A budget-savvy mum-of-two has warned how shoppers can get caught out by falling for “offers” in a supermarket and end up spending more money than they intended to.
Santis O’Garro, who is originally from Montserrat but lives in Dublin, revealed her eight rules for how she sticks to spending €30 a week on grocery shopping for her family of three - which works out at less than €5 a day.
And with the cost of living crisis leaving many families squeezed for cash, more and more people are in need of finding ways to make their hard-earned money go further.
Santis said she once struggled to budget her money but finally managed to clear €15k worth of debt in a year on a low income and now shares budgeting tips on her YouTube channel The Caribbean Dub to help other families like hers.
Santis said she always shops with cash rather than a card, sticks to a strict shopping list and avoids offers as “it’s not a bargain if you don’t need it”.
READ MORE: Mum who took kids for a €1.20 breakfast deal blasts experience as 'embarrassing'
She often reminds her followers that supermarkets are a business that want to make a profit and consumers need to be wary of deals like getting ‘three for the price of two’ because it only makes people spend money on items they don’t need.
Speaking to the Irish Mirror she said: “Supermarkets are a business. There are specials there but just know that it’s not a special offer or it’s not a bargain if you don’t need it.
“If you saw orange juice and you’d only really go through one a week, why are you buying the ‘three-for-two’ special?
“You’re not getting a bargain there because you’re going to end up throwing it out. It’s not going to last and then that’s wasting money.
“[Ask yourself] do you need two of that? You were only in here for one. Sometimes it’s as simple as that. Focus on the list that you have in front of you and your meal plan and what you actually need.”
However, the one exception to this rule is for pantry staples that are on special offer such as tins of tomatoes, pasta, rice and other items you can buy in bulk and won’t go out of date quickly.
“Non-perishables, if you see three for two and they’re part of your pantry then you know you’re going to be saving money as you know what your pantry goods are,” she said.
Santis said she is not loyal to any one supermarket however, she has found Tesco is good for finding reduced prices on meat and Lidl is also good for ‘yellow-stickered’ items.
However, finding the yellow-stickered items can be “hit-and-miss” and it can sometimes depend on what day of the week and time you are shopping.
“Sometimes it’s lucky, if you’re in quite early on a Monday from the weekend, especially after a bank holiday weekend I find they do be there quite a lot,” she said. “But it is very hit-and-miss because other people get them as well so you just have to be very aware.”
Santis said she has memorised the prices of her pantry staples - such as flour, eggs, oil, sugar, tinned tomatoes, rice and pasta - and then shops around in all the major supermarkets to get the best value for her money.
Her main tip is to make a shopping list based on what food you already have in your cupboards and then buy any extra ingredients you need to make it into a meal.
“You need to know what the prices are everywhere. That’s how you ultimately know you are getting the best bargain,” she said.
She continued: “I do a meal plan. I see what I have first in my house in the fridge, the freezer, the cupboards. If I have pasta and I have tinned tomatoes I say ‘I could make something like spaghetti bolognese’ and I know I need mince, onions and cheese.
“I already know I have my pasta. I know I don’t need everything, I need a top up of [ingredients] to make that meal at home.”
She pays for her weekly food shop out of a cash envelope with a “generous” maximum budget of €50 but says she only ends up spending €30 a week. However, the extra allocated amount allows her to buy some things in bulk for the weeks ahead.
“I have my cash envelope and I put my food budget in my cash envelope so it’s up to me to try and stretch that,” she said.
“When I go in I know I have my list and I have no other money there with me. It makes you be more price aware and stay within budget.
“My budget for me and the two kids is €50 per week - and that is very generous. I give myself €50 [to spend] but it’s really about €30 for us three. It makes me go ‘do we want to have a treat’ and we can because we have that budget there.
“It’s about €30 a week when you work it out but I like to buy ahead.”
Santis’ eight rules for grocery shopping on a budget
1. Work with what you have at home first
"Look in your fridge and freezer before going to the supermarket”
2. Always go to the supermarket with a list
“And don’t go off that list, stick to it.”
3. Shop around
“Don’t be loyal to any supermarket, be loyal to your own budget.”
4. Know what the prices are everywhere
“That’s how you know you’re getting the best bargains.”
5. Cook from scratch where possible
“Learn to make the basic sauces, the basic dinners.”
6. Cook to feed your family
“Know what your family likes to eat in order to avoid food waste."
7. Beware of the offers
“It’s not a bargain if you don’t need it.”
8. Shop with cash
“Put your money in a cash envelope and stick to that. It will make you think outside of the box and if you don’t have your card you won’t be tempted to spend more.”
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