15 surefire ways to save money on groceries

For most of us these days, a trip to the supermarket can be a financially challenging experience. 

$5 for one avocado, ‘shut the fridge door!’ After dramatic price increases in dairy, meat, fruit and veggies, we can find it hard to fill our trolley and still keep within budget.

Sure, there’s the Countdown $15 meal ideas, and a number of websites showing how to feed a family for under $100 still.

But for most of us mere mortals, we’re not going to make and freeze 25 meals every 4th Sunday, and we don’t actually think changing out parmesan cheese for colby in our pesto tastes very good!

A more sustainable way of saving money on groceries is by setting a realistic budget, and then sticking to it like glue. You don’t have to pre-make 7 meals on Sunday. But you do need to plan ahead and decide what you’ll eat for the week. And only buy the necessities to make those meals.

There’s 2 reasons this is vital to saving money at the supermarket:

1. You won’t buy more food than you need, this means you won’t be throwing out expensive food that’s wilted in the grocery drawer, or gone past it’s use by date.
2. Shopping for 7 day’s worth of food, means you should have enough to last you the week. This prevents you from ‘popping out’ for milk and bread, and spending another $80 on food you haven’t budgeted for.

Saving money on groceries

Here are some tips to help NZ parents take the stress out of shopping and make your food budget go further:

• Set a budget. Make it realistic, something you can afford, that will still afford you a few luxuries.
• Plan out what you’re going to make for lunch and dinner for the week ahead.
• Think about multi-purpose meal buying. Can you buy a bulk mince and use it for bolognese on Monday, and burgers on Friday? Also, can you make enough to double-up for lunch the next day?
• Always make a shopping list and stick to it.
• Don’t go shopping when you’re hungry, stressed, premenstrual or after Friday night drinks at work!
• Don’t take the kids if you can at all possibly avoid it – they’ll usually persuade you to add more items to the trolley. Just a few extras can easily add $20-30 to your bill.
• Take a calculator with you so you can check that bulk deals are really worthwhile, and that you’re staying within your food budget for the week. Try out Pak’nSave’s Shop’nGo service.
• Buy house brands that look plain with minimal branding, but provide good quality and excellent value.
• Watch out for vouchers or coupons in the supermarket fliers in your letterbox – by collecting a number of these each week, you can save many dollars on your grocery bill.
• If you have a choice of supermarkets close by, then make sure you regularly compare prices to get the best deal. My sister shops at Sylvia Park – and gets to compare the prices of three supermarkets – as well as The Mad Butcher and The Warehouse.
• Buy in bulk– as a general rule bulk purchases are cheaper than smaller ones, so go for the biggest pot of peanut butter, a tray of eggs, or the biggest bag of rice (make sure you use your calculator to check that you are really getting a good deal though).
• Another trick is to buy from bulk bins, so that you do not pay for fancy packaging. Dry foods like flour, sugar, raisins and cornflakes are often cheaper from bulk bins.
• Explore other stores and weekend markets in your area for even better deals – I often buy dry goods from a local bulk bin store that’s cheaper than our supermarket. And I always shop for fruit and veggies at our local market, which is much cheaper.
• Get online. Just doing your shopping online can save you money, this family saves over $2,600. But you should also check the Facebook pages like Cheaper Living NZ, and websites like Cheapies NZ, to find a whole host of discount vouchers, and savings ideas.
• Whilst it is tempting to put treats into your shopping trolley, try hard to avoid chippies, chocolate, fancy desserts and alcohol by staying out of these aisles – you will only succeed in reducing your bank balance and adding to your waistline; when most of us are trying to achieve the exact opposite result!!

Budget Busters

Try to avoid the following if you want to save money:

• Cigarettes
• Alcohol
• Lollies & Chocolate
• Snack foods
• Ready made dinners
• Ready made desserts
• Expensive brand names

Family Friends

Look out for the friends of family budgeters:

• House brands such as Pam’s and HomeBrand
• Bulk deals of any sort
• Fillers for dinner such as beans, potatoes, rice, split peas, lentils and pearl barley
• Ingredients for home baking (big bags of flour, sugar, and bran)
• Cheap cuts of meat that can be slow cooked to make them tender

Top 10 Turkish Foods You MUST Try!

In all the countries I have traveled to so far I can definitely say Turkey has some of the best cuisines I have ever had the joy of trying. From home-cooked stews to kebabs on the street, Turkish food is cheap, delicious and most of all there are literally hundreds of dishes to try!

On the other hand, the Turks really don't understand foreign food at all. Especially things like pizza and pasta are just horrible! But really, with so much delicious local food why would you want to eat anything else?

So here are the top ten foods you MUST try if you visit Turkey!

