Staying Healthy While Cost of Living Goes up?

Embaloo on 12/08/2022 - 15:13

Finding it a bit more tough as the grocery bill for fresh fruit, veg and meat is sky-rocketing, does anyone have any good tips for eating healthily, budget style?

I've just paused group fitness classes - this may or may not be a mistake, as it is very motivating. But just another cost.

Other things -

  • meat if >50% off RRP - becoming rarer and rarer, clearance items seem to still be only 5-10% off.
  • frozen veg occasionally
  • Brown rice un bulk when on special
  • Dried beans & lentils - I realised they bulk up to 2.5x the volume when rehydrated
  • Making natural yoghurt with reduced milk if <50c/L
  • Buying 1 cauliflower but grabbing heaps of the leaves for green veg.
  • Growing some herb and veg, but nowhere near self-sufficient.
  • obviously not eating out as much as possible.

Other tips?

Health & Beauty

Comments

  • afoveht on 12/08/2022 - 15:19
    +38

    Contrary to popular smear opinion eating plant based / vegan can be super cheap - just don't go for the processed stuff.

    Beans / lentils are about the cheapest way to fill up on almost everything you need. Heaps of ways to cook them and keep them interesting.

    You mention cauli - I made this just the other week and numerous times before, a $5 cauli forms the main part of dinner for a whole family.

    • netjock on 12/08/2022 - 15:51

      and peanut butter has as much protein as red meat!

      • afoveht on 12/08/2022 - 15:56
        +15

        Plenty of protein everywhere. But the obsession with protein is ridiculous. Has anyone ever personally known anyone that's suffered kwashiorkor?

        • netjock on 12/08/2022 - 15:58
          +7

          True. The number of people admitted for cholesterol and sugar induced illnesses outweighs those suffering from malnutrition in our country.

          It is like going around telling people to eat their oranges / pickled cabbage otherwise they might get scurvy

          • afoveht on 12/08/2022 - 16:05
            +6

            @netjock: "I'm vegan" - OMG!!!! you're gonna die of protein deficiency.

            Yeah, you're worried I'm gonna be one of the twenty people who die annually in Australia from protein deficiency rather than one of the hundreds admitted to hospital every day for a coronary due to too much bacon.

            • ParmiAndChips on 12/08/2022 - 18:41
              +13

              @afoveht: Imagine unironically being scared of bacon and believing that saturated fat causes heart attacks like it's 1980. How embarrassing.

            • mhz on 15/08/2022 - 08:24

              @afoveht: The link between heart disease and bacon is rubbish.

          • Awoke on 13/08/2022 - 09:39
            +2

            @netjock: The only problem I have with vegans is they go around telling everyone they’re vegan like its a badge of honour.

            How do you know someone is vegan?

            Don’t panic they’ll tell you how superior they are

            • netjock on 13/08/2022 - 22:36
              +1

              @Awoke: Sorry but all I mentioned was peanut butter has same amount of protein as red meat but somehow the meat brigade took that as a vegan inquisition. Or people with nut allergies that want to put peanuts into the ground like a mob hit.

              I actually don't care what people are.

            • GrueHunter on 14/08/2022 - 00:53
              +6

              @Awoke: How do you know somebody is an easily threatened snowflake?

              They trot out this same tired line about vegans

          • Hoborg on 13/08/2022 - 22:03
            +4

            @netjock: Lol… cholesterol induced illnesses. You may want to look into this further.

            As for protein - bioavailability matters. Lentils are great TBH
            But the problem with vegan is lack a of other things, like Omega 3 to 6 ratio, or Iron deficiency (not all iron is the same)

            People aren't admitted for too much bacon. They're admitted for insulin resistance coupled with high calories.
            The better option is to fix the insulin resistance.

            • netjock on 13/08/2022 - 22:28
              +1

              @Hoborg: Yawn. Here comes the same crowd sourced logic.

              I didn't even mention "vegan" you just invented something I said so you can write a reply.

              Since you mention bacon.

