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Eat well, spend less

Jan 30, 20233 min read

Get clear on how much you are really (over)spending

on food & discover clever ways to fix it.


Let's get saving

Home cooked, freshly prepared food is much healthier for you than take-aways or ready- made meals. It is also considerably cheaper. The key to enjoying home cooked meals is planning. You’ve probably heard the saying ‘failing to plan is planning to fail’. Without a weekly food plan, it will be pure luck if you end up with the right foods in the fridge or cupboard. And, without planning your time, you won’t always prioritise breakfast or make a healthy lunch ahead of time.

This blog will show you how you can save a LOT of money each week, reduce stress in the kitchen by taking charge of meal planning, and enjoy delicious, wholesome food. I’m a firm believer that you do not have to spend a fortune to eat well.

Ready to start?




Fix the budget

STEP 1: Find out how much you are REALLY (over)spending.

Be honest with yourself about your spending and shopping habits. This starts with looking into how much you are spending on take-out coffee, croissants and other breakfasts; lunchtime salads, soups and sandwiches; snacks and other food treats; and ready-meals, take-aways or meals out. Here’s how to do it:


For one week, make a note of the price you pay every time you buy something to eat outside the house (excluding the main weekly food shop). Multiply by 4 to give an

approximate monthly total. Use your banking app to check you didn’t miss anything, then note down how much you spent on your main food shop over the last month. Add the two figures together to find the likely total food spend each month. I suspect you will be shocked. Most people are. Commit to saving a certain amount each

week or month. Decide what that is.

STEP 2: Plan your planning

Become a planning pro. You need to plan to plan. It’s easy to get derailed by events, situations, relationships and tasks that insert themselves into our already busy lives. That’s why creating routines and schedules is so important to stay on track with your health goals.

Choose a time when you know you will be free every week to plan your meals – breakfasts, lunches and dinners. Ideally, plan midweek for the following week. Put a reminder alarm on your phone. If this planning job doesn’t get done, you will have no choice but to shop on a day-to- day basis, which is much more expensive (especially if your willpower is low

because you are rushed, hungry, or tired in the grocery store).


STEP 3: Conduct a kitchen audit

Once you have a meal plan, turn it into

a shopping list. Also create a master list of what you already have in your freezer, fridge and cupboards. Then, cross anything you already have off your shopping list. This simple exercise saves a lot of time and money (and prevents food wastage).


STEP 4: Shop your plan

As an experiment, spend at least one week only allowing yourself to buy what is on your shopping list. No extras! The planning and shopping discipline may take a little time to get used to, but it is worth persevering. Off-list shopping and impulse buys are the biggest enemy for anyone wanting to stick to a budget.


STEP 5: Get creative

People often throw large amounts of food away, because they’re not sure what to do with leftovers. Make a commitment to use yours and watch how much money you save. There are many online resources to help you find easy recipe suggestions for pretty much anything you may have lurking in the fridge. Here are some of our favourite resources to assist with creative leftover ideas:

(2) SuperCook recipe by ingredient search - https://www.supercook.com/#/recipes

(3) Tesco Meal Planner Left Over Tool - https://realfood.tesco.com/meal-planner/leftover-tool.html

(5) Love Food Hate Waste recipes - https://www.lovefoodhatewaste.com/recipes


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