1. Kokoreç

No surprise here, everyone knows how much I love kokorec because I am constantly talking about it! While eating barbecued sheep intestines might seem a bit weird to some people, if you can get past your brain telling you it's weird, your taste buds will tell you it is absolutely delicious! The best kokorec is usually found in Istanbul, but you can find it all around Turkey. Without a doubt, the best place to eat is at Gala Kokorec in Besiktas, Istanbul. I've taken many friends there in the past, and everyone agrees this is the best they have ever tasted! (note: they make it pretty spicy if you don't tell them otherwise)

2. İskender Kebab

This is a meal you can usually find in restaurants, it can be a bit expensive (around €4-5) but you can't leave Turkey without trying it at least once! Iskender is beef doner meat placed on top of freshly cooked pide bread and covered with a tomato sauce, butter and yogurt. In Turkey "kebab" means a lot of things, but for me kebab means Iskender! The most famous place to eat it is in Bursa. In Izmir there is also a place called Antik Cafe which serves a very good Iskender for as little as 7tl.

3. Şiş Dürüm (Barbecued Meat Wrap)

This is another kind of kebab that can be ordered at most street restaurants in Turkey. My favourite is chicken but you can also get beef, heart, kidney, or adana style which is seasoned minced meat pressed onto a metal skewer. One of the best places in Turkey to eat a good durum is the famous Mangal Keyfi in Taksim, Istanbul. Also don't forget to try their home made ayran 😉

4. Börek

Borek is a Turkish pie, usually filled with meat, cheese, potato or spinach. You can buy them at most bakeries, although you will usually get better quality at an actual borek shop. There are also many types of borek to try, such as su borek (water borek) which is a very soft, wet pastry. Or sigara borek (cigarette pie) which are long and thin boreks with cheese or potato in them. Which ever you try, they all make a great snack or breakfast food.

5. Pide

This is a kind of Turkish pizza, usually cooked in a large wood burning oven and topped with meat, chicken, cheese, vegetables or a combination of these.

6. Köfte

These are Turkish meat balls, eaten either in a dish with tomato sauce, by themselves, or in a sandwich. You can find them almost anywhere in Turkey but my all time favourite, and I will say my favourite restaurant in the whole of Turkey is Kofteci Yusuf which have many restaurants around Yalova and Bursa as well as 3 locations along the road from Istanbul to Izmir, if you are hitchhiking through this area you MUST stop at this restaurant, not only is it the most delicious but somehow also the cheapest kofte I have ever seen in Turkey!

7. Kahvaltı (Turkish Breakfast)

I know, I'm a lucky guy to date a Turkish girl and get this made for me almost every single day 😀 A Turkish breakfast consists of... well, a hell of a lot of things! In a restaurant you should expect to see at least 4 kinds of cheese, 2 kinds of olive, salad, meat, pastries, several kinds of bread, jam, butter, honey and one or two boiled or fried eggs. You can also order a dish of menemen which is a tomato and egg dish and also bloody delicious! You can find the best Turkish breakfasts in the villages, but Besiktas in Istanbul is famous for good breakfasts too. 

8. Midye

This is really the perfect drunk food; muscles filled with black pepper flavoured rice. You can find them in most places near the sea for around 30-50kr (€0.15-0.20) per piece. A guy will usually open them and hand them to you one by one until you say stop, then count your empty shells to tell you the bill, but be careful... they are so delicious you can easily lose track and end up paying more than you expected! I found that if you tell the seller how many you want from the beginning you can often bargain, and if you ever see them being sold by the bag they are much much cheaper!

9. Döner Kebab

What?! The most famous Turkish food only makes it into 9th place?? While I do like a doner sometimes, I think it is extremely over rated around the world, and there are just so many other foods which I enjoy much more. Another reason is, you can eat it almost anywhere in the world! There are some extremely good places to eat it though if you don't mind paying a little bit extra, in Istanbul check out Donerci Sahin Usta, and in Izmir there is a famous doner street in Kemeralti where you can find around 5 or 6 very nice doner restaurants.

10 - Balık Ekmek

Fish sandwiches can mostly be eaten in Istanbul along the Bosphorus. There are a few kinds but the most common is a kind of saltwater fish, in a sandwich with a bit of salad. Simple, but delicious! They are usually best if you eat in a restaurant, although a little is more expensive. Another interesting place to try it from the floating restaurants in Eminonu.

Best Baby Skin Care Products!

Your baby’s skin changes throughout his growing period, and thus, there is a need to ensure they stay healthy and moisturized throughout the day. Their skin is more sensitive to irritants, allergens, and changes in temperature. You, therefore, have to protect your kid’s tender skin against environmental changes and harsh cleaners.

Newborn skincare is one delicate matter, and as your kid’s immune system develops, you’ll have to use the mildest cleanser you can find in the market. His skin is different from an adult’s and more sensitive, much thinner, susceptible to irritation, and expands rapidly as he continues to grow and develop.

