I’m a creature of habit but nothing jolts me out of my comfort zone quicker than the rising cost of living that’s seeing my pocket lighter than I’d like.
Similar to me, you might have a local Coles, Aldi or Woolworths you go to for daily or weekly groceries. You know where everything is and you’re comforted by the familiarity.
However, these habitual grocery trips could now be costing you extra dollars given overall prices for food and non-alcoholic beverages have risen by 4.3% over the past year, according to the Consumer Price Index report.
More specifically, the price of beef has gone up by 12.7%, the price of vegetables has risen by 12.1%, oils and fats have gone up by 8.6% and coffee, tea and cocoa are up by 8.2%.
So what can you do about your grocery bills?
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1. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket
It might be tempting to stick to your current grocery shopping habits but it’ll pay to shop around.
Aldi’s 2022 Price Report, analysed by PwC, claims you can save $1,555 a year if you shop there. This is assuming you spend around $192 per week on groceries.
Aldi might not have everything on your list so you can always go to Coles or Woolies to shop for the remaining items. Keep a look out for specials on their websites so you can get your favourite groceries for cheaper.
2. Shop online so you don’t overspend
Grocery shopping can be a chore for some or a fun hour or two for people like me.
Unless you’re organised with your grocery list and only ever get items that are on it, you may want to consider online shopping instead.
This way you can easily see your costs racking up and you’ll be able to stop yourself from overspending on things you could really do without.
Plus, shopping online means you can easily see what’s on sale and stock up, especially if these items have a long shelf life.
I love a good bargain and get overly excited when dishwashing tablets or my favourite brand of coffee are half off.
3. Consider getting your groceries at night
Supermarkets tend to price down their produce and other perishable items later in the day. If you’re looking to save extra dollars then it might be worth getting your groceries closer to night time.
Another tip I’ve only recently learnt. If you’re looking to cook your chook for cheaper, buy the roast chicken 4 hours after it has been put on the counter. This is when stores will mark down the price of the poultry once it’s out of the oven.
4. Try Meat Free Monday
Cooking lentils and chickpeas, among other vegetarian dishes, can massively help your hip pocket as these aren’t just cheaper than meat, but they also make for easy bulk cooking.
You don’t have to give up meat fully though. Try Meat Free Monday to start with and incorporate a couple of more meat-free days as you go along. This flexitarian approach isn’t just good for the planet but it’ll save you money, especially if you’re a big family.
Finder’s Consumer Sentiment Tracker found almost a third of Aussies (31%) listed groceries as one of their most stressful expenses in the last 3 months. This stat will likely go up if the cost of living keeps rising.
What you can do now is make small changes that’ll end up in a nice savings figure down the track.
Need more budgeting tips?
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