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frugal

Budgeting

10 Easy Tips to Save Money on Your Groceries Budget

Grocery shopping can make up a big portion of the weekly family budget and quite possibly one of your biggest expenses next to housing and child care. If you are not aware of your monthly grocery spend those supermarket trips can easily add up and blow out your budget. If you are keen to save money and make your income go further, reassessing your grocery budget can be a great place to start.

Don’t forget to give the Grocery Budget Challenge a go at the end of this post! 🙂

Here are 10 Easy Tips to Save Money on Your Groceries Budget that can help you plan ahead and that can quickly add up to some great and easy savings on your grocery bills.

1. Always bring a list with you and stick to it

Save money on groceries by having a shopping list on your fridge. This is my number one tip to save money on your groceries budget! When you are out of something, write it down and by the end of the week, you’ll have a list of things to buy that you actually use. Avoid walking into a supermarket unprepared! Once you are in the store, resist adding to this list with impulse purchases by completely avoiding aisles that don’t contain items on your list.

2. Resist buying large quantities of new products

Avoid buying new products or if you can’t resist, only buy one to try it out first and see if you like it to avoid ending up with multiple items that you may not like. We quickly learned that often new food or products we would buy on sale were more often than not left unused and taking up space in our pantry or cupboards. Sometimes it is best to stick to using our trusted and preferred brands of products to eliminate waste and save money!

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3. Shop online to help resist impulse purchases

Do your grocery shop online when you can. It’s easy to see what products you regularly purchase are on sale and helps you streamline your grocery list. I grab my shopping list, sit down for ten minutes, and order what is on that list and pick it up at a convenient time or get it delivered. Not being in the store means you avoid the additional temptation to make unnecessary purchases and helps you stick to your budget.

4. Buy only what you need and avoid excessive bulk purchases

Don’t overstock on sale items. Just because something is on sale doesn’t mean you need to buy a year‘s supply of it! Most popular items go on sale on a rotating cycle every 3-5 weeks so you needn’t be preparing for the apocalypse! (2021 update: Then covid and panic buying hits’;))

Try and keep in mind how much you need when shopping to avoid wasting money on groceries you won’t end up using. I know that I can buy a large packet of carrots for only 50c more, but I always go for the smaller packet so they don’t end up in the bin, and I save myself the 50 cents. Alternatively, if you do buy a little bit extra, make sure you store the items correctly so they will last longer such as in a container or in your freezer.   

5. Store food correctly to prolong life and reduce waste

Learn how to store food correctly in order to prolong its life. Some food such as potatoes and onions should be stored separately, tomatoes ripen better out of the fridge, and herbs and carrots thrown into a glass of water will last a few days longer than in the fridge. This will ensure you get as long out of your fresh produce as possible saving you another trip to the store and money.

Check out: How to Reduce Your Waste Footprint for more tips on how to reduce waste in your home!

6. Save with DIY Cleaning products

Reduce cleaning supply bills by making your own DIY cleaning products for a fraction of the price as well as limiting the cupboard overflowing with different products for each cleaning task. Bicarb, dishwashing liquid, water, and white vinegar alone can clean most areas of the home, as well as being safer to use inside the home. Cleaning products can contribute a huge portion of your grocery bills and can be a great way to save money on your groceries budget. 

7. Switch to machine-washable cloths

Switching to machine-washable microfiber cloths can help save endless dollars on dishcloths. A pack of microfiber cloths can be obtained for $5-10 and can be washed again and again to save you from replacing cloths regularly. Simply use and put in a washcloth pile to wash once a week. Other savings tips for regular kitchen cloths is to soak them in vinegar and heat them in the microwave for a couple of minutes to kill bacteria or to throw them in your dishwasher cycle at least once a week.

8. Meal Plan 

Meal Planning can be an easy way to save money on groceries. Base your shopping list on what meals you could make with the ingredients you currently have in your pantry or fridge. Add any additional ingredients required for those recipes to the shopping list. If you’re buying something that will not be used up in one meal, incorporate the leftovers into your next meal so you can avoid food waste or freeze the remaining portions where possible for next time.

Just ten minutes a week of meal planning can save you hundreds over the year and drastically help reduce food waste in your home.

Start saving money today with your Weekly Meal Planner Printable

9. Research specials online or in catalogues prior to entering the supermarket 

Buying more expensive items such as beverages, beauty, and cleaning products can add up over time when paying full price. In order to easily save money on your groceries budget, check out the weekly catalogues for your local supermarkets.

Make separate lists for your groceries based on what you are planning to buy in each and shop according to what store has the best price. This might take a little longer, but the savings can be very much worth your while. If you do online shopping this can be even easier where you can just order from different stores and get pick up or home delivery to avoid multiple trips (but with the cost of delivery it might be more savvy to pick them up from the one shopping centre if possible).