              The World Health Organization has classified processed meats including ham, bacon, salami and frankfurts as a Group 1 carcinogen (known to cause cancer) which means that there's strong evidence that processed meats cause cancer.

              It is on the Australian cancer council website, at a bunch of blokes telling me at the pub or backward BBQ.

              How does peanut butter = vegan?

            • greatlamp on 14/08/2022 - 04:21

              @Hoborg: What's wrong with saying cholesterol induced illness?

            • mhz on 15/08/2022 - 08:27
              +1

              @Hoborg: Lentils are not great. They contain phytic acid which inhibits the absorbtion of nutrients.
              Bioavailability does matter and vital nutrients are more bioavailable in meat than they are in plant foods.

              The way to fix insulin resistance is to lower carb intake and only consume good carbs, not processed carbs.

        • Embaloo on 12/08/2022 - 18:47
          +1

          Not so much concerned about the protein as we are about iron. Not so keen on taking supplements.

          • afoveht on 12/08/2022 - 21:11
            +2

            @Embaloo: Cook in iron cookware. Keep a piece of iron in the pot when boiling.

            • Embaloo on 13/08/2022 - 10:31

              @afoveht: I believe this type of iron is not bioavailable?

          • frewer on 13/08/2022 - 10:18

            @Embaloo: Have you tried Keto + intermittence fasting? Im on it 'loosely' ( still have more carb than a strict Keto diet would be ) because I dont have any issue with gluten/carb, also it is abundant & cheap here.

            My energy requirement daily is quite high, taking care of 3 children. Daily 50+ pushup, do 2-3 weight training, cardio weekly. My first meal is at 11am+.

            I do take other supplement, only a few, under certain circumstances …

            • Embaloo on 13/08/2022 - 10:32

              @frewer: I haven't, no, do you think in your opinion that it is sustainable long term?

              • frewer on 14/08/2022 - 23:05

                @Embaloo: I'd been doing it for 5yrs+ … it worked for far. The only way to know if it works for you is try it out. The worse is that you will eat much less foods …

            • knk on 13/08/2022 - 12:14
              +1

              @frewer: If you're on it "loosely" you're not going into ketosis. You're just eating a low carb diet, which is fine if it works for you.

              I've said it before and I'll probably be downvoted but Keto has no real benefit for weight loss. If the eating pattern helps you eat less calories then sure, it may work for you to lose weight but so would eating less calories in a non ketogenic diet.

              • frewer on 14/08/2022 - 23:06

                @knk: Isn't it took 8-10hrs for the sugar in our blood to deplete, then ketosis happens?

                • mhz on 15/08/2022 - 08:30
                  +1

                  @frewer: I think you are oversimplifying keto too much. If you're still consuming gluten/grains you won't be going into ketosis.
                  Do a bit more reading on it and perhaps get yourself some keto measuring strips from the chemist.
                  One good way to kick yourself into ketosis is a 24hr fast.

          • netjock on 13/08/2022 - 22:28

            @Embaloo: Isn't iron Spinach and Mushrooms?

            • Embaloo on 13/08/2022 - 22:46
              +2

              @netjock: Yes but bioavailability is key. Affected by both the form of the iron (haem or non-haem) as well as the other vitamins and compounds present which can bind the iron or affect uptake rendering it more or less bioavailable for us.
              From my reading, I just has a lot to do with our digestive, endocrine and to a lesser extent, symbiotic microbiotic systems, e.g. for cows eating grass (or spinach or meat) versus us eating spinach (or grass or meat), the iron uptake varies. Quite cool though, that different animals and humans uptake it differently, and all have a variety of diets.

        • morse on 13/08/2022 - 04:15
          +9

          Yes, but I work in a hospital and have seen some unusual cases involving malnutrition of various kinds (Including scurvy from a lack of vitamin C). More common is people over doing on the supplements.

