Clever ways to cut your grocery bills

The energy crisis isn’t the only thing dominating the thoughts of average South Africans – they are also worried about inflation and the ever-increasing cost of food.

The Bureau for Food and Agricultural Policy (BFAP) shows that food prices in South Africa remained at elevated levels in the first month of 2023 and, according to the Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice & Dignity (PMBEJD) Household Affordability Index for January, the average cost of the household food basket is R4 917.42 compared with R4 401.02 the year before, an increase of 11.7%.

Also read: Simplify your life with online grocery shopping

Luxury items are out of reach for most people, and consumers continue to be mindful of the prices of grocery items when shopping – inevitably buying less, buying cheaper, and buying goods of inferior quality. Load-shedding adds to the burden, with fridges and freezers often off for hours and food wasted and spoiled.

Chef Sharon Visagie, a chef lecturer at Capsicum Culinary Studio’s Durban campus, provided some tips to help consumers save on their monthly grocery bills as well as sharing a few delicious, inflation-beating recipes.

Also read: Nine grocery shopping hacks for women

Her top advice is:

• Purchase canned and preserved foods that are more shelf stable.
• If possible grow your own fresh fruit, vegetables, and herbs at home.
• Buy from local suppliers who price more competitively. Imported foods often cost more due to transportation.
• Add pulses, such as lentils, to curries and stews to bulk the protein element. These are cheap, delicious and have a multitude of health benefits, and make a little go a long way.
• Buy smaller quantities of fresh items, reducing the chances of them spoiling.
• Purchase from outlets that have rewards programs.
• Use dinner leftovers and repurpose them if necessary for the following day’s lunch.
• Plan your meals a week in advance and have a shopping list on hand when you visit the supermarket, so you buy exactly what you need and there are no impulse items added to your trolley.
• Know exactly what your weekly/monthly spend on food is.

With these few inflation-busting tips, it is very achievable to manage the rising cost of living. If you are just getting into the swing of sustainable and more affordable cooking, that’s okay!