Do it like grandma and save

Ok guys, strap yourselves in, get your frugal pants on and let’s tackle these out of control grocery bills once and for all!

But, let me start by saying “let’s be realistic”.

The unfortunate reality is that organic produce and wholefoods are more expensive, in the short run (we all know how eating poorly can cost you in the long run), but there are definitely savings to be made and better habits to be consolidated.

We are not saving money here by buying 80c white bread and 60c white sugar.

We are not buying highly processed meals and meats, nor are we looking to compromise on quality.

We are merely trying to be more savvy, thrifty and smarter with our hip pockets when it comes to sourcing and shopping for whole foods and organic produce.

Ok, my first tip has nothing to do with buying things on sale or getting creative with leftovers, but everything to do with “doing it like your Grandma”, sit down peeps, let’s get started.

Be more like Grandma

Now you can take this as literally or metaphorically as you like, luckily for me, my Nanny Pat was a clever woman who raised five kids while her husband (my late Pa) worked full time. Nan worked part time. Nan made and mended her own clothes, cut hers and her children’s hair, grew a lot of her own vegetables and cooked from scratch. My mum and her siblings went to school around the corner from their home and used to come home at lunch to a cooked meal. They were not rich, nor were they poor, but certainly didn’t have the luxuries that many of us have become accustomed to nowdays. Bills were paid in cash, there was no interest free, no credit cards. My Nan didn’t get her licence until much later in life and used to cart five kids grocery shopping by foot. She even walked herself home after having all of her teeth removed in preparation for dentures.

So you get my drift. The first lesson is not going to be a DIY haircut, or how to make your winter scarf (but that’s a good idea for my next CWA meeting!) but we are going to talk about taking a leaf from Grandma’s cook book.

No matter how small or large your outdoor area, make room for some herbs and veggies. Unleash your inner green thumb. No waste! My nan still routinely makes broth/stock from her leftover bones as soon as the meat is removed. Embrace cheaper cuts of meat, which are perfect for slow cooker weather.

Watch your portions.

Don’t over eat.

Pile up your plate with seasonal (cheaper) or homegrown vegies and salad.

Meat is considered an absolute luxury in many parts of the world. Eating more plants and less meat is way cheaper! Especially if you grow or trade your own.

Pickle, stew and preserve. This goes for fruit and vegetables. Buy overripe or perfectly ripe tomatoes and make big batches of sauce, but cheap ripe bananas, peel and freeze for smoothies and baking.

Buy and cook within your means. This is a big one I had to turn around. With $20 in your bank account at the end of the week and bills hanging over your head, forget the Goji berries and ACAI powder. Use natures cheap and available superfoods like apples, sweet potatoes and silverbeet.

Stock your pantry. Yes, it’s an outlay that you will have to build on, but it will save you on those nights when the fridge is bare. Have a good array of flours, nuts, seeds and grains if you eat them. Buy in bulk or join a co-op. Embrace soaking dried beans and lentils (cheap as chips), humble rice dishes with homemade stock and whatever is floating around in the crisper. Flavour your food with good quality herbs and spices from your garden. Spices are super, ridiculously cheap when you buy in bulk. If your ingredients are good quality, then no meal is too humble.

Don’t be too picky. Be grateful that we have access and abundance in our country. Be grateful that most of us will never have to know true poverty, where a bowl of watery rice and a cup of dirty water is the only sustenance for days. Embrace the simple and don’t long for expensive, unattainable ingredients and dishes. Please read that last sentence again.

Teach your children that food is to be appreciated; to be grateful for full bellies and the absence of scurvy and ricketts.