13 Realistic Frugal Tricks to Stretch Your Grocery Budget
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Discover 13 realistic frugal tricks to stretch your grocery budget (without taking up too much time). Save money with smart storage hacks, planning tips, and leftover ideas.

With the cost of groceries going up and up, there’s never been a better time to make every dollar count.
There’s a lot you can do to drastically lower your grocery spending, but if you’re looking to cut costs without turning to an all-ramen diet or trad-wife-ing (can I make that a verb?) your way to sourdough and homemade mozzarella, then these everyday, realistic tips can help you stretch your grocery budget while fitting your busy lifestyle.
Whether it’s shopping smarter, getting creative with leftovers, or finding simple swaps that add up to big savings, these hacks will help you eat well while spending less.
Make the Most of Your Freezer
When it comes to saving money on food, your freezer is your friend. Even if you have a tiny box freezer above the fridge like we do, freezing what you can helps to avoid waste, especially if you bulk buy.
1. Freeze raw meat in meal-size portions
I know someone who throws out half a tray of meat because they only needed a portion. Over time, that adds up to a lot of wasted food, and a lot of wasted money.
Buying meat in bulk can be a great way to save if you portion the meat and freeze it. You can also go one step further and pre-cut meat before freezing for quick and easy stir fries or curries, saving time on busy nights without the added expense of buying it already cut.
Freeze portions in a labelled freezer bag, removing excess air, for up to three months.
2. Freeze cooked meat in meal-size portions
Cooking in bulk and freezing portions of cooked meat is a lifesaver on busy weeknights. Whether it’s shredded chicken for tacos or pasta, ground beef for spaghetti, or pulled pork, having pre-cooked meat in the freezer makes life easier.
After cooking meat, remove from the bone if applicable, portion, and freeze in a labelled freezer bag for up to three months. Thaw and reheat to 75°C before eating or add to your pasta dish etc.
3. Shred your own cheese and freeze
Cheese is expensive and the pre-shredded option can be even more pricey. By grating your own cheese, you can save 26% or more than buying the pre-shredded cheese (based on the cheapest block of tasty cheese at Woolworths compared to the cheapest bag of pre-grated cheese in Jan 2025).
To save, buy a block, grate the cheese yourself (quick in the food processor if you have one, and freeze in portioned bags. It thaws quickly and is perfect for adding to cheese sauce (think mac and cheese) sprinkling over pizza, pasta, or casserole.
4. Freeze fruit for smoothies or make your own smoothie packs
Instead of letting fruit go to waste, slice and freeze ripe bananas, berries, and other fruits for easy smoothie prep. You can even create custom smoothie packs by portioning fruit, yogurt, and greens into freezer bags—just add to a blender with liquid for a nutritious, budget-friendly breakfast or snack.
Bacon is a great staple to have on hand in the freezer, frozen in 2-4 rasher portions. It’s quick to defrost, easy to cook, and adds flavour to many easy dishes like pasta, pizza, fried rice, salads, and omelette, to name a few.
5. Big batch and freeze
Cooking in bulk and freezing meals or parts of meals can save both time and money. On busy weeknights, when you’re tired and takeaway is calling, it’s much easier to pull something out of the freezer that just needs reheating.
Meals like soup, stews, and pasta sauce can be doubled or tripled and then portioned into meal-size containers for quick, stress-free dinners.
One option is to spend a few hours prepping and/or cooking meals to fill your freezer. The Batch Lady cookbooks are awesome for ideas (I have her Grab and Cook cookbook), but there are also a ton of cook and freeze recipes on Pinterest and Insta.
Or you can make double batches of your regular meals (my preferred method) and freeze half, saving time and effort (and washing up)!
6. Freezing premade snacks and breakfast
As well as meals, you can also freeze snacks. Think cookies or cookie dough, muffins, or even homemade hummus.
Why?
Homemade snacks are often cheaper (and healthier) than store-bought ones, but they’re not as convenient as cracking open a pack of crisps.
Having some portioned and frozen snacks on hand gives you some easy grab-and-go snacks. I keep an eye out for when small reusable containers go half-price. These are great for portioned snacks.
Bread is another great candidate for freezing, especially if you’re throwing out half a stale or mouldy loaf each week. While it may not be as good as fresh bread, it’s perfect for toasties, breadcrumbs, or quick breakfasts!
Clever Cooking and Kitchen Tricks
Saving money in the kitchen isn’t just about buying cheaper ingredients—it’s about making the most of what you have and getting creative with your meals.
7. Frugal-fy Your Meals with Smart Subs
When ingredients get too expensive or run out, these smart swaps can help you save money while keeping meals delicious and satisfying:
- Meat swaps: Replace expensive cuts with budget-friendly options like chicken thighs instead of breasts, or forgo the meat altogether and swap with tofu or beans..
- Pantry staples over fresh: Use dried or powdered versions of onions, garlic, and herbs to replace fresh ingredients and avoid waste.
- Dairy alternatives: Swap sour cream or heavy cream with plain yogurt, and use evaporated milk as a budget-friendly milk substitute.
- Shelf-stable veggies: Frozen or canned vegetables work well in soups and casseroles and often cost less than fresh.
- Baking hacks: Replace eggs with mashed bananas or applesauce, and make DIY buttermilk by adding lemon juice or vinegar to regular milk.
8. More Meal with Bulking
Stretching meals doesn’t mean sacrificing taste—budget-friendly fillers can make ingredients go further without anyone noticing (too much).
Rice is one of the cheapest and most versatile staples, perfect for bulking up curries, casseroles, burritos, and soups without compromising flavour.
