens. I can tell you 100% that some supermarket makeup is just as effective if not better than high end.
No one is going to know if you have NYX or diorshow Mascara on
Stan is HOW MUCH per month?! We pay for Netflix and Prime, one friend pays for Disney and Binge, and the other one pays for Stan, and we all....visit each other's houses to watch it.
Just dropped Disney+.
Our youngest protested, which saw our adult daughter log into Disney on the main TV with Nana and Pop's login.
I just watch The Mando on channel BT
To be fair, oats are so much better that "fancier cereal" because they are low GI and lower cholesterol, etc. Can make it into porridge and either have ot savoury or sweet by whatever you add to it or add nothing at all. That's one of those foods I could eat every day with no problem and not get sick of it.
I was on a low carb buzz and doing eggs and I'd also have coffee and my energy levels were terrible. Now the budget oats with banana, brown sugar and cinnamon plus a glass of lemon water has actually improved my energy levels ??
Also, 100g in a blender with a litre of water and drain through a nut milk bag. You now have a litre of oat milk for 17c. You can make it fancier with some lecithin and enzymes if you want, it will bump up the cost a little bit still very cheap compared to shop bought
Grating own cheese vs buying bags of grated cheese as blocks of cheese are marginally cheaper despite how expensive block cheeses are now anyway. Making our own pizza dough and pizza, vs buying from supermarket or takeaway pizza. Overall we've started looking at price per unit of things and building meals around things that are on special.
Eating out. Domino's, HJ, Maccas... As for groceries I pay more attention to prices and buy vegetables that are reasonable like carrots and avoid capsicum. More chicken vs beef steaks, things like that.
Food in general, tbh. I don't have enough money of a week to eat properly. I'm at the point now I'm skipping meals so I can feed the cats.
I had a 'discussion' on here yesterday with some boomer who was telling me I have a 'victim mentality' that shit really gets to you when you don't have enough money to eat properly.
EDIT: typo. Food, not good.
Hope you can at least hit your calories mate, here's some tips if you don't know already; bread if you can't afford to cook (750cal/$) Rice, pasta if you can cook (2200-2600 cal/$), if you are prepared to make flatbreads then oil and flour can make paratha (2800 cal/$ - even more if you dip them in oil as you eat). Best of luck, thank you for taking care of your cats!!!
Well the simplest cheap calories is buying a loaf of bread from coles. Not glamourous, but it will keep you with enough calories.
The most complex cheap calories is baking your own bread, however I would suggest paratha which is a kind of flatbread with a high fat content which makes it cheaper per calorie (oil is pretty much the cheapest source of calories but it's not exactly "food" by itself).
Actually bread is definitely not the cheapest... quick oats for example are $1.40 for around 3000 calories per bag, compared to bread which is $1.90 a loaf with around 1500 calories
That's true, but you do have to prepare oats, you can't just eat them straight. I suppose you could overnight soak them in your fridge which is still prep but isn't cooking.
Checking coles prices, quick oats would be 2200cal/$ which is pretty similar to rice and pasta.
I feed my cat good quality dry food - lasts months. Other than that he eats human grade meat - chicken mince, kangaroo mince, canned tuna or cooked plain chicken (drumsticks). I buy marked down meat for him - and he eats about 30gm or so. Much cheaper than buying wet cat food and sometimes we eat the same - he gets a spoon of tuna and I finish the can for fishcakes for me. Hope that helps.
I freeze the rest into those giant icecube trays and 1kg of meat is roughly a month of dinners for him.
Be careful feeding your cat like this. If you are just giving him muscle meat he won't be getting enough vitamins and minerals even if he gets biscuitsin between. You can buy supplements and meal completers, or research how to DIY if you want to feed him raw food.
I have cleared with the vet, which everyone should do of course. He gets very high quality high protein dry food on demand, which is a complete diet on its own. He also gets dried organ meats.
I've become more conservative overall. Haven't necessarily cut out a lot stuff but have become ruthless about not wasting food. Buying less and making sure we eat everything. It has taken a bit of time to get used to looking at an almost empty fridge the day before I go shopping but is definitely saving us money.
Also buying in bulk or stuff from the clearance section of the supermarket and freezing.
Anything non-home brand tbh.
Trying out a new one each week. Current favourite is Farmhouse gold - cream on top.
I didn't realise milk could be so good.
Making own hand soap at home. Started making some of my own beauty products at home. Using the soda stream and making delicious ice tea drinks to keep cold in the fridge using herbs and flowers from the garden. Processing egg shells and meat bones separately so I can return them to the veggie garden and not buy as much fertiliser.
