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A few things bring as much happiness as the holiday season and how permissive of indulgence it is. Come January, some of us find we have burned holes through our pockets and need to figure out how to recover quickly. While we can easily forego some luxuries that have crept up on us during the holiday season, food can be a difficult daily decision that can have a significant impact on our budget, either positively or negatively. Making the switch from an extravagant holiday grocery to a more sustainable one can be an area of struggle for many. But affordable and healthy do not need to be bland!
Versatile and affordable grocery items
While you are trying to cut your grocery bill and stretch out the groceries, buy items that are affordable, versatile, and will last reasonably long if stored correctly. For your next grocery haul, start following the tips below to reduce your expenditure:
- Write a shopping list and shop according to it.
- Buy non-perishables in bulk.
- Look out for sales and deals.
- Buy perishables in the evenings - most supermarkets reduce prices at the end of the day.
- Buy grocery items that can be used in more than one way.
We explored these tips using the Woolworths catalogue for the essentials below.
Image source: Woolworths catalogue (price as listed on 08 Feb 2023)
1. Bananas
Bananas are often cheaper than most fruits, and they will go a long way in your meal planning. They are not only healthy, but quite filling too. You can use sliced bananas to enhance the flavour of your cereal or smoothies. Bananas and eggs mixed together make tasty pancakes. You can also dry bananas in your oven or dehydrator to create an addictive snack.
2. Pasta
This food item is tasty, easy to work with, and healthy. Often used as a base for thousands of dishes, pasta can feature in salads, stir-fries, and soups. A tomato sauce and a little cheese can transform simple boiled pasta into a Michelin-star-worthy dish. Add a can of tuna and some mayonnaise, and you have another filling dish. You can also use different sauces to make it taste different each time (pumpkin, tomato, white sauce, mushroom sauce etc.)
3. Potatoes
The humble potato has the potential to be the star of several dishes because it is packed with flavour. Baked, fried, boiled, or roasted—with so many ways to prepare potatoes, the possibilities are endless. We can’t separate fish and chips or bangers and mash! Add to that jacket potatoes, latkes, omelettes—the list goes on.
4. Frozen vegetables
Frozen vegetables can really be just as nutritious as fresh ones, especially when they are frozen at their peak. Purchasing frozen vegetables allows you to enjoy vegetables all year-round, even when they are out of season. They work best in stews, roasts, or simply as side dishes.
5. Eggs
Eggs are pretty much the perfect food, as they contain a bit of almost all the vitamins and minerals we need. They are easy to store and even easier to incorporate into breakfast as scrambled eggs, lunch as loaded omelettes, or dinner as part of any of the delectable meals here.
Image Source: Unsplash
As you ease back into "normal" after the holidays, a detox is not only necessary health-wise but financially too. Even if you want to eat out, look out for places where you can get kids’ meals for free, for example. Learn what to buy and how to shop more efficiently...until the holiday season rolls around again!