Alternatively, go to the shop when it suits you, it doesn’t have to be on the same day, if you will be near one today and another on the weekend grab what you need when it is convenient.

10. Pay attention to the ticket pricing per weight

In Australia, supermarkets are now required to include easy price comparisons on their pricing tags such as price per 100 grams. You can now easily compare various sizes and prices of similar products from the price tag on the shelf. This can be done much quicker than before when you’d be trying to work these things out in your head or with your calculator and can be an easy quick way to decide in-store or online what is the best value for money product to buy.

Grocery Budget Challenge

If you like the idea of a challenge here is one for you!

I want you to calculate how much you have spent on groceries over the last 3 months, so your monthly grocery budget spend. The steps are below:

  1. Simply go through your bank or credit card statements and add up all amounts spent on groceries over the last 3 months (so working backward from today by 3 months) and total up how much you spent. If you want a more accurate figure, go back 6 months and total up the grocery spend.
  2. Divide the total grocery spend you calculated by 3 or 6 months (however many months you went back in your statements).

This will give you your average monthly spend on your grocery budget.

With the above 10 tips in mind and your average monthly spend amount, I then want you to try and decrease your average grocery budget from what you calculated by 10%. So if your grocery budget came to $700 a month on average, I want you to try and cut it down by 10% ($70 in this example).

See how you go! You might find that you can easily cut it by 10% or more, and can redirect those savings to another financial goal! And even if you can only save $10 a week on your groceries, that’s still a whipping $520 a year back in your pocket! How awesome is that?! 🙂

For more tips to save on your grocery budget check out 6 Tips to Drastically Cut Your Grocery Bill and 15 Tips to Reduce Food Waste and Save Money!

Do you have any tips to save money on your groceries budget? How did you go with the Grocery Budget Challenge? Leave a comment below to let me know! 🙂

Minimalism

10 Benefits of Home-Made Cleaning Products

There are so many benefits to using home-made cleaning products, check out these 10 ways home-made cleaning products can benefit you

We are constantly bombarded with ads telling us what new cleaning products are available and why we need them to keep our homes safe and germ free. With massive advertising budgets and fancy packaging the chemical based cleaning products often get their products into homes without consumers knowing the downsides of using these products.

There are many significant benefits of home-made cleaning products that people who don’t actively seek out the information might not be aware of.  They can help with making your home so much safer with very little effort.  Here are 10 benefits of home-made cleaning products and why I have converted to using these in my home and how they might be useful to you. Click here for nine of My favourite Home-Made Cleaning Recipes.

1. Great for skin allergy sufferers.

As a sufferer of dermatitis, I was forever dreading cleaning my home, knowing that soon enough I would have to deal with the reoccurring skin allergies. Even when wearing gloves whilst cleaning, I’d somehow manage to get the cleaning products on my skin and be paying the price for days. Most store bought cleaners are extremely harsh and should not come into contact with your skin, but this is easier said than done. After researching home made home-made cleaning products I was able to clean safely, without exposing my skin to harsh chemicals and limiting the effects on my health. To be extra cautious I use a sensitive skin dish washing liquid as other ones can severely affect your skin and dry it out. This benefit is the biggest reason I have made the switch to DIY Natural cleaners.

2. Save money.

Making your own cleaning products is a great way to save money on your cleaning bills. A handful of ingredients; bi-carb, vinegar, dish washing liquid and rubbing alcohol can be used to make a whole range of cleaning products for the whole home, with a little bit goes a long way. Even better they are things you probably already have at home on hand and are always affordable. No more having to wait for them to go on sale! Over the past couple of years since making the change to mostly home-made cleaners I couldn’t count the amount of savings we’ve had but can promise you it will go a long way to reducing your cleaning expense budget.

3. Safe to have around kids and pets.

Using natural products like vinegar and bi-carb soda are items that can be found in your pantry and are not going to harm your kids or animals if they are accidentally consumed. It may not be a pleasant experience but won’t be harmful as using a more toxic product like bleach. This will open up the possibility to having your kids help out around the home with age appropriate tasks knowing they are using safe products (not sure how helpful the animals will be ;)).

4. Minimise the number of products you have cluttering up your cupboards.

When you walk into the cleaning aisle it can be overwhelming trying to decide on what to buy from the endless cleaning product options. There seems to be a different product for each cleaning task. Home-made cleaners require a much smaller number of products and can be used to clean multiple things. Most of the ingredients can be mixed and matched to make cleaners for all of your home needs. Soon you won’t have to spend ages looking for a cleaner in your cleaning cabinet that is getting out  of hand.

 

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5. Health benefits of reducing chemicals in your home.

