Here is the complete shopping list for the first month’s meal plan.

I have included a copy of several of my receipts to show you which stores I bought each item from. These receipts are the bulk of the products for the month, leaving the remaining eggs, milk and bread to be bought as I required them. I would suggest spacing this shopping out over the month. There is no point buying all the bread and milk at the start of the month.

If you are able to buy any products on special or marked down, or, if you already have some of the products at home, please use the additional money to buy some fruit. I have not been able to afford much fruit this first month because I have bought staples like flour, sugar, spices, oil, etc. My children like treats so I have focused on filling my pantry with ingredients for treats. Feel free to substitute the 1 kg sugar, brown sugar, 1 kg SR flour, cocoa powder, bi carb soda,  icing sugar, 1 carton of eggs and the imitation vanilla for fresh fruit or additional salad ingredients, this is what I fed my family and I have published it to give you ideas on how to cut your food costs, you don’t have to follow it to the letter.

Don’t forget, if your children shop with you and you go to Woolworths they are able to have a piece of fruit from the fruit basket at the entrance for free.

2.5 kg beef mince (I bought 3.2 kg so I now have 700 g in the freezer for next month)

16 chicken drumsticks

750 g chicken breast or thigh fillets

900 g bacon

24 sausages (Woolworths sells 24 packs)

3 dozen eggs

415 g tin of pink salmon

9 tins diced tomatoes

500 g jar of tomato paste

1 kg bag of green lentils

3 packets of dried spaghetti

1 packet of dried pasta spirals

3 kg SR flour

3 tins 4 bean mix

2 tins kidney beans

chicken stock powder

300 ml oyster sauce

750 ml vegetable oil

dried basil

garlic powder

cumin

chilli powder

curry powder

2 x 900 g of quick oats

2 x 1.12 kg boxes of wheat biscuits

2 x 500g jars of jam

2 x 5 packs of 2 minute noodles

salt

2 kg white rice

2 kg sugar

1 kg icing sugar

imitation vanilla

1 kg brown sugar

375 g cocoa powder

golden syrup

bi carb soda

4 kg potatoes

2 kg onions

1/2 large cabbage

2.4 kg pumpkin

3 kg carrots

2 lettuce

1 kg tomatoes

12l milk

10 loaves of bread

1 x 6 pack hamburger rolls

1 packet lebanese bread or wraps

4 x 1 kg bags of frozen mixed vegetables

1 kg frozen peas

1 kg frozen puff pastry

600 ml thickened cream

300 ml sour cream

2 kg margarine

1 kg block of cheese

If you look at my receipts and take into consideration the 5% discount received for purchasing woolworths gift cards online, you will see that I have come in around $196. I spent the remaining $4 on fruit.

Note: Fruit, vegetable and meat prices all fluctuate. They can be hard to calculate the cost of, this was based on what they cost on the day I went shopping.