I spent around 140 a week as a student and I need ideas of how to cut down money. I am vegan and gf so I need grocery list ideas.
How Do You Budget for Groceries
L[Deactivated] on 03/10/2017 - 00:29
Last edited 03/10/2017 - 00:42
Last edited 03/10/2017 - 00:42
Comments
I like homemade spicy tomato relish.
Care to share your recipe of choice?
Don't be vegan and gluten free?
Just a thought ;)
Still, $140 a week for 1 person seems insane. $20/day… What do you make on a standard weekday lunch/dinner? Do you make a big dish and freeze it to get a few days out of it?
I eat out a few times as idk how to cook
I have to be dairy and gluten free as I'm allergic
Learn how to cook, that will save you the most money.
What do you usually eat on the days you don't eat out?
idk how to cook
There's your first problem
grow your own vegies?
Just buy..
vegan and gf
Oh.. well I can help you on the vegan part but the gluten free part I'm sorry you are on your own.
Gluten free is usually much pricier heh so I guess if that is your lifestyle choice gotta roll with the punches.
$20 a day isn't too bad to be honest I guess it depends on the size of your meals everybody is different. But I mean that's like 3 very solid large meals and then some. You could easily cut down on your portions and make it $10 a day easy.
If you were very frugal you could take it down to $5 with just rice and a few stir fry veggies.. add a dash of your favorite seasoning and done.. heck a small salad can last you through out the day on $5.
If you started fasting or not eating maybe once every few days or once a week that's even more savings.
Just drink lots of water eat what you need and done you can save a bit on your groceries.
Get familiar with the prices and shop the bargains for example potato can be had for $1-1.50 a kg if you time it right usually it hovers around $3-3.50 a kg double the prices.
Little things like that go a long way, develop a list or memorize your favourite ingredients and only buy when the food is on special or lowest historical price.
I have learnt to be a bit lenient and spoil myself every now and then but majority I buy what's only cheapest. Balance is key to keep your sanity and not overkill your wallet. Remember it's ok to pig out sometimes just watch your wallet and you should be fine.
I am sure you know how to shop coles and Woolworths using their unit price measurements. Just hop online and sort by lowest unit price and check what is cheapest per kg or per 100g etc.
Generally home brand is cheapest if you are unsure and don't mind having a no brand option. Test each product and find which ones you are happy with opting for no brand.
Most products are ok with no brand but for example I like my Heinz baked beans out of nostalgia sake and it tastes way better to me over say spc or Woolworths or coles brand but say for fizzy drinks I can do home brand no difference or not much to me.
Keep an eye out on the groceries deals page sometimes there are great vegan and gf deals like the frys range a few weeks back. Also sometimes Quorn goes on special every now and then.
You just buy the 5kg bag potato's, never seen them more then $10 so $2 per kg…
$140 per week can be halved easily with good habits. Cook a large vegetable curry with sauce and some rice, store portions in fridge/freezer, next week vary the recipe and/or sauce.
Read this:
http://www.unleashed.org.au/community/forum/topic.php?t=8776Buy this:
"The $5 a Meal College Vegetarian Cookbook"Reminds me of this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTn3eJG87IQHonestly, I respect your choice of being vegan. However, can I ask why you choose this lifestyle?
Do you believe it's more sustainable for the planet? This is incorrect, as eating meat actually is more sustainable than everyone being vegan.
Do you believe it's kinder for the animals? These animals would not even exist if not for the meat industry. There is also the problem of meat being wasted at the supermarket, an animal dying for nothing, due to you refusing to eat. Perhaps the kindest solution would be to buy expiring meat?
These are the reasons I'm not vegan. Because I don't believe being so would accomplish anything besides meat being wasted and trust me supermarkets waste a lot of food.
Anyway too tired to think, I'll fix the grammar mistakes later.
eating meat actually is more sustainable than everyone being vegan.
What is your logic supporting this statement? It is widely regarded that industrial animal production is extremely damaging to the environment and unsustainable.
animals would not even exist if not for the meat industry
This is the dumbest argument people make in favour of killing animals. The basis of your argument is that animals having life is something valuable.
an animal dying for nothing, due to you refusing to eat. Perhaps the kindest solution would be to buy expiring meat?
The more people refuse meat, the less of a market there is for meat, the less animals are killed. Also, it's hard to criticise a vegan for animals dying for nothing when so many animals are killed during meat and dairy production without being eaten.
This is the dumbest argument people make in favour of killing animals.
The fact that we will be supposedly overrun by the very same animals that will supposedly go extinct?
