Are you looking for some ways to save some money and cut back on your grocery shop each week?
If you have been feeling the pinch in your purse lately, you’re not alone.
Thankfully, some of the amazing mums from our Healthy Mummy community have shared their top savvy money-saving tips – on everything from shopping online to walking instead of driving.
Check out how they save money after signing up for the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge…
Mums reveal their incredibly savvy tips to save money
Hayley looks for specials and takes her own food with her when she goes out
Hayley Duncan, 29, is based in SA and she says one of her biggest tips is to buy items that are on sale or on special.
“The way I deal with saving money is I get everything on markdowns! Sometimes markdowns are still not ‘cheap’ enough,” she says.
“I substitute ingredients in certain meals with other ingredients that I could get cheaper. I make it work!”
Another top tip of hers is to take her own food with her.
“I save money when we go out with a family I will take pre-packed lunches, snacks for the kids, a box of water and sometimes I even take our little cooker for a heated lunch,” she says.
“I make snacks for the kids for school and I freeze them and take them straight from the freezer!”
Hayley also likes to make her own meals at home.
“I repeat meals that use the same ingredients and sometimes even use leftovers to make another invention of a meal.”
“If we go out for dinner it would be around $100+ and we would generally not enjoy the food, so we just don’t get take out.”
What’s more, Hayley also prefers walking rather than using her car.
“I rarely use my car around town and when I go to the shops I take my backpack,” she says.
“I save on fuel and I do something good for myself and our planet. It keeps my kids active as well! I try my best to save in every area I can.”
“Doing this also gives the boys and I more opportunities to have a day out and get amongst nature and get some quality bonding time in.”
Roxanne looks for food promos, buys meat on special and looks for specials on petrol
Roxanne Sweeney, 28, is a stay-at-home mum with two kids.
“When I do my groceries I always google promo codes and sometimes I score $20 off my shop,” she says.
“I also am mad on Flybuys points which I save and put towards my groceries. Some weeks I can save $30/40 per week others $10.
“Another thing I do is look at what meat is on special and that’s our meals for the week based on that.”
“I used to buy taco kits etc now I just buy the spices and I save so much by doing that.”
“I also do recipes with similar veggies in the ingredients and I save heaps doing this.”
“I also have a fuel track app on my phone so I can see which servo has the cheapest.”
Amy only spends on what she needs and doesn’t buy extras
Amy, 32, also looks for specials and does a meal plan before she goes to the shop.
“I plan several meals that have the same ingredient, like beef mince, which is always good value for a bulk buy,” she says.
“I make sure to budget and make lists as this ensures I only spend what I need and don’t end up buying extras unless it’s a pantry staple.”
“Then anything leftover goes into my leftover savings account which then gets deposited into my account where I’m saving for a house deposit at the end of each month!”
“So far I’ve transferred an extra $1,000 this year!”
“I also replace some meals with smoothies that I always have on hand, making a quick cheap meal!”
Helen shops online and takes advantage of things on special
Helen Squires, 55, tries to shop online and do click and collect, so she knows what she’s buying.
“I have $20 as an extra on my budget to purchase $20 worth of a great savings special. For example, if my washing liquid is on sale for $9.75 – I buy 2 (up to $20),” she says.
“I now don’t purchase all the junk snacks I used to because I bake at home.”
“The 3-Pot Bulk Meal plan recipes in The Healthy Mummy App are saving me heaps. I have a great freezer stash.”
Nicole no longer gets takeaways and makes her own fakeaways
Nicole Bradshaw, 33, is a mum of three from Victoria who loves to make fake-away to replace ordering takeaway for her family.
“I have saved so much money by making my own takeaway, prior to The Healthy Mummy we would have a takeaway every Saturday night, usually pizza,” she says.
“Now, I love to make our own fakeaway, usually go for homemade burgers and pizzas. I love the 2 ingredient pizza dough and when I’m time-poor opt for the pita pizzas.”
“These are the perfect guilt-free pizza options. So much healthier and doesn’t leave me feeling bloated and horrible.”
“If I worked out how much we have saved over the last 9 months, $50 per week x 36 weeks. We have saved $1,800. That’s crazy when you actually think about it!”
Nicole’s top tips are
1. Make your own fakeaway on the weekends and get the kids involved. They’ll love choosing their own pizza toppings and getting their hands messy making the dough!
2. Compare supermarket prices online and make sure to check out Aldi for some great savings too!
3. Place online orders, this really helps me to stay focused and not overspend on things we don’t really need. You can see your shopping add up every time you add to your cart so you can keep an eye on the total.
Fi uses reusable clip-lock bags and doesn’t have a gym membership anymore
Fi Redding is a mum-of-two based in Melbourne who has found reusing clip lock bags helps her save money and the planet.
“We have saved so much money in so many ways. One of our weirdest ways to save money is we wash and reuse clip lock bags (we also use reusable ones). This saves us money and also the environment,” she says.
Fakeaway has become a new standard in Fi’s household to replace takeaway. In fact, Fi reckons having fakeaways has saved her over $2,000 alone!
“Other ways we save money is fakeaways. Some of our favourite fakeaways are chicken wings, pizzas, burgers, stir-fry and so much more. Takeaway can cost upwards of $50 or more a week. This is a huge saving for us.”
Fi has also found that the workouts in the Healthy Mummy App have helped her give up her expensive gym membership saving her thousands.
“The last big savings is doing my workouts at home using the Healthy Mummy app. Not having a gym membership is a huge saving. We estimate we are saving upwards of $2,000 are year. This has meant more family holidays, new outfits, exercise gear and so much more.”
Some of Fi’s top saving tips are:
1. Meal plan and meal prep
2. Write a shopping list
3. Weekly shopping from a list
4. Smoothies are a great budget meal and snack.
Manda doesn’t eat out and packs snacks for her kids when she leaves the house
Manda O’Shannessy, 35, is a mum-of-four who has saved money by replacing eating out or takeaway with cooking at home.
“I think I have saved a lot of money by limiting the amount of takeaway we buy,” she says.
“My grocery shops have gone from $200 /week to closer to $150-$175 including nappies.”
“I think with not eating out it’s saving $50 per weekend. And with my grocery shop, I save $50 or more per week, depending on how many additional ingredients I need.”
Manda’s top tips:
- Pack snacks for kids every time we leave the house.
- Use “I’m hungry” as a cue to go home.
- If I buy the kids hot chips as a treat we get a loaf of bread to make chip sandwiches.
- Repeat meals and have leftovers for days.
- Cook meal plans with similar ingredients to avoid wastage.
Are you ready to save time and money on your health journey?
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