How to Keep Your Groceries Under $150 a Week?

This post was originally written in 2016 when we were a family of 4. Updated January 2020. For tips in 2022/2023, check out how to reduce the cost of groceries in 2022.

The tips below can still help but the cost of groceries has gone up significantly.

Note: If you like freebies and discounts, check out how to get a $100 cash bonus from ING, $15 from Up Bank or have a look at the full list of freebies, offers and discounts for every state.

This post may contain affiliate links. Read the full disclosure here.  

1. Access Freebies

Numerous companies offer discounts, samples and freebies.

We share any freebies we come across in The Thrifty Issue Facebook group and you might want to check out this post for loads of free and super cheap food ideas.

Get up to $200 off with HelloFresh, spread across your first 6 boxes for new and returning customers. Conditions apply.

Get easy meals from $2.19 per plate with this discount from EveryPlate.

45% off your first box with Marley Spoon and further discounts.

Up to $140 off Dinnerly, spread across your first few boxes.

If you have Flybuys or Everyday Extra you often get a free product every month based on your spending habits or what they think you might like.

These are usually only worth a few dollars but free is free.

2. Menu Plan and Plan for Takeaway!

Not having a plan is where many people come unstuck. It doesn’t need to be elaborate or take a lot of time.

Humans are creatures of habit and we tend to move towards meals we like and have similar meals each week anyway.

You don’t need 7 new dishes each week. Pick one new meal if you want to, but mainly stick to family favourites which are in season.

We have a simple menu plan that is repeated each week. Typically a stir-fry, vegetarian bolognese, veggie burger, baked potatoes etc.

When we try new meals, we make sure we use all the ingredients so nothing is wasted.

Often new recipes have ingredients you don’t normally use so sometimes we have to get creative with it but it’s worth it.

Sample Meal Plan

Our meal plan changes depending on where we are staying, what we have access to and how we can cook.

Our preferences are fresh produce, whole foods and it needs to be gluten-free.

Breakfast

We choose between eggs in a variety of ways including scrambled, omelettes, French toast, frittatas and boiled with spinach, mushrooms and other vegetables.

Smoothies are another popular choice. Almond or coconut milk is usually the base, banana, fruits, protein powder or cacao and peanut butter.

Breakfast muffins or burritos can be made ahead of time and frozen.

Lunch

Soups, bolognese, curry, risotto, anything warm can be kept warm in a thermos for lunches.

Leftovers make this easy.

Or choose from salad, a wrap or similar, vegetable sticks such as carrot and cucumber, hummus, fruit, puffed corn, crackers (bought on sale) or corn chips.

Dinner

Stir-fry with lots of vegetables, tofu, egg and noodles which is similar to Pad Thai we love.

Mexican baked potatoes are popular, pumpkin soup, cauliflower fritters, grilled vegetables and rice, vegetarian fried rice, wraps, vegetarian burgers, quinoa salad etc.

Use an app to track your meals and protein, carbs etc to ensure you are getting all the nutrients you need.

We rarely eat dessert, instead, we have one day a week called Friday Family Fun Night.

That night they get dessert and treats plus we stay up to watch a movie or do an activity together such as ice skating.

It has drastically reduced the request for treats, plus we feel better for it.

Check out 13 tips to reduce the cost of meat.

Snacks

For starters, many people eat more snacks than needed!

We include vegetable sticks with hummus, eggs, nuts, fruit and similar for snacks if necessary at home.

Takeaway Tips

Most of us have nights where we don’t feel like cooking or are simply craving a specific takeaway option.

For those nights there are a few things you can do.

Plan ahead and cook meals you like to have in the freezer such as pizza or butter chicken.

Budget it in and allow yourself takeaway a few nights a month then look for coupons.

Or check out this post with ways to get discounts on everything and stack coupons.

3. Shop With A List

By shopping with a list we know exactly what we need and can cross it off as we shop.

How you shop is up to you.

Some people prefer to go in store and grab any reduced to clear items and save that way.

Others prefer to order online and have things delivered to reduce temptation and impulse buys.

Or some do a combination and shop at markets, the butcher and warehouses.

Have similar meals each week makes your shopping list easy too since it won’t change much.

4. Buy Fresh Produce at the Markets

Boxes of produce can often be purchased for $5 at markets. Also at closing time, many stalls reduce their produce.

Check the quality in the bulk boxes though as sometimes there are items that need to be used fast so it doesn’t end up saving money.

Boxes of lower quality/older produce can become soups, stews or sauces such as tomato sauce and apricot jam.

5. Buy Reduced or on Sale

Check the use-by dates on anything you buy and use your judgment.

Supermarkets have reduced to clear sections and various discount sites have bulk clearance items.

Most items, such as meat and bread can be frozen for future use.

If you think you don’t have space in your freezer, think again.

Take items out of their boxes and you can fit more. Stack and sort, use containers if you need them.

Freeze things flat so they stack easier. There are so many tips to make the most of your freezer space.

6. Choose What to Make Yourself

Making it yourself can sometimes save money but it depends.

Knowing what is in your food is fantastic and having the knowledge to bake your own bread, make torillas, jams, sauces and other preserves is great.

