​

We all know these are tough times and every little saving we make counts.

One Melbourne couple is tackling rising prices head-on and they have all the top tips so you can too.

Jason and Kim Ch'ng have been married for 15 years and have two children – Felicia, 11, and Xavier, 7. Since their mortgage costs have gone up by $400 to $500 a month, having to watch their budget closely has become a necessity. Thankfully, Jason – who admits he's been 'pretty terrible' with money in the past – has managed to get the family's grocery spend all the way down to an impressive $150 per week.

‘ALDI dad’ Jason shares his top tips for saving on your weekly shop. Image Credit: Shutterstock

So, how did he manage this? Jason says it all comes down to three major changes.

Firstly, the family switched up their shopping habits and started purchasing most of their items from ALDI. As an added convenience, they still occasionally drop into either Coles or Woolies.

‘We used to shop at Coles and Woolies, but since mid-last-year, we've started shopping at ALDI and now it is predominantly ALDI,’ he says.
‘Sometimes we'll drop into Coles or Woolies just for convenience because it's a bit closer to home for milk or eggs.’

The second adjustment was the way Jason was purchasing – avoiding so-called 'Special Buys' from their ALDI and only opting for a treat every other month or so.

Unfortunately, that means avoiding the beloved ALDI middle aisle!

The final change Jason made was one he picked up from his parents – he pays close attention to the 'specials' catalogue each week and stays on the lookout for discounts and offers.

‘They would look for those specials and I think, in a way, I've borrowed some of those habits when I go shopping, looking at the specials catalogues and trying to keep the menu fresh at home,’ he said.

As for what they eat, Jason isn't afraid to get creative in the kitchen and whip up something different using the pressure cooker. He saves a larger batch of dinner leftovers and his wife will bring them to work the next day for lunch.

This is in addition to using affordable staples like pasta and rice, and planning meals accordingly, of course!

‘We try and get some frozen items to keep costs lower, and the kids love chicken quesadillas in the sandwich press for lunch. They are so good.’

‘Each week without fail we'll buy pasta, bread from the bakery, frozen vegetables for fried rice, milk and cheese.’

Key Takeaways

• A Melbourne couple, Jason and Kim Ch'ng, managed to reduce their weekly grocery budget to $150 for their family of four.
  
• They shifted from shopping at Coles and Woolworths to predominantly ALDI, adjusted to new brands, and avoided impulse purchases.
• The family carefully plans their meals using affordable staples like pasta and rice, and they buy in bulk.
• The couple has also started cooking bigger dinner portions to have leftovers for lunch.

Are you looking for ways to save on your grocery shop too? Why not give some of Jason's financial-savvy tips a try?

Let us know if you have any success using these tips, or if you have any expert shopping tips of your own.

 

[Suzanne rose]

Isn't this what most of us do.

I have for years shopped from the sales especially the 50 % off items . Like I have said before I stock up on things like washing detergent, dish washing detergent ect when on sale I only buy when it us 50 % off.

I try to plan the weeks meals , this not only saves money but relieves the stress of what's for dinner.

I will make meals which can turn into 2 meals eg meatballs served with vegies day one and day 2 pasta making a sauce using the meatballs.

Or if I make a roast either lamb or beef I will use leftover meat the next day in a sauce for pasta. I have even made pizza day 2 and used leftover meat.

Also never go grocery shopping when hungry otherwise you will buy more than you need.

Research and look for budget recipes , you will be surprised at the variety of yummy recipes on a budget. I know I have added some great budget recipes in the cooking / recipe forum

 

[Lizzylou]

I never go shopping until I have looked through the catalogues for Coles and Woolies. I will go for the 2 for 5 dollars so I can have something for the following week, particularly if its a short week for us. I also never go shopping when I am hungry and I have a shopping list, which is usually kept to unless there is something we have forgotten to put on the list or is it something that is on special that we can stock up on like washing up liquid etc.

 

[IAN3005]

I have got the household budget by the horns and got the cost of feeding two people to $2.00 or less..... we don't eat lavishly but well. No packaged foods, they are poisonous and expensive.
For the last 2 years I have kept a spreadsheet of ALL the costs and compared prices... many have gone up between 26% and 75%
the cost of living is nothing short of extortionate.

