These days, we don't have to go out and hunt bison or gather berries like our forefathers, but the hunter-gatherer mentality is still deeply rooted in us.
Coming back from town with a Wii may have replaced dragging a bleeding stag back to the homestead, but there's the same sense of triumph and pride in having accomplished our mission. And although we don't gather free berries from the hedgerows, we still like to feel we're getting more than we paid for. Yes, everyone loves a bargain, especially in these days when so many of us are feeling the effects of the credit crunch. It's important to find ways of making our money stretch further so we can pay all our bills and have a bit left over for some fun.
So here are a few of my bargain-hunting secrets and some ideas on how to make the most of your money when you're shopping for food.
Thrifty Food Shopping
Buy Only What You Need - Lists, Lists, Lists!
You will save a lot of money if you buy only what you really need rather than just strolling round the supermarket filling your trolley with anything that takes your fancy. Having a list makes you less likely to overbuy, as well as making sure you don't have to keep going back to the shops for items you've forgotten.
Keep a shopping pad handy and jot down things during the week as you run out of them. Make a list for yourself of meals that you and the family are going to need during the week. There's no point in cramming your fridge with eight days' worth of meals if you're going to be eating out three times that week. 'Best Before' or "Use By"?
There has been a furore in the British press about the amount of food that families waste by throwing away food that is still perfectly edible. The Cabinet Office has estimated that the average family in this country wastes £8 worth of food a week. That's £416 a year!
It points out that if an item has reached its "best before" date, it doesn't need to be chucked. It's still perfectly safe to eat, even though may not be in its peak condition. It's still worth paying attention to "use by" labels, though, for the sake of food safety.
So think carefully before you throw out those left-over yoghurts. Are they really not fit to eat? If you keep throwing out the same items week after week, adjust your shopping list so that you don't keep buying too many. Use What You Have in Your Fridge, Freezer or Store Cupboards
Before you buy any new food, have a look and see if you can use some of the food you already have in the house. For example, if you have a couple of eggs, you could hard-boil them, stir in some mayonnaise and make your own egg mayonnaise sandwiches. It only takes a few minutes, and your sandwiches will be every bit as delicious as ready-made sandwiches or cartons of deli sandwich fillings for a fraction of the price.
Tinned tuna with a little mayonnaise mixed in makes a lovely topping for baked potatoes or sandwich filling as well as being extremely cheap. I find that tuna tinned in spring water gives the best results as it's lighter than the ones canned in oil. Cook it Yourself
This leads me to the next point. You can easily waste a fortune on restaurant meals, take-aways and pre-packed ready meals. I used to regularly buy a simple microwave meal for one (meat with potatoes and vegetables) from M & S till I realised that it was costing me £4.50 every time.
Cooking your own food will be better for your blood pressure, more satisfying to your taste buds, and far cheaper. You don't need to spend hours and hours cooking. There are plenty of recipe books for very quick and easy meals, even if you are only cooking for one person.
My favourites include Quick and Easy Cooking for One by Molly Perham, Vegan Cooking for One by Leah Leneman (you can mutiply the quantities if there are more of you) and Cooking in a Bedsitter by Katharine Whitehorn.
If you feel you don't know how to cook, why not sign up for some cookery classes. You'll soon recoup the cost of the lessons by the money you'll save - and you may well make some new friends in the process. Shop at the Cheapest Place First
If you like to do your weekly shop at the more expensive supermarkets like Waitrose and Sainsbury's because they have a large selection, you can still use them for some things but buy many items much cheaper somewhere else first.
Lidl, Netto and Aldi are no-frills foreign supermarkets which are extremely cheap. If you go there first, you will save quite a lot of money on basics, then be able to buy anything more specialised from your usual supermarket. They sell a lot of foreign brands, but many of them are extremely good quality as well as being far cheaper.
My family love the Bixies Swiss Style Muesli from Lidl, which lasts twice as long as the same size of box of muesli from British supermarkets. Lidl's jams and honey are also delicious and extremely cheap. And they often have bargains such as a giant sized jar of British brand named instant coffee for around the same price as you'd pay for a small jar elsewhere.
If you are going to these discount supermarkets, check first whether you will need to pay cash under a certain amount, and make sure you take your own carrier bags with you. Buy Seasonal Food
Fruit and vegetables grown in your own country in season are usually cheapest and taste better than ones that have been flown halfway round the world and are better for the environment too.
Restaurants maximise their profits by using ingredients that are plentiful and good value for their "specials" menus. With a little bit of thought and practise, we could do that too. Multi-Buy Non-Perishables and Staples
When you're doing your food shopping, you can save quite a bit by choosing "Buy one, get one free" or "Three for the price of two offers", especially on items that will last like toilet rolls and tinned foods.
It's a good idea to check the price per unit though, which is often in small print at the bottom of the shelf labels as a very large packet is not the always the cheapest option. Don't Let Multi-Buy Treats Tempt You to Multi-Eat
Unless you and your family are extremely self-disciplined, avoid buying multi-packs of treats like treats like sweets and chocolate biscuits or you may well end up eating twice as many! Have a Meat-Free Day
My family was getting fed up with the usual Sunday roast and two veg, so we decided to have a meat-free Sunday lunch. It gives us a chance to try out some delicious vegetarian recipes and these are usually far cheaper than a joint of meat - and healthier too!
So there you are! You can slash your food budget but still enjoy your meals. All it takes is a little bit of forethought. Happy shopping and bon appétit!
