How to shop your food cupboard

One of my favourite tricks for saving money on my weekly food shop is to do a stock take of everything I already have in the cupboard, fridge and freezer first.

I split some paper into four columns: proteins, fruit and veg, carbs, and other. I plan meals starting with the protein element first because, when on a really tight budget, it’s easy and instinctive to rely on carbs, as they’re inexpensive, versatile and fill you up. But that full feeling doesn’t last and, as delicious as rice and pasta are, we can’t live on them exclusively. Everything goes on the stock take list and is accounted for. And every single week, I’m surprised by how much there is in stock already!

This method helps to identify where the gaps are and what needs using up. Then, on a second sheet of paper, I write out the same columns for my shopping list. It might seem time consuming, but it gets quicker and easier. It also helps to identify items that have been languishing in the cupboard for ages. I try to either resolve to use them by a certain date, or donate them to the local food bank. My theory is that if I’ve not had a flash of inspiration for that tin of stewed steak for six months, I’m unlikely to suddenly find some, so off to the food bank it goes.

The stock take method also works for planning dinner parties – the cost of living crisis doesn’t have to mean an end to meals with friends. And don’t be afraid to substitute items in recipes, either. Leafy greens and root vegetables are fairly interchangeable; swap half the chicken or pork in a dish for cannellini beans or chickpeas, or trade red meat for kidney beans or black beans.

A stock take isn’t going to solve food poverty overnight, but it may help you to feel a bit more in control of your budget and spark some creativity in the kitchen – and that’s something, at least. ‘Thrifty Kitchen’ by Jack Monroe (£19.99, Pan Macmillan) is out now