 

[IAN3005]

I never go shopping until I have looked through the catalogues for Coles and Woolies. I will go for the 2 for 5 dollars so I can have something for the following week, particularly if its a short week for us. I also never go shopping when I am hungry and I have a shopping list, which is usually kept to unless there is something we have forgotten to put on the list or is it something that is on special that we can stock up on like washing up liquid etc.

don't be fooled by the 50% off... I too go through the catalogues and second the pricing of Colrs, Woolies, IGA and Aldi.... you will find the 50% off is a scam.. the advertised price is the REAL price.
I have not shopped at Cole or Wooles for close to 3 years. They are appeasers.....

 

[Pommyoz]

They are very lucky to pay 500 A MONTH, goodness me, what a steal.

 

[Suzanne rose]

don't be fooled by the 50% off... I too go through the catalogues and second the pricing of Colrs, Woolies, IGA and Aldi.... you will find the 50% off is a scam.. the advertised price is the REAL price.
I have not shopped at Cole or Wooles for close to 3 years. They are appeasers.....

If you look the next week you will see the 50 % off item will be double the price or if you go to another supermarket you will see it's double.
So how is the 50% off the normal price

 

[Nana Zorak]

​

We all know these are tough times and every little saving we make counts.

One Melbourne couple is tackling rising prices head-on and they have all the top tips so you can too.

Jason and Kim Ch'ng have been married for 15 years and have two children – Felicia, 11, and Xavier, 7. Since their mortgage costs have gone up by $400 to $500 a month, having to watch their budget closely has become a necessity. Thankfully, Jason – who admits he's been 'pretty terrible' with money in the past – has managed to get the family's grocery spend all the way down to an impressive $150 per week.

View attachment 18905

‘ALDI dad’ Jason shares his top tips for saving on your weekly shop. Image Credit: Shutterstock

So, how did he manage this? Jason says it all comes down to three major changes.

Firstly, the family switched up their shopping habits and started purchasing most of their items from ALDI. As an added convenience, they still occasionally drop into either Coles or Woolies.

‘We used to shop at Coles and Woolies, but since mid-last-year, we've started shopping at ALDI and now it is predominantly ALDI,’ he says.
‘Sometimes we'll drop into Coles or Woolies just for convenience because it's a bit closer to home for milk or eggs.’

The second adjustment was the way Jason was purchasing – avoiding so-called 'Special Buys' from their ALDI and only opting for a treat every other month or so.

Unfortunately, that means avoiding the beloved ALDI middle aisle!

The final change Jason made was one he picked up from his parents – he pays close attention to the 'specials' catalogue each week and stays on the lookout for discounts and offers.

‘They would look for those specials and I think, in a way, I've borrowed some of those habits when I go shopping, looking at the specials catalogues and trying to keep the menu fresh at home,’ he said.

As for what they eat, Jason isn't afraid to get creative in the kitchen and whip up something different using the pressure cooker. He saves a larger batch of dinner leftovers and his wife will bring them to work the next day for lunch.

This is in addition to using affordable staples like pasta and rice, and planning meals accordingly, of course!

‘We try and get some frozen items to keep costs lower, and the kids love chicken quesadillas in the sandwich press for lunch. They are so good.’

‘Each week without fail we'll buy pasta, bread from the bakery, frozen vegetables for fried rice, milk and cheese.’

Key Takeaways

• A Melbourne couple, Jason and Kim Ch'ng, managed to reduce their weekly grocery budget to $150 for their family of four.
• They shifted from shopping at Coles and Woolworths to predominantly ALDI, adjusted to new brands, and avoided impulse purchases.
• The family carefully plans their meals using affordable staples like pasta and rice, and they buy in bulk.
• The couple has also started cooking bigger dinner portions to have leftovers for lunch.

Are you looking for ways to save on your grocery shop too? Why not give some of Jason's financial-savvy tips a try?

Let us know if you have any success using these tips, or if you have any expert shopping tips of your own.

As I don't eat rice or pasta UCK. This wouldn't work for my household. At my age, I feel that if I don't like it why eat it? I sometimes go without lunch or dinner just because I am not hungry. Though never on the same day I like Chicken & never knock that back same with roast meat & roast veggies.

 

[Jarred Santos]

Isn't this what most of us do.

I have for years shopped from the sales especially the 50 % off items . Like I have said before I stock up on things like washing detergent, dish washing detergent ect when on sale I only buy when it us 50 % off.

I try to plan the weeks meals , this not only saves money but relieves the stress of what's for dinner.

I will make meals which can turn into 2 meals eg meatballs served with vegies day one and day 2 pasta making a sauce using the meatballs.

