Communal eating is cheaper – and more fun! Organise regular meals with your friends or, if you have housemates, take turns cooking for everyone – this saves on the essentials like oil and spices (and electricity). You can cook in big batches and keep leftovers for later.
McDonald's, Hungry Jack's and KFC are the cheapest fast food chains in Australia, by average monthly spend, with Aussies paying no more than $70 a month to eat on the cheap (or $840 per year), according to our survey.
Because Australia does not have a large enough market to switch to domestic supply and keep those people employed and well paid, we have to sell much of what we grow, leaving us at the whims of the global market and the environment.
Sharing on several Facebook groups, the shopper posted a list detailing the cost of selected dairy, meat, fresh vegetable, pantry and cleaning buys at Australia's leading supermarkets. The list - printed in full below - showed that ALDI supermarket was the same or cheaper than Coles and Woolworths with most items.
READ MORE. Factors such as the war in Ukraine, the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change and rising production costs have all contributed to the increase in prices of grocery items. also said companies had been putting up prices more than they needed to.
If you haven't already been shopping for yourself and don't know where to begin, try a weekly budget of $50. This is half of what many frugal families with children spend, so it should be high enough for a single person to eat nutritiously even if you don't make every single meal from scratch.
To stick to a budget of $100 a month, or $25 a week, you'll have to eat for less than $4 each day. For breakfast, try a bowl of oatmeal with half a banana and a scrambled egg, which should cost less than a dollar. Get into the habit of repackaging ingredients from dinner for lunches the next day.
Although living on $10 a day to cover your discretionary expenses is absolutely possible, it will likely be a challenge. Without a strong sense of willpower and a plan, it can be even more difficult. But luckily, there is a solution to help you stay on track: budgeting apps.
$50 a week meal plan for a family of four includes a real food menu for breakfast, lunches, and dinners, plus a downloadable shopping list! It's a perfect plan for when money is tight, or use it to increase your savings.
How much should 1 person spend on groceries per week?
Remember the USDA Food Plan guidelines? For individuals 19 – 50, here's what those guidelines say you should be spending each week on food (actual number depends on age and sex): Thrifty: $53.40 – $66.50. Low-cost: $57.10 – $65.80.