Most cleaning products have warning labels on them such as use in well ventilated areas. The use of some more toxic products can lead to severe health issues such as Asthma. Reducing your exposure to these types of chemicals in your home is going to pay off for your health in the long run. The less we are exposed to these products the better.

6. Better cleaning success.

I have found in my experience that home made natural cleaning products work better than most other brand made products. I’ve been using them for about two years now and have not missed the store bought versions. When you can clean a grimy stove top with a couple of drops of dish washing liquid and water with ease, why would you pay for the pricey, toxic version?!

7. They won’t discolour your clothing or manchester. 

No matter how hard I try and clean without getting chemical products on my clothes, manchester or carpet there is always that one drop that manages to undo everything. This will be a thing of the past with home-made cleaning products. I’ve used store bought Mould Remover in the past and had to worry about it dripping off the roof and getting on my new quilt cover. After substituting this product for a home made version of water and tea-tree oil in a spray bottle, I realised it was just as effective and took away the concerns of having it ruin anything. Seeing as vinegar, bicarb and dishwashing liquid are used for washing your dishes or sink it’s not going to hurt to spill it anywhere. 😉

8. Avoid chemical air pollution.

If you are someone who is sensitive to harsh smells, store bought cleaners could be a little too strong for your scent tolerance. Products like bleach linger in the air for hours and can make you feel ill and light-headed. This can’t be healthy to breathe in long term and certainly isn’t pleasant. Making your own cleaning products means you can add your own essential oils and create a scent that you love, removing those lingering unpleasant, chemical ones from your home.

9. Better for the environment.

Non-toxic home-made cleaning products are much better for the environment. No more pouring toxic chemicals down your sink into the waterways or having your home environment exposed to harsh chemicals. Using home made cleaners can also help eliminate environmental waste. Your products will go a lot further meaning less replacing them and less waste. You will also require less trips to the stores which is another plus for the environment. Products such as anti-bacterial wipes can be replaced with a DIY all-purpose cleaner and microfibre cloth. These are just as effective at cleaning and washable, eliminating the waste disposable wipes create.

10. Peace of mind.

Making your own cleaning products means you know exactly what is in them. No more trying to read and research all those chemical ingredients you’ve possibly never heard of and wondering about what effects it can have on your families health. Most of all, you have control over what you do and don’t use and what chemicals you are bringing or not bringing into your home.

Comment Question: Do you prefer natural cleaning recipes or swear by the store bought versions? Please comment below with your favourite cleaning products and whether you prefer home-made cleaners or store-bought ones.

If you found value in this post I would be super appreciative if you could share it with others who might also find value in it 🙂

 

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My Favourite Home-Made Cleaning Recipes

If you are keen to switch to more home-made cleaning recipes, check out these - Home Made Cleaning Recipes to get you started cleaning your home naturally.

Have you ever considered the switch to home-made cleaning recipes?

About a year ago I watched a documentary on Netflix called The Human Experiment which opened my eyes up to the dangers of having so many chemicals in our homes. I’d been dealing with the frustration of sensitive skin for years meaning I had to be careful of what my skin came in contact with, even dish soap and hand wash would make me break out in an extremely uncomfortable Dermatitis rash. I soon became very passionate about finding ways to keep my home clean, whilst looking after my health and skin and was on a mission to learn about natural home cleaners and testing them out.

After much research and trial and error I came a cross a few staple home-made cleaning recipes that I now use every day.

Here is a list of My Favourite Home-Made Cleaning Recipes. They work just as good in my experience as brand name chemical cleaners and are not only more affordable, but safer to use in your home. Please see my blog on 10 Benefits of Home-Made Cleaning Products for ten reasons why I recommend making the switch to home-made cleaning products and now love them.

My Favourite Home-Made Cleaning Recipes

INGREDIENTS LISTS

These are the basic must have items for your home-made cleaner recipes:

  • White vinegar
  • Dishwashing Liquid (I use Palmolive Dishwashing Liquid Ultra Dry Skin Aloe for sensitive skin)
  • Bi-Carbonate Soda
  • Essential Oils (Tea-tree and Lavender oil preferably)
  • Rubbing Alcohol
  • Water
  • Spray bottles
  • Labels (use a label maker or stick on labels)

Don’t forget to label all your spray bottles as when you come back in a week you will probably have no idea what is in what bottle. It’s really worth it to save you  figuring out what is in what bottle and having to waste your cleaning products.

These are 9 of my favourite home-made cleaning recipes!

Home-made All Purpose Spray (Two versions)

I have two recipes that both work wonderfully. Sometimes if I am in a rush I will make the simpler version and if I have more time I will go with the second version.

