Meal Plan With Me : Trying To Stay On Budget While Food Prices Are Rising : New Zealand Grocery Haul

Meal Plan With Me : Trying To Stay On Budget While Food Prices Are Rising : New Zealand Grocery Haul

[@marinagrey9031]

I like your idea of making the shopping list and then checking the prices at the different shops. Brilliant! Thanks a lot for sharing.

[@Mariamelek4791]

Thank you for your interesting video. Hier in The Netherlands the prices are also up. Our electricity bill went 100 percent up, gas is 2,23 per liter, food is also getting pretty expensive. We have taken some steps to help coping with our bills. We have installed solar panels, started our own vegetable garden, eat more beans. I was also a home stay mom, but last week I found a job for 20 hours a week. So when my boys are at school I go to work.

[@melodyguy4252]

I'm loving your chanel! I'm also from New Zealand so it's great to hear from a fellow New Zealand minimalist. You have a lovely relaxed style. I also buy online at countdown - I work full time so don't have time to shop at both but interesting it saved so much. I struggle to keep our food bills under $350 for a family of 4 - but we have often have an extra adult staying with us. I also try to buy low plastic. Something that we've found reduces both our food bills and plastic is buying in bulk. Every six months we go to Moore Wilson and buy in bulk our nuts, raisins, flour etc. I also buy soap, cleaning products, laundry detergent etc in bulk - either from Moore Wilson or online from Ecostore.

[@bayleymadeit]

I’m so glad some fellow kiwi minimalists have found my channel! 😊

[@jennifermorris24]

I have been a quiet subscriber to your channel for a while, I found you through Jana Leigh. However I thought I would comment on this particular video. Prices on everything here in the US have increased, which is scary. We are a six person household, I just went grocery shopping today and I am trying to experiment to see if I can stretch our food supply for two weeks to try and save on gas. I shop at Kroger because they offer fuel points, so you spend money for food there but they give you a break on gas depending how much you spend on groceries but it doesn't work at every gas station. Just Kroger and I believe Shell stations. We are trying to save every little bit of money. Take care and thanks for sharing. 😊

[@adelevercueil9172]

Hi, thank you so much for your interesting video! That inspired me to also start with meal planning to simplify my household expenses. So glad I've came across your channel on KZbin! Your home looks so bright and beautiful! Busy watching the older videos. Luna is a beautiful cat! Thanks again for the video! Greetings from South Africa

[@AWanderingEye]

Someone on another video mentioned having a set of dinner recipes that they rotate through and I remembered your box of recipes. I came over to your channel so I could share that video and it looks like it is gone! I will try to remember the name of the mom who was your inspiration, hopeful that her husband kept that one...Happy to see you're still here in YT land!

[@johnsminimalism9830]

think that this is the first comment i’ve ever left on youtube but just wanted to let you know that i accidentally discovered your channel a couple days ago and can’t stop watching ever since. you’re so inspiring and i love how calming and simple your content is. best minimalist mom out there !

[@Mieke256]

I really enjoyed seeing how you meal plan and what the prices are. I’m in the Netherlands and although prices are rising every week on food and fuel, I feel grateful to live here. I compared some of the prices. A leek currently costs here about 65 euro cents, that’s just above a New Zealand dollar. The taco spice packet (exact same brand) costs 1 dollar less over here! It might also have to do with that New Zealand needs to get a lot of supplies from far away, being islands? But I’m definitely noticing it in my weekly grocery bill too. Where possible, I try to buy less packaged snacks and make more myself. Because of my health issues that’s not always possible and I also have my weekly shop delivered at home. Such a lifesaver. We have a Lidl close by, so sometimes my husband does a big shop there to stock up on eggs, butter (both ridiculous expensive now) and canned goods.

[@Pn1086]

Thank you for your video! Meal planning is actually important to keep things on a budget. I’m also in NZ. We’re trying to keep our groceries budget under $330 for a family of 4. I found shopping at Pak n Save is good. It’s more economical. And one more tip is to shop the store brands (for PnS the brands are Pams and Value). I find it helps save a little bit more and the quality is still good 😊

[@sarahcroft7980]

Prices even high here now aren't they! Loved it, we also "cook once eat twice" like you keeping a meal in the freezer for another week.