          Like you say protein is generally not a big issue. For some people protein can help with blood sugar control having a higher ratio of protein in diet. Protein does assist with wound healing, so is often important with frail older people. It can also assist with appetite control for people with obesity (so can whole grains, pulses and veggies). Protein can also be important for mood, mainly because of satiety and blood sugar control but also some specific proteins can assist with mood. So protein whether plant or animal based is important - perhaps not as important as some weight it, but not irrelevant either.

          Meat is a really efficient (in terms of how people absorb the nutrients not how it’s harvested) way to get protein and a bunch of other important vitamins and minerals. For vulnerable people particularly if they have low income (kids, older people, people with severe mental illness, certain disabilities) affordable meat can make a difference to overall diet and wellbeing. So yes it would be possible to get all the nutrients needed affordably through plants, but not everyone has the education, cognition and food access to successfully do this with a vegan diet. That is why GPs, dietitians, nurses etc will recommend a small amount of meat to include in a diet unless a person specifically wants to maintain a vegetarian or vegan diet. For example a parent with a low income and intellectual disability will be guided on how to make affordable healthy family meals that include meat and protein for the health of themselves and their family. This is a real scenario that I’ve dealt with many times as a health professional. So in these cases meat being affordable is important to those people (as is affordable veggies, grains, pulses).

          One thing I have seen from a lack of meat consumption is B12 deficiency. In this instance I’m thinking of a colleague not a patient. They had been vegan for 20years and weren’t supplementing B12 and became depressed and lost sensation in their feet. They got treatment but their sensation was permanently damaged. Whilst this is entirely preventable, advocating for a vegan diet can cause harm particularly for people who might not have the education and cognitive resources to manage a vegan diet in the Australian context. This person had become vegan through a relationship they had with a seven day Adventist and continued after then relationship ended. They were vulnerable and had a history of abuse.

          OPs question is completely valid and it’s completely valid to include meat on that list. Even if veganism is the best for people and the planet (debatable). Right now, in Australia meat/eggs/dairy affordability is important particularly to those vulnerable people I’ve mentioned previously. It’s also important for those people to have access to quality unprocessed meat and fish.

          • EightImmortals on 13/08/2022 - 09:25

            @morse: Can you elaborate a bit more on some of the problems you see with people overdoing the supplements?

            Which supplements are they OD'ing on, what dosages and what are the symptoms etc?

            (Not picking an argument, genuinely curious)

            Thanks

            • morse on 13/08/2022 - 10:23

              @EightImmortals: It’s not my main area but definitely when I was on a medical ward it was not uncommon for people to come in having had a bunch of workout supplements with vomiting, diarrhoea, cramps severe enough to need assessment. Sometimes people who have kidney disease have too much protein and it causes problems but it doesn’t cause the kidney failure, just if someone already had kidney issues (from my understanding), sometimes that they weren’t aware of. Vitamin B,C,D can all cause issues if you have too much. One issue is that many brands contain a blend and people end up doubling up. Especially in older people it seems to be an issue. We do get older people sometimes forgetting how much they’ve taken and having too much. Then there’s people who are trying to cure cancer etc with weird stuff they’ve read on the internet e.g. self dosing with high levels of vitamin C. So they already have cancer but the weird regimes bring them into hospital. I’d say by and large it’s mostly reversible harm and effects mostly people with existing health issues.

              There’s been some abc articles re overdosing on supplements recently https://www.abc.net.au/news/health/2022-07-06/vitamin-d-over…
              https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-08-05/vitamin-b-toxicity-pe…

              I’d say generally supplements are pretty safe but only required if you have a known deficiency. Sometimes supplements are even helpful but best prescribed an monitored by a dr.

              • EightImmortals on 13/08/2022 - 10:31

                @morse: OK thanks. :)
                I'm slowly weaning myself off the supps, they came in handy when I had some issues a few years back but that problem was resolved to the point where I'm aiming to just take magnesium, Vit D, C, Zinc daily and others occasionally as req'd. I Had my bloods done the other month and everything was within spec. From what I understand the benefits of high-dose Vit C are to be had through IV administration rather than oral? I haven't tried that but would consider it if I was diagnosed with anything drastic.