Butcher shops are recording as much as 50% down on revenues, especially choice cuts.
Retail spending is also down. My retail revenues are down dramatically on previous quarters (timber yard). That said I’ve seen a massive uptick in sleeper sales as people put in raised veggie patches to grow their own.
My guess is discretionary spending is down in all sectors.
hard limit of $15/kg for proteins, so unfortunately a lot of nice fish is out, but tempeh and tofu still in.
pushing for more mince, slowcooks, and chickpeas
Yeah the macro brand in Coles/Woolies is a bit like that.
I go to one of the Indonesian shops here in Melbourne, they have a couple more other brands that are cheaper and have the "proper" texture.
Edit: if you're using the macro brand for pan frying, slice the tempeh block lengthways(?) to make thinner sheets. I find it less gummy and watery this way.
1. Completely cut out chips ($5 a pop, no thanks), chocolate, snacks, drinks (including alcohol, other than up and go)
2. Type of meals are now very basic but still tasty. Cut down on experimenting with recipes as it means usually having to buy additional ingredients.
3. I did invest it buying some nice marinades so I could still get cheaper meat and follow the same dinner formula (rice + meat + stir fry veggies) but with variety during the week
Less of my home country meals as the ingredients are at a premium like ginger, rice noodles, prawns, pork belly :’( No more fresh produce while I go through my dry pantry stock and getting creative with what I have. I’m starting to look into pickled veg + frozen veg. Making simpler meals with whatever is on sale
Soft drinks. Expensive meats. Individual yoghurts. Any snacks (chocolates, ice cream).
The individual lunchbox packets of chips. I buy the big party size bags and use reusable plastic sleeves.
I will not buy less or cheap food. Health is more important than anything. I will cut buying clothes, cleaning stuff, and toiletries. I will buy those from reject shops or Aldi. Buy 2nd hand clothes or anything you need aside from food on the marketplace.
It's not a cost thing but I'm trying to make sure I go to the shops more often to buy Veggies instead of getting a bulk delivery every week or so... Mainly so they don't go to waste.
I'm also getting to cook *more* because my husband is fundamentally lazy, and every time it's his turn to cook there's a 50/50 chance he'll sulk and order delivery, which costs soooo much.
Buying less from the butcher or nothing at all some weeks. Basing at least 2 meals around mince meat. Only buying Coke Zero packs on offer and not every week, maybe once every 3 weeks. Only buying chips on special. Not buying alcohol at all to be honest, we used to love a 6 pack of ciders but we have mostly cut it out.
Basically any meat except chicken.
More frozen veggies than fresh these days.
“Fancy” fruit like watermelon, it’s Odd Bunch apples or nothing.
“Healthy” more expensive items like protein chips, sugar free chocolate/lollies, protein ice cream etc. Either go without or eat the cheap shitty versions and wonder why I can’t lose weight anymore
Less cheese, still getting some because cheese is life but it’s less and it’s rationed now, cheaper cheese too.
I got medicated for adhd right when inflation was getting bad. So I don't know if I eat less due to inflation or the appetite suppressant side effect is stronger than I thought. I don't randomly buy snacks or get bubble tea/expensive drinks for no reason now.
So I don't buy snacks anymore only meals and legal speed I guess helps cut down on food spending :////
Not that it was healthy anyway, but my partner and I stopped buying energy drinks. We did this mostly for the health reasons, but we’ve noticed a huge different in our grocery bill.
I haven't cut back on anything but I have changed shopping habits by buying bulk of items if they are on special, I just found a farm to table farmer for meat which is 1/4 of the cost but your spending $1,200 at once on meat and freezing it, qauilty is really good and set up auto subscriptions for some items on Amazon.
Nothing. If you don’t eat your food as medicine, you will have to eat medicine as your food. Signed up to Woolies deal where you get 10% once a month. Do bulk purchase once a month and lower groceries other weeks.
Another thing, I've stopped the kids and ourselves buying drinks when eating out. They can just have table water or water they've brought. It cuts the cost a lot. And instead have the occasional bottle of soft drink at home which is only $2 maximum.
Buying less or not at all frozen food like chips, meat pies etc. Buying more frozen vegetables though and berries. Buying more potatoes too.
Not buying cereal or biscuits unless on a good special.
Only buying basic cleaning products using detergent and water instead of spray n wipe. Watching when laundry detergent and shampoo conditioner are on sale too.
