Aussies are busy enough, without having to think about dinner.

It can be tempting to pop into the supermarket for a quick and easy meal, reaching for processed ingredients like tinned spaghetti or jarred sauce as a way to cut costs on dinner. Not only are processed options less tasty and healthy, they have recently increased in price.

As supermarket prices increase, Aussies are looking for new ways to feed the family without blowing the budget. Jo Munro, known as The Savvy Shopaholic, shares her tips for how you can outsmart the supermarket and avoid a budget blowout in the aisles.

Ditch the processed pantry ingredients

It can be tempting to pop into the supermarket and grab what might look like quick and convenient dinner options, such as jarred sauce or tinned soup. But more often than not, these often tasteless, unhealthy processed items end up collecting dust at the back of the pantry. Plus, the cost of processed foods recently increased, making them a pricier dinner choice than preparing dinner from scratch. By planning ahead and prepping your meals for the week, you’ll save on groceries while serving up a tasty, healthy home-cooked meal for the family.

Avoid the bulk fruit and veg

One of the biggest supermarket traps is falling for the pre-packaged fruit and vegetables that convince you to buy more than you need. Try your best to buy the exact amount for your recipe, opting for two carrots or a handful of spinach rather than a whole bag.

Be on guard for the supermarket temptations

Supermarkets are designed to trick you into buying things you don’t need, so if you do head in store, make sure you’re aware of the temptations in every aisle. Stick to your shopping list and never visit a supermarket on an empty stomach – otherwise you’ll be caught out with a trolley full of snacks, lollies and drinks you don’t need.

Skip the top up shop

Because of these temptations, every time you step into a supermarket you’re bound to walk out with more ingredients than you had planned. This means if you’re doing multiple shops each week, you’re spending more than you would by only making one visit to the supermarket. To avoid a budget blow out, stick to one weekly shop and save yourself both money and time.

Use a meal-kit delivery service

Outsmart the supermarket completely, and swap the aisles for a meal-kit delivery service instead like EveryPlate.