Frugal Foods To Buy To Keep Your Grocery Costs Down

I keep hearing lately on the news about how the cost of everything is rising. Petrol, electricity, gas, clothes and pretty much everything you would buy.

 

Including food.

 

Big brand names are rising their prices quite quickly in the UK, and this is set to continue over the next few months, according to various news outlets.

 

But, what happens if your budget is stretched as it is? What happens when, all of a sudden, it comes to feeding your family or having the heating on? Almost immediately, that becomes an impossible scenario. Even if you aren’t at that point, then seeing your grocery bill each week creep up and up, will seem a bit unsettling.

 

But, there are various frugal foods you can buy on a budget, which will help you keep your costs down. Good, wholesome, healthy foods that will benefit you no end. Keeping you healthy, and saving you money! 🙂

 

1. Porridge oats. One of the healthiest breakfast items you can eat and they are definitely low cost. You can bulk buy porridge oats as well which can save you even more money. These are a good deal for organic oats, which would last for ages. Plus, you could make oat and raisin cookies too! They’re my fave 🙂
2. Dried rice/pasta. Again, bought in bulk this can be incredibly cheap and filling. If your budget can stretch to brown rice/pasta, then that is healthier for you. But, plain old basmati rice is good for everything, whether you like egg fried rice or rice and beans. If you’ve got storage space, then something this size is a good saving for bulk buying.
3. Seasonal fruit and veg. Buying both fruit and vegetables in season will bring the costs right down. Buying strawberries in January mean that they have had to travel a long way and the price will show this. Buy them in season from nearer to home and they will be much cheaper.
4. Eggs. They are so versatile, nutritious and cheap, that these should be in every home! From making an omelette or scrambled eggs for breakfast, to a cake for a treat, these can be used for a lot of things. Eggs are also a good source of protein and healthy fats, so should be there somewhere. Try and buy free range, if you can.
5. Chicken thighs. If you are used to buying a whole chicken, or even just chicken breasts, then try chicken thighs instead. They are much more flavourful and if you buy them on the bone, they slow cook beautifully.
6. Nuts. Now, although nuts can sometimes be expensive, in small portions, they are very good for you. If you get the ones that are not salted, that is! And can be filling too, which means you don’t need very many. I love to snack on cashew nuts when I’m trying to be good and not each crisps!
7. Pulses. Kidney beans, black beans, butter beans are all good for you and filling. You can make a very simple, yet filling meal from rice and beans! Add a roasted chicken thigh and you’ve got a tasty supper. If you look in the world food isle in the supermarket, you can often get tins of beans cheaper than the supermarket own brand.
8. Lentils. You can throw a handful of lentils into any stew based meal to add extra protein and bulk. I have added them to Bolognese before and to stews done in the slow cooker. They break down so they add a little extra but you can’t always tell its lentils, if that makes sense? I get split red lentils for our store cupboard.

 

There are also various apps you can use that can get you money off grocery items, or even for free sometimes! I use these two:

• Shopmium. If you download the app and put in the referral code KHKCMEYZ you will get a free Lindt chocolate bar! Great for when you fancy something sweet 🙂
• CheckoutSmart.

I regularly get free items using these two apps, and I would recommend them!

 

Do you buy these frugal foods regularly? What else would you add to the list? 

 

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