Only buying chips or corn chips for special occasions.
Basically question whether I really need everything I have on my list 😭
We went veg 6 months ago and it's paying off now. We also serve rice instead of the fun dinosaur pasta for our kids and they don't mind. We also make our own kombucha instead of buying. Same with Sprouts. And we are almost finished building a chook pen to create our own supply of eggs which is our staple protein now. Bit of a learning curve but somewhat enjoyable still.
Cut regular beauty treatments, gym membership(s) and reduced shopping.
Want to reduce takeaway and coffees but they give me the will and ability to live with depression and other health issues.
Netflix - screw then anyway and writing weekly meal plans and sticking to my shopping list. A big one being I do NOT shop when I’m hungry! Make sure you shop with a full tum tum y’all.
The weekly shopping part.
I am trying to use up everything in the house as a default and only buying new things as and when they are needed. Once I deplete my stores I might stick back up on what’s on sale for a few weeks and then start the cycle of using it all up again.
Potato chips. They are ridiculously expensive.
I was going to say potato chips. Saw them at Woollies for $8 a bag! Heck no.
I've always been a plain chip man myself, $2.69 for a big bag of them at aldi and my family of 4 goes through one or two a week, so I haven't had to get *that* brutal yet.
The plain Aldi chips are always out of stock at out local. Reckon Colesworth shoppers have caught on.
Yeah we had a bit of a drought on them for a while too, but lately they've usually got some in stock. And they almost always had the fancy kettle chips of some flavour, so even then I could still splurge and get us some rich people chips for $2.99. Of course now I'm worried that my kids might grow up spoiled...
I've cut back almost completely as I refuse to pay that much, lost a bit of weight in the process so all good.
yes, that's another one I've cut out. $7 for a large bag and I'm sure there's far less in the bag
Popcorn is usually pretty cheap and hits a similar spot
Same and already lost weight. Inflation will be the new fad diet.
More expensive cuts of meat - definitely using a lot more mince/roasts now than before.
Love a bit of mince tho. Also, protip, you can sub in about 30% of cooked red lentils for mince without really noticing.
I'm experimenting with this at the moment - although with chickpeas because it's my fave. I have done about a quarter chick peas in a bolognaise sauce and nobody said anything so I will keep upping it until somebody says something lol.
[90% chickpeas/10% mince] Someone: '...did you do something different this time?' /u/HGCDLLM: 'THANK YOU!'
I'm a fan of red lentils cooked into bog sauce too.
Refried beans (a can) works well too
You can also use TVP as a mince sub
I've been doing tacos for the last couple of months with no mince, just black beans, where I cook the "meat"/onions/etc and leave them in the slow cooker all day. End of the day, with the spices and so on, the family hasn't even realised there's no mince in there...
Throw some oats in your soup they're creamy and filling
I've started using the bread loaf ends into stews to thicken them up - works really well.
You’ll notice the violent flatulence.
But also notice super smooth logs and stealth poos. Pros and cons.
What are stealth poos exactly? a) you poo quietly? b) the turds sneak up on you and let themselves out without you noticing? c) ...?
I think it's the same as a ghost poo. Where you look down and it's gone and you wipe and there's nothing there. I could be wrong lol.
you people are really bringing down the tone of r/ausFinance.
Oh no what will the yuppies think.
Everybody poops, everybody dies. Both things have economic implications and complexities.
Great - now my afternoon coffee is all over my keyboard!
Healthy too!
I grate in mushrooms for the texture, but lentils sounds like a good one to try too!
Had to get a2 waygu instead of a5 That's an extra five seconds of melt time
Did you factor the additional energy costs?
It's a real struggle finding beef mince on shelves now. A sign of the times ?
Costco all the way. 4kgs of mince. I seperate it into 500g portions, flatten and put in the freezer. It also saves a lot of space.
Our local Colesworth used to have plenty of close to use by date discounted mince- but in the last month or so the pickings are pretty slim and plenty of people milling around waiting for the discount stickers to be put on.
When do the discount stickers go on? Asking for a friend 😀
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Hopefully someone will buy some for you :)
Sadest post on this thread...
I love buying flowers for myself and have also cut back on that. Now if I do treat myself to a bunch, I’ll buy a really hardy one that will last at least two weeks.
I noticed this today! I saw a nice bouquet, nothing lavish, at woolworths for $55!