Everything you put on your baby’s skin gets quickly absorbed in their bloodstream, meaning that you have to be conscious of the products you use. For your baby’s first three years, you’ll only require a few simple skincare products. If you do not want to see, your little one suffering from skin problems such as rashes, ensure that the products are toxic-free.

In this review, you’ll get to know all the essential newborn baby care products list, how to buy baby care products, frequently asked questions, and the top 10 best baby products. So let’s have a look into it. The following are the essential newborn baby care products list you need for your young one.

Baby Lotion

Baby’s skin is thinner than that of adults and thus loses moisture more quickly. As a result, it can dry out, leading to discomforts such as itching, rashes, flaking, irritation, among others. You’ll, therefore, need baby lotion to keep his skin moisturized at all times. Use the cream sparing on a newborn.

Types of baby lotion

Ointment

Ointments are made of 80% and 20% water and therefore very thick, greasy. They are also very effective at hydration. If you apply ointment on your baby’s skin, it will create a barrier that will protect him all day long.

Lotions have few preservatives and also have a lower likelihood of irritating your baby’s skin.

Creams

Creams are lighter than ointments and are made up of 50% water and 50% oil. Due to the high water content, these lotions tend to have preservatives, and you have to be extra careful when selecting one for your baby.

These lotions provide moisture and baby skin protection but not as much barrier as ointments.

Lotion

Lotions comprise fewer oils and creams making them the least greasy option when it comes to moisturization. They have a high water content that can lead to skin dryness if overused. With lotions, hydration never gets trapped under the skin like with ointments.

Petroleum jelly

Petroleum jelly is one very effective baby skincare product that provides kids with a protective barrier against diapers. If your baby always gets rashes after wearing a diaper, use this product to keep him safe and comfortable at all times.

Diaper rash ointment

Your baby will at one point, encounter a diaper rash and thus the need to have a diaper rash ointment with you at the ready. This product provides kids with a barrier to moisture, keeping the skin dry at all times. Even with a wet diaper, your baby will never suffer from irritation that presents as redness and warmth with raised bumps.

Baby oil

Baby oils are best used as newborn’s massage oil and not as a moisturizer. Massaging your little one helps him to relax and fall asleep with ease and for long hours. If your kid has sensitive skin, ensure that you only use vegetable oils rich in polyunsaturated fats or unperfumed mineral oil and coconut oil.

Baby massage oil works best when used after a bath.

Baby Powder

If using baby powder, go for a talc-free one and keep it away from your baby’s face when applying. Baby powder can cause breathing problems, and you should, therefore, use it sparingly.

Sunscreen

Your little angel’s skin holds her internal organs in place and protects her from external forces like direct sunlight. The skin breathes in and out and has thousands of microorganisms that provide her with immunity and protection from the sun. However, too much exposure to the direct sun can make her suffer from rashes, and that’s why you need to get a sunscreen lotion for her.

For kids that are less than six months of age, their skin is too sensitive for sunscreen, and you should, therefore, use it on them. Instead, they out if the direct sun. You can also use hats and protective clothing to shield her from the harsh sunlight. Once she gets older (6 months and above), get her a baby skincare sunscreen that protects against UVA and UVB rays. Also, ensure that the sunscreen comes from a blend of natural ingredients.

Baby laundry detergent

When looking for laundry detergents for your baby, get those that are fragrance-free since you don’t want him to suffer from skin irritation. Also, avoid going for regulars as these may be harsh on your little one’s skin especially if he has a sensitive one.

Baby soap, washers, cleanser and shampoos

Most baby cleansers and washers are mild and therefore safe for newborns. To ensure that you get the best for your baby, always go through the ingredients list before making a purchase. Most baby soaps leave kids with dry skins and should thus get used sparingly. If getting baby shampoo, ensure that you get a tear-free one if you do not want her eyes to suffering from irritation.

For the first few months, your baby may not require soaps at all. When you start using one, go for a natural soap with olive, sesame or calendula oil that works for both body and hair. Also, avoid soaps with artificial fragrances, parabens, colors, triclosan, SLS, diethanolamine, and propylene glycol.

At no time should you use adult soap on your baby? Until your baby gets to one year of age, use soaps and shampoos specifically designed for this age group.

When going for baby soaps, washes, cleansers and shampoo, pick those with a shorter ingredients list.

Buyer’s Guide

The following are the things to look out for when purchasing baby skincare products.

Dermatologically tested

Since a baby’s skin is sensitive, you need to ensure that everything you get for them is 1oo% safe for use. How else will you tell that you’ve gotten the right product for your baby if not dermatologically tested? Go through the label first since it’s the only way to discern this. Also, you need to be extra careful since some brands tend to claim that their product comes when already dermatologically tested when that isn’t the case.