[@drummyboop]

I discovered your channel about an hour ago and this is the 3rd video of you that I am watching. I honestly love how calming and relaxing your videos are. Almost like ASMR videos. I love your minimalist lifestyle, and you seem to be such a sympathetic and authentic person. I would so love to embark upon and transition towards a minimalist lifestyle but minimalism just doesn’t work with my husband.. you are so lucky that your husband and yourself are on the same page! Anyway, I will continue to live vicariously through your videos and enjoy the relaxation it gives me.. Thanks a million for this great channel :)

[@Iheartlotsofstuff]

Great video! Very interesting to hear your tips and compare prices with Australia. Your prices are above ours but we are not far behind. I like your realistic attitude to the cost of food and inflation. Things are rising or shrinking (package size) on a weekly basis here too. Worst of all is that we are having BiG supply chain issues predicted to get worse particularly with fresh fruit veg but also eggs, tissues & toilet paper! For the first time in my life (about your age) I worry about getting the items we need as a family of 4. Fortunately, we can afford the rising prices without too much pressure in our budget. However, shortages are making me look at eliminating our food waste, substituting and being more creative with cooking and growing more of our own food. We live rurally so the supply issues are also about petrol & transportation costs. We have hens for eggs and I accidentally grew 12 pumpkins from the seeds I had fed them and then used to fertilise our garden! I now dry the seeds from pumpkins, capsicums and even have grown 6 lemon trees (just saplings) from half a lemon in our shopping. Slowly building a zero cost veggie patch.

[@DanielleHigginbottomBrown]

We are definitely feeling the pinch of higher food & fuel prices 🇨🇦 we live rural and grocery shopping is 20-30 minutes away so I do a big monthly shop, then part way through the month pick up more produce. I cook from scratch, and stock up on pantry staples. I menu plan, for 2 weeks also. Today gas is $2.10L diesel $2.20L. Fuel has more than doubled. Really enjoyed this video, and would love if you create more of these

[@lizluscomb]

Bailey, if you have time, I would like to know how you make your Naan with the sweet potatoes. It sounds lovely and can stretch out the meal. Thanks so much for this video; it’s insightful! You’ve given me strategies I can work with and goals to strive for. And thanks for putting the USD value on the screen. It was very helpful. 😊

[@mollymccann5043]

This was such a fascinating video! I bet putting all the numbers in takes a fair amount of editing time, but it was so interesting to see, so thank you for that. Yesterday I did our shopping, and the "fruits of opportunity" (my husband's term for "whatever fruit looks good this week and is cheap enough) were cherries for $1.29 a pound! (so about NZD $4.50 per kg - and usually they are $5.99 a pound or about NZD $21 per kg) The biggest thing I do is not go shopping very often - I know that every time I go in the store, I buy a bunch. Unfortunately, I can't do online orders, so I do have to go in, but I'm trying to space those trips out and plan more with what we have on hand.

[@reddeer1758]

Wow! Don't know what it will look like this year nz as it's only getting more expensive but cherries are crazy expensive here. Last year it was $19 per kg, and often in the mid 20s for cherries. Very sad as we grow them here, but most are exported.

[@jowatson2607]

I loved this video it was very relaxing to watch which was nice given the topic 😉 Our food & fuel prices are ridiculous here in the uk. I couldn’t understand why we were spending so much on food but then I realised how much everything has gone up. I’m very thankful that whilst it’s far from ideal we are still able to afford our food shop without too much concern. I realise this isn’t the case for everyone x

[@marynajolly315]

Thanks for your videos, I really enjoy your life style, your planning and food prepping. It made me think what I can do to ease my weeks and save my budget🤔

[@리얼티랩]

Thanks for Sharing 👍🧡

[@Mrssupermumm]

This was a great video Bailey. The prices here in UK are up but don't seem as bad as yours. I mostly shop at aldi for 9 people and I have recently started a back up stock pile as I am worried about supply issues, there arent really any yet though. This vid was food for thought. Thankyou.

[@AWanderingEye]

I wonder if you have buying clubs or co-ops? In the US there are a few options to buy bulk in a communal way. Or, a share from a farm --- where you pay in advance for produce boxes received during growing season? I know your and your Mom's places are small, but maybe your sister has room for a freezer which you guys as a group could pay for/stock/store frozen bulk purchases? I feel for you raising a family during these financially volatile times!

[@Stephanie-fn1cl]

So interesting to see how you shop, I have tried hard to learn the sales cycles on the items we purchase which means I buy what we need until the next sale which also means I need food storage areas and I like calling into Reduced to clear for items that fill lunch boxes I love the variety and the good special. I'm looking forward to the day you do a collab with @Jana Leigh

[@MissFlapplez]

Check out the warehouse for pantry staples as they sometimes have deals or are cheaper than the grocery stores.