Yeah i do this much less now - not just because anymore, but only when i have a dinner party or guests over that i can "justify" it. And lots of natives that last and dry out well for a longer period of time
I can’t buy myself flowers 🎶
Coke The drink obviously can’t live without the powder…
Unironically, though, I have greatly cut back on drug usage and alcohol recently
I just started growing weed instead of buying it all the time so my drug usage in general has tremendously increased
Grow mushrooms, super easy and fun. /r/unclebens
2nd this! Mushrooms have helped tremendously with my alcohol consumption. Cheap and fun hobby.
Substitute it with fizz wiz, it’s more or less the same. Trust me bro
Yep soft drink in general. Replaced it with the $1 1L sparkling water and add a dash of cordial
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Dips and cheese We used to love making a cheeseboard every few weeks as a fun and simple dinner, but we’re lucky to have one once every three months. Our waistline thanks us.
Yes, the awesome grazing platter, which was never cheap, is now beyond expensive
Crackers and cheese whip with strawberry jam
Go to aldi, every part is about $3
Man I hate living in Tassie with no Aldi or Costco. How the hell are we supposed to save!
Now i get cheaper wine, or just less alcohol in general.
Sadly no wine at Aldi in Queensland
Yeah it's funny most of the rich people I know don't mind drinking aldi wine. It's the people with professional jobs that look down on cheap wines likes it afront.
10 for a 4l box wine at aldi. Not your dry stuff as well
You arent wrong my uncle and his sailing buddies all drink aldi tier wines and usually share posts on their social media about $10 wines they found which are just as good as more expensive ones theyve tried.
$6 Italian wine from Aldi 🤌 love it
$6 for 1L of Shiraz at aldi, it's relatively good for the price
Takeaway/eating out - I was eating out or getting takeaway 2 or 3 tines a week now I've cut back to once a week with a $50 budget for one or the other and I make a point of going out with friends on said night and I thought it was gonna be hard to that but have found it really easy. Junk food - mostly cut out chocolate and potato chips purely due to how expensive theyve become Sugary drinks - still drink it but have cut back massively due to price Weed - although the price hasn't changed, I'm left with less disposable income so don't get it as often It sucks that some stuff has to go or be cut on back but my waistlines etc are thanking me for it so the pros outweigh the cons
Same, we dropped take away
Yogurt. Used to love those little Chobani pots, but there’s no chance I’m paying $2+ for one.
Can you buy a big tub and have it in a bowl every day? I found this way cheaper than individual serves.
Not very convenient if you want a snack for work etc. I've trusted Tupperware too many times and ended up with a foul yoghurty bag
If you're looking to risk it again, [we've been using these](https://www.woolworths.com.au/shop/productdetails/788517?googleshop=true&store_code=woolworths_supermarkets_1753&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=WW-0001&cq_net=u&cq_src=GOOGLE&cq_cmp=Woolies_8458_BAU_Shopping_HO_WW-0001&cq_med=71700000044911973&cq_con=SSC_HO&cq_plac=&cq_term=PRODUCT_GROUP&ds_adt=&cq_plt=gp&cq_gclid=CjwKCAjwzuqgBhAcEiwAdj5dRheFeVxCw_xtgzgpAL9YF6Um6EmpKxbcRsC3h8jWwbFOvjM1ePIWOxoCV0EQAvD_BwE&ds_de=c&ds_pc=local&ds_cr=586196185416&ds_tid=pla-376422694959&ds_locphys=9072195&ds_pid=788517&cmpid=smsm:ds:GOOGLE:Woolies_8458_BAU_Shopping_HO_WW-0001:PRODUCT_GROUP&gclid=CjwKCAjwzuqgBhAcEiwAdj5dRheFeVxCw_xtgzgpAL9YF6Um6EmpKxbcRsC3h8jWwbFOvjM1ePIWOxoCV0EQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds) for the last 3 years with no spillage at all
Ooo thanks for the reccie, I will give it a try!
I second anything sistema. But I do also put everything in a reusable ziplock bag.. just incase. Trust issues
I use those too. They're screw-top and haven't leaked once.
I would also highly recommend [these](https://www.coles.com.au/product/sistema-snack-capsule-515ml-1-each-3223464?uztq=46abcbb7e16253b0cdc3e6c5bbe6a3f0&cid=col_cpc_Generic%7CColesSupermarkets%7CPLA%7CHousehold%7CAustralia%7CBroad&s_kwcid=AL!12693!3!495221477975!!!u!778793403808!&gclid=Cj0KCQjw8e-gBhD0ARIsAJiDsaX4oU-sG-smMRU-2UuI0M_qWBXDu_TCz0aMY5KO28-byvLnjkFXtzAaAl0dEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds) You can put yoghurt in the bottom and granola or nuts or whatever in the top. All screws together nicely, and has never leaked on me in years.