Or if I make a roast either lamb or beef I will use leftover meat the next day in a sauce for pasta. I have even made pizza day 2 and used leftover meat.

Also never go grocery shopping when hungry otherwise you will buy more than you need.

Research and look for budget recipes , you will be surprised at the variety of yummy recipes on a budget. I know I have added some great budget recipes in the cooking / recipe forum

For anyone who wants to check out some recipes (including @Suzanne rose's delicious ones!) https://seniorsdiscountclub.com.au/forums/cooking-recipes.23/

 

[Cheezil]

​

We all know these are tough times and every little saving we make counts.

One Melbourne couple is tackling rising prices head-on and they have all the top tips so you can too.

Jason and Kim Ch'ng have been married for 15 years and have two children – Felicia, 11, and Xavier, 7. Since their mortgage costs have gone up by $400 to $500 a month, having to watch their budget closely has become a necessity. Thankfully, Jason – who admits he's been 'pretty terrible' with money in the past – has managed to get the family's grocery spend all the way down to an impressive $150 per week.

View attachment 18905

‘ALDI dad’ Jason shares his top tips for saving on your weekly shop. Image Credit: Shutterstock

So, how did he manage this? Jason says it all comes down to three major changes.

Firstly, the family switched up their shopping habits and started purchasing most of their items from ALDI. As an added convenience, they still occasionally drop into either Coles or Woolies.

‘We used to shop at Coles and Woolies, but since mid-last-year, we've started shopping at ALDI and now it is predominantly ALDI,’ he says.
‘Sometimes we'll drop into Coles or Woolies just for convenience because it's a bit closer to home for milk or eggs.’

The second adjustment was the way Jason was purchasing – avoiding so-called 'Special Buys' from their ALDI and only opting for a treat every other month or so.

Unfortunately, that means avoiding the beloved ALDI middle aisle!

The final change Jason made was one he picked up from his parents – he pays close attention to the 'specials' catalogue each week and stays on the lookout for discounts and offers.

‘They would look for those specials and I think, in a way, I've borrowed some of those habits when I go shopping, looking at the specials catalogues and trying to keep the menu fresh at home,’ he said.

As for what they eat, Jason isn't afraid to get creative in the kitchen and whip up something different using the pressure cooker. He saves a larger batch of dinner leftovers and his wife will bring them to work the next day for lunch.

This is in addition to using affordable staples like pasta and rice, and planning meals accordingly, of course!

‘We try and get some frozen items to keep costs lower, and the kids love chicken quesadillas in the sandwich press for lunch. They are so good.’

‘Each week without fail we'll buy pasta, bread from the bakery, frozen vegetables for fried rice, milk and cheese.’

Key Takeaways

• A Melbourne couple, Jason and Kim Ch'ng, managed to reduce their weekly grocery budget to $150 for their family of four.
• They shifted from shopping at Coles and Woolworths to predominantly ALDI, adjusted to new brands, and avoided impulse purchases.
• The family carefully plans their meals using affordable staples like pasta and rice, and they buy in bulk.
• The couple has also started cooking bigger dinner portions to have leftovers for lunch.

Are you looking for ways to save on your grocery shop too? Why not give some of Jason's financial-savvy tips a try?

Let us know if you have any success using these tips, or if you have any expert shopping tips of your own.

Strangely the 3 times I've been shopping at Aldi in the last 2yrs it cost me quite a bit more than it does when i shop online at Woolies (given that I had to go Woolies or IGA for the things i couldn't get at Aldi & possibly the fact that i could see temptations in front of me at Aldi??) I get Woolies delivery every fortnight, usually around $200-$250 inc delivery.

If Aldi provided an online option to shop, then it may be a different story here, as i know in advance what is blowing the budget when i shop online & can adjust accordingly before hitting the "check out" or "delivery" button (might not work for others, but it definitely works for me)!

 

[Loubeauxarts]

They are very lucky to pay 500 A MONTH, goodness me, what a steal.

If you reread the post he says their mortgage repayments have increased by $400 to $500 per month. Just saying LoL

 

[MindyMac]

Mainly buying at Aldi is not the cheapest way. Plus, frozen veggies. Sorry, but yuk. They are watery, tasteless.

Best to buy whole fresh chicken when on sale $3.50-$5.00 p/k and cut up and deskin yourself & freeze.