Weigh up the cost based on how long it will take you to do something, how much electricity you need and the cost of ingredients to decide if making things yourself is the best option.

Buying spices in bulk and making your own mixes doesn’t take long but can be significantly cheaper.

7. Buy in Bulk Wherever Possible

Do a price comparison of the bulk price vs the regular size price. Most of the time it is cheaper to buy in bulk, but not always though.

Sometimes the sale cycle means items come on sale for half price regularly so you don’t need to buy in bulk.

Buy enough to last until the next sale or if it is always a great price when buying larger amounts, be sure to only buy the amount you will use before it goes off.

8. Cook In Bulk

Cook double batches of anything you are making, especially if it can be frozen such as bolognese, lasagne, curry etc.

Prepare any lunches, bake what you can and sort it as soon as you have done the groceries to make it easier.

For example, dhal can cook in the slow cooker underneath a roast chicken. All of it can be split up and frozen in portions.

The chicken can be eaten as a roast that night then all the meat stripped off the bones and divided into containers for use during the week in curries or risotto, on pizza or similar.

Check out 29 meals from leftover chicken, 28 meals to make with mince and 25 ways to use leftover ham for some ideas on leftovers.

9. Use Everything

The average Australian household throws away 1 in 5 bags of groceries.

So much of the fresh produce is actually wasted instead of being used e.g. broccoli stalks, cauliflower leaves, peel etc.

Wash fruit and vegetables thoroughly and use the peel. Many recipes do not require the skin to be removed.

Leaving the skin on adds more nutrition and makes the meal go further.

Roast pumpkins seeds for a snack instead of throwing them away.

Potato skins, if the potatoes were scrubbed clean, can be fried for chips. Check out more ways to reduce food waste here.

If you have one sausage leftover from a BBQ, slice it up to use on a pizza, in a risotto or stew. Don’t just throw food away.

Check out the 20 recipes for leftover sausage here.

10. Be a Conscientious Cleaner

Use cloths instead of paper towels, containers instead of plastic wrap and plastic bags, use generic bleach when needed and microfiber cloths to clean.

These few steps reduce a lot of the spending on cleaning products and are environmentally friendly.

Instead of buying garbage bags, recycle everything you can.

Aim to significantly reduce waste, separating things properly into the trash, recycling and fogo.

With cleaning products, you do not need all the ones marketed at you.

Simple products work best and can be used on multiple surfaces/locations.

11. Makeover Leftovers

Most people hate eating the same thing over and over. Rather than reheating the leftovers, turn them into something new.

Leftover roasts can be used in pasta bakes, on pizza or in soup. Leftover soup can become risotto. Bolognese and similar can become a pie.

Think outside the box about what you can turn your leftovers into.

12. Get the Whole Family Involved

Let the kids have input on meals, finding things in the store and helping prepare the food.

As they get older, let them cook on their own.

It instills a sense of pride, helps them understand the cost of things and provides life skills that will help them.

Meal planning, writing a shopping list, sticking to the budget, cooking, these are all things many adults struggle with.

By involving your family, it all becomes easier.

13. Forage And Barter

Many people live in homes with fruit trees and don’t pick them.

There is bush tucker you can learn about.

Council owned trees and various produce you can forage.

Check if council has sprayed areas, ask neighbours if you can pick the produce they aren’t and learn about what grows well in your area.

As for bartering, swap produce you grow or collect with others.

Or swap skills for home grown produce, sourdough bread and other items.

14. Store Everything Correctly

All food has ideal storage conditions. Set your fridge to accommodate this and store your food accordingly.

Wrapping celery in foil ensures it keeps fresh for a lot longer.

Carrots kept in their plastic bag last longer than being loose in the fridge.

Items like tomatoes and potatoes are not stored in the fridge.

Storing food correctly makes it last longer and reduces the chances of wastage.

If food starts to go off before you can use it, work out how to store it for later use.

For example, bananas are going brown and no one wants to eat them.

Peel them, place them in a container or bag and freeze them to use in banana bread, muffins, a smoothie, banana ice cream.

15. Reward Programs

While not ideal, most supermarkets have reward programs. Depending on what you buy you may or may not accrue points.

You can’t accrue any points if you don’t have them though.

Sign up for the programs and swipe the cards when you shop. Do not base your shop around how to collect points or you will overspend.

An added bonus of reward programs is the coupons and special offers you get.

If they line up with what you regularly buy, use them. If not, do not spend money for the sake of getting a discount.

Check out our list of Australian reward/loyalty programs.

And the difference between Coles Plus and Everyday Extras.

16. Budget Friendly Drinks

Drink water first instead of any other drinks.

Most of us are so dehydrated and we don’t help our health or budget by drinking coffee, fizzy drinks and alcohol more than water.

Scale back everything that isn’t water (you don’t have to cut it out fully) and see how much you save.

17. Bathroom Essentials

Use an electric toothbrush, safety razor and replace the blades (way cheaper than any other razor) and use products that work for you.

Don’t buy every new thing and make sure you cut open whatever you have when it seems empty as there is often still some left.

Buy anything on sale, check the clearance stores and warehouses for items at better prices.

18. Do What Works For You

Experiment with different dishes, different brands and shops to find the best method for you.

What do you do to save money on groceries? How much do you spend with your family?

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