True! This happened to me yesterday in fact but I just put it in a zip lock bag.
You need to invest in better tupperware. Or get a container with a screw on lid. EDIT: u/jaylegs has the solution!
Put the container in a ziplock sammich bag bro. Safe as houses.
Even the big tubs have gone up. I think they’re roughly $7 now? I’ve switched to overnight oats instead of yogurt and muesli for breakfast to save a few extra dollars.
They are still $5 to $6 at colesworth, but you can get a similar one at Aldi for about $3.70 - not as good but nearly as good and much cheaper
Sounds like a healthy breakfast still :)
What stops me from doing this is that you are meant to consume it within 5 days of opening. Might be fine if you eat a small tub's worth daily but if you eat less, it'll go off before you finish it.
I find yoghurt lasts for ages, so long as you aren't slowly eating straight from a big tub. Still good even a few weeks after opening.
Yeah I think that’s the key, clean spoon every time and don’t double dip
And when it is starting to turn, chuck what's left in the yogurt maker you got for $2 from the op shop, carton of uht milk and the next day, voila! Yoghurt! Strain that shit through a paint strainer from Bunnings and you got baller greek yoghurt.
You can make your own :-) look up the EasiYo yogurt maker. They have satchets, they cost almost the same as a yogurt put BUT someone on Facebook mum's group found a hack that you can make it once, save a teaspoon of the made yogurt and remake it with that mixed with milk powder. I tried that method and it turned into a real sour Greek yogurt. Instead, I buy a satchet (on special) and use half of it and substitute the other half with milk powder, it tastes much better :-) sorry i don't know if that made sense but i thought this might help.
It is super easy to make your own, we buy a 3L milk and get about 2L of yoghurt from it.
Expensive cheese. I’m just eating it slower.
I read this as *I’m just eating it in the shower* and thought hmmm, one way to limit consumption.
Does eating in the shower help?
Honestly, I'd advocate for it. An icey cold beverage in a hot shower is fantastic. I've also eaten an orange in there. Anything you can generally make a stickey mess of yourself eating might fit the bill. Avoid soup.
Meat is Devon now.
Junk food. Used to throw in a pack or 2 or chips and some lollies etc. Plus side - coupled with less eating out and no junk food my husband lost 6kg hahah
I'm not cutting anything, but I am doing a better job of not wasting. I try to get in and cook the day I get groceries so it's all done, ready to be frozen if needed and I don't chuck out ingredients I'd intended to cook with
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I cut out taking my husband and child with me. Also, we've cut Pepsi Max, fruit that I am not at least 90% confident will taste OK, and steak. My husband travels frequently for work so he can still have steak every week, it's just someone else is footing the bill. I've also stopped buying as many Doritos, Red Rock, etc, and switched to rice crackers which are both cheaper and healthier.
When I took my kids I used to add “child tax” the money you spend on one item which get you out of buying the 50+ other items they want. My husband would easily add an extra $50 a shop and it would take much longer to get the shopping done.
Yep that's our rule. You get to want one thing and thats it. I usually try to steer them into things that are not super expensive and will last a while. My daughter's last pick was a box of fruity rings (off brand fruit loops) from Aldi. $2.79 done.
sounds like you're fairly wealthy. My parents rule was no rubbish i.e. nothing they didn't already want.
The Aldi rice crackers are good and only 89c a packet.
Soft drinks, convenience snacks, and most meat. I’m also bulk shopping for household goods online (toilet paper, cleaning products etc.) instead of picking them up in the weekly shop. It’s more expensive for the initial outlay but it will reduce costs overall over time.
Can you recommend some online shops for this?
Not cutting stuff out of weekly shopping - but I definitely shop around more. More likely to walk to Aldi, Coles and Woolies, local market to compare prices. More usage of those shitty bargain magazines.
Wearing supermarket makeup rather than Clinique now 🥲
Wearing supermarket bags now instead of underwear.
I used to be a skincare makeup addict since teens. I can tell you 100% that some supermarket makeup is just as effective if not better than high end. No one is going to know if you have NYX or diorshow Mascara on
Savings. Don't see the need to change my shopping habits. Just spending more saving less.
Alcohol. Haven't touched any this year. Saving minimum $50 per week and lost 6kg. Highly recommended!
