nursenancy

Ok any ideas on getting my grocery bill down to a realistic figure??? Tried different supermarkets, seperate specialist shops and farm shops. Hubby not happy and threatening all kinds ie like taking my credit card away? Aaarrgghhhhh!

Merlot

Bit confused nursenancy, do you want advice for the UK or have you just arrived to Australia and finding your feet?

I am sure there will be a lot out there who can give advice.

Mine is buy bulk and BOGOF if you can afford to.

M

jayr

Stop buying brand names. In Coles the own brand stuff is called "Farmland". Visit shops nearer to closing time, buy discounted stuff and freeze. Get veggies in a fruit and veg shop. Stop eating junk and make it from scratch.

Alternatively, you'll find it almost impossible to make a meal cheaper than you can buy a Domino's pizza - so go with what's in the box with the dots...

ABCDiamond

Give us an idea / examples of what you are buying, what you are paying and where, then we'll see what we can do..

Quinkana

Potatoes are a cheap food - good for a few meals a week. Best for the working man than for the couch potato however.

This is nice with a bit of added ham:
Dauphinoise Potatoes

Boned leg of ham is one of the cheapest meats. Fore-quarter pork chops are unfashionable and cheap but, when pan fried slowly, are almost as nice as other cuts.

scrawni

Bit of pasta, bit of mince, sauce, and there you go!

We brought a large piece of rib beef for about $40, they cut it into steaks for us and managed to get 15 steaks out of it, for the 3 of us thats good! Thats about £18 2 lots of chicken breast, 4 lots of mince for about $60 for everything!!!! Bloody good steak too!

We are eating healthier here in oz, the pre-packed stuff is just too expensive. Gone back to cooking meals from scratch etc.

Oh and we also head for the meat/fish wearhouses where it is far cheaper than the shops. Also shop in the veg/fruit market

Mandy

debsy

I find the local Action to be excellent for fresh fish. We had some lovely red snapper an it was $5.99 per kilo and the skinned and filleted for us free of charge. I would like to try some scallops but I wouldnt know what to do with them

ABCDiamond

That's the bit you must remember.

When we moved back to the UK, my wife found Food shopping in the UK very expensive, and she can't understand all this talk about food being expensive in Australia. But that is because here in Australia she buys fresh food, and knows where to buy it, but whilst in the UK she had to buy pre-packed stuff, because she couldn't get what she was used to back at home.

It is logical that people coming from the UK to Australia will find the same, and paradoxically, both examples will find the alternative country more expensive.


And for Debsy:- Scallops recipes

mamichelle

Markets are the way forward. I go every couple of weeks when I don't have to buy much other than fresh veg and meat/fish and it always ends up being a third of the normal grocery bill. In Woolworths we buy a lamb pack with roast and loads of chops for $25ish and freeze them in portions. It does about 6 meals for 2.

jayr

Eat kangaroo. It's only about $6/kilo and is very low in fat and high in protein. It's even cheaper if you run one over yourself...

MrsDagboy

Quinkana

Canned dog is cheap:

Simone

Yep, this is the way I do it, and I'm quite sure my grocery bill is very low, though I can't be sure, because I don't strictly buy per week.
One saturday I'll be buying lots of chicken and meat that's on special, or reduced at the end of the day, so bill will be higher than a week where I buy hardly any meat.

Action at the end of the day I find best for reduced bread and meat. If store closes at 5, go at about 4.30.
I put bread and meat in the freeezer, buns we eat first, so that's usually weekend.

I spend a lot of time shopping, cos I'm comparing prices. Usually home brand is cheapest, and bigger packaging. Unsliced cheese(so a block) is cheaper, 1kg tub of yoghurt is cheaper than little thingys.etc
Sometimes things on special are cheaper than the homebrands.

Things like Apple juice, who cares which brand, just get the one that's on special!!

For curry sauces and pasta sauces I just look and see which ones are on special.

Usually eat potatoes about twice a week.

Often skip eating meat once or twice a week. So maybe pasta without meat, or soup and bread, or something with egg, or tuna.

Unfortunetly chicken seems a bit more expensive here, so I only buy it if on special, and then a big pack, can always put in little bags and put in freezer.

Hels

Marinate them in lime juice, chilli, olive oil and garlic then skewer them and onto the bbq.....Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Or marinate them in the same and cook and toss through pasta....

You can do scollops any way you want....I love them wrapped in bacon and bbq'd....

Hope this helps..

Hels

ABCDiamond

Wish it was easy as that I have a daughter who only drinks one particular brand, and she's the same with milk !!

And with Weetabix, when we buy the packet with the 30gram biscuits, she eats them all, but when we get the 33gram ones, she normally leaves a bit !!
Talk about fussy !