In attempts to avoid hijacking the thread read:
https://anotepad.com/notes/fxfmd3Reference include Nature the leading journal for Environmental Science.
Expands upon the points below.In summary:
Per kilogram of what is grown vegan diet is more environmentally sustainable than meat.
Journal stating this point mislead the public.
Per dietary intake requirements for an average adult, meat is more environmentally friendly.
Dietary intake seems to be the more appropriate measure.
i dont budget at all, but i spend much less than $140
We're a family of 5 and we don't spend that much!
No way…. how do you manage to do that?
Breast fed triplets?
It's me and my 4 hamsters.
Peppa Pig is a hamster? Huh TIL.
What are you buying?
make a list of everything you are buying. Do you need it all? Go through your receipt. What costs the most? Is it necessary?
plan all your meals on one day based around your weekly schedule. Make like four meals and freeze then reheat when needed. You can make some awesome meals for like $5 per serve.
Golden rule: NEVER shop while hungry.
Golden rule: NEVER shop while hungry.
So true.
Good words here.
Always try and do your shopping whether online or offline on a full stomach.. your basket items and quantity changes dramatically lol.
I make sure to eat at Mums house as much as possible.
My housemate takes it one step further. When he's not there he expects her to make extra then save him a portion of each meal.
Make batch meals. Fried rice is one that's easy, just cook the rice a day early so it can dry out.
Casaroles, curry ect.
Not sure if it's gf but Clive of India is a good base, just dice and fry onions and powder, slowly add water to make a paste and cook off curry, add more water to make sauce and place veg ect in to cook. Thicken with your choice of thickener and massel chicken stock. Massel products are all veg no meat or artificial flavours btw.
For the meat eaters add a 24 pack of woolies snags, preboiled and cut up at the sauce stage then top water 10-20% higher then snags. Bring to boil then add a pack mixed veg and bring back to boil. Mix flour stock and enough water to make a slurry, use this to thicken it.
:)
The 24 snags version needs a 10l pot, it'll make 7l of curry snags. Use 3/4-4/5 of the jar of curry powder depending how strong you like it. Curry will be mild unless you add more powder ect.
For the meat eaters add a 24 pack of woolies snags*
*snags may contain traces of meat
Haha, they are much better now then old days.
Further comment in support of batch meals. A freezer and plastic containers are your best friend.
Buy bulk rice, pasta and noodles. Curries, pasta dishes, stir fries.
Shop at markets for fruit and veg. Aim to buy towards the end of the operating hours for discounted food.
Asian grocers generally have tofu products cheaper than Woolies/Coles.
Vegan staples are the cheapest foods you can buy and are available everywhere.
Boutique vegan foods are expensive and usually only available in expensive shops. (except some Asian supermarkets which have good ranges at good prices)
You might have to adjust your ratios of the above.
Some people just tend to go through the Self Service Checkout frequently or every now and then….
Vegan should be super easy as meat is often the most expensive part of my shop. Do you go to a fruit shop or just Coles? Can easily save money that way.
I honestly thought that $140 was a typo for $40
Learning to cook is part of being an adult.
Some references for you to check out.
Brothers green 2 Americans cooking cheap tasty food with minimal kitchen equipment, uni/collage appropriate but not specifically vegan.
Cheap lazy vegan name is self explanatory
The fairly local vegan vegan family the woman is also gluten free. Sometimes the comments section includes discussion from other gf vegansAs above shop from f&v & asian stores
Read the ingredients list on item not all vegan/gf items are labeled as such
Avoid using vegan "replacements" vegan cheeses etc instead a teaspoon of Nutritional yeast and puréed cauliflower makes a neat cheese saucegluten free foods taste horrid (and pricier at ssme time) so idk why people want to be on that diet if they don't have to.
source: close family member have coeliac disease.
shop at aldi and look for the inexpensive larger veg shops.
roast vege night - potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, carrots, with a homemade spicy tomato relish.
gourmet baked beans - finely chopped onion fried with herbs &spices. add baked beans. serve on gluten free bread (I like the aldi stuff).
3 bean (can -aldi 73cents) salad with finely chopped parsley and dressing (1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar, 1 Tbs olive oil, 1 Tbs lemon juice)
fried mushroom in crepes (with a homemade spicy/sweet tomato relish.)
homemade gluten free gnocci - with a napoli sauve
taco night
gluten free pasta bake
field mushrooms stuffed with homemade spicy tomato relish mixed with chopped up raw cashews. and then oven baked
I like homemade spicy tomato relish.