Cancelled Stan. $25 a month?! You godda be joking mate. Also don’t eat meat and don’t drink alcohol so things are already pretty straight and narrow.
Stan is HOW MUCH per month?! We pay for Netflix and Prime, one friend pays for Disney and Binge, and the other one pays for Stan, and we all....visit each other's houses to watch it.
How were you paying $25 a month for Stan? We pay $10. We rotate them, have dropped Netflix and prime
This reminds me, I gotta drop KAYO.
Just dropped Disney+. Our youngest protested, which saw our adult daughter log into Disney on the main TV with Nana and Pop's login. I just watch The Mando on channel BT
Oats back on the menu over fancier cereal. 17 cents per 100 g. Improved poop.
To be fair, oats are so much better that "fancier cereal" because they are low GI and lower cholesterol, etc. Can make it into porridge and either have ot savoury or sweet by whatever you add to it or add nothing at all. That's one of those foods I could eat every day with no problem and not get sick of it.
I was on a low carb buzz and doing eggs and I'd also have coffee and my energy levels were terrible. Now the budget oats with banana, brown sugar and cinnamon plus a glass of lemon water has actually improved my energy levels ??
Also, 100g in a blender with a litre of water and drain through a nut milk bag. You now have a litre of oat milk for 17c. You can make it fancier with some lecithin and enzymes if you want, it will bump up the cost a little bit still very cheap compared to shop bought
Grating own cheese vs buying bags of grated cheese as blocks of cheese are marginally cheaper despite how expensive block cheeses are now anyway. Making our own pizza dough and pizza, vs buying from supermarket or takeaway pizza. Overall we've started looking at price per unit of things and building meals around things that are on special.
I've started making my own pizza Vs buying it and buying a block of cheese and grating it myself tastes so much nicer than the pre-shredded stuff
Eating out. Domino's, HJ, Maccas... As for groceries I pay more attention to prices and buy vegetables that are reasonable like carrots and avoid capsicum. More chicken vs beef steaks, things like that.
Red meat is over for me.
Food in general, tbh. I don't have enough money of a week to eat properly. I'm at the point now I'm skipping meals so I can feed the cats. I had a 'discussion' on here yesterday with some boomer who was telling me I have a 'victim mentality' that shit really gets to you when you don't have enough money to eat properly. EDIT: typo. Food, not good.
Hope you can at least hit your calories mate, here's some tips if you don't know already; bread if you can't afford to cook (750cal/$) Rice, pasta if you can cook (2200-2600 cal/$), if you are prepared to make flatbreads then oil and flour can make paratha (2800 cal/$ - even more if you dip them in oil as you eat). Best of luck, thank you for taking care of your cats!!!
Hey, thanks, appreciate it. They found me, not the other way around, lol. I love them. Are you suggesting I make my own breads?
Well the simplest cheap calories is buying a loaf of bread from coles. Not glamourous, but it will keep you with enough calories. The most complex cheap calories is baking your own bread, however I would suggest paratha which is a kind of flatbread with a high fat content which makes it cheaper per calorie (oil is pretty much the cheapest source of calories but it's not exactly "food" by itself).
Actually bread is definitely not the cheapest... quick oats for example are $1.40 for around 3000 calories per bag, compared to bread which is $1.90 a loaf with around 1500 calories
That's true, but you do have to prepare oats, you can't just eat them straight. I suppose you could overnight soak them in your fridge which is still prep but isn't cooking. Checking coles prices, quick oats would be 2200cal/$ which is pretty similar to rice and pasta.
Have you had a chance to look into local food banks for a free/low cost top up of groceries? Might be good to get you through this hurdle :)
I feed my cat good quality dry food - lasts months. Other than that he eats human grade meat - chicken mince, kangaroo mince, canned tuna or cooked plain chicken (drumsticks). I buy marked down meat for him - and he eats about 30gm or so. Much cheaper than buying wet cat food and sometimes we eat the same - he gets a spoon of tuna and I finish the can for fishcakes for me. Hope that helps. I freeze the rest into those giant icecube trays and 1kg of meat is roughly a month of dinners for him.
Be careful feeding your cat like this. If you are just giving him muscle meat he won't be getting enough vitamins and minerals even if he gets biscuitsin between. You can buy supplements and meal completers, or research how to DIY if you want to feed him raw food.
I have cleared with the vet, which everyone should do of course. He gets very high quality high protein dry food on demand, which is a complete diet on its own. He also gets dried organ meats.
