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The $21 Challenge

The $21 Challenge

Tags: Tips and Tricks
Last updated by Someone on

Whilst looking for fun money saving tips for this week’s newsletter, I came across the website simplesavings.com.au. The brains behind the site are two ladies from the Sunshine Coast in QLD. Fiona Lippey and Jackie Gower are the authors of the $21 Challenge who encourage you to live on $21 for one week only, not every week. In a nutshell, it is a one-week grocery slashing marathon where you can save a big pile of money, declutter your pantry and learn new skills all at the same time! For one week you try as hard as you possibly can to stay out of the shops.  Instead of going out and doing your usual supermarket shop you have to stretch the food you already have in your cupboard, pantry, garden and freezer to stay within your $21 budget. 

As a single mum with joint custody of 3 teenagers, I'm effectively doing this already without even trying. The week-over arrangement means 2 weeks of every month my food bill is about $50 (it would be $21 except for the pet food) and the other 2 weeks it's about $300 which is about the average household of four people would spend $320 per week on food according to simplesavings. This means if you do a $21 Challenge once a month in your household, you can save yourself $3600 in one year!

 

 

Originally posted on .

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Someone
Someone from QLD commented:

Susie from Queensland I'm a single person living alone.. A proper challenge would be to take a $20 note and a $1 coin and go out and buy the week's food with that money. Do not raid the pantry or fridge for extras because this negates the living on $21 a week idea. I've just made a list and it is do-able if you buy $11 worth of fresh produce and $10 of groceries. Drink tap water and enjoy a humble existence for a week. Plenty of people in the world get a lot less to eat. 

Albert
Albert from QLD commented:

I have started doing something similar to this, for about 2 years, now. I look in the cupboard and freezer to see what is there and create something a bit out-of-the-ordinary with whatever I find. It is amazing how much of a rut I get into with expecting certain foods to be there for meals we have become used to. Using whatever is on hand challenges me to be more creative and frugal. If I can't think of a way to use the combination, it is inspirational to see suggestions on Google! I have also started to question whether we really want to buy things simply because we have written them on the shopping list. Recently, I went with quite a long list, and ended up coming out with 3 items - AND a greatly reduced bill! Besides which, we all tend to consume more than we need to, and eating less is very healthy. 

Jo-Anne
Jo-Anne from QLD commented:

If you shop regularly every week or fortnight, and buy extra that shouldn't be a problem but I must admit I will give it ago . Just feel sorry for the people who shop daily depending on their finances. Good idea but not for everyone 

Someone
Someone from NSW replied to Jo-Anne:

Yes, however if you are buying a little extra for each of three weeks you are not really spending that $320 on just that weeks groceries but rather spending some of it on the groceries you will use during the week you are supposedly living off $21. I am more incline to think smart buying, using your own stove for meal preparation instead of unboxing a frozen or packaged meals leads to real savings and better nutrition. Every family deserves a few treats, however standing in line at the checkout I am amazed at the amount of money handed over for a shop that contains very little of nutritional value. 

Someone
Someone from NSW commented:

Lynn, NSW. I believe it can be achieved if you're a person who stocks up,and buyers a little extra every other week as I do. It also gives you a chance to clean the pantry out. How do you think people survived back in the days when supermarkets were only open 5 days a week, with no late night opening hours. I live 1 hr from the nearest town, and you can't just go to the corner store if you run out of milk. That's good old country living. 

Herbert JOHN
Herbert JOHN from NSW commented:

Must be starving the family once every other week 

Someone
Someone from NSW commented:

Oops.Must have run out of fingers and toes when doing the division below. $320 divided by 2 is $80, not $82. Never-the -less I still come to the same "confusions" 

Someone
Someone from NSW commented:

$82 per week, per person, per week on food as part of buying for four people does seem a lot .Could this be the total amount spent in the supermarket, which now stock many items that really should not be classified as groceries? Never-the less it does seem an excellent idea for a once in three months money saving clean out. If you could do it every fourth week I suspect your whole budget needs an overhaul. How four people could get enough fresh fruit , vegetables, bread and milk on a $21 budget every fourth week without compromising their health, or expanding their spending over the other three weeks is beyond me, and I am very good at advanced buying when the price is right, bulk cooking and freezing and rotating shelf stock to eliminate waste, whilst still enjoying a large variety of nourishing, low cost meals 

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