                Cheers

          • Embaloo on 13/08/2022 - 10:30

            @morse: Good to have that info, experience and stories.

          • SteveB00 on 13/08/2022 - 10:53

            @morse: When you say "meat" does that include chicken (and other fowl)? Fish?

          • netjock on 13/08/2022 - 22:31

            @morse: Working at the hospital is like cops going to work saying all they see is crime.

            • morse on 14/08/2022 - 07:28

              @netjock: For sure - but the question was asked, ‘have you ever?….’. So yes I have. But you’re right we see pretty much everything in hospitals. Realistically though all the people who come into hospital live in the community and have families, so mostly it’s stuff that could happen to anyone in most cases.

        • drprox on 13/08/2022 - 09:53

          Suffered it? I can't even say it!

        • lonewolf on 13/08/2022 - 10:12
          +3

          People dont increase protein content because they are worried they will die from lack of protein. Its because a lot more people these days dont have a good complete diet due to working too much / too busy or it could be because they are alot more active and hence want to Optimise their diet and get the most out of their sporting or physical activities. Then theres the muscle building and strength building aspect. Theres also the fact that most of our products these days are processed and / or have excess carbs and fats and nowhere near the same level of proteins as we may have been used to in the past. And finally there is also the people who use it to make themselves feel full / content and hence not eat as much calories from Fats or Carbs, Protein generally fills you up the best and also requires the most effort from the body to be converted into stored fat on your body.

          There are numerous reasons for increasing protein that dont involve dying from protein.

    • brendanm on 12/08/2022 - 16:38

      That looks very good.

    • AustriaBargain on 12/08/2022 - 21:25

      I tried cooking beans but it's so much hassle. I just buy them in cans now.

      • afoveht on 12/08/2022 - 21:33
        +2

        OP is price sensitive. Dried beans are cheap as.

      • Hangryuman on 13/08/2022 - 11:23
        +3

        try soaking them overnight - most beans will be soft and supple and easy eating the next day

        and lentils soaked may cook quickly after soaking, hold their shape better and not turn into mush

        if you soak/rinse/repeat for 2-3 days - chickpeas or lentils also make nice sprouts - even more healthy

        I like to eat them when the chickpeas when the sprout is about 1cm long - the flavour changes as it grows

    • Hahuh on 13/08/2022 - 20:05
      +2

      Can't believe someone can fluff up a simple dish with 25 ingredients.

  • JimB on 12/08/2022 - 15:27
    +6

    TIL you can eat cauliflower leaves. Will try it next time.

    How big is your 'bulk' brown rice? 20kg?

    As mentioned- dried beans & lentils are super cheap and healthy.

    Also tinned tomatoes.
    Ham hock soup, not so sure it's that healthy but it's delicious and cheap (with beans and tinned tomatoes).

    • Embaloo on 12/08/2022 - 15:41

      Nah only 10kg, I should look into the bigger ones. Shoupd I look anywhere other than colesworth for aussie brown rice specials? Never heard of ham hock soup, thx

      • JimB on 12/08/2022 - 16:41
        +4

        I've say the Asian/Indian grocery stores.

        Ham hock, has used in split pea and ham soup

    • KBZ on 12/08/2022 - 15:55
      +2

      You can also eat broccoli leaves, I've been to south pacific islands and they blanch/boil the leaves. The younger leaves are much softer and quite alright if you treat them like any vegetable and season/salt them.

      • JimB on 12/08/2022 - 16:44
        +2

        Great, will try.

        Here I was thinking I was being not wasteful by eating the broccoli stems (which is delicious)

  • Pcosmic on 12/08/2022 - 15:27
    +10

    Increase your income

    • nomoneynoproblems on 12/08/2022 - 16:45
      +1

      Yea man, get a higher paying job! It’s that simple.

