Ever since we were featured on Sunday Times, many have asked how we keep our grocery bill to just $150/week. We used to be able to keep it down to $120/week till all the various food items rose in price. But do bear in mind it is an average. Some months are higher, some lower.
What does our bill include?
It includes all food items, as well as toiletries (soap, shampoo, toothpaste, etc.), diapers and household items (detergent, dishwashing liquid, batteries, etc.) So this means that on certain months, our bill does go up to $170-$190/week, depending on whether we are stocking up on sale items or not.
Generally, the children and I eat most of the 3 main meals and afternoon snacks at home, except on Sundays and some Saturdays. Dh is the only one who eats most of his lunches out.
And do note that the average of $150/week does not include takeways or orders from MacDonald’s when mom is too lazy or sick to cook 
Also, I forsee the bill creeping higher as the children hit puberty one-by-one!
Supermarket or wet market?
It used to be that the wet markets offered a better deal. But with supermarkets growing in size and popularity and therefore being able to make full use of economies of scale to bring down their prices, I have switched to buying most of my groceries from NTUC.
But I must say that I much prefer buying my fish and fresh noodles from the wet market!
So how?
a) Menu Plan
You must have heard this a thousand times. The best way to manage your grocery bill is to plan your meals – every single one of them. If you know what you are going to cook, you’ll know what to buy and how much to buy. Otherwise, you end up with a lot of wastage.
See So What Is For Dinner?
*Disclaimer – I have stopped all meal planning since I was 5 weeks pregnant. I cook what I think I can stomach without feeling nauseous. I am sure you can understand that!
Now, menu planning does not mean you are stuck eating the same food day in, day out. But it means that you will have a repertoire of meals you can count on to be available throughout the week. And you don’t have to keep running to the supermarket to get what you don’t have in your pantry.
For more on menu planning, you can google for various websites and blogs to help you along.
b) Eat simply
Unlike most Chinese families who eat 2 – 3 dishes plus a soup at each meal, we have only 1 meat/fish dish and a vegetable dish and rice for lunch and dinner. Sometimes for lunch, we only have 1 meat dish and porridge.
More importantly than cutting down on our grocery bill, this helps cut down the time I spend on food preparation and cooking. I can’t be spending hours preparing and cooking every single meal.
c) Buy what’s on offer
In Singapore, very few places allow you to buy fresh food in bulk. Most/all (?) supermarkets cater to the 2-child family so portions are usually very small. So the way to save is to buy what’s on offer, if possible.
With regards to toiletries, I buy in bulk when I see stuff like diapers, toilet paper, shampoo on offer. And of course, buying the re-fill packs is cheaper than buying it by the bottle.
d) Buy frozen food
Yes, the gourmet cooks amongst you will shudder But honestly, I don’t taste the difference when used in appropriate dishes. I don’t use them for making soups as I find frozen meat not as flavourful as fresh ones. But if I am stewing or braising the meat, frozen works just as well. But I must say, some brands are tastier and juicier than others. You’ll have to experiment to find which ones suit your family.
e) Choose less expensive meats/cuts
Yes, this means we eat more of the “common variety” chicken and pork rather than beef and fish. We still have them but not every week and certainly not every day.
The cut of meat also affects its pricing. Chicken breast meat is cheaper than chicken thighs. Minced pork is cheaper than pork fillet.
Again, I am not saying we don’t ever buy the more expensive cuts of meat but just less often.
f) Eat your leftovers
if you’d planned your meals well one shouldn’t have any leftovers to deal with. Unless one deliberately cooked in excess to freeze the leftovers for another meal.
If there should be leftovers, don’t throw them away! Try to re-use it. Eg. leftover rice can be accumulated and voila! morph into fried rice. Leftover chicken? Shred it and use it in your noodles or porride. Get creative!
g) Buy what’s in season
This refers more to fruits than meats. You do realise that while many fruits are available all year round, their prices are not the same all year round? If it is not the usual season for that particular fruit, prices would soar. So we don’t buy then.
We also try to buy what’s native to the region rather than your exotic fruits. So we buy papaya and water melon versus strawberries and cherries.
h) Little or no organic food
Although I know health benefits of eating organic, my practical side rules. Organic meat is definitely out though I haven’t tried the much touted Sakura chicken (no antibiotics!). Some organic vegetables occasionally appear on our table.
Now if we had special health needs, I may then have to tweak this.
h) Drink Water
We are not a milk drinking family. Neither are we a juice drinking family. Everyone drinks water. Water after meals, water in between meals. The baby drinks breastmilk exclusively. And when she weans, she eats and drinks what we eat and drink.
Dh is the only one who drinks flavoured drinks – he can’t do without his Ribena and morning coffee.
We invested in a water filter three years ago so we also save on not needing to boil our water And the water does taste fresher.
i) Snack less
Or don’t snack at all, if possible! Not only is it a great way to lose/maintain mom’s weight, 
it’s also healthier for all. Well, unless you are snacking on healthy snacks like fruits.
j) Cloth diapering
I cloth diapered child #2 to #5. By then, the cost of a disposable diaper dropped from 50cents to barely 20cents per piece. So we went with disposables for child #6! Cloth diapering did save us money (and saved the environment) since we used it for so many of them but it was also a commitment to keep on using them especially when one was pregnant and had to spray off a toddler’s poo!
I hope by sharing these tips, you will be able to see how you too, can spend less on your groceries. But please, please note : do NOT compromise on your health just to save a few dollars here and there.
For more on frugal living, check out Being Frugal and Dealing with rising costs that I wrote some time back.
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For my personal musings, visit Building An Ark in Singapore