All Purpose Spray (Simple Version)

Fill a spray bottle with warm water and add one teaspoon of dishwashing liquid. That’s it! This should be gentle enough to use on most surfaces and is a cleaner I use for all around the home. I would use the Version 2 cleaner for more stubborn stains unless you have stone bench tops. Please check the care guide for your bench tops before using any cleaning products as vinegar can damage stone and other surfaces.

All Purpose Spray (Version 2)

In a spray bottle preferably over a sink (the bottle can overflow with the bi-carb soda and vinegar reacting) put the following

  • 4 Tbsp of white vinegar
  • 1/2 Tsp of dish washing liquid
  • 2 Tsp of bi-carb soda
  • Fill the rest of the spray bottle with warm water.

Spray the solution on your stained surfaces and let sit for about 20 seconds to help break up any hard to move stains. If you are using the bottle when the cleaner is back to room temperature, throw the bottle in the microwave for about 10 seconds and this will help remove harder to move stains. This solution is what I use for everyday All-Purpose Cleaner, just refill when you are out.

As mentioned above please check whether vinegar can be used on your bench tops as some stone benches can be damaged by vinegar.

 

Related: If you’re currently stuck cleaning your home alone and are keen to get other members of your household more involved in helping out check out How to Get your Family On Board With Cleaning for tips on how you can involve your partner, kids or anyone else living with you with cleaning.

Linen Spray

This is a spray to help keep your sheet smelling amazing between washes.

Fill a small plastic spray bottle (I use the ones in those travel container packs) with:

  • I cup of distilled water
  • 5-10 drops of essential oils
  • 2 Tbsp of rubbing alcohol

Use this to spray before sleep to spray your bed linens. Lavender essential oils can provide a calming scent but feel free to choose whatever scent you prefer.

Glass Cleaner

Fill a spray bottle with

  • ½ Water
  • ½ White Vinegar
  • Spray Bottle

Since starting to use this glass cleaner I have never looked back or thought to buy a regular store bought version. Just make up as described above in a matter of seconds and spray contents of glass cleaner on mirrors or windows and wipe over with a microfiber cloth. You’ll have beautiful, streak-free mirrors and windows in no time. Leave a bottle of this in your bathroom and a microfiber cloth to clean as you go.

Shower/Tile Cleaner

Fill a spray bottle with

  • ⅓ vinegar
  • ⅓ dishwashing liquid
  • ⅓ water

This is great for cleaning showers and tiles with a brush or sponge. Another option is to fill a refillable dish washing brush with a mixture of ½ vinegar and ½ dish washing soap to scrub all over the shower with. The vinegar smell will dissipate soon after and dish washing liquid will give you a nice scent over the harsh scents most chemical cleaners provide.

Daily Shower Spray (same ingredients as glass cleaner)

  • Spray bottle
  • ½ water
  • ½ vinegar

I leave a bottle of this in our shower to spray down the shower after each use (well, as often as I can remember to ;)). Spray down the tiles and shower glass and floor if it is the last shower of the morning or night (or last for a while). The vinegar helps to break down soap scum and fights the growth of mould so will make your weekly shower scrub a breeze! Remind your partner or room mates or whoever uses the shower to give it a quick spray over when they step out, it only takes 20 seconds and will save whoever is stuck cleaning it a lot of elbow grease!

As mould loves moisture, another tip from Clean My Space’s Melissa Maker to avoid your bathroom being taken over by it is to squeegee or wipe down the shower screens or tiles with a cloth after each shower. This is a bit more time consuming than the after shower spray but is a massive help if you can manage it.  

Toilet Bowl Cleaner

  • Spray bottle
  • Fill with vinegar
  • Add 10-15 drops of essential oils
  • Shake before each use

Combine vinegar and essential oils in a spray bottle. Spray vinegar mixture inside bowl and around toilet. Allow to sit for a few minutes. Sprinkle baking soda inside toilet bowl and scrub inside of bowl with a toilet brush. The Bi-carb soda gives a bit of abrasion to remove any hard to remove stains.

You can use the all over purpose cleaner (Version 1) or the above recipe spray to clean the outside and seat of the toilet. 

Disinfectant Spray (Non-scented)

  • Spray bottle (you can use one of the small travel spray bottles mentioned above)
  • ½ water
  • ½ rubbing alcohol

A great spray for disinfecting surface around the home such as bench tops, door handles or cupboard handles and for cleaning your toilet brush.

Disinfectant Spray (Scented)

  • 3 cups of water
  • ½ cup white vinegar
  • Tea-tree or Lavender essential oils (10-15 drops or a blend of each)
  • Spray bottle

For those who love a nice smelling home this second disinfectant spray not only leaves your home free of germs, but with a lovely calming scent. Tea-tree and lavender essential oils can be used for their antibacterial properties or blended with other favourite scents you have.  

Do you have a favourite home-made cleaning recipe? Please comment below with anything that you love to use in your home.