Cooking delicious, nutritious food doesn't have to break the bank.
We are all feeling the effects of inflation right now and it is certainly noticeable at the grocery store.
We are seeing significantly higher prices on staple foods like eggs, meat, bread, and milk.
Those rands add up, even for the experienced shopper. These ever-increasing prices at the till are stressful, but there are ways to cut your grocery bill without having to sacrifice your favourite foods.
Chef Sharon Visagie, a lecturer at Capsicum Culinary Studio’s Durban campus, provides below some tips to help consumers save on their monthly grocery bills.
- Purchase canned and preserved foods which are more shelf stable.
- If possible, grow your own fresh fruit, vegetables, and herbs at home.
- Buy from local suppliers who price more competitively. Imported foods often cost more due to transportation.
- Add pulses, such as lentils, to curries and stews to bulk the protein element. These are cheap, delicious and have a multitude of health benefits.
- Buy smaller quantities of fresh items, reducing the chances of them spoiling.
- Purchase from outlets that have rewards programmes.
- Use dinner leftovers and re-purpose them if necessary for the following day’s lunch.
- Plan your meals a week in advance and have a shopping list on hand when you visit the supermarket, so you buy exactly what you need and there are no impulse items added to your trolley.
- Know exactly what your weekly or monthly spend on food is.