Hypoallergenic

Always get a product that won’t subject your baby to suffering due to allergic reactions. Some products will make your baby suffer from skin problems immediately you apply them on their skin. Also if going for laundry detergent or a baby bath product, check out for this feature and you’ll never have to worry about anything anymore.

Mild and gentle

Always look for products that leave your baby’s skin soft and supple at all times. The product should keep her skin relaxed and comfortable at all times. Choose mild and gentle baby skincare products if you want to have a happy baby at all times.

You also need to remember that if a product is harsh on your baby’s skin, to the extent of leaving rashes behind, you might end up using the extra cash for medication and product replacement.

Mild fragrance

Your baby requires fragrance-free skincare products, and if it has fragrance, it needs to be gentle. Fragrances can irritate your young one’s skin, something you’d rather not subject him to. Ensure that you read the label of every baby product you wish to buy for your little one if you want to keep her safe allergic reactions related to fragrances.

Skin Condition

Always consider the condition of your baby’s skin before getting any skincare product for them. Are you trying to keep your baby’s skin hydrated? Or are you trying to treat a medical condition? If you have the answer to these questions, you’ll end up getting the right products for your little one.

Best Scandinavian Headphones for Every Day!

Headphones are an item you need to use multiple times a day: on your commute, at work, at the gym, while you’re doing the dishes. They should be high-quality, long-lasting and, for the aesthetically-sensitive, beautiful. Though there are many in-ear and over-ear headphones on the market, it can be difficult to find a pair that looks as good as the sound they provide. Luckily Denmark and Sweden have a strong headphone game that includes a minimalist aesthetic and some of the best brands in the industry.

Here are our favorite Scandinavian headphones:

BEOPLAY

For luxury and looks, nothing beats Beoplay, an offshoot of Danish design royalty Bang & Olufsen. Their headphones are expensive, but they’re also gorgeous, made to last, and have lots of extra features like wireless play (including their in-ear buds), Bluetooth and leather details for additional comfort.

WE RECOMMEND

→ In-ear E4 Earbuds in Black	→ Over-ear H9 in Natural

 

AIAIAI

AIAIAI is a Danish brand making headphones that are the height of fashionable minimalism. In addition to their great look, the headphones can be customized for whatever your particular needs are – heightened bass, wider soundscape, whatever. For quality and durability, the price points are very fair.

WE RECOMMEND

→ In-ear Pipe Earphones in Black	→ Over-ear TMA-2 All-Around Preset in Black

 

SUDIO SWEDEN

Named after the Phil Collins song “Sussudio,” Studio is producing headphones that fit an active, city-based life. The Tre in-ear headphones have an extra wingtip to hold the bud in place, so they’re great for working out or people on-the-go. The gold detailing on the Regent over-ear headphones gives them a little extra oomph; they’re both minimalist and a bit glamorous.

WE RECOMMEND

→ In-ear The Vasa Bluetooth in Blue	→ Over-ear The Regent in Black

 

URBAN EARS

Good quality, clean look, and great price points: Urban Ears is the Swedish audio company combining slick design with accessibility.

WE RECOMMEND

→ In-ear Sumpan in Grey	→ Over-ear Plattan 2 in Black

LIBRATONE

Libratone has set itself apart in the audio world with unique design and a focus on portability for both their headphones and speakers. Both in and over-ear headphones are extremely comfortable as well as beautiful.

WE RECOMMEND

→ In-ear Q Adapt In-Ear Headphones in Cloudy White	→ Over-ear Q Adapt On-Ear Headphones in Stormy Black

 

MARSHALL

Known worldwide as a top-tier speaker company, Marshall makes great headphones as well. Their Mode in-ear headphone has a rubber coating that makes them tangle-resistant, which is reason enough to buy them! While it’s true that Marshall wasn’t founded in Scandinavia, they are licensed by Swedish audio industry giant Zounds Industries, so they make the Scandi cut.

WE RECOMMEND

→ In-ear Mode in Black	→ Over-ear Major II in Black

MOGAMI

Molami focuses on fashion-forward headphones that provide both high-quality sound and a visually interesting shape. If you’re looking for a more unique headphone style while maintaining a monochrome palette, these are for you!

WE RECOMMEND

→ In-ear Stitch in White and Copper	→ Over-ear Plica in Black

 

JAYS

Based out of an old brewery in Stockholm, Sweden, JAYS makes an array of hardworking, high-quality headphones that will look great and last for years.

WE RECOMMEND

→ In-ear A-Jays Five in Black

 

KREAFUNK

Danish audio brand Kreafunk makes fun and funky headphones that look unique and chic. They’re well-priced, sound great, and come in a range of colors.

WE RECOMMEND

→ In-ear is Headphones in White

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