Tips to reduce your winter food bill
May 25, 2023
The rising cost of living is putting more financial pressure on Kiwi families. Winter can be especially challenging, as power bills increase with the cost of heating homes.
When families are looking at how they can reduce their spending, the food budget can often take the first hit.
In this blog, we share some tips for saving money on your food bill this winter.
Plan your meals
Planning your weekly meals can help you manage your budget and avoid extra trips to the supermarket. Meal planning is also a great way to involve the whole family in preparing and cooking meals.
Easy Choice – Family Kai is a FREE season meal planner and recipe book which helps families shop for, cook, and eat nourishing and affordable food.
Shop online
Online shopping is a good way to manage your grocery spend. You can monitor your total spend as you go, take out items if needed, and easily compare pricing between different brands.
Most major supermarkets offer online shopping with click-and-collect options, so you don’t have to pay a delivery fee.
Buy seasonal produce
Buying fruits and vegetables that are in season is one way to ensure you’re getting the most out of your money at the supermarket.
Winter vegetables are cheaper in winter. This includes veges like cabbage, carrots, potatoes, leeks, parsnips, or silverbeet.
Cook in bulk
Cooking in bulk can help reduce your food bill and your power bill. Batch cooking helps use up all ingredients and prevents food from being thrown away. Plus, having a meal ready to go in the freezer or fridge can prevent you from making more trips to the supermarket (which can result in more spending), or buying takeaways.
Use a slow cooker
With a slow cooker, you can turn inexpensive cuts of meat (such as brisket or chuck steak) into delicious meals.
Slow cookers are also an energy-efficient way to cook. Best of all, you can pop a meal on in the morning before you leave for work, and arrive home to a hot, delicious meal at the end of the day.
Consider a meat-free night
Meat can be super expensive, so reducing how much meat you buy and eat each week can help reduce your overall food bill.
Beans, lentils, and chickpeas are affordable alternatives to meat – and they’re super filling too. Check out Food in a Minute for tasty vegetarian recipes.
Have fun with soup
Soups are cheap to make and can go a long way. As well as that, they’re delicious and warming for winter. Add vegetables, lentils, beans, and chickpeas to help turn your soup into a satisfying meal.
Soup can also be frozen, giving you quick and easy meal options during the week.
Other money-saving tips
We know winter can be a tough time for many kiwis, with the rising cost of food, power, gas, and rent. Every dollar counts, and by adopting just one or two of these tips, you may be able to reduce your grocery bill this winter.
If you’re looking for an affordable way to put a roof over your head this winter, check out our portable cabins for hire in Auckland and across NZ. Want to rent a cabin? Find your nearest cabin supplier.