      • morse on 13/08/2022 - 04:30
        +2

        It’s not always easy, but it is not a terrible goal. Makes a huge difference and I think sometimes more achievable than people think.

    • Lastchancetosee on 13/08/2022 - 10:23
      +4

      Is that you, Joe Hockey?

  • Quantumcat on 12/08/2022 - 15:32
    +5

    I wouldn't bother trying to grow anything but tomatoes over the summer. A lot of work for very little gain and you'd probably be lucky to even break even with the cost. Tomatoes are pretty easy and tolerate a wide variety of conditions so nearly guaranteed to get some success with little effort

    • Embaloo on 12/08/2022 - 15:34

      Great idea. I have plenty of them already popping up from the worm farm dumps. Might give them a dedicated space. So versatile too.

      • morse on 13/08/2022 - 04:26
        +2

        We’ve been having great success with snowpeas. Apparently do okay year round, but I think you have to get onto them quicker in summer. We have 6 vines on the go and get a couple of handfuls a day and have a succession of new vines coming through. Haven’t spent any money other than the seeds.

    • Muzeeb on 12/08/2022 - 15:43
      +5

      Agree. We grow lots of fruit and veggies at home. Pumpkin and tomatoes are easy and we can always make full use of or give excess to friends.

      I once grew a $7 green bean and it was woody and terrible.

      We don't save any money by growing our own. Quite the contrary.

      • Quantumcat on 12/08/2022 - 15:52
        +1

        Yeah pumpkins are another easy one if you have lots of lawn space for them to ramble over

        • Lastchancetosee on 13/08/2022 - 10:25
          +2

          And silverbeet. My plants are in their second season, and I just take off some of the outer leaves each day for an omelette or side dish.

    • netjock on 12/08/2022 - 15:52
      +7

      Baby spinach is worth growing given it is like $3 a packet of seeds and they sell for $16 a kilo.

    • ihbh on 12/08/2022 - 20:10
      +10

      Best bang for buck is growing leafy greens - rocket, buk choi, tatsoi, mustard, kale, chard, etc. and herbs. They are also the most nutritious.

      I eat predominately a whole food plant based diet and eat a mixing bowl of leafy greens every day from the garden.

      Next year I'll be able to supply a lot of my family's needs as well.

      Cost is close to 0:

      • I make my own free compost from garden/kitchen waste, dried leaves from local park and coffee grounds from local cafe (hence ot takes a while to build up to be able to feed the whole family as well)
      • Most people aren't committed so I get free garden beds, Vegepods, etc.
      • Seeds are cheap the first year and then you collect it for subsequent years.
      • With the rains this year in Sydney, effort has been very low for a very good yield.
      • postman on 13/08/2022 - 09:36
        +1

        We also grow sweet potato and choko; Besides their tubers and fruits, they also produce hefty amount of leaves which can be used for stir-fried and soup and quite nutritious too.

    • NudeBinoculars on 15/08/2022 - 11:02
      +1

      If you like spice, chilli is super easy to grow.
      Especially with all this rain we've had recently my chilli plants are thriving.

  • Stewardo on 12/08/2022 - 15:33
    +7

    Don’t expect to eat the same fresh vegetables year round. eat when they are in season.

    • Embaloo on 12/08/2022 - 15:37

      Yeah it seems like what I'd expect to be in season atm is still really expensive. I suppose still natural-disaster affected crops, but also just inflation.

  • GG57 on 12/08/2022 - 15:34
    +8

    Eat seasonal.
    Compare the cost of fresh veggies with frozen equivalent.
    Reduce the quantity of meats, particularly if expensive at the time.

    • Lastchancetosee on 13/08/2022 - 10:32
      +4

      Eggs are very complete foods and a good meat alternative.