[@melann6791]

Love this video. We also do breakfast for dinner, left overs during the week esp on nights when hubby works late and it's just me and the kids. Repeating meals each week is so much easier and I can stock up on those repeated items.

[@millygit]

Great video as always Bailey, here in Australia we are fortunate to have Aldi, so if it’s in the same shopping centre it keeps Woolworths and Coles prices lower, I do the bulk of my shopping at Aldi, then shop the specials at Woolies, being retired and only the two of us I think it’s easier to budget for food, we have pretty simple tastes and no finicky children to try and feed, so much harder when the grandchildren visit. Petrol here is going up weekly, Unleaded 91 is $210.9 where we are housesitting up 10 cents from last week, but we are at least saving on our heating bill at home seeing we are not there😀

[@YvetteODowd]

We do an online grocery shop once a month, a weekly fruit and vegetables delivery and a monthly whole food bulk shop. It's interesting comparing your NZ prices to here in Australia. Petrol today was $2.02L, down about 20c from earlier this week. Fruit and vegetables are up about $20w. Three adults, one dog and visiting grandchildren. We typically spend around $700pm at the supermarket, $400pm fruit and vegetables, $100pm bulk wholefoods. I think it is now about an extra $150pm.

[@kiraph]

It's pretty easy for us to spend over $300 if we do a big grocery shop. We tend to just buy as we need through the week, but we probably should do a budget - even if it is to just track what we are buying and spending. We are a 3-person household and live an hour north of Sydney (Central Coast).

[@kironsusanjosephsebastine2031]

Hi Bayley! That was indeed a great content! As you had mentioned the prices are soaring all over the world, and it is a tough job to maintain a healthy yet budget friendly family menu.

[@chelseaa4728]

Similar prices to Australia. We have 2 major supermarkets here, I might try comparing prices between them and shopping at both now - thanks for the tip!

[@MuppyZooZoo]

Hi! I do the same as you with shopping both countdown and new world but I find that I’m getting 2/3s of my shop at nw and 1/3 at countdown. We are a family of 5 (2 adults 3 kids aged 8, 6 and 2) and budget $400 a fortnight. I find shopping fortnightly, with a small fruit and milk top up in between, keeps the budget down. Everywhere we can save a cent is worth it at the moment with costs rising everywhere.

[@mumoftwoboys8426]

I’m in Australia, family of four with two dogs and I’m struggling to get our budget per week under $350. The floods and bad weather conditions have caused massive price increases here. Great video as always I would love to see more like this!

[@jacquelynmoloney6172]

And what about the price of our lettuce, that's if you can even find one.

[@mumoftwoboys8426]

@@jacquelynmoloney6172 yes I know, crazy isn’t it!? I got the kids strawberries as a treat over the weekend

[@Amandahugginkizz]

The price is rising from greed lol nit weather related issues that have happened since the beginning of time. It's greed plain and simple.

[@brirose230]

Such a great video idea and so helpful, thanks Bayley! Our family is definitely feeling the pinch here in Australia and having to make changes to our purchasing habits. I try to shop the specials as much as possible to save money.

[@bayleymadeit]

Thanks Bri, yes the current rate of inflation around the world is crazy 💸. The grocery store is the only store I am going into at the moment - who has money to spend on anything else 😬😅

[@brirose230]

Yes, I agree! Interesting to see how the same things are more expensive in NZ than here. I believe Countdown is what we call Woolworths here. The same weet bix is only $5 here and 2L of milk is only $2.60, for example. I also love the rewards program and regularly get $10 off with it, which is great.

[@rebekahritchie9012]

@@brirose230 I’m with you Bri! Everything that was our Woolworths brands was much more expensive in New Zealand! I love our rewards program as well!

[@Aheartforhomemaking274]

Wow I’ve been watching KZbin videos for 10 years then had a break for the last 3 years and am so glad a Kiwi is doing this!!!! Hi!!!!! Love your video I just subscribed and now will be bingeing 😂 Prices have risen so much! We used to aim for $150 and now for the past month it’s been $250 😔 and more with another child on the way. Glad to have found your channel!!

