How to slash your grocery bill in HALF: Meal prepping mum-of-four reveals her top budget tips - and the weekly cooking tricks that save her time and money
- A mother has revealed how she feeds her family of six from $2.28 per serve
- Stacey Calder cooks large batches of food from scratch and portions them out
- She has slashed her weekly grocery bill by half, now ranging from $130 and $150
- The 32-year-old mother shares a glimpse into how she plans her family's meals
A mother-of-four has revealed how she feeds her family of six from just $2.28 per serve by meal prepping every fortnight.
Stacey Calder, from Victoria, cooks large batches of food from scratch and individually portions them into containers.
Her weekly grocery bill ranges between $130 to $150.
The 32-year-old super organised mother said by preparing two week's worth of healthy meals for her family, she has slashed her grocery bill in half.
Speaking to Daily Mail Australia, she shared a glimpse into how she plans her family's weekly breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks to a tee.
A mother-of-four has revealed how she meal preps for her family of six every fortnight
Stacey Calder, from Victoria, said she feeds her family of six from just $2.28 per serve
The super organised mother said by preparing two week's worth of meals for her family, she has slashed her grocery bill by more than half
'I'm the money manager in our family, doing all of the shopping and bill paying. We used to spend between $550 to $600 a fortnight on groceries. I have now managed to get it to $130 to $150 a week,' she said.
'Obviously we are stoked about this and have proven that it can be done. We definitely feed our family on a budget.'
Every week, Ms Calder - who runs The Healthy Money Splurger - does a checklist of her pantry stock and fridge and even prepares her meal plan before she heads to the supermarket for the fortnightly shop.
'Groceries are one of our biggest expenses, so we felt something needed to be done about it. We meal plan prior to shopping,' she said.
'We have a grocery list and a budget and we stick to them. I make sure I have everything in my grocery list prior to Thursday night shopping.
'Specials can change daily so I make sure I get best deals prior to shopping. I colour code my grocery list as to which place is cheapest.'
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Every second Thursday, Ms Calder said she sets time aside to do her grocery shop
The super-organised mother colour codes her grocery list - so she knows where she can shop for the best bargains
She prepares her shopping list by colour coding all the ingredients to get the best deals
Every second Thursday, Ms Calder said she sets time aside to do her grocery shop while her husband looks after their children at home.
'If the stores don't have what I need, or I need to go to the green grocer, I do that Friday morning after school drop off. Mostly, I shop during the night,' she said.
'I leave the kids with my husband and that in itself brings the budget down. If you shop with the kids, you are doomed to spend a lot more money, even if you pack them a snack or two.'
The bargain hunter said she finds the best deals when she's shopping at night.
'I shop at night time because it's more quiet, giving you time to stroll around and go at your own pace. You can get some good sales late at night, too,' she said.
'Some of the best bargains tend to be on dairy products, because they have short expiry dates. I can easily get a 1kg tub of brand name yogurt for 50c to $2 on clearance.
'My local stores tend to have meat on clearance by night time, as well. If I go under in my budget, I put that money aside and let it build up so when things I would usually buy go half price, I have the money there to purchase them.'
She plans her family's fortnightly meals so she knows exactly what to grocery shop for
Every week, she prepares all her family meals and snacks, and portions them into bags
She said their breakfasts, lunches and snacks are the cheapest to shop for and dinner, a whole family meal can cost between $10 to $15 on average
For breakfast, she always has porridge, milk and eggs while lunchtimes, she prepares bread with cheese, deli meats and butter.
She said their breakfasts, lunches and snacks are the cheapest to shop for and dinner, a whole family meal can cost between $10 to $15 on average.
If you want to eat something different every night, Ms Calder said it's handy to prepare food that can be used to make various meals over the week.
'If you are on a tight budget, having versatile essentials helps greatly. I prepare meals that can be versatile first, like spaghetti,' she said.
'We can have it with pasta or on top of vegetables for those in the family who don't eat pasta. We always have spaghetti sauce leftover, so when I meal plan, I can work out what else I can do with it.
'Some examples are nachos, loaded baked potatoes, jaffles, and pie filling. I do the same thing when I make my no-crust mince curry pie.'
She buys all the fresh produce and sets time aside to cook bulk meals for her family of six
She uses the weekends or nights when her children are asleep to meal prep
To prevent food wastage, Ms Calder writes down her shopping list of everything she needs
She uses the weekends or nights when her children are asleep to meal prep.
'I meal prep on the weekends or late at night when the kids are in bed, or they'll forever be hungry and there goes your food. I try to prep at least eight to 10 nights' worth of meals, as I shop fortnightly.
'It gives me four days out of the fortnight to have the kids get involved with cooking.'
Ms Calder said routine has helped saved her money, time and even her sanity.
'Meal prep saves our family and my sanity,' she said.
'It's crucial if you're on a budget. You waste less, and meals go longer because they are frozen.'
Nanny's Chicken Vegetable Soup
INGREDIENTS
700g chicken thigh, browned
1 cup broccoli florets
2 large handfuls of baby spinach
8 slices of streaky bacon
½ cauliflower
¼ kent pumpkin
1–2 celery stalks
1 leek
1 large red capsicum
1 large red onion
2 medium zucchinis
2 tomato paste cubes (50g)
100g pumpkin seeds (extra for garnish)
3 tsp garlic paste
8-9 cups chicken broth
Salt and pepper to taste
METHOD
1. Dice and chop all vegetables and bacon.
2. Add all ingredients to stock pot
3. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 1 hour with lid on.
4. Serve with butter, cracked pepper and pumpkin seeds.
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