Saving money for your family doesn’t necessarily mean you have to give up doing fun activities or eating nice food. Financial planning for your future might involve cutting costs on eating out, for example, but it doesn’t mean that you can’t eat your favourite foods anymore.

Food is an important part of the Australian lifestyle, whether it’s entertaining a large crowd or trying something new that you’ve seen on TV. Research from McCrindle, published in the HelloFresh report entitled Australia’s Cooking Landscape 2017, outlines how we prepare food and how important eating at home is.

Fresh food still a must for most families

The large majority of people in Australia still cook at home on weeknights, with 97 per cent saying that’s what they do Monday to Friday. Of those five meals, 61 per cent, or three in five, are prepared with fresh ingredients, not simply heated up straight from the packaging.

Preparing fresh food could help to save you money.

Almost three-quarters of Australians suggest they cook five or more meals through the week, instead of ordering food in or going out. MoneySmart recommends cutting down the number of times you buy food through the week is one of the best ways to save more money. Even at the supermarket, you can still save simply by reviewing your purchases and finding cheaper alternatives. Just because a product is cheaper doesn’t mean it tastes any different.

What should you cook?

Over 60 per cent of home cooks find choosing different meals to cook through the week stressful.

Choosing what to cook is stressful, especially when there are so many fresh options out there. Over 60 per cent of home cooks find choosing different meals to cook through the week stressful, and 35 per cent are stressed by having to cater to multiple food requirements and wants.

Find a meal or food style that your family loves, and you’ll have a much less stressful time in the kitchen. The classic sausages and vegetables might be easier to prepare than some other meals, but it could lead to more stress if people don’t enjoy it. Try out some Asian cuisine, or go Mexican. If your family loves it, you might start feeling less stress in the kitchen, and find cooking more enjoyable overall. Plus, it means you don’t have to eat out for the foods you love the most – you can cook it yourself, so you’ll be saving money.

Saving money at the dinner table firstly comes down to not eating out as much, and spending less at the supermarket. If you’re thinking about your family financially, find the easiest ways to cut down on your weekly spend. Talk to Invest Blue for more help regarding building a sound financial future.

What you need to know

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