Mum of six Kellie cut her family’s food spending drastically by combining planning, research and savvy shopping habits. Here are her proven tips and tricks that could help you cut your food bill in half too — they really work!
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How to Cut Your Food Bill
For a family of eight, our food shopping bill is one of our biggest monthly expenses. A while back, we changed our shopping habits for the better and managed to reduce our food bill by half.
At the time, we were spending around €140–€150 a week, including a midweek top-up shop — but it didn’t happen overnight. It took a few months of trial and error before we found a routine that worked.
If you want to try cutting your food bill like Kellie did, follow these simple tips and tricks to change the way you shop, and you could cut your own food bill for good.
1. What’s On Offer?
Find out what the weekly specials are in your local food store before you make any plans for the week ahead. It takes a little time and energy to find the best deals, but you’ll reap the benefits long term.
2. Check Your Cupboards
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Take a quick inventory of what you already have in the fridge, freezer and cupboards. This helps stop you buying duplicates — and ending up with five jars of the same thing — while also making sure you use up fresh items before they go to waste.
3. Meal Plan
Once you know what fruits, vegetables and meats are on offer and in season, and you’ve checked what you already have at home, it’s time to start planning.
Keep a list of recipes and meals your family enjoys, and rotate some family favourites each week. Don’t be afraid to get creative and tweak your meal plan around what you have or what’s a good price that week.
Include all meals, not just dinner — don’t forget snacks, treats and picnics for the summer months.
4. Make Your Shopping List
Take five minutes to write a shopping list of everything you need. Not only will this help you spot what you actually need, it will also keep you on plan and save time in the supermarket.
The key to an effective shopping list is writing it in the order of the aisles you’ll be walking.
5. Shop at the Best Time
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Try to shop on the days your supermarket gets deliveries (just ask in-store), or in the evening when it’s quieter and you can hopefully go without the kids.
6. Fill Your Belly First
People do silly things when they’re hungry! If you want to stick to your shopping budget and your plan, never shop on an empty stomach.
Otherwise, you may find yourself grabbing high-calorie, pre-packed snacks to curb cravings on the way home — not a healthy choice, and one that will sabotage your budget too.
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7. Check for Discounts
If you know what time your supermarket marks down perishable food each day (sometimes the night before), that can be a good time to pick up meat, dairy, fruit and veg at a lower price.
Those yellow discount stickers are a great way to add extra items like yoghurts and treats to the trolley for very little. Ask floor staff or the shop manager when they fill the reduced shelf each day, and be ready to plan meals around what’s there.
8. Shop Around
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Finding the best deals on food and household items usually means shopping around. Fruit and veg may be cheaper in one supermarket, while another has better deals elsewhere. Work out a routine that lets you divide and conquer for the best results.
9. BYOB
Bring your own bag! Always bring your own shopping bags — it’s good for the environment, and it saves you money every time you shop.
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10. Use Store Rewards
Use reward cards and vouchers wherever you shop, even for a quick midweek shop. The points add up and can help cut the cost of a bigger shop later, especially around Christmas.
11. Avoid Fridge Chaos
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It’s easy to forget what’s behind closed doors, so it’s worth organising your fridge, freezer and cupboards. If you don’t know what you have, you’ll end up buying more of the same unnecessarily — and, most likely, throwing out food that’s gone out of date.
12. Try Own-Brand Products
Don’t overlook no-name or own-brand products. Many are made by the same big-name companies that charge two or three times more for the same item — often the only difference is the label.
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13. Beware of BOGOF
We all love a “buy one get one free” deal, but if it tempts you into buying something you don’t really need, is it really a deal at all?
14. Avoid Convenience Snack Packs
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Skip the on-the-go snacks and pre-packed lunchbox portions — they’re usually less healthy and significantly more expensive. If your kids like cream cheese and breadsticks, for example, buy reusable pots and fill them yourself.
It’s more pocket-friendly, and a great way to get the kids involved in preparing their own lunches.
15. Batch Cook Your Meals
An afternoon of batch cooking can set you up for a whole week. Soups, stews, curries, pasta sauces and all sorts of dinners can be made in bigger batches and frozen for another day.
If freezer space is tight, keep leftovers in the fridge instead and transform them into another meal — leftover bolognese, for example, works well as a jacket potato filling or in a lasagne.
16. Preparation is Key
Spend some time once a week washing or cutting up fruit and vegetables. Peeling potatoes for tonight’s dinner? Peel tomorrow’s too, and keep them in a bowl of water in the fridge.
Small timesaving habits like this speed up meal prep, make you less likely to reach for convenience food, and give you healthy snacks that are ready to go.
17. Plan Some Meat-Free Days
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Meat-based meals tend to cost more than vegetarian or vegan ones, so cutting back on meat during the week can make a real difference to your food bill.
Try a sweet potato curry, homemade pizza with a fresh salad, or a vegetarian lasagne for a change.
18. Repurpose Leftovers
Eat leftovers for lunch. A good food flask makes it easy to bring pasta, soup or noodles to work or school the next day.
19. Are You Storing Food Correctly?
It’s not always the shop’s fault when berries or veg don’t last — poor storage at home is a common cause of food waste.
Check the temperature of your fridge and freezer, and make sure food is stored properly to stay fresh for as long as possible — for example, wrap or pack freezer items airtight to prevent freezer burn.
20. Grow Your Own
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Add fresh flavour to any dish with herbs like mint, parsley, thyme, rosemary and basil — all relatively easy to grow. You don’t even need a garden; a sunny windowsill will do.
If you have a bit more space, try growing some fruit and veg. Tomatoes, carrots, beetroot, lettuce, peppers and spring onions can all be grown in a garden, and many will do well in pots on a balcony too.
Picking your own veg helps keep costs down, and it’s a fun, hands-on activity to do with the kids.
21. Make Your Own
Set yourself a challenge to make something you’d usually buy. Many of us spend money on things that are simple to make at home — soup, sauces, pizza dough, cakes, biscuits, even your own bread.
Homemade soup, for example, is a great way to get more veg into the whole family — and it’s cheaper (and tastier) than a ready-made version.
A Few More Ways We Save
One of the biggest expenses for families with babies is nappies, formula and baby food. In our house, we use cloth nappies and cloth wipes, breastfeed where we can, and make baby meals at home from scratch — often just a version of whatever the rest of the family is having, minus dressings, spices and salt.
If your family is working to a strict budget or saving for a big goal like a mortgage, it’s worth trying a few of these ideas. You might be surprised how much you can save over the course of a year.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I cut my family’s food bill quickly?
Start with the basics: check your cupboards before you shop, write a list based on what’s actually on offer, and avoid shopping when you’re hungry. These small changes alone can make a noticeable difference within a few weeks.
Is meal planning really worth the effort?
Yes — meal planning helps you shop with purpose, use up what you already have, and avoid last-minute convenience buys, which are usually the most expensive option.
Do own-brand products taste as good as branded ones?
Often, yes. Many own-brand products are made in the same factories as branded equivalents, with the main difference being packaging and price.
How do I stop food going to waste at home?
Store food correctly — check fridge and freezer temperatures, keep items airtight, and do a quick inventory before each shop so nothing gets forgotten at the back of a cupboard.
Can growing my own herbs and vegetables really save money?
It can help, especially with herbs, which are inexpensive to grow and otherwise pricey to buy fresh. It’s also a fun activity to do with kids.
Related Articles
- My Top Food Money Saving Tips for Families
- Save More, Eat Better, Waste Less – Download Your Free Weekly Meal Plan
- 18 Simple Ways To Budget And Save As A Family
- 11 Proven Tips To Store Food And Cut Down On Waste
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