How to survive on $50 a week

The average Australian spends hundreds of dollars on groceries each week.

But for one savvy woman, this spend is completely over-the-top and unnecessary. 

Jody Allen is the Stay at Home Mum, and she survived on $50 a week for four years. Her hugely popular blog is dedicated to surviving as a family on a frugal budget.

“We ate really, really simply,” she explains. “And we have a veggie patch, we gets eggs from Mum; things like that. I show you how to get a good deal at the market too — it’s about thinking outside the square,” she explained.

Her latest book, The $50 Weekly Shop Weekday Dinners, is full of easy, family-friendly recipes that are designed to save money.

“My book isn’t saying you must spend only $50. If you want to go to that extreme, I’ve given you all the information you need. It’s about getting your bill down to a manageable amount — every family is different,” she said.

Here are some of her best tips and tricks:

1. Make a shopping list and stick to it. Don’t be tempted to buy anything on sale or anything new. Just because it’s discounted, you’re still spending money on unplanned food.
2. Try to use what you have in the fridge or pantry when you’re following a recipe. That means substituting ingredients for others you already have (e.g. replace mayonnaise with the Greek yoghurt you already have; use spaghetti instead of noodles; peanuts can replace cashews). You’ll reduce spending on individual items, which can add up in one recipe.
3. Avoid major supermarkets and try out Aldi.
4. Lay-by half a beef from a local farmer at the start of winter, and keep it in a storage freezer. Divide the meat up for meals and you’ll drastically reduce your cost of beef per kilo.
5. Join the forum at Stay at Home Mum and get practical new ideas for saving money from other parents.
6. Don’t shop when you’re hungry.
7. Set a tight budget and stick to it. Take a calculator with you to the supermarket so you don’t have a blow-out.
8. Keep a pantry of staples, like flour, sugar and milk, so you can whip up a meal with anything left in your fridge.
9. Buy in bulk on absolute essentials with no expiry date, like toilet paper and toothpaste.
10. Keep frozen veggies in the freezer – they won’t go off in the bottom of the fridge and it eliminates waste.

The $50 Weekly Shop Weekday Dinners by Jody Allen, published by Penguin Random House, will be available from October 30, RRP $24.99.

This article originally appeared on Better Homes and Gardens.

Better Homes and Gardens