Caitriona Redmond: My family needs an extra €78 per week to meet rising costs of living
The listing, totting, and calculating of what we can afford is replicated across the country and the first place we are looking to make savings is on the food bill
Finally, all the schools are on holiday; state exams are finished for some and we are free from the tyranny of lunchboxes, uniforms, and homework. I’ve turned off the alarms and reminders in the diary for nine long weeks and I’ve resigned myself to being the early riser while the kids slumber on.
The cost of living increase is not slumbering though.
There was news this week from Kantar that the average household will spend an extra €453 on food to meet price rises. Most of us shop on a weekly basis though so that’s just under €9 per week extra that we need to continue buying the staples we are used to.
We have one car and that has to be filled every week for my husband’s commute to work. This time last year a fill cost €64 and yesterday it cost €108 or an increase of €44 per week and we have to meet this cost regardless. Energy costs (electricity and gas) are costing us €25 extra per week as well.
If you’re keeping track with me… That’s €78 extra per week that we have to come up with or approximately €4,000 per year to pay essential bills. There’s an internal tally of our bills that I carry around with me - a hangover from when times were exceptionally bad.
This listing, totting, and calculating of what we can afford is replicated across the country and the first place we are looking to make savings is on the food bill. Maybe you enjoyed a takeaway every now and again as a treat but you’ve decided to ditch it to put a little extra into the grocery budget? I have a simple spice bag recipe below this week which will put more money in your pocket.
If I was to give one bit of advice to any family at the moment it would be to cut back and start making savings now while the weather is warmer. Winter is always a difficult time of the year to take a look at the grocery budget and it’s easier to get used to the changes in the Summer. This point where the school terms have ended is the perfect time to implement adjustments and get the family used to them.
Normally I share what’s on offer in the supermarkets each week but instead, I wanted to mention two apps for your phone which will not only help with cutting back on food waste but also save you money. Simply search for their names in your app store of choice and install, then follow the instructions to set up an account.
Olio is designed for people who want to share excess food. You take a photo of what you’ve got, set a safe pickup location and arrange to meet other users to exchange. Keep an eye out for the ‘food waste heroes’ listings. These are individuals who volunteer to collect large consignments of expiring produce from supermarkets and then redistribute them in their communities for free. As I write I can see that there is a lot of bread available in my area this morning. Yes, this app is all about exchanging free food.
TooGoodToGo is not free but does offer great value for money from cafes and restaurants in Ireland. The food businesses list their magic bags which are essentially a ‘lucky dip’ for prices ranging between €3.99-€5.99. You select the shop you want to buy from and they will give a specific time for collection. When you arrive you’re handed a bag of items that didn’t sell that day and on average you’d save at least €5 on retail prices, although some are better than others. There are loads of options to choose from for people who visit large urban areas such as Cork, Dublin, or Galway.
Homemade Spice Bag
If there’s one takeaway meal that has an addictive moreish quality to it, it’s the Spice Bag. It’s actually incredibly easy to make at home
Servings
5Cooking Time
45 minsTotal Time
45 minsCourse
MainIngredients
6 medium potatoes, peeled
2 tbsp sunflower oil
3 chicken breasts, sliced
2 cloves of garlic, sliced
1 large onion, sliced
2 peppers, sliced
75g frozen peas
1 tsp each of cayenne pepper, salt and chilli flakes
1 small chilli, sliced (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
Method
Preheat a fan oven to 180°C. Chop the potatoes into chips and place on a non-stick baking tray. Use one tablespoon of sunflower oil to coat the chips and bake in the oven for 40 minutes. Once the chips are cooked, leave them in the oven to stay warm.
Place a large saucepan or wok on a high heat. Pour in the sunflower oil and cook the chicken first, then add the garlic and onion, finally the peppers and frozen peas. Toss until everything is cooked through.
Add the chips to the cooked chicken and vegetables. Sprinkle in the spices and toss everything together so that the chicken, chips, and vegetables are coated in the spices.
Serve with slices of fresh chilli and season to taste.
BBQ Fruit Salad
Fruit that has been roasted on the barbecue brings out all the caramel flavour that comes naturally from fruit sugars. There’s a trick to roasting fruit on the barbecue or griddle though!
Servings
4Preparation Time
10 minsCooking Time
10 minsTotal Time
20 minsCourse
DessertIngredients
2 nectarines
2 bananas
2 apples
2 doughnut peaches
Slices of pineapple (tinned is fine)
Method
Cut out on large square (about 2 hand lengths square) of baking parchment and the same of tinfoil. Lay the tinfoil flat on a large chopping board and lay the baking parchment directly on top.
Slice the stone fruit (nectarines and peaches) in half and remove the centre stone. Place the fruit cut side down straight onto the baking parchment. Chop the apple into quarters and remove the core, place the onto the baking parchment in the same way. Finally, peel and slice the banana lengthways before putting onto the baking parchment with the slices of pineapple.
Carefully lift the chopping board and use it to slide the tinfoil straight onto a hot barbecue grill. Grill the fruit for about 10 minutes, or until they get char marks, then place into a large bowl and serve with natural Greek yoghurt, a drizzle of honey, and maybe some crisp toast for texture (optional).
