Beat the Budget this Winter
Beat the Budget this Winter
   | Shop Smart With the cost of living rocketing, the economy slowing down and food prices rising, the savvy cook has to be super creative. There are so many ways to beat the budget with only a little careful planning. Buying in bulk is usually a good option, but not always. Buying a pocket of potatoes might save a few rand, but it is of little use if your family is on a low-ccarb diet. Preparing certain dishes that freeze well for more than one meal at a time can save a lot on electricity and time when you need to whip up something special in no time at all. Smart shopping for the savvy cook is easy - look for specials everytime you patrol the aisles of your favourite supermarket. It is especially important on the high cost items like meat and fresh produce. There are wonderfull recipes to transform the cheapest cut of meat into something very special. Bulk packs sometimes offer very good value for money. |
For South Africans meat is usually the star dish on the menu - be it beef, lamb, pork or chicken.
Bulk packs sometimes offer very good value for money. The R/kg price is often very reasonable and the variety of cuts allows you to come up with a variety of different dishes at a reasonable price. What you save at the till has to be paid for only by your creativity - and that costs nothing at all.
BEEF: Shop around for the cheaper cuts when visiting the supermarket. Prices vary during the month and is generally cheaper towards the middle of the month. Avoid payday rushes when prices are slightly loaded.
Bulk mince is usually considerably cheaper than 500gr packs, and stewing beef if sometimes a very good buy. This is ideal for those hearty winter stews, all sorts of bredies and even for the famous Boeuf Bourguignon and Osso Buco Milanese style dishes. By cuts with a fair amount of fat - a good bredie needs some fat, that's where all the flavour is.
LAMB and MUTTON: Lamb is undoubtedly South Africa's favourite meat when it comes to a good braai, but for other dishes mutton is sometimes a better choice and a whole lot cheaper. Any recipe that asks for a long cooking time will benefit from the better flavour of mutton. By lamb or mutton in bulk packs - you will be surprised how much you can save.
PORK: Pork prices tend to remain fairly constant and you just have to know your stuff to know when it is a good buy or not. Again, buying in bulk is a far better option, and there are recipes to make the most of every bit. From a braai, a roast, grilled, crumbed or Asian style dish, pork is very versatile.
CHICKEN: This is a minefield and currently my pet hate. Don't misunderstand me, I love chicken, but South African chicken is not what it should be. Unless you buy free range and organic, the quality of these wonderful birds is far below par. Commercial broilers are slaughtered at approximately 32 days of age, are hormone treated to accelerate growth, brine injected to boost weight and flavour and really tastes of very little. I understand the whole debate about imported leg quarters, but those produced by the Dutch are fantastic, and a lot cheaper than locally produced. Free range and organic is unfortunately just too expensive for the average household.
FROZEN VEGETABLES: Once again, it really helps if you know your prices. When some brands aremoving slowly they often reduce the price to capture more market share. Although they are not always advertised as being specials, you will often find a certain brand being a lot cheaper. Price is not always an indication of quality - buy the cheapest brand in the frozen section - unless you have had a bad experience with a certain brand, chances are the quality is as good as the next.
Bulk packs sometimes offer very good value for money. The R/kg price is often very reasonable and the variety of cuts allows you to come up with a variety of different dishes at a reasonable price. What you save at the till has to be paid for only by your creativity - and that costs nothing at all.
BEEF: Shop around for the cheaper cuts when visiting the supermarket. Prices vary during the month and is generally cheaper towards the middle of the month. Avoid payday rushes when prices are slightly loaded.
Bulk mince is usually considerably cheaper than 500gr packs, and stewing beef if sometimes a very good buy. This is ideal for those hearty winter stews, all sorts of bredies and even for the famous Boeuf Bourguignon and Osso Buco Milanese style dishes. By cuts with a fair amount of fat - a good bredie needs some fat, that's where all the flavour is.
LAMB and MUTTON: Lamb is undoubtedly South Africa's favourite meat when it comes to a good braai, but for other dishes mutton is sometimes a better choice and a whole lot cheaper. Any recipe that asks for a long cooking time will benefit from the better flavour of mutton. By lamb or mutton in bulk packs - you will be surprised how much you can save.
PORK: Pork prices tend to remain fairly constant and you just have to know your stuff to know when it is a good buy or not. Again, buying in bulk is a far better option, and there are recipes to make the most of every bit. From a braai, a roast, grilled, crumbed or Asian style dish, pork is very versatile.
CHICKEN: This is a minefield and currently my pet hate. Don't misunderstand me, I love chicken, but South African chicken is not what it should be. Unless you buy free range and organic, the quality of these wonderful birds is far below par. Commercial broilers are slaughtered at approximately 32 days of age, are hormone treated to accelerate growth, brine injected to boost weight and flavour and really tastes of very little. I understand the whole debate about imported leg quarters, but those produced by the Dutch are fantastic, and a lot cheaper than locally produced. Free range and organic is unfortunately just too expensive for the average household.
FROZEN VEGETABLES: Once again, it really helps if you know your prices. When some brands aremoving slowly they often reduce the price to capture more market share. Although they are not always advertised as being specials, you will often find a certain brand being a lot cheaper. Price is not always an indication of quality - buy the cheapest brand in the frozen section - unless you have had a bad experience with a certain brand, chances are the quality is as good as the next.
   | CHICKEN: This is a minefield and currently my pet hate. Don't misunderstand me, I love chicken, but South African chicken is not what it should be. Unless you buy free range and organic, the quality of these wonderful birds is far below par. Commercial broilers are slaughtered at approximately 32 days of age, are hormone treated to accelerate growth, brine injected to boost weight and flavour and really tastes of very little. I understand the whole debate about imported leg quarters, but those produced by the Dutch are fantastic, and a lot cheaper than locally produced. Free range and organic is unfortunately just too expensive for the average household. FRESH PRODUCE & FROZEN VEGETABLES: Once again, it really helps if you know your prices. When some brands are moving slowly they often reduce the price to capture more market share. Although they are not always advertised as being specials, you will often find a certain brand being a lot cheaper. Price is not always an indication of quality - buy the cheapest brand in the frozen section - unless you have had a bad experience with a certain brand, chances are the quality is as good as the next. |
A good rule is to go to the supermarket at mid month and buy whatever is the cheapest - prices are generally a lot higher between payday and the end of the month. Buy the specials and work your menu around them. When shopping for a special occasion you have to buy what you want for your menu, but for everyday cooking it is better to plan your menu around what is cheapest and usually in season.