  • USER DC on 12/08/2022 - 15:37
    +2

    Healthy gets difficult.
    Honestly speaking outside food just becomes way way cheaper than cooking at home at times, e.g. $5/$7.95 pizzas at dominos

    • Embaloo on 12/08/2022 - 15:39
      +3

      Yeah, I know especially with front page deals 😭 don't remind me lol
      Leb-bread pizzas can compete for price. Have been shaking some zaatar spice mix on them, that's been tasty…

    • filmer on 12/08/2022 - 16:06
      +1

      If you made a pizza with the same amount of toppings dominoes uses it would cost you half the amount again. 50c of flour, and $2 of toppings.

      Homemade is cheaper 99% of the time.

      • USER DC on 12/08/2022 - 16:47
        +3

        homemade is cheaper ?

        When you only wanna eat 1 or 2 pizzas ?

        you'd be buying

        $2.20 for flour

        Or for pizza base

        $2-$5 Pizza sauce

        Water & Heat and other basic non supermarket ingredients for cooking - $0.05-$0.5

        $2.48 - JUST 1 Single Capsicum

        etc. and the list goes on.
        Then you also gotta worry about any food expiring or rotting or molding etc.

        So it doesn't make it cheaper to prepare at home (especially not if you are not making a lot of pizzas at home and must have bought lot of ingredients)

        • OMGJL on 12/08/2022 - 17:44

          very true!

          mass production = cheaper per unit

          only applies when almost nothing went on waste.

        • filmer on 19/08/2022 - 15:13

          Yes, if you consider having to buy 20 pizzas worth of flour upfront part of the cost of one pizza yes it would be more expensive, but that is not the cost.

          Pizza sauce is not $5 if homemade. Dominoes would use a maximum of 1/5 a capsicum per pizza, and MAYBE $3 topping MAX on the value pizzas.

          Back on the original topic of outside food being cheaper. Dominos is an outlier, because the bulk of a pizza (base) is extremely cheap. Outside of this buying food could possibly be cheaper if you only ate 2k calories (still doubt it), but if you ate to the same fullness it would not even be close. My $6 homemade dinner would cost about $15+ of Mcdonalds for the same fullness.

    • greatlamp on 13/08/2022 - 18:33
      +4

      I can cook a dish of chicken breast and frozen vegetables for around that price, and it will have much more nutritional value, little fat and preservatives.

      It depends if you put a price on your time.

      Chicken breast is about $14/kg, frozen vegetables about $5/kg. So you can make 2kg of food for about $20, enough for at least 4 meals.

  • netjock on 12/08/2022 - 15:54
    +2

    Find a fresh fruit and veg store that is not big chain.

    Also check out nearby suburbs which might be more working class.

    I live in a working class suburb. It seems like the next suburb (which don't seem as working class) has a cheaper fruit and veg shop and also petrol is consistently 10c a litre cheaper.

    • peppet on 12/08/2022 - 17:02
      +5

      Second this ^. I live in a "poorer" suburb where the prices for e.g. cucumber at the local grocers is 3x cheaper than the Woolies right nextdoor. My partner in a "richer" suburb has $20/kg cucumber at local veg shops. Definitely shop around

  • [Deactivated] on 12/08/2022 - 15:56
    +3

    learn how to budget.

    while there are those who are genuinely hard up, a lot of people claim to be hard up, but they then go out on the town at least once a week, netflix / stan / other streaming service, lots of data on their phone plan (how else to browse facebook / OZB 24/7?), uber eats / deliveroo / menulog. just adopt a more frugal mindset, and i don't mean the OZB mindset where you buy endless crap you don't need because it's on sale for $10 cheaper than normal, but a legitimately frugal mindset; buy only what you need, live within your means. no more afterpay / pay in 4 / zip.

    if you make a list of your weekly / monthly expenses, it's pretty easy to see where most of the money is going, it's also pretty easy to see stuff that could quite easily be cut.

    • netjock on 12/08/2022 - 15:58
      +5

      learn how to budget

      Maybe OP should tell us if they are on the $250k OzB standard package.

    • Embaloo on 12/08/2022 - 18:55
      +4

      Thanks, thankfully we are all over the budget, and have made cuts where it works. Keen to not skimp on nutrition+get healthier whilst keeping the current budget is more the focus atm.