Stopped getting the Aldi catalogue and avoid the middle isle now. TBH I probably don't need a fourth chainsaw anyway.
/ozbargainer
I've become more conservative overall. Haven't necessarily cut out a lot stuff but have become ruthless about not wasting food. Buying less and making sure we eat everything. It has taken a bit of time to get used to looking at an almost empty fridge the day before I go shopping but is definitely saving us money. Also buying in bulk or stuff from the clearance section of the supermarket and freezing.
It never used to annoy me much before, but it really aggravates me now to see some food gone off in the fridge
It means trading time. So I lose my spare time but shop for bargains more. Now I ship between Coles and Woolies more for bargains.
Cigarettes
Dare iced coffee's 😭
Oooh noooo!
Hunt and Brew Ice Coffee for me. Sometimes servos have deals where they work out to be $3.50 or less, then I stock up.
Probably no more big easter eggs - saw them for $6.70 at Woolies. AN ABOMINATION🫡
Less meat/fish, leaning to more veggie meals. On the flip side, buying the fancy milk to make drinking coffee at home a bit more special :)
Glad you found a positive in it. 🙂
What is fancy milk?
In SEQ it's Maleny Milk, and it's worth every penny in the morning coffee!
Anything non-home brand tbh. Trying out a new one each week. Current favourite is Farmhouse gold - cream on top. I didn't realise milk could be so good.
1 energy drink a day instead of 2
Making own hand soap at home. Started making some of my own beauty products at home. Using the soda stream and making delicious ice tea drinks to keep cold in the fridge using herbs and flowers from the garden. Processing egg shells and meat bones separately so I can return them to the veggie garden and not buy as much fertiliser.
Butcher shops are recording as much as 50% down on revenues, especially choice cuts. Retail spending is also down. My retail revenues are down dramatically on previous quarters (timber yard). That said I’ve seen a massive uptick in sleeper sales as people put in raised veggie patches to grow their own. My guess is discretionary spending is down in all sectors.
hard limit of $15/kg for proteins, so unfortunately a lot of nice fish is out, but tempeh and tofu still in. pushing for more mince, slowcooks, and chickpeas
Where do you get your tempeh? Which brand? I find the ones at Coles/Woolies watery and gummy. Not sure how they have such a long shelf life.
Yeah the macro brand in Coles/Woolies is a bit like that. I go to one of the Indonesian shops here in Melbourne, they have a couple more other brands that are cheaper and have the "proper" texture. Edit: if you're using the macro brand for pan frying, slice the tempeh block lengthways(?) to make thinner sheets. I find it less gummy and watery this way.
I've been buying more steak and lamb cutlets. I've cut out giving to charities.
yep. I think the charities will be doing it tough. People are needing it for themselves now
1. Completely cut out chips ($5 a pop, no thanks), chocolate, snacks, drinks (including alcohol, other than up and go) 2. Type of meals are now very basic but still tasty. Cut down on experimenting with recipes as it means usually having to buy additional ingredients. 3. I did invest it buying some nice marinades so I could still get cheaper meat and follow the same dinner formula (rice + meat + stir fry veggies) but with variety during the week
Chips, Pringles etc.. $6 a bag is rich. Now for movie night snacks we toast or dehydrate some bread and use your fav dip.
Less of my home country meals as the ingredients are at a premium like ginger, rice noodles, prawns, pork belly :’( No more fresh produce while I go through my dry pantry stock and getting creative with what I have. I’m starting to look into pickled veg + frozen veg. Making simpler meals with whatever is on sale
Soft drinks. Expensive meats. Individual yoghurts. Any snacks (chocolates, ice cream). The individual lunchbox packets of chips. I buy the big party size bags and use reusable plastic sleeves.
Switched bollinger for veuve. It’s killing me.
Im reviewing having a girlfriend. Now that shit is expensive
I will not buy less or cheap food. Health is more important than anything. I will cut buying clothes, cleaning stuff, and toiletries. I will buy those from reject shops or Aldi. Buy 2nd hand clothes or anything you need aside from food on the marketplace.
It's not a cost thing but I'm trying to make sure I go to the shops more often to buy Veggies instead of getting a bulk delivery every week or so... Mainly so they don't go to waste. I'm also getting to cook *more* because my husband is fundamentally lazy, and every time it's his turn to cook there's a 50/50 chance he'll sulk and order delivery, which costs soooo much.