[@rexyvall]

We are in Australia. Funny that the store woolworths is called "count down" in NZ. Prices here have shot up majorly too. A Lettuce is like $10 aud. Capsicum is $15 aud per kg, strawberries are $10 aud punnet! People are finding that its cheaper to buy frozen fruit and veg and im starting to grow my own lettuce in pots to save and also a fun activities with kids, to save on cost. Im trying to keep a low carb diet so lettuce is a must have for me. This spring im going to be growing a few more things in pots. We only have a small yard but trying to grow more of a vertical garden, I already have lots of herbs in pots which save cost. I usually shop at aldi or woolworths, but I also go to the fruit and veg shop and stock up some times. We go through lots of cucumbers like 2-3 a week. Normally a cucumber world cost about $4aud each but I can get a bag at the fruit and veg shop for $3 aud sometimes. It's about 20 minutes drive, so I make it worth my while. I also shop fortnightly and I meal for 2 weeks just like you do. I think my groceries are around $200aud per week, sometimes less. Its going down more now because my 3 yr old is transitioning out of nappies! Yay. Do you have long life milk (shelf milk) in NZ? I keep about 6-8 of those in my pantry so it takes less fridge space (i keep 1 x 3L in my fridge) and saves me going back to the shop.

[@debbiefytopoulou3881]

A friendly advice, if you have same savings buy food like pasta, rice, sauces etc that don't expire easy and store them because things are not going good and the following year is going to be hard... I live in Greece and the prices are changing by the day. Also toiletries and hygiene products.

[@ANNtique]

It’s fun seeing foods in unfamiliar packages. I especially enjoyed seeing Oreos and ritz crackers on a single row sleeve. I never enjoy grocery shopping but right now it’s even worse with the high prices

[@alicedelaney6570]

I live in Ireland, whilst prices are rising here too I just can't get over what you have to pay for some things, cheese especially!!! I lived in Sydney for 13 years and it was very expensive there too. I shop in Lidl for my main shop then buy a few items in Tesco. You are so organised with your meal plan and comparisons, I have 3 teenage sons, they are eating me out of house and home 🤣🤣

[@melodyguy4252]

Yes, it's ridiculous as a world milk producer. The Government has supported Fonterra as a monopoly milk supplier in New Zealand so we pay insane prices for all our milk products

[@annettemcdonald1735]

Hi, also from NZ, food prices are ridiculous! We have incorporated more plant-based meals into our diet which is a great way to save some money. The price of dairy and meat at the moment is just criminal. Love your channel! Keep up the great work! 👍

[@HowIHatesLorraine]

Fellow kiwi here. Have your tried the Grocer app? You can build your shopping list in the app and they show you whxoj of your selected stores have the best price.

[@Shemene]

This was super helpful you are a star for sure ♥

[@AWanderingEye]

Another option is to grow some of your food --- sprouts a very nutritious and can take up very little room. Just need to get set up and locate good source of seeds.

[@sarahaudrey8663]

Great timing for this video Bailey, I’ve never had to budget or meal plan but with the price of food and petrol I need to now. I’m in Melbourne and a lettuce is $11!! I’m thinking I will have to start making my kids snacks as well to save money. We need to cut back in wastage as well. Thanks again for sharing your budget and meal plan!

[@inspiringsimple]

We can't even find lettuce at the shops and my husband said Macca's has started using cabbage in their burgers!

[@sarahaudrey8663]

@@inspiringsimple one of my kids told me that they had cabbage in their burger! What a turn off 😬🥴

[@LivetolearnMama]

I'm in the USA, and food (and fuel) costs are continuing to rise. The cost of artificial fertilizer has doubled since last year, and I anticipate that food costs will soar in the coming months. It may give me the opportunity to purchase more organic food, as I don't think that natural fertilizers are increasing in cost as quickly. It's amazing how global politics can influence individual daily life so much. Thanks for sharing your meal planning and food costs with us.

[@laurac56]

Prices are probably similar here in the US, maybe a bit lower. The one thing that is cheaper is dairy. I think our government subsidizes dairy farmers? The milk is usually fairly cheap anyway, because many stores sell it pretty much at cost to “lure you in.”

[@deannadickerson9505]

Prices on everything in the USA are on the rise. Gas, food, electricity have skyrocketed. Not only food prices for people but also our critters. Finding it hard to find a way to save. We don’t smoke or drink so thankfully we don’t have that expense. Drug prescriptions have increased as well. We are definitely trying to combine trips in the automobile to save a little. We have switched to the cheapest meat with means not much variety. Enjoyed your video as always. Looking forward to the next one.

