THE holiday season means no school for the little ones, but it also means a thousand trips to the pantry, trying to feed their excessive appetites. And while you may have read many articles on money-saving tips, none of them say anything about saving your pantry from bottomless appetites. Well here are some.
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1. Make use of your ice cream tubs
Almost every household recycles ice cream tubs – well, it is now their time to shine! Package all your kids’ snacks for the day into the tubs. Each person gets their own tub, so you can even personalise them to avoid disputes. Put all the snacks for the day inside, and each person gets an equal number of things. They can choose to finish them at whatever time they want or keep them for the next day, but no one gets seconds of anything. This will not only save time and food but will also teach them discipline and accountability.
2. Save the dairy!
In most households, a pack of milk finishes before all the cereals in the house because of excessive use of it. Have you ever passed your child in the dining room and they have a bowl of cereal filled to the brim with milk?
Well . . . now, make it a point to let everyone know that each day, they get a coffee mug full of milk to use whichever way they wish.
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- Keep your fruits longer
Kids may want to try out three different fruits each day, and parents wouldn’t want to complain about them eating healthy fruit but packing so much fruit can be wasteful as especially the little ones barely even finish them. And we know the price of fresh produce at the shops nowadays, so to help the fruit in your refrigerator or basket last longer, let everyone choose one fruit they want for the day, and if they insist on having more than one type, let them share by cutting them in half and each kid getting a piece.
- Party packs are not only for parties!
No matter how many snacks, sweets and biscuits you have in your house, as soon as you go out of the front door with your children, they will want snacks! So get creative. Buy those transparent plastic ziplock bags at the supermarket, and before you leave the house, make a ‘party pack’ for each child, and be on your way. Not only will this save you money, but it will save you from screams in public when they suddenly decide they want candy.
5. Bread is a commodity!
Bread is an essential staple in every household! Most households go through loaves and loaves of bread each week, whether for lunchboxes, for breakfast or even lunch at home. But the price of bread has become a sting to the pocket. According to the Competition Commission’s latest reports on essential food prices, South African retail prices for bread have risen 3% in 2023. Now, parents, this is your cue to safeguard this precious commodity.
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Make everyone aware of how much bread will be used per day, and emphasise the importance of thinking about others when making food. Also, freeze your loaves to keep them from going stale if you buy a lot at the same time.
When you buy cold meats (polony, ham) and cheese, also make sure to grate or slice them to your preferred slice thickness – this also helps you make sandwiches quickly.
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