Supermarket $AVINGS

Want a balanced diet and a balanced budget but aren't sure how to marry the two? Frugal author Jody Allen reveals it all comes down to planning

Although I wrote a book called The $50 Weekly Shop, the $50 is really only a guide. Every family is different, and it may be that your goal will be to spend less than that, or more, depending on your circumstances.

When I first did this, my sons were toddlers, with smaller appetites and different tastes to the ones they have now. Your family will have individual needs, too, so don’t beat yourself up if you can’t get your food bill down to $50 – the idea is to save money, and how easily you do that will depend on the number of children in your care, their ages, their activity levels, whether you are a sole parent or have a partner, where you live, whether you have vegetarians in your family, etc.

I live in a rural area and it is a fairly cheap place to live. I have access to local markets and can buy produce direct from farmers. If you live in the city you may have to drive a bit further to get good deals on produce, but you also have the great advantage of home delivery – so do your research to find the best deals. And check locally to see if there is a veggie co-op you can join, where you buy bulk produce and share the costs of delivery.