      • [Deactivated] on 12/08/2022 - 19:17
        +6

        You could try intermittent fasting. Less food = less money. It’s good for you, too.

        • Embaloo on 13/08/2022 - 10:40

          Do you think it is sustainable long term?

          • [Deactivated] on 13/08/2022 - 11:10

            @Embaloo: it is absolutely sustainable, it's just a matter of willpower (might find it hard to fast if you are around others who are not fasting, food starts smelling a lot better than it usually does when you fast)

            black coffee is zero calories (no sugar or sweetener) so you can have something that tastes while you are in your fasting period.

  • ThithLord on 12/08/2022 - 16:08

    Falafel is really nutritious and delicious when utilised right

    • Embaloo on 12/08/2022 - 18:42

      Home made?

    • Hangryuman on 13/08/2022 - 11:41

      AFAIK falafel is normally deep-fried - the best I've had was green inside - but I wouldn't recommend deep-fried foods as a healthy alternative

      like a good tabouli - excellent when you find it - but hard to find

      speaking as someone who was introduced to Lebanese food by a neighbour in 1960 before most anybody had heard of it in Australia

      • Matt P on 14/08/2022 - 23:54

        Tabouli is a great cheap salad and IMO the ultimate "limited effort home garden" food. I planted 6 parsley seeds earlier in the year. I've got a patch of parsley the size of a medium shrub right now. Bulgur is cheap, should be plenty of lemon trees in the suburbs full of fruit - make friends with your neighbor if you don't have one. Plant the roots of spring onions from the shops into the garden. Have upwards of a 50% success rate with those which means 2-3 new plants per bunch. Most expensive part is the Tomato. Paid about $2.50 for 3 small ones today.

      • ThithLord on 15/08/2022 - 08:07

        It's versatile. I often bake it or shallow fry it (usually bake it though)

  • spackbace on 12/08/2022 - 16:20
    +7

    Don't shop at Colesworth for fruit, veggies, meat/chicken is your first step to saving money

    • Lastchancetosee on 13/08/2022 - 10:33

      Urs. Aldi, local markets are good.

    • Shiny Mew on 14/08/2022 - 20:38

      The fruit and veg at all my nearest Aldi stores are either fresh but extremely unripe, or essentially expired. There's no in between, unlike the Big Two supermarkets.

      • spackbace on 14/08/2022 - 22:05

        Again, there's more places to buy from than just major supermarkets…

  • Hardlyworkin on 12/08/2022 - 16:45
    +3

    You seem like you are making a decent effort OP.

    Do you live near any markets? I use to go the Melbourne and South Melbourne markets a lot on the afternoons prior to them being closed the next day. Can find some decent bargains on fruit and veg, less so on meat and seafood. Just have to be prepared to go with what is available rather than a shopping list and make sure it's still in good condition!

    I feel defeated every time I buy fruit and veg from Colesworth.

    • Embaloo on 12/08/2022 - 18:42

      Yeah actually could do a market trip, totally forget about markets.

  • Jugganautx on 12/08/2022 - 16:45
    +5

    Switch to pork

    $5.50/kg at my local IGA

    • Embaloo on 12/08/2022 - 18:41

      Wow. That's cheap. Will check it out.

  • CrispyChrispy on 12/08/2022 - 16:53
    +1

    If you do live next to any Asian groceries, check out their veggies, rice, etc. It'll be cheaper there compared to Colesworth.

    Most Asian butchers are also generally cheaper for mince and other cuts, YMMV though. OP, you're in Sydney? Eastwood has lots of the cheaper grocers and butchers.

  • sharkyoz on 12/08/2022 - 17:31
    +2

    cucumbers easy to grow , arrange an A frame with wires to maximise growing room

    • Embaloo on 12/08/2022 - 18:40

      Really!!!! Thank you, these are a household fav.

      • sharkyoz on 12/08/2022 - 18:43
        +1

        go to youtube, plenty videos how to do

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