With inflation at its highest, and the economy going bonkers, it can be challenging to put food on your table without breaking the bank. More importantly manage a household. Its’ not an easy task, but trust me, planning and thinking ahead saves a lot of time and money. Firstly, we assess which store gives us the best value for money. It Naheed Super Market? Or Imtiaz Supermarket? Or kiryana (local shops) stores? Where can we find the best fruits and vegetables? The best quality of rice? Personally for me, best way to shop for groceries, fresh fruit and vegetables, spices have always been Empress Market. Not only you get freshest of fresh produce, but in insanely good prices.
First step to budgeting is realizing what is consuming most of your income, and how can we cut down on that. Talking particularly about kitchen here, buying in bulk is a common practice to cut down on costs. All that which can be bought before hand like meat, chicken, rice, dry grocery items, can be bought in bulk. Also saves time by saving you a monthly trip to the grocery store. One tip, which may sound too naïve, but is practical and actually works is meal-planning. Plan your meals for the week or two, jot down all that you need and STICK, I repeat, stick to that list to avoid impulsive buys. It ensures you don’t wander off of your budget. Avoid over-spending pitfalls by shopping when you are satiated. Empty-stomach leads to splurging on pre-made meals or a trip down the desserts aisle! You end up buying more when you are feeling hungry! Embrace meatless days by skipping meat for 2 or 3 days a week and substituting with another protein. Lentils, beans, vegetables are a great alternative to meat having more fiber and nutrients. Freezing and preserving: Sometimes some seasonal vegetables are a bargain and way more less than off season. These veggies like tomatoes, can be bought together and saved for future use. Specially in our country, the price of tomatoes can go up to rs.400 a kilo. When tomatoes are cheap, buy in bulk, make a puree out of them and freeze in batches. You can also blanch and freeze your vegetables as well; like cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, and beans. Acquaint yourself with your food’s shelf life: You can preserve onions by slicing and frying them. Once browned and cooled properly, they can last up to a month in your pantry. Switch to homemade yogurt. Making it at home is super easy. You just need to practice a couple of times. While a kilo of yogurt is for rs.260 in the market, you can make it at home for as low as rs.180 a kilo. Surplus yogurt can also be frozen and easily be substituted for tomatoes in our traditional gravies. Make an extra portion: Whenever cooking a meal, cook a little extra and freeze for days when you don’t feel like cooking or are suddenly out of stuff to make! One can also opt for making an onion and tomato base, (our desi necessity) in substance and freeze in ice cube trays or portions for quick cooking. Have a leftover day! You might be hearing this for the first time, but make one day of the week a leftover day where you re-heat all your leftovers and finish all those tidbits. You can easily turn leftover saalan (curry) into pulao by just adding rice, leftover chicken into sandwiches or wraps!
All of these tips are tried and tested, and are very convenient to practice also. It’s all about managing your time and realizing your priorities.