But rice isn’t the only option!
Other great fillers include chickpeas, lentils, potatoes, pasta, and even oats. These affordable staples can be added to soups, stews, burgers, rissoles, and even smoothies to stretch ingredients, boost fibre, and create hearty, satisfying meals—all while keeping your grocery bill in check.
Stretch meal ideas:
9. Plan for Leftovers
The most expensive food is the food that gets thrown away! I love leftovers. I’m sitting here eating last night’s stir fry while I type. A healthy lunch in moments—what’s not to love?!
Get the most out of your meals by planning for leftovers. Add a few extra veggies and a bit of extra rice to stretch the meal, then set some leftovers aside before you sit down to eat.
You can then take these leftovers to work for lunch or freeze them in portion sizes for easy future meals when you’re short on time. Store leftovers in clear containers so you can easily see what needs to be eaten first, and when freezing, don’t forget to label your containers!
You can also reinvent ‘ingredient’ leftovers into a totally new meal. For example, leftover roast chicken can go in a sandwich, pasta sauce, rice, or pie—lots of different options.
I love leftover potato or roast veg with an egg for breakfast—a super easy egg and hash or egg and bubble and squeak.
Ideas for leftovers:
10. Revive Limp (But Not Mouldy) Food
Just because food isn’t at its freshest doesn’t mean it’s destined for the bin. With a little know-how, you can bring day-old bread and tired veggies back to life, saving money and reducing waste.
Discounted bread and bread rolls can be revived by splashing them with a sprinkle of water, wrapping them in foil or baking paper, and warming them in the oven or air fryer for a few minutes. I learned this hak when volunteering in our school tuckshop, and they came out almost better than freshly baked!
Alternatively, you can pop them in the microwave for about 10 seconds to soften.
Reviving limp vegetables also involves water. Limp veg can regain their crispness by trimming the ends and placing them in water. After a few minutes to a few hours in the fridge, they will be fresh and ready to use again.
I have a whole article on reviving different vegetables for further details.
To prevent them from going limp in the first place, only purchase what you can eat in a week, and store it optimally (and yep, I’ve got a whole post on storing veg as well!).
11. DIY What is Practical
Making your own staples at home can cut grocery costs. But the heading is ‘DIY what is practical’ for a reason. If you’re super busy, it’s not always practical to be making your own bread every other day.
Some practical DIY options include:
- Quick damper bread
- Scones
- Pancakes from scratch
- Quick salad dressings
- Dips
- Marinades
- Stir fry sauce ← , a favourite stir fry sauce from RecipeTin Eats to keep in the fridge
- Some spice mixes
Dried beans are another frugal staple worth preparing yourself—soaking and cooking them in bulk is much cheaper than buying canned versions, and they freeze well for future meals.
Yoghurt is fairly easy to make overnight, especially if you have an Easio maker.
But by far, my favourite DIY staple is stock or broth. It’s easy to make from kitchen scraps and/or roast meat bones in the slow cooker. The hands-on time is minimal, but the savings can be huge!
Smart Planning and Shopping
Smart grocery shopping starts before you even step foot in the store. By planning your meals, making the most of what’s already in your kitchen, and using a few savvy shopping tricks, you can cut costs without compromising on variety.
12. Meal Planning Hacks
If you’ve read my blog before, you’ll probably know I’m a big fan of meal planning. I just function better if I think about the entire week’s dinner all at once.
To get the most savings from your meal planning, here are some tried-and-true tips that work for me:
- Shop from your pantry and fridge first. That way, you can plan meals around what needs to be used up before it goes bad. Don’t just think of meals; you could make some muffins for kids’ lunchboxes to use up leftover sour cream, for example.
- Organise your fridge with an ‘eat first’ section for items nearing expiration date so that nothing goes to waste. This includes pulling out any vegetables hiding at the bottom of the crisper drawer. Regularly auditing your fridge and pantry helps you stay on top of what’s available.
- Plan your meals around weekly store specials as well as what’s on hand to maximise savings.
My current meal-planning routine: On Monday evening, I audit the fridge and pantry and start writing the week’s meal plan, putting any staples needed directly into the online grocery shopping app. Then, I check the Monday evening sneak peek of next week’s specials catalogue and plan some more around what’s on special. That’s the plan done, but on Wednesday morning, I browse the half-price items to check if there’s anything we need or regularly buy that is half-price.
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13. Grocery Shopping Tricks
A little strategy goes a long way when it comes to saving money at the grocery store.
If you have the time, one tip is to check out different stores, such as Asian grocers, farmers’ markets, or discount retailers (like the Reject Shop). This can help you find better prices on staples and specialty items.
Another tip is to watch for markdowns on items close to their expiry date and freezer for later. I like to add a label telling us how many days we have to eat it after defrosting. For example, if the food is two days before expiry, we make sure to eat it within a day.
Many cashback apps offer rebates on everyday purchases, even for grocery shopping (although it’s not much for groceries). I’ve been using Cashrewards for the past several years. I don’t shop much, but I have gotten several hundred dollars back in rebates.
Finally, comparing unit pricing versus cost pricing is another key trick—bigger packages often offer better value, but always compare the unit cost to be sure you’re getting the best deal.
Being frugal with your grocery budget doesn’t have to feel restrictive or overwhelming. By planning ahead, making simple swaps, and getting creative with what you already have, you can save a packet without being too restrictive.
Do you have any favourite frugal food hacks? Share them in the comments below and let’s swap ideas for saving money while enjoying great meals.