Filling tummies on a budget

Planning what you’re going to eat and making a shopping list is always helpful. Check the cupboards to see what you have and what you might need. If you can, try to plan meals around ingredients you have, which can help reduce the cost of your shopping and prevent unnecessary food waste too! Try to remember that you might also need to be flexible once you’re doing your shop, as what you’re looking for may not be available.

Check out our meal planner to help with planning meals.

It’s always good to look for bargains when shopping, but try to remember that multi-buy deals aren’t always a saving, especially if the food goes to waste.

Try to remember to check the use by/best before dates to get the longest life and minimise potential waste.

It’s easy to get used to buying a favourite brand, but there’s usually a cheaper alternative for most items. Supermarket value ranges, which include items like bread, pasta, rice, fruit and vegetables are usually much cheaper. Don’t be afraid to give them a go, you and the family might be surprised and you’ll likely save some money in the process.

If you’re buying fresh fruit and vegetables, check the price difference between loose and pre-packed items – it will usually vary as to which is cheapest. Lots of fruit and vegetables can also be frozen at home, which can avoid unnecessary waste and also saves time when you need to use them next.

Eating seasonally can also be cheaper, as it reduces the cost of transporting fruit and vegetables from other countries. This also has the added bonus of helping the environment too.

Meat and fish are often the most expensive parts of a dish, but adding things like beans and lentils (known as pulses) instead can be a good way to reduce cost. Canned or dry pulses are cheap to buy and can be added straight into anything from a stew to a curry.

If you usually eat meat at each meal time, why not try a meat-free day by adding some vegetarian dishes to your week’s meal plan?

There are so many recipe ideas to help you create cheaper meals that are still tasty using the foods you have already, and leftovers.

To make meals stretch further, portion control is important. You can do this by weighing out ingredients or thinking about the amount on your plate. You might find there is enough leftovers for the next day!