Sunday times article

The Sunday times article states that a basic food only BASIC budget for a mum & dad, teenage son & teenage daughter is $260.00 per week (living in Auckland or Wellington) Add in non-food items such as cleaning products and toiletries and the bill goes up by $16 a week. Total grocery shop per week is $276.00

A moderate shop that contains some convenience food and greater variety leaps to between $328 (Dunedin) and $339 (Wellington) whereas a liberal budget which allows for more expensive cuts of meat, specialty items and convenience products comes in at between $393 (Dunedin) and $407 (Wellington). That would climb again with non-food items costed at $31 for a moderate shop and $48 for a liberal spend.

From this article I would put our family in the Liberal class as we do like nicer cuts of meat and require specialty items for food allergies this would mean my food budget should be $455.00 per week.

Now this just proves that the way I shop, buying in bulk, buying on sale, keeping a price book, buying meat from home kill & raising our own sheep, keeping our own hens for eggs, having a vege garden (even tho not producing much at this time of year)packing our own lunches is totally well worth all my efforts. And I bet the Sunday times figures doesn't take into account brought lunches & takeaways.

Stockpiling your fridge

My Basics for fridge are:

Fresh garlic - I don't do garlic in a jar & I try to only buy NZ garlic - not Chinese garlic as it has been sprayed - I do hope Greens policy gets in with mandatory labeling of food - Yea give your party vote to greens!!

Fresh ginger - but not a must - just nice

Butter - but freeze extra

Olivani - dairy substitute

Cheese - I only buy cheese on special & you can store it for quite a while, just check expiry date -

eggs

Milk

Bacon - often on special & can be frozen

Ham for lunch fillings

Sure bake yeast - I buy the biggest jar as use often & works out cheaper - but do watch expiry date

opened jams, preserves & sauces.


Beer & wine - I stock pile this too. I don't drink anymore - awww doesn't that sound like I'm an angel but sadly I get allergies from them pre menopause gives similar effects - foggy brain GRIN.

Fruit & veges - have you noticed how small fruit & vege bins are now????
We have begun getting a fruit & vege order from Chantal - I have found it cheaper & working well for us. Our garden will not feed us weekly the food from Chantal is organic & I like knowing my broccoli is not from China I do feel it is my right as a consumer to know where my food is grown & comes from - local Saturday markets are good - but they like supermarkets get a lot of their produce from Turners & Growers and again we have no knowledge of where our food is from as NZ power of bees do not think we need mandatory food labeling. This is a HUGE issue for our family with food allergies - we want to know.

Stocking your freezer

I highly recommend you purchase a chest freezer - you can pick them up cheap on trade me.

My basics must haves for ours is:

Butter - yes you can freeze butter & I only buy butter on sale. Here in NZ dairy prices have gone up totally unreasonably.
milk
bread

Hot chips
sweetcorn on cob
beans sliced & whole
peas
mixed stir fry veges (this is for a quick stir fry lunch for James who doesn't do sandwiches for lunch)
pastry sheets
chickens
chicken pieces
mince
sausages - we have allergy free ones
schnitzel
pork roast - this is often on sale

Once you begin price booking - you will again mostly only buy these items on sale.

Stockpiling your pantry.

Stockpiling depends on where you are with your pantry.

But each week as the specials come out from supermarket flyer's scan them & by using your price book (another post to come) start stocking up.

Jamie Oliver has his list of Pantry requirements here

Mine is different from his, I cook to suit allergies, cook from basics & possibly cheaper grin.

Flour white flour , wholemeal & self raising is nice but must have is white flour. I have 5kg tupperware bins (good investment) and buy flour in 5kg lots, flour does come on special monthly - your price book will help you.

Rice flour for gluten free cooking

Sugar - white sugar also in 5kg bulk purchase. Again much cheaper in bulk & comes on sale often.

Brown sugar
icing sugar
Castor sugar nice but you can otherwise just whiz up standard sugar in food processor

Baking Powder
Baking Soda (buy biggest pack you can as will use for cleaning (another post to come)
Cornflour
Custard powder

Golden syrup
Honey
Jams
vegemite

coconut
raisins or sultanas
Mixed fruit
rolled oats
cornflakes
breadcrumbs
popcorn just plain standard popcorn
walnuts
jelly
condensed milk
Asian Home Gourmet curry pastes - this is about the only processed food I have & is suitable for our families allergies. We go for beef curries.

Sea salt
pepper corns
Mixed herbs
bay leaves
nutmeg
cinnamon
ginger
Vanilla essence (real stuff not imitation a little goes a long way!)
NB I use a lot of spices - but tried to put in must haves - build your spices up slowly.

Soya sauce
Sweet chilli sauce
tomato sauce
Olive oil
vinegar (white vinegar is very good for clean windows so I buy big bottle)

Beef stock & chicken stock (NB stock is very easy to make & will do a post about this) (I buy campbells)

Basmati rice - I buy this in 5kg lots when on special.
lasagna - nb for all my pasta I buy budget brands I have founds works well.
Spaghetti
Macaroni pasta

Baked beans
Chilli beans - hot & mild
Chickpeas
Pasta sauce I use Watties & comes on sale often.
Tinned tuna & salmon

Tinned fruit - peaches, pears, pineapple, mixed fruit

tea bags
coffee
milo


That would be my basic pantry. Items I use the most. So I only buy them if on sale - all because of price booking.

I suggest you go through your pantry & work out what your family eats.

Get a pantry list going that your family likes. - Every family will be different - and with this knowledge it will help when you begin price shopping.

Food Budget

One area to help your family budget is food. It is one area you have to spend & one area you can cut back on.

A well stocked pantry, freezer & menu planning is the secret. I hear you say all well in good if you have a well stocked pantry. I'm asked often how do I get that!

Menu plan - (will do a separate post on this)

Price book (will also do a separate post on this)

Buy in bulk (again will do a separate post)

Changes are not going to happen over night & it will take planning. But like a budget - oh soo worth it.

Areas you can save in your food budget are stop eating out, stop takeaways, take a packed lunch & take packed snacks & drinks for kids too. A flask of coffee for mum. All that is required is forward planning.

Welcome

Leanne's Back to Basics Blog was kick started by watching Jamie Oliver's Ministry of food.

I will take on his Pass it on challenge & via blogging will pass on what works for me in cooking for a family of four including cooking with severe food allergies, preserving, budgeting, menu planning, packed lunches, stockpiling, buying in bulk, vegetable gardening, raising our own chickens, raising our own sheep, keeping a home and living within your means.

I am going to try to blog basics as if the readers have limited knowledge - as Jamie says - passing it on.

Love Leanne