Hardly any meat, if ever now, so it might be some mince so do a big cook of Spaghetti Bolognese. With this I do use Aldi $8.99 4 Grade mince 500 grams & Pork Mince 500 grams $3.99. I divide the mince 50% each and freezer the other 50% for a second batch of Bolognese sauce. Carrots $1.00 (sale), mushrooms cut small, Woolworths deluxe brown onions $8.00 5kg, 3x tin tomatoes, Coles French Onion soup powder (3 x $0.45), Aldi Tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce = Approx. 16 serves. Chicken stir fries for the chicken meal themselves for four will cost about $5.

I think this gentleman may have to re-think the health of the meals as well.

$150 x 4 weeks = $600 a month.
$150 ÷ 7 days = $21.42 per day
$21.42 ÷ 4 people = $5.357 per person.
Very durable.

 

[Ezzy]

For anyone who wants to check out some recipes (including @Suzanne rose's delicious ones!) https://seniorsdiscountclub.com.au/forums/cooking-recipes.23/

Thankyou for this info. Will certainly go here. Always looking for hearty meals.

 

[MindyMac]

There's a Cooking forum in this group. I see some amazing recipes daily but did not know there is a link 'somewhere here' to click onto but only the above link that Jarred kindly put above. I clicked on that and see that others have posted their recipes that they use.

I'm not great at computers and I'm guessing that I am not alone. I also wondered how people sent messages to this group to let people know of a great deal that they may be hoping to get. An item that they are after and waiting for a great sale.

I see that Jarred is the Administrator and hope that Jarred sees this or someone else that can help me and the therefore help others on 'The How to find Cooking / Recipes ... which I saw when I clicked on link.

I'd imagine that not everyone will see this message so maybe can be put down on further daily updates.

Thank you.

 

[Jarred Santos]

There's a Cooking forum in this group. I see some amazing recipes daily but did not know there is a link 'somewhere here' to click onto but only the above link that Jarred kindly put above. I clicked on that and see that others have posted their recipes that they use.

I'm not great at computers and I'm guessing that I am not alone. I also wondered how people sent messages to this group to let people know of a great deal that they may be hoping to get. An item that they are after and waiting for a great sale.

I see that Jarred is the Administrator and hope that Jarred sees this or someone else that can help me and the therefore help others on 'The How to find Cooking / Recipes ... which I saw when I clicked on link.

I'd imagine that not everyone will see this message so maybe can be put down on further daily updates.

Thank you.

Hello @MindyMac! Sure thing, you can click on the links available on the website as seen below:


There's one at the top part of the page which says 'Forum list', and then another at the right side of the page which says 'Full forum listing'. If you click either of the two, you will be taken to a page that looks like this, where you will see the many forums you can join conversations in:



Scroll down a bit, and you will see the Cooking & Recipes forum which was the one I also shared in a comment above. It's right below the Health & Wellness forum and the Am I Being Unreasonable? forum:



Click on it and you can browse to your heart's content! I'll also link it again for your convenience, @MindyMac: https://seniorsdiscountclub.com.au/forums/cooking-recipes.23/

As for posting deals you're very interested in, you can share them in our Deals, Discounts, and Bargains forum here: https://seniorsdiscountclub.com.au/forums/deals-discounts-and-bargains.6/

I hope I've been able to help, @MindyMac

 

[MindyMac]

Hello @MindyMac! Sure thing, you can click on the links available on the website as seen below:

View attachment 19121
There's one at the top part of the page which says 'Forum list', and then another at the right side of the page which says 'Full forum listing'. If you click either of the two, you will be taken to a page that looks like this, where you will see the many forums you can join conversations in:

View attachment 19122

Scroll down a bit, and you will see the Cooking & Recipes forum which was the one I also shared in a comment above. It's right below the Health & Wellness forum and the Am I Being Unreasonable? forum:

View attachment 19123

Click on it and you can browse to your heart's content! I'll also link it again for your convenience, @MindyMac: https://seniorsdiscountclub.com.au/forums/cooking-recipes.23/

As for posting deals you're very interested in, you can share them in our Deals, Discounts, and Bargains forum here: https://seniorsdiscountclub.com.au/forums/deals-discounts-and-bargains.6/

I hope I've been able to help, @MindyMac

Yes, thank you. I hope others see this and learn as well. I just clicked on the Forum List at the side and saw the recipes. Will have a look at the others as well.

Thank you again.

 

[Jarred Santos]

Yes, thank you. I hope others see this and learn as well. I just clicked on the Forum List at the side and saw the recipes. Will have a look at the others as well.

Thank you again.

No worries at all @MindyMac! If you have other questions, we're just floating around here in the forum to answer