Table For Five

I’m asked so often to share my shopping lists and meal plans which is why I have shared these past 6 weeks with you. We don't just feed our family on less than $150 per week. It includes  washing and cleaning products, personal hygiene etc. And  we feel we live quite well.

This week, The Living Room promised us so much in the headline “Feed Your Family For Under $100” but, like so many before them, delivered so  very little for far too much.

Entering this fortnight after a low cost two weeks weighing in at $170 I knew I had little chance of replicating those results. Supplies were low, it was school holiday chaos and the plan was not properly thought out. Still, in the interest of keeping it real, here it is.

Meal plans are always the key when it comes to keeping costs down but I must admit, I'm more of a free form plan kinda gal myself. I like to have options, or at least think I do, and be able to alter the plan to fit

When I tell people how much I spend on groceries, I often get asked, "How do you do it?" But, even after I tell them, I get bombarded with reasons why it's just not possible. Not possible? I do it, some do it for less!  I would like to respond to the most common comments I receive as I believe these to be the excuses that keep us from our

The Empty Pantry Challenge This past fortnight has been a huge challenge for me and I’m so glad the first stage is over. One of the biggest challenges faced by families making the switch to home cooking is the lack of pantry staples and the resulting cost at the checkout. You may have heard of the pantry challenge? Basically, you design your meal plan around

I've written about grocery budgets before and how much they vary from household to household . Larger budgets are obviously much easier to refine while tighter budgets require a lot more thought and planning in order to find savings and maintain a healthy balanced diet for your family. Time is money . Spending a little more time preparing for your shopping trips will save you money. Here's a few helpful tips to get you started on grocery savings.

I'm not big on packet mixes. I don't have anything against them, convenience serves a great purpose in our society and I think if you are too busy to cook from scratch there's nothing wrong with enlisting some help from the premix selection wagon every now and again. When you break it down though, a lot of these mixes only cost a few extra minutes to make and save a few extra dollars too.

"Cooking on a budget". I find the term genuinely laughable these days, it's about as specific as me saying "look over there" and rather misleading in a lot of cases it would seem. I guess the majority of people, like myself, would assume "cooking on a budget" to mean a low grocery bill, however, what is low for some may seem extremely decadent to others. Has "budget" become yet another buzzword? Tossed about the internet haphazardly, promising something low cost and delivering, (what I deem to be) excessive spending. Curious about what an average budget might be and whether or not I should be switching my family status from 'middle' to 'lower' class, I took the question to a number of forums.... "What is your weekly grocery budget?" Results: I read through 150-200 different responses, (keeping in mind there may be some double ups between different forums, I did not bother to cross check the names as...

I thought I was a frugal mum until I had to do with less...... What do you do with the end crusts of your bread? I used to throw them out when the loaf was done. Their sole purpose seemed to be keeping the the rest of the loaf fresh and when it was gone, they had no purpose anymore. The kids wouldn't eat them and I don't really eat bread much, so in the bin they went. It often occurred to me that this was wasteful and I should try to think of some way to use them up. I can't believe I didn't think of this sooner. Either keep your crusts and any stale bread in the freezer until you have a decent amount to process all together or crumb as you go.... Heat your oven to 70°C and bake your bread slices for about 30-40 minutes with the oven door slightly open (50-60 minutes if frozen). Turn off oven and leave bread to cool. It should then be dried out nicely. Whip it into the food processor and you've made dry breadcrumbs!