Make a list of all your basic 'pantry essentials' these are all the things that you need to have in stock to keep the family ticking over – Not what you LIKE, just what you NEED

The essentials list should start with fresh fruit and veg. It’s possible to make a wider variety of nourishing meals by combining fresh produce with basics from the pantry, such as flour, rice, eggs and seasonings, than by using canned or frozen veg. With fresh produce you get more for your money, and you can do more with it. Provided that you buy what is in season, you may need to consult a “seasonal availability calendar” to familiarise yourself with what is in season.

Next list your basic range of staples – things like flour, bread, eggs, milk, butter, oil, baking powder, salt, dried pasta … Just the basics that YOU use regularly. Not what you think you might use if you ever get around to dusting off that recipe book…Your pantry staples.

Next you will write down a basic range of cereals – actually this is a basic range, copy it: Cornflakes, Weetbix, Ricies, Rolled Oats.

Add to your essentials list a basic range of canned foods, then a basic range of seasonings, sauces and spreads. Then you can include a basic range of frozen food – remember, it’s just the essentials. – peas and beans are fine, ice-cream and frozen pizza? – They’re going on another list.

The essentials list looks quite different from one household to another as age; life stage and personal taste differ hugely.

After you’ve listed all your essential food items you need to add meat, and then essential cleaning products.

Essentials List
Fresh fruit and Veg – onions, (red? Brown?...) Potatoes, carrots, Garlic, Apples, bananas, what is cheap and in season at present... write them all down

Staples – flour (plain, self raising, wholemeal?), Oil, sugar, eggs, milk, butter or spread, baking powder, salt, cheese, lentils,  rice, (long grain?, sushi? Arborio?...), macaroni …
Baking stuff- coconut, vanilla, raisins, cocoa, yeast…

Spreads – peanut butter, honey, jam, marmalade, marmite…

Cereals – cornflakes, weetbix, rices, rolled oats

Canned food – baked beans, tinned tomatoes, chilli beans, kidney beans, sweet corn, tuna, peaches…

Sauces –Tomato sauce, sweet chilli sauce, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce…

Seasonings – Mixed Herbs, oregano, cumin, curry powder, coriander, mixed spice, cinnamon, Mexican seasoning, chilli…

Frozen food- Peas, beans, mixed veg, pastry sheets

Meat- beef mince, pork mince, boneless chicken breast, bacon …

Cleaning products- fly spray, Bleach, floor cleaner, surface scrub…

Toiletries – loo rolls, shampoo, conditioner, soap, shaving cream, razors, sanitary products, hairspray…

Pet supplies- cat food, fish food, flea treatment…

The  essentials should include the basic components of your regular meals and baking basics. In some cases there may be things that are essentials now, but if circumstances change then they can be omitted from the list.

Make a list of Luxuries-
On here you are going to write anything your household likes, but is not essential to your survival. Ice cream, wine, fancy cereals, little dangly things to hang in the loo, biscuits, packet meals, fancy oils... kids foods like nuggets or lunch box bars…

It’s impossible to differentiate between a need and a want in the 4.5 seconds thinking time you have in the supermarket aisle.
The lists establish quite clearly the priorities, and puts some boundaries around what we buy.
We identify that a little treat is important to avoid a big blow out later on. putting a limit on what you can actually spend on Groceries or “house keeping” to use the old term is sound economic sense.

dg money saving principal NO. 2 Eat healthily and in season