[@dorisw5558]

of course they sell kiwis by the kg in NZ;) Here in Germany they are sold individually. Currently they are about 50 cents for one green and about 80 cents for one golden kiwi.

[@alexyes4290]

Hi, in Italy they shall kiwi by kilo too 😅

[@GamerKid-qb5sy]

Loved the haul please do more :)

[@star_fossil]

I am lucky we have a car running on LPG, here in Oz I filled up for 99.9c a litre this week. Groceries are another matter. I do most of our shop at Aldi but I get flour in bulk from our local food co-op.

[@alexyes4290]

Wow! It seems crazy but here in Italy gas is 2,08 € x liter. It’s getting insane!

[@Aquietlyfrugallife]

I loved seeing your haul. I think prices are more expensive there for sure. I live in S. Texas - close to Mexico. I try not to go into stores as much and just make do with what I have. That may not be the best strategy but right now it's all I can do. We also have only 1 grocery store chain down here called H.E.B. It's frustrating because they don't have any competition and they can basically charge what the customer will pay. I think that is a key point. They wouldn't be charging what they do if people weren't willing to pay the price. Some things are necessities and some are not. Food for thought 🤔

[@allihoffman2314]

I do the same thing with price comparisons between stores. I end up shopping at a few different stores each week in order to get the best deals. We do a big grocery haul every two weeks when my husband gets paid, & then go back for fresh produce, dairy, & any other odds and ends on the second week. I’ve noticed prices going up every week, too. Your food costs in NZ are definitely higher though. 1 gallon of milk at our Walmart is $3.46, & 32oz of great value Monterey Jack cheese is $7.32; though, our store’s stock is hit and miss these days. Gas in our area (Northern Nevada) is $5.49 🤯. It’s definitely hard to make ends meet with all the rising costs. You’re doing a great job with your meal planning and shopping, making every dollar count. Keep up the good work & God bless!

[@marylynsheldon8389]

Hi Bayley , would you be interested in seeing a few grocery shopping receipts from the U.K I can send you a few, yes I certainly shop at around in UK we have quite a lot of supermarket chains which you would probably already know with you have family over here, but I must say from what I’ve seen I think groceries in NZ are way more expensive than uk 🇬🇧 the only thing I think maybe cheaper in NZ was the nuts you bought. I think we have similar cat food here but we call it Felix the packaging looks very much the same. Cat food expensive in uk 🇬🇧 also my pet budget has doubled. Great video take care x

[@etta0840]

I buy Felix for my cats too, in Australia 🇦🇺. It is imported from France! And my cats will not eat anything else!

[@laurenpoole7238]

The woolworthes wraps you got said $4.00, they are $2 or maybe $2.50 here in Aus the same product, wow. Taco seasoning same brand about the same price, i get them half price wen on special. I get the 1kg woolworthes brand tasty cheese for $ 9.90 here in Aus we like it. Im not sure if u have the same one. I notice cheese is especially costly in your shopping, but you may love those brands so are happy to buy them.

[@rachaelcooper4417]

Wow! I just converted your shop to GB £ and your food costs are so high! Prices are rising here too but I am able to currently keep our weekly shop to around £60 which I think is about $120 for you. We don't eat meat which I think is a big cost saver for us x

[@FilledWithFaithHome]

Their wage packets are a lot higher than ours so most likely works out about the same , I think maybe rent/mortage is lower there too

[@kiwigirljacks]

What she is managing to spend on groceries for 4 is amazing! I shop just for myself and I spend $150-220 per week 🙈 … and that’s with eating very little meat also (once a week). I need to sort out my grocery spending I think lol.

[@itsjustmel1217]

Lol, it's always funny when we end up with one single banana instead of one bundle of Bananas haha.

[@southernfriedkiwi6340]

I hate to break it to you all, back in NZ, but you need to start seriously prepping for long term storage. You have to get serious about buying in bulk and vacuum sealing or canning food(freeze drying would be preferable). Prices are going to continue to go up until next year, at least. Higher prices are bad enough, but we are looking at severe reductions in ACCESS to food. Fertilizer costs are skyrocketing and production/access to fertilizer is plummeting. Buy now, while you can. A years worth of long shelf life, staple foods should be everyones' goal if you are struggling with food budgets even at this time. Don't forget to store up on toilet paper either. All of the transport costs are going up and those will be passed on to you for everything that you buy.

