An Australian mother of three has revealed how she sticks to a tight budget of just $175 a week for supermarket shopping and how she keeps her meals fresh for a fortnight.
Eisha-Marie Eisel, from the Sunshine Coast, shops for groceries once a fortnight and spends just $350 shopping at Aldi.
The 29-year-old told FEMAIL she doesn’t need to shop elsewhere because the budget supermarket has “99 per cent” of what the family needs, from food to cleaning and hygiene products and pet essentials.
“I try to plan our store thoroughly before I go so I don’t have to refill to curb those impulse purchases,” she said.
Eisha recently spent just $88.43 on ingredients to prepare 34 meals for herself, her husband Zac, 29, and their three young children: Ben, 11, Ollie, eight, Teddy, five.
Eisha-Marie Eisel (pictured right) shared how she feeds her family for $350 a fortnight.
Eisha recently spent just $88.43 on ingredients to prepare 34 meals for herself, her husband Zac, 29, and their three young children: Ben, 11, Ollie, eight, Teddy, five.
She bought ingredients from Aldi to make Chicken Panang Curry, Baked Gnocchi, Chicken Tikka Masala, Pork Croquettes with Mashed Potatoes and Beans, Vegetarian Chickpea Pad Thai, Beef Teriyaki with Broccoli, and Tuscan Style Beans with Garlic Bread.
“I buy 99 per cent of my shopping at Aldi – they have most of what I need week in, week out.” I just need to shop elsewhere for more specialized specialty items, like bread, flour and yeast,” she said.
“There’s nothing to stop me from buying from Aldi. I’ve had great experiences across the board with all of their products, so they’re always my first choice.”
Most of their budget meals require between four and seven ingredients and are easy to prepare.
Always prepare dishes with affordable seasonal vegetables and legumes to make your food go further and save money at the same time.
“I also always plan my meals and balance special dinners with more affordable dinners,” Eisha said.
“Aside from groceries, I periodically review our budget and expenses, to make sure we have the best deals on our utilities and plans.”
The busy mum also shared her tips for making fresh food last a fortnight.
The “number one question” Eisha is asked is how she makes fresh food last a fortnight.
The family always eats the fruits and vegetables that rot the fastest, such as strawberries and bananas.
All food is stored in airtight Sistema containers with paper towels on the bottom to absorb excess moisture, and the paper towel is changed after a week.
“Moisture is not your friend when it comes to storing fruits and vegetables,” Eisha says in a video.
‘If you have a particular produce like cucumbers, they will spoil much faster when exposed to moisture. That’s why I always add an extra piece of paper towel on top.’
Eisha relies on this advice when storing beets, tomatoes, peppers, onions, berries, and more.
As for the carrots and celery, these are sealed in a container filled with water to ensure that the vegetables do not dehydrate.
Watermelons or rock melons are never cut until the family is ready to eat them, and leftovers are stored in a container.
Other fruits and vegetables are kept loose in the produce section of the refrigerator.