Make at home to save
As the cost of living increases, a simple way to cut back expenses is to swap eating out, pre-made lunchbox snacks or take-away meals for a home-made meal or snack. By taking the time to make it yourself, you can boost your health and your budget.
You can view a range of well-balanced healthy meal recipes on the Health + Wellbeing Queensland website.
Grow your own
Become a green thumb and grow your own herbs or start your own small veggie patch so you can save what you would spend at the grocery store.
Herbs are especially easy to grow and can add a fresh touch to a home-cooked meal. Follow these basic tips for growing herbs from the Queensland Herb Society, or visit the Health + Wellbeing Queensland website for tips on growing your own vegetables. The Grow It Local website is another great resource for tips on growing your own food, including information on in-person workshops on topics like pickling and fermenting food.
Some Queensland neighbourhoods also have community gardens, created and maintained by the community for the community. Brisbane City Councils offers a feature to find your local community garden on their website.
Freeze and enjoy
Freezing food is an easy way to extend its shelf life, reduce food waste and keep more in your hip pocket.
From soups and pasta dishes through to meat, seafood, cheese, vegetables and fruit – many types of foods can be stored in freezer-safe containers and defrosted when you’re ready to consume or are in a rush and need a quick meal on the table.
DIY cleaning products
Save dollars and cents by making your own cleaning products which do just as good a job as the store-bought alternatives.
All-purpose sprays, dishwashing tablets and glass cleaners are all a possibility, and using eco-friendly ingredients like vinegar and bi-carb soda is a bonus for the environment. The Better Homes & Gardens website also offers some homemade cleaner recipes made with ingredients from the pantry.