[@kiwigirljacks]

That is amazing that you can feed your family on that budget! I’m absolutely terrible with mine, I spend $170-$220 a week just for myself 🙈 (though that does include things like toiletries, cleaning products etc) and I don’t even eat much meat! I eat a tonne of veggies though and they are so expensive in NZ these days! Then, on top of that cost I buy protein bars which are expensive, but they are my sweet treat. I really need to budget more… 😳

[@madamkiwi1094]

Nice video

[@sarahcroft7980]

Your right, Fuel prices are crazy! It was 3.13 this morning a litre, up 10 cents from last week (where I am in mid canty). I also don't travel to pak n save now, it's an hour away for us and not worth the fuel. I try and shop specials only, so whenever there's a good special on, IL buy 5-7 items whether it's butter, tins, cereal, meat or timtams or school snacks 😄 as I find it the cheapest way to shop and keeps us going till the next sale cycle, usually 5-6weeks that way I mostly only pay bottom dollar prices. 😊 and yip I shop and multiple stores in my area to get the best deals. 👌

[@bayleymadeit]

Hi Shannon, I think I need to take advantage of the sale cycles and stock up too 😊

[@rrichards1210]

This is what I do too, but we still have some limits here, like only 2 blocks of butter per order. But if it's on special I'll buy 2 a put surplus in the freezer so I don't have to buy it at silly prices.

[@cross5063]

8/9 dollars for cheese is nuts!! We'll done for keeping within budget and having interesting and varied meals

[@Sophia_Elena23]

I'm visiting New Zealand from Australia at the moment. It is extraordinary how often Kiwi's complain about the cost of groceries when the diet is predominately processed foods. The biscuits, crackers, muesli bars, cereals, potato chips, bread & wraps shown here cost almost nothing to make using a few simple ingredients. Likewise with the shredded cheese packets; why not shred your own block? NZ has some of the best meat, seafood, dairy & fresh produce around

[@bayleymadeit]

Hi Sophia, I agree that there are a lot of processed foods in the nz diet but the snacks I bought in this haul will last for weeks. I bake my own bread, tortillas and naan bread. The wraps are for mikes lunches and I like to have a pre made loaf for the weekends. My kids take fresh fruit and homemade baking in their lunch boxes everyday. I bought my cheese in blocks except for the mozzarella because it was cheaper per gram than the blocks. I buy whichever is on sale at the time, We also eat weetbix Mon - fri for breakfast and the kids get to have a fun cereal like cornflakes on Saturday mornings and then we make waffles from scratch on sundays. I appreciate that nz seafood is supposed to be amazing but don’t we don’t actually like seafood 😅.

[@kiwigirljacks]

It’s generally cheaper to eat processed food here to be honest which is why many do. I eat a tonne of fresh veg and very little processed food and it costs me … a LOT lol. Pretty much what Bailey pays a week for her family shopping is what I spend a week just for myself. Fresh veg, meat and seafood, and especially dairy is super expensive here (in some cases it’s cheaper to buy NZ products overseas than here! Crazy!!). Which is why so many eat fast food etc and it’s constantly talked about in the media that fresh food should be cheaper to combat the growing health issues from eating so much processed food.

[@iriswelch3553]

We make our own humming bird nectar. 1 cup water and 1/4 cup sugar, dissolve and bring to a boil, then let cool. Never use honey or coloring. Hope this saves you a bit.

[@shawfamily296]

$200 and $250 Im lucky if I have $130 I like your ideas and I try and my shopping in a similar way to you I shop to eat one meal a day if I can afford extra bread we eat toast with leftovers for lunch I try my best to feed 4 to 5 adults. We live taranaki NZ.

[@mezufall]

I've noticed prices are definitely seeming to rise from week to week here in the U.S. We have been doing most of our shopping at Aldi where the prices are going up too, but it seems like they are going up at a lower rate at least. One thing I have been doing is cutting our meat consumption down and supplementing most meals with some sort of bean or other cheaper protein. For example, if we make tacos, I reduce the ground meat to 1/3-1/2 pound and then throw in a can of black beans. If we have chicken soup, I reduce the amount of actual chicken bits, and then throw in some navy beans. I was just curious though, do you count non-food items such as your Listerine and toilet paper towards your grocery budget? We tend to shop for those kinds of things at Target or Walmart, but only once a month or every two months. I don't comment very often, but I love your videos, and I have watched most of them.

