These moms’ budgeting tips have earned them thousands of social media followers

‘SOME PEOPLE SPEND SENSELESSLY ON PAYDAY, THEN THEY DON’T HAVE ENOUGH FOR THEIR FINANCIAL COMMITMENTS’

KATE WALTERS was inundated with requests for advice when word got around that she manages to keep her grocery bill to R1 000 a week for her family of four – her, husband Denton and two kids who are three and six years old. She started a blog to share her tips on budgeting and meal planning. 1 What are your top five money-saving tips? Plan meals weekly with what you have in your kitchen. Check what’s in your fridge first as this is what’s most likely to go off, and make that your first meal for the week. Then check your freezer and pantry to plan for the rest of the week. Only go to the grocery store as a last resort. Doing this can cut your food bill in half.

2

See meat as a “nice-to-have”. We used to eat a lot of meat a few years ago – almost at every meal. By cutting down on the amount of meat we eat and planning more vegetarian meals, we’re saving money and eating more healthily.

3

Turn leftovers into tomorrow’s dinner, not lunch. Stretch them by adding frozen vegetables or turn them into wraps or pasta bakes. Don’t buy extra ingredients – use what you have and get creative.

4

Eat out less often. It’s easy to say, but you need a plan to make it work. Have a budget in mind and decide how often you’ll eat out or get takeaways. We have a budget of R250 for takeaways, which is only once a month for the four of us.

5

Do a “no-spend” challenge. I’ve done no-spend weeks before where I saved R1 000 by not buying groceries and using only what we already have. It really helps to shift your mindset.

NCUMISA NDELU has been dubbed SA’s stockpile queen thanks to her 1 Family 1 Stockpile Facebook Group.

1

What are your top five money-saving tips?

Don’t buy stuff because it’s payday. Some people go out and spend senselessly on payday, only to find they don’t have enough to deal with their financial commitments.

2

Know your prices so you can recognise when something really is a good deal. Retailers sometimes simply change the colour of the price tag while the price is exactly the same or even more.

Jot down various prices when you go to the store so you can keep track, or save your receipts for a month so you can compare prices to see if something really is a bargain.

3

Never spend money because retailers tell you it’s time. For example, buying winter clothes in summer and vice versa.

4

Saving money must be a household commitment. Include your children in discussions about money so they learn good money habits such as planning and budgeting at an early age.

5

Live within your means. At best you should have something left over to save.