The cost of a basic weekly grocery shop for an Australian family of four has risen from roughly $250 in 2023 to over $300 in 2026. That’s a 20 percent increase in three years, outpacing wage growth by a significant margin. For families already under financial pressure, the food budget is often the first thing that gets squeezed.

I’ve spent the past month talking to families about how they’re managing food costs and testing strategies myself. Here’s what actually works.

The meal plan difference

I resisted meal planning for years because it felt restrictive. I was wrong. Planning meals for the week before you shop reduces both spending and waste.

The approach that works for me: on Sunday afternoon, I spend 15 minutes writing down what we’ll eat for dinner each night, roughly what lunches and breakfasts will look like, and then building a shopping list from those plans.

The savings come from two places. First, you buy only what you need. No impulse purchases, no duplicate ingredients, no “that looks good” items that sit in the fridge until they go off. Second, you can strategically plan around what’s on special. Check the supermarket catalogues before you plan and build meals around the discounts.

Families I spoke with reported savings of $40-70 per week from consistent meal planning. That’s $2,000-3,600 per year.

Cook from scratch (selectively)

Not everything needs to be from scratch. I’m not going to tell you to make your own bread every week if you’re working full-time with kids. That’s unrealistic lifestyle advice dressed as food writing.

But some scratch cooking makes a massive financial difference:

Stocks and soups. A batch of soup made from scratch costs $3-5 and feeds four people. The equivalent from the supermarket chilled section is $8-12. Make a big pot on the weekend and portion it for lunches.

Curry and stew bases. Curry pastes, bolognese sauce, and stew bases are all cheaper and better made at home. They also freeze well, so you can batch-cook.

Pancakes and baked goods. Pancake mix from the store costs $5+. Flour, eggs, milk, and baking powder costs under $2 and makes better pancakes. Simple banana bread or muffins for school lunchboxes are far cheaper than buying packaged snacks.

Hummus and dips. A tub of hummus costs $4-5. A can of chickpeas, garlic, tahini, and lemon costs about $2.50 and makes twice as much.

The protein strategy

Protein is the most expensive category in most grocery budgets. The key is diversifying away from the premium cuts.

Chicken thighs, not breasts. Thighs are cheaper and more flavourful. They’re also more forgiving to cook — they stay moist where breasts dry out.

Mince. Beef, pork, or chicken mince is the budget cook’s best friend. Bolognese, meatballs, Asian stir-fries, tacos, fried rice — mince goes everywhere.

Eggs. At $5-7 per dozen for free-range, eggs are one of the cheapest quality protein sources. Omelettes, frittatas, egg fried rice, and shakshuka are all cheap, nutritious, protein-rich meals.

Legumes. Chickpeas, lentils, and beans are the most cost-effective protein source available. A can of chickpeas costs $1.20. Dried lentils cost even less per serve. Build meals around them a few nights per week and your protein spending drops significantly.

Tinned fish. Tinned tuna, salmon, and sardines are nutritious, shelf-stable, and cheap. Salmon patties, tuna pasta, sardines on toast — these are legitimate meals that cost a fraction of fresh fish.

Shopping smarter

Unit pricing. Use it. Always. The larger package isn’t always cheaper per unit. The “value” brand isn’t always the best value. The per-kilogram or per-litre price on the shelf tag tells you the truth.

Frozen vegetables. Frozen peas, corn, spinach, and mixed vegetables are nutritionally equivalent to fresh (sometimes better, because they’re frozen immediately after harvest). They’re cheaper, don’t go off, and reduce waste. Stop thinking of frozen veg as a lesser option. It’s not.

Seasonal produce. Fruit and vegetables that are in season are cheaper because supply is high. Build your meals around what’s in season now, not what you wish was in season.

Store brands. For staples like flour, sugar, butter, tinned tomatoes, pasta, and rice, store brands are typically identical or near-identical to branded products. The difference is marketing, not quality.

Aldi for staples. Aldi is consistently 15-20 percent cheaper than Coles and Woolworths for basic staples. The range is limited, but for the items they stock, the savings are real.

What to stop buying

This is where the biggest savings hide:

• Pre-cut, pre-washed, pre-packaged fruit and vegetables (the convenience premium is 50-100 percent)
• Single-serve snack packs (buy the large bag and portion it yourself)
• Pre-marinated meat (buy plain meat and add your own spices for a fraction of the cost)
• Bottled water (if your tap water is safe, and in most of Australia it is)
• Branded cleaning products (store brand or vinegar and bicarb soda do the same job)

The mental load

I want to acknowledge something that budget food advice often ignores: shopping, planning, and cooking on a budget takes time and mental energy. It’s easier to feed a family cheaply when you have time to plan, shop at multiple stores, and cook from scratch. Not everyone has that time.

If you’re a single parent working two jobs, the suggestion to “just meal plan and cook from scratch” can feel insulting. The systemic issues — stagnant wages, rising housing costs, insufficient welfare support — are the real problem. Better cooking skills don’t fix policy failures.

But within whatever time and energy you have, the strategies above can help. Even implementing one or two of them makes a difference.

We all deserve to eat well. Making that possible in 2026 shouldn’t be this hard.