[@rrichards1210]

Really interesting video. Not sure what part of NZ you are but we are in central North Island and prices seem different. Your eggs are cheaper but fruit seems more expensive. I also buy cheaper brands eg bread for $2 (which was only $1.69 a few weeks ago), 3lt milk for $5.60, and 1kg cheese was $10 but now $12. We only have the one supermarket so can't shop around but I do buy items on special for more than one week. I do find ordering on line has saved me a lot of money but it hasn't been without issues. My weekly groceries would only be about $130 a week if it wasn't for fruits and veges. I probably spend about $60-$80 a week on them as we eat a lot of them (but again I only buy if a reasonable price).

[@LittleOwl178]

This is exactly what I'm working on today - doing a bit of a grocery budget challenge for myself. Prices here in Australia have gone up (if you can find the items, still lots of empty shelves). Wow milk is expensive in NZ! Thank you for sharing. xx

[@bayleymadeit]

Hi Sandra, I haven’t noticed any supply issues (yet) but the price of everything is rising. Yes the price of milk is insane here considering we are a country with a huge dairy industry. I hope your grocery budget challenge goes well 😊x

[@star_fossil]

That's what I thought, NZ dairy should be cheaper in NZ?

[@homemakingheaven]

Hi there 👍🏼 Loved this video!!! 🤩 Our prices for groceries are definitely climbing here in the states. 😩 My anxiety has definitely been worse with all of that! Do you have any suggestions for staying happy as a stay at home Mom? Sometimes I find myself getting really anxious or depressed being at home full time. 😥 Thanks so much for sharing your life with us!! Sending much love and support from the USA 🇺🇸 Kristin

[@bayleymadeit]

Hi Kristin, I definitely go through the same feelings as you being home full time especially if Mike is really busy at work and travelling out of town. I find that my hobbies (knitting and sewing) help me be more mindful but I also feel like I’m a creating something and my days aren’t just the same routine over and over. I think something like KZbin reminds us that we are not alone and there is a whole community of stay at home mums and homemaker out there 😊❤️

[@julieanne7223]

I live in Canberra and your prices are similar to ours, it feels like you need to take out a second mortgage just to buy food. I notice you bought 2 packets of Tim tams, are they your special treat or everyones????? 😆 Thanks for sharing!

[@bayleymadeit]

Hi Julie, The Tim Tams are just for me but I bought two packs because they were on special 😅😊

[@nicoleziegler1486]

Costs in the west coast of the U.S. are definitely rising! Especially fuel.

[@erinzobec5968]

Pretty comparable here in Australia. Kiwi fruit are more expensive here!

[@becsparker6278]

So interesting! I love seeing how others shop. Thankyou for this great video. I'm always struggling with grocery shopping as we live min of 45mins from a Countdown, New World and at least an hour from any Pak n Save. We rely more on our local 4 Squares, which aren't great...sigh. Countdown online shopping is disastrous as the substitutions and out of stocks drive me crazy! We are a family of 3 and including a fussy 6 year old so we spend about $800 a month, we eat very little meat and dairy and I make most of our cleaners. I'm sure you are in a comfortable position to be able to buy the items you buy and as you mentioned you like to splurge more on your favourites... It does blow my mind a little that you spend $30 on 3 different types of cheeses!! 🙈 And milk...Anchor is always so much more costly when all your paying for is the label...it all comes from the same cows 😄 Its makes me crazy how we have to pay export prices for dairy in this country! Anyway great video...thankyou as always x

[@bayleymadeit]

Wow, it must be hard living so far away from the big supermarkets. $30 on cheese is insane but we are all big dairy lovers in our house (and that cheese will last 2-3 weeks) 😅 🧀. I am going to start incorporating more meatless meals into my meal plan. I know it’s crazy that we are a country with such a successful dairy industry but the prices are so high.

[@louisem6176]

Your prices are a little higher than Victoria, the cheese is probably $2 more than where I live and the meat was pretty much spot on when on special. I shop at aldi then woollies. Also with my car insurance you can buy woollies ecards and save 4% which is something I need to do. I save my points until December and then use that to pay for a shop. Thats not an advert for them as they are more expensive than aldi but have good specials sometimes. I brought chicken on special and bulk slow cooked tonight's dinner and 2 freezer meals from it as well. Things are expensive. Thanks for sharing.

[@gloriavalencia977]

Hello, could you do a video on how you create your kids capsule wardrobe’s?