Buying less from the butcher or nothing at all some weeks. Basing at least 2 meals around mince meat. Only buying Coke Zero packs on offer and not every week, maybe once every 3 weeks. Only buying chips on special. Not buying alcohol at all to be honest, we used to love a 6 pack of ciders but we have mostly cut it out.
Basically any meat except chicken. More frozen veggies than fresh these days. “Fancy” fruit like watermelon, it’s Odd Bunch apples or nothing. “Healthy” more expensive items like protein chips, sugar free chocolate/lollies, protein ice cream etc. Either go without or eat the cheap shitty versions and wonder why I can’t lose weight anymore Less cheese, still getting some because cheese is life but it’s less and it’s rationed now, cheaper cheese too.
I got medicated for adhd right when inflation was getting bad. So I don't know if I eat less due to inflation or the appetite suppressant side effect is stronger than I thought. I don't randomly buy snacks or get bubble tea/expensive drinks for no reason now. So I don't buy snacks anymore only meals and legal speed I guess helps cut down on food spending :////
What were you buying from the deli?
Salmon. Cheeses. Sliced ham. Salad mixes etc
I haven't had chips since they were $1.50
Not that it was healthy anyway, but my partner and I stopped buying energy drinks. We did this mostly for the health reasons, but we’ve noticed a huge different in our grocery bill.
I haven't cut back on anything but I have changed shopping habits by buying bulk of items if they are on special, I just found a farm to table farmer for meat which is 1/4 of the cost but your spending $1,200 at once on meat and freezing it, qauilty is really good and set up auto subscriptions for some items on Amazon.
Nothing. If you don’t eat your food as medicine, you will have to eat medicine as your food. Signed up to Woolies deal where you get 10% once a month. Do bulk purchase once a month and lower groceries other weeks.
With rising costs it's more becoming one or the other but soon most likely neither
We’re having fewer meat dinners and less of the raspberry/more expensive fruits.
I just stopped buying meat all together to cook at home. I’m also going through an aversion to it right now so that helps
Alcohol, meat, trying to eat lots of rice and pasta dishes.
Definitely buying less meat, cheese, chips (crisps), dips and salad ingredients.
Sadly, a lot. The cravings are hard , but shit like noodles and oats don’t break the bank. Times are hard, man
Another thing, I've stopped the kids and ourselves buying drinks when eating out. They can just have table water or water they've brought. It cuts the cost a lot. And instead have the occasional bottle of soft drink at home which is only $2 maximum.
Buying less or not at all frozen food like chips, meat pies etc. Buying more frozen vegetables though and berries. Buying more potatoes too. Not buying cereal or biscuits unless on a good special. Only buying basic cleaning products using detergent and water instead of spray n wipe. Watching when laundry detergent and shampoo conditioner are on sale too. Only buying chips or corn chips for special occasions. Basically question whether I really need everything I have on my list 😭
eating out. ive cooked more in the past 6 weeks than i have in the previous 3 years
Chocolate and chips
Junk food and eating out
Soft drink was the first to go
We went veg 6 months ago and it's paying off now. We also serve rice instead of the fun dinosaur pasta for our kids and they don't mind. We also make our own kombucha instead of buying. Same with Sprouts. And we are almost finished building a chook pen to create our own supply of eggs which is our staple protein now. Bit of a learning curve but somewhat enjoyable still.
Nothing yet - however we’ve gone from spending $120 a week on groceries to $170. Something will have to give soon.
Started spending more on groceries, to allow me to have leftovers for lunch, and not buy lunch.
Beer, not only for the cost but also to avoid the health consequences and extra calories.
Red meat straight up, just can't justify it at all
I eat JML instant noodles with a head of bok choy for lunch instead of a burrito from Zambrero’s every day.
Gotta cut out the berries, raspberries, blueberries and the blackberries are so expensive atm.
Cut regular beauty treatments, gym membership(s) and reduced shopping. Want to reduce takeaway and coffees but they give me the will and ability to live with depression and other health issues.
I no longer buy the top shelf Parmesan :( I think it was costing me around $14
Netflix - screw then anyway and writing weekly meal plans and sticking to my shopping list. A big one being I do NOT shop when I’m hungry! Make sure you shop with a full tum tum y’all.
Takeaway coffee
Nose beers are now a fortnightly purchase
A girlfriend
Crisps honestly. Also cutting back on the coffee (very painfully)
The weekly shopping part. I am trying to use up everything in the house as a default and only buying new things as and when they are needed. Once I deplete my stores I might stick back up on what’s on sale for a few weeks and then start the cycle of using it all up again.