Buying groceries for one can be a pain and with all the leftovers that can come from cooking one meal, it can feel like a waste. So how can the single girl maintain her budget (and waistline) shopping for the week’s groceries? Read on for the Money Maven’s grocery shopping tips and tricks perfect for all the single ladies looking to save money and get healthy when shopping for one.
If you do cook a meal that will make leftovers, make sure the ingredients can be frozen and freeze individual portions of the leftovers in microwave safe containers. These portions can be taken to work as ready-made lunches or eaten as quick fix dinners whenever you have a late night or work or are just feeling lazy!
There are many good cookbooks that have recipes designed specifically for single portions (The Pleasures Of Cooking For One & Serve Yourself: Nightly Adventures in Cooking for One). If you need to use a recipe that is designed for feeding more than just yourself, make sure you modify the ingredients so that you aren’t making more than you need, if you can help it. And remember, failing to prepare is preparing to fail!
Non-perishable items (flour, sugar, canned goods) that you always need in your cupboard or fridge can be bought in bulk. Buying in bulk will save you bucket loads of cash over the year. The same savings can be achieved in the frozen foods department. Any frozen goods that you require regularly can be budgeted for each week. Buying frozen berries can save you from seasonal price hikes as the prices of frozen goods are relatively stable.
Swapping expensive brand grocery products for no-name, generic brand products can save you a small fortune. For example, brand-name flour can cost you anywhere up to $5 for 1kg. But no-frills flour will only cost you 95 cents. Considering the average person will consume up to 90kgs of flour products each year, that’s a saving of approx $360 per year. And that’s only when cutting down on branded flour! Imagine how much extra shoe money you’d have if you de-branded your entire pantry…
It’s easy to be won-over by superfoods and feel that you have to invest big money just to get the daily nutrients you require, but the truth is there are plenty of pantry staples that don’t cost the world and have all the health benefits you need. Try spinach, eggs, and a colourful range of fruits and vegetables to start.
Smartphone apps can be used to bring you regular catalog special updates. Use the Money Maven’s Smart Saver App Guide to find an app that will help you to choose where to shop each week, what to buy and even teach you how to budget for your weekly spending. Of course if you don’t have a smart phone, you can access the current catalogs of most supermarkets online.
Grocery shopping at chain supermarkets can be a drag, with aisles that are impossible to navigate and crowds of angry Sunday shoppers… But if you can visit your local deli each week, you will be able to buy meat, cheese and other antipasti foods in as small portions as you please, so you don’t have to be stuck spending money on food you will have too much of and will spoil over a few days. If you are lucky enough to live near a fresh food market, a weekly grocery visit can both save your hip pocket and your sanity, as visiting the market can become a fun weekend excursion the you actually look forward to!