Mum reveals the genius ‘no spend’ budget trick that saves her HUNDREDS on grocery shopping every year
- An Australian mother has revealed why she often has ‘no spend’ weeks at home
- On these particular weeks she just uses stock from her freezer for meals
- She usually sets a $150 a week target for grocery shopping which fluctuates
- Keeping her freezer and pantry staples fully stocked helps her with ‘no spend’
A mother-of-two has incorporated ‘no spend’ weeks into her family’s life to save hundreds of dollars a year – and she’s still able to prepare three meals a day.
The woman, who is from Melbourne, Australia, keeps $150 aside for her weekly grocery shop, but when she’s feeling tired or ‘lazy’ she tries not to spend a cent.
‘There are no specific rules but the basic premise is that I use what we already have as much as possible. I usually do this when the freezer is full,’ she wrote in a Mum’s Who Facebook group.
A mother-of-two has incorporated ‘no spend’ weeks into her family’s life to save hundreds of dollars a year – and she’s still able to prepare three meals a day
Often she can see more than 20 meals worth of meat ready and waiting in the freezer.
They are purchased when there are ‘good deals’ – which for meat is at 9.45am – and she’s doing her regular weekly shop.
‘I don’t actually track my spend as I just spend from grocery account so there’s no real need to do more than check my account balance before I shop,’ she said.
‘I spent $220 last week but that doesn’t really bother me as I know I won’t do that every week.’
They are purchased when there are ‘good deals’ – which for meat is at 9.45am – and she’s doing her regular weekly shop
‘We had quite a bit of random stuff so I had a loose mental meal plan,’ she said
After a ‘big weekend’ and a general lack of motivation to shop, the Melbourne mum decided to look in the fridge to sort through any leftovers.
‘We had quite a bit of random stuff so I had a loose mental meal plan,’ she said.
Dishes included meat and vegetables, a slow cooked chicken meal, steak and vegetables and a roast lamb.
‘Another important aspect to consider is having staples,’ she said.
‘I keep my staples up to date even if I don’t think I’ll need flour one week. If it’s empty or close to, I buy it. This (along with my freezer stash) ensures I can make pretty much anything we want to eat.’
While the week is not necessarily ‘free’ – she still has to stock up on the goods throughout the year – it does ‘free up bulk amounts of money for the future’
While the week is not necessarily ‘free’ – she still has to stock up on the goods throughout the year – it does ‘free up bulk amounts of money for the future.’
Other parents were excited about the idea and commented on their own ‘no spend’ strategies.
‘I do this as well! If we do spend it’s small and usually just stocking up on what we ran out of or school snacks, maybe $50-$80 a week,’ one woman said.
‘Love it. As you say, you’ve prepped for this over time, all it takes is stellar organisation,’ said another.
A third added: ‘What a great idea and I suppose it gets easier each time’.