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The shopping budget is the most important thing for families after housing. Throughout this quarter, we will work to reduce it by finding tips to continue eating well without depriving ourselves and by saving money.
No, you haven't got the wrong blog! Because there's more to our lives than fashion and precisely to enjoy without feeling guilty little dressing room pleasures Certain expenditure items need to be monitored, particularly food.
The cupboard kitchen challenge to reduce your grocery budget
Before talking about shopping, how about we take a look at the contents of our cupboards?
This is the challenge that I gave myself this week.
Instead of starting from a menu list, I did the opposite. I started from the inventory of my cupboards and imagined dishes. This is what I propose to you in this video.
0 euro budget week in video
I managed to compose 1 menu for the week, lunch and dinner by shopping in my kitchen! I didn't write down the desserts made of fruit and yogurts as well as small ice creams found in the freezer!
I'm writing down some super simple recipes that you can download by clicking on this link.
| Midi | evening | |
| Monday | Eggplant Pasta | Avocado and cherry tomato toast |
| mardi | Carrot and rice curry | Melon ham + cheese |
| Wednesday | Zucchini gratin | Cherry tomato tuna salad |
| THURSDAY | Ground beef with roasted potatoes | Grilled vegetables rice |
| Friday | Marinated salmon, avocado and mango poke bowl | Tomato tart |
Reduce your shopping budget with good organization
You know if you've been following me for a long time, I'm a bit obsessive about organization. I'm bombarding you with advice on sorting the dressing room, the various and sundry lists. And, I'm not going to stop doing it!
It's the same for shopping and especially for consuming reasonably while enjoying yourself and without putting a strain on your finances. son budget.
It all starts with the menu list.
Every week, take a few minutes to make lists of dishes that you would enjoy. Be careful, it's not about turning yourself into a great starred chef. There's no question of looking for complex and difficult dishes to make.
No, keep it simple (unless you're a real cordon bleu)
Depending on the number of people in your family, ask them to give you ideas of dishes they would like to taste. However, avoid steak and fries every day!
You can help yourself with a plethora of sites that offer you menus. Or simply let your desires speak.
The shopping list
Once you have your menu list, take a look through your cupboards and fridge to take inventory of the food you have. No need to come back with three packets of pasta if you already have two. (I've been there!)
Little organizational tip
A little tip that I have been putting into practice for some time. Even if I go shopping in my favorite supermarket, I go to the drive-through with my list and put everything in a virtual basket. This allows me to have an idea of what I will spend. Except for vegetables which will be charged by weight on site.
Reduce your shopping budget by choosing your foods
I'm going to state the obvious, but meat, fish and cheese are big items that add to the shopping cart bill.
It is clear that Vegan people have a very low grocery budget.
I'm not going to become vegan, but I eat little meat. A little more fish and above all I can't do without eggs.
Replace various protein sources
Not eating meat won't make you sick. But it's still a good idea to eat some protein at every meal.
It is very easy to find sources of protein in legumes, eggs, oily fish like tuna or sardines.
The ideal plate
All nutritionists will tell you that the ideal plate consists of a protein, a starch and vegetables.
By racking our brains a little, we can very easily compose our menus on these bases.
Seasonal products
Avoid buying strawberries and tomatoes in winter! By choosing seasonal fruits and vegetables they will always be cheaper.
And if you have the possibility, choose short circuits of producers to avoid distributor margins. Think about the organic baskets offered in all cities. In these baskets, you certainly don't have a choice but you are sure to only have seasonal products.
Avoid processed foods to reduce your shopping budget
It's obvious. Anything that is already prepared costs more than if we do it ourselves.
Plus it’s much better for our health.
I am always very surprised when I see shopping carts full of industrial products.
Of course, we don't have time to prepare homemade meals every day. But even when working outside the home, it's a question of organization.
Prepare your meals to reduce your shopping budget
In cooking, as in fashion, everything is an eternal restart. I see videos everywhere where young women have discovered the wheel and present their Meal Prep. The latest fashion in cooking!
I have been practicing this art for years, preparing meals for the week on Sundays when I was working outside the home.
But it is indeed a good way to eat healthily and to save a lot of money.
It's better to have a handful of grilled vegetables to pair with some pre-cooked rice one night than to hire a company to have a meal delivered. Or worse, order pizzas full of bad fats.
Tips to save time and money in the kitchen
You just need to implement a few tips to easily prepare your meals in advance and which will cost you less.
1/ Always have basic groceries that will make your life easier
- curcuma
- cumin
- Chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds
- peanut butter
- mix of nuts, almonds, hazelnuts
- dark chocolate
- flour
- butter
- olive oil
- coconut milk
- soy sauce
- honey or maple syrup
- bottled lemons (not ideal but it helps!)
- frozen garlic and onions.
- smoked bacon
- sour cream
- lait
2/ Prepare a meal in duplicate.
Example of the recipe for zucchini gratin, you make two dishes and freeze one for another week. Same for lasagna for example.
3/ Make your own pie crust
It's so simple and easy to do!
The recipe on the blog Gourmet Temptation is super fast and delicious.
4/ Stock up on frozen natural vegetables.
Frozen vegetables are much cheaper than fresh vegetables and have the same vitamin content.
Example of frozen vegetables
- broccoli
- spinach (plain)
- cauliflower
- carrots
- peas
- green beans
Making your own homemade fries in the oven
Cut 4 potatoes into large strips, brush them with oil and salt and put them in the oven for 30 minutes. Your fries will be excellent, digestible, and will cost you practically nothing compared to a packet of frozen fries! You can mix potatoes and sweet potatoes, the mixture is delicious.
I hope you enjoyed these few kitchen organization ideas to reduce or at least maintain our grocery budget. Don't hesitate to give me your opinion and ideas!
This blog is a space for discussion and sharing our tips can be very productive. And remember to subscribe to my YouTube channel! It's free! 😉
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