[@bayleymadeit]

Hi Gloria, I have made a few videos on kids capsule wardrobes but I generally have 5 outfits for each boy and 2 pairs of shoes each season. They also have 2 pairs of pjs each and 1 rain jacket. For special occasions like weddings etc I usually borrow items from friends and family or thrift anything I need. 😊

[@gloriavalencia977]

@@bayleymadeit This was very helpful! Thank you 😊 God bless you and your family 🙏🏼

[@jamie-leewatson3565]

I'm in Australia, I cannot believe how much things cost in NZ! Here mandarins are $3.50kg, granny smith $4.99kg, gala apples $3.50kg, 3l local milk $4.55... I'm sure other things may be cheaper in NZ, but this shocked me.

[@bayleymadeit]

Yes I feel like the price of fruit and veg right now is crazy 😕

[@Leon.bro73]

Why is this exactly what I get at the supermarket?? I live in NZ btw

[@Amandahugginkizz]

Cream is way cheaper there then in the usa though

[@mycircusmonkeys84]

Have you thought about substituting your milk and cheese for Homebrand or Pams? Our 3L bottle of milk doesn't cost much more than your 2L of Anchor. The same with cheese, I buy Countdown brand or value brand.

[@bayleymadeit]

Hi Melissa, I buy homebrand and Pam’s tasty cheese. The cheaper brands of mozzarella are terrible but I’m going to experiment with the Colby cheese. The boys eat that one and they are really picky! 😅

[@mustardseed123]

It's also really expensive here in Australia. Last week spent about $300. I'm surprised your milk is so expensive for 2litres or is that like a premium milk brand? I assumed it would be cheaper in NZ as the milk production is large there. I pay $4 AUD for a good locally sourced milk but cheaper milk is around $2 for 2 litres here in Australia. thanks for the timing of this video! Is count down the same as Woolworths?

[@ferretsam]

UHT milk is usually cheaper, if you have that in NZ?

[@lisaseidenkranz3211]

I also on line order. I spend hours price comparing. Even our Aldie has seen huge price jumps. Your eggs and dairy are much higher than ours. Most everything is about the same. This week between Aldi & Fareway which is a local store my combined receipts came to about $110. I've made serious effort to shop my cupboards and not waste food. Our gas prices are $4.59 a gal. What's you petrol cost?

[@bayleymadeit]

Hi Lisa, right now it’s $2.98 a litre.

[@bearchild4352]

Here in Toronto food is also very expensive!!

[@bayleymadeit]

😕💸💸💸

[@denisemc867]

Isn't that the Australian Woolworths logo on your food.?

[@gregsgirl23au]

In NZ it's called countdown. In Australia it's Woolworths 😊

[@bayleymadeit]

Hi Denise, yes Lindsay’s right. It’s the same product but under a different name depending on whether you are in NZ or Australia.

[@yuliyavandenheuvel8196]

Hi Bayley! What kinds of products do you not compromise on in terms of quality?

[@bayleymadeit]

Hi Yuliya! Coffee, milk, meat, fruit and veg are probably the items where I spend more to get a better quality product. 😊 (oh and Tim Tams - cheaper brands have copied them but they just aren’t the same 😅)

[@JOYSILVERWOOD1]

I'm spending $200 to $230 for 2 adults, 3 children 4, 8, 10. 2 dogs and 1 cat. Chicken feed is not in that budget. I use the love food hate waste easy kai meal planner with certain tweaks. In NZ, I shop at new world/countdown and the local vege shop

[@Amandahugginkizz]

If you want to save money get your cat on dried food... wet it with some broth to soften it if you have to. Don't get them used to soft food, cats are naturally carnivours in nature they eat hard food not perfect soft mush food, just like weston price figured out our diet is making our palatte and teeth unnatural, soft food does the same to pets.

[@Amandahugginkizz]

With 5 kids(4 teen boys) and a husband 4 rolls of tp wldnt even last a day let alone a week or 2.....

[@angieelysian6842]

1 lonely mandarin 😂 🍊

[@bayleymadeit]

😂

[@bayleymadeit]

It’s so annoying when that happens! 😂

[@Amandahugginkizz]

7.50 for milk. Holy crap. I just paid 3.50

[@christinecoxhead45]

I only get 24bucks a week for groceries Never a good outcome for me

[@MrWebsternet]

How come you are you buying Anchor milk which is so expensive, the budget brands are at least $1 less. Also your meat is very expensive, I'm guessing you don't live near a pak n save as you would get prices considerably cheaper there.