Sick of splurging on your weekly feed? We’re all guilty of overspending when it comes to the food shop, but follow these 4 easy tips and you’ll find yourself taking charge of your groceries (and your bank account) in no time.

1. Don’t fear the budget
A budget may be an unattractive proposition but it is an effective one when it comes to savings. If an excel spreadsheet takes your fancy for recording your spending sprees then you would be the minority – in this day and age there are a multitude of budget-based apps and websites that will help you to determine your ideal grocery spend. Take for instance the Australian Government’s moneysmart planner. Once you can determine just how much you can afford to spend, you’ll find it much easier to determine exactly what you can afford to buy.

2. Embrace the envelope
Paying with card has become the norm, but there runs a risk in regularly swiping with your savings (or credit) card that you’ll lose track of your spends. Instead, stick to the traditional – cash that is. Separate your monthly (or weekly if you prefer) expenses into different envelopes, with your grocery envelope clearly market. Take that envelope with you on your weekly shop (and leave your card at home if you feel the need). Once the money has been spent – that’s it. The same process can be used when dining out.

3. Plan, plan, and plan some more
Meal planning and budgeting go hand-in-hand. Set aside one day a week (prior to your shop) that you determine just what you are going to eat from Monday through Friday (lunches included). Making a meal plan can not only help to save you a bundle of money, but will help to dramatically reduce the waste created in your household.

4. Stick to a list
Put simply, each week write down a grocery list and stick to it. Prior to your trip, write out exactly what you need to buy for your recipes this week (yes that will include some more planning of sorts) and remove any ingredients that you already have sitting idle in your fridge or pantry. For those who are particularly budget conscious, you can add the estimated cost of each item alongside so as to create an estimated spend (and adjust accordingly).