Where I Shop to Save Money Without Feeling Deprived

I know what it is to be without. Not in a vague, theoretical way, in a very real, lived way. Learning to save money on groceries in South Africa came from necessity, not choice.

There have been times in my life when my rent alone was half of what I earned. Not because I was living somewhere fancy, but because I was earning that little. There have been times when there was no food in the house. Where I would sell items at Cash Crusaders just for petrol money or to cover a week’s groceries. I was evicted from my home when my firstborn was two years old. I have sat at a Saturday market selling my own clothes to make it through the month, and some weeks I walked away with less than R200.

In 2023, when I still owned my apartment, I came close to declaring bankruptcy. My bond, my levies, my debt, it was all far more than I could carry alone. I’ve written about that in more detail in my post on journaling and mental health. What saved me during that time was finding an online teaching job. I’m a qualified TEFL teacher, and that side hustle came at exactly the right moment. It kept us afloat until I sold the apartment and received a promotion at my main job. By then, I was working literally around the clock and completely burnt out, so I let the teaching go. But it got us through.

Through all of it, and I mean all of it, no one knew. I am not someone who asks for help easily. I carried it quietly and kept going.

Every single one of those experiences shaped the way I spend and shop today.

My grocery budget is around R5000 a month for a family of four. I want to be honest about that. I know that still puts me in a position of privilege compared to many South Africans and many single mothers who are working with far less. I don’t take that for granted. Not for a single second. But within that budget, I am deliberate, careful and unapologetically frugal, because I know exactly what it looks like when there is nothing.

That mindset shows up in every decision I make. It’s why I will never pay Woolworths prices when I can get the same quality somewhere else for less. It’s why I plan my shopping, stick to what I need and don’t browse. This isn’t about being cheap. It’s about knowing the value of every rand, because I have lived without them.

Groceries — How I Save Money on Groceries in South Africa

My go-to for monthly groceries is Shoprite, specifically the one in Plumstead, which I find clean, comfortable and easy to navigate. I usually do my big shop on the first or last day of the month, right after payday.

Before I leave the house, I check my recurring shopping list. I keep the same list every month: detergents, toiletries, monthly staples, everything we need to function. I don’t walk around the kitchen checking what we have. I buy the same amount every month because I know how long it lasts us. If we have extra at the end of the month, that’s a bonus. 

I stick to my list, and I don’t browse. Browsing is where the budget goes wrong.

Shoprite regularly has good deals, and I find I get significantly more for my money there than I would anywhere else. That difference adds up over a year in a way that genuinely matters on a single income.

For our monthly luxuries, chips, cookies, and sweets, I don’t buy these just anywhere. I go to Sweet Express in Ottery, which is essentially a bulk candy wholesaler where shop owners go to stock up. I buy big bags of chips there, like NikNaks or Stylos, which gives you about fifty little packets for under R50. That lasts my kids the entire month. I also pick up sweets there and usually spend around R200 total on luxuries for the month.

For cookies, I go to Donny’s Bakery in Plumstead, a big container of cookies for R100. And I monitor how much my kids eat of this because, left to their own devices, they would finish everything in three days.

For my own skincare, I don’t dip into the grocery budget; I shop separately on Takealot. The products I use are slightly more expensive, but they last me at least two months, and Takealot often has better prices than anywhere in-store, with next-day delivery.

Meat and Poultry — The Butcher Strategy

For meat and poultry, I don’t go to a supermarket. I go to a butcher, specifically Kekkel en Kraai, which I discovered through my mom and have been going back to ever since.

Every month I buy a kilo of everything, beef pieces, mince, sausage, polony and eggs. I also get a 6kg box of chicken, which comes ready packed and lasts us the entire month. They run specials every month, and I find the value genuinely hard to beat. I’m sure other butchers offer similar monthly promos, go with what’s near you and what you know. But if you’re in Cape Town, Kekkel en Kraai is worth a visit.

My kids are obsessed with crumb chicken fingers, nuggets and burgers, and Kekkel en Kraai sells big bags of these for under R50. That alone makes the trip worthwhile. They also stock fish fingers, fish cakes and a decent selection of spices if you want to mix things up.

Buying from a butcher instead of a supermarket has made a real difference to my monthly budget. The quality is good, the portions are generous, and the specials mean I’m getting more for my money every single month.

Toiletries — Clicks and What Actually Works

Clicks is genuinely one of my favourite stores, and I actually enjoy shopping there. But I go in with a list and a budget, and I stick to both.

I’m buying four of everything every month, so their specials work well for me, and I find I can stretch the budget further there than anywhere else. For shampoo and conditioner, I buy the large Oh So Heavenly bottles, one for the whole family. Affordable, long-lasting, and works for all of us. For things like hair gel and mousse, I buy one of each, and my kids share. If they want anything extra or specific, they’ve been taught to buy it with their own money. I cover the necessities. Everything else is on them.

My kids all have different skin needs, so I make sure whatever I buy for each of them actually works for their skin specifically.

For all of us, face washing is simple. Pure Soap is an unscented glycerine soap that is gentle enough for every skin type. I buy a four-pack at Clicks every month, and it covers everyone. It’s one of those quiet discoveries that just works, and I’ve never felt the need to replace it with anything fancier.

Of course, my kids have opinions about what they want, and honestly, sometimes I wish I could just pick up everything they ask for. But that’s not my reality, and more importantly, it’s not a lesson I want to teach them. Life is expensive, and I want them to know that before they go out into the world unprepared. I am very open with my children about our finances. They know exactly what our situation is, and they know that if mommy can, mommy will. I never make promises I can’t keep, and when I do make them, I always follow through.

What I’ve noticed is that they don’t complain. They are genuinely happy with what they have and what they get. That humility is something I am so grateful for, and something I’ve worked hard to instill in them.

Clothes — Twice a Year and Intentional

Clothing shopping happens twice a year: one big shop for winter and one big shop for summer. In between, I pick up whatever is needed as it comes up, underwear, shoes, something that’s worn out and needs replacing. That’s it. I don’t browse, I don’t window shop, and I don’t buy clothes out of season just because something catches my eye. It’s the same mindset I wrote about in my post on simple living: buy less, choose well, and don’t replace what doesn’t need replacing.

I don’t do both big shops in the same month either. That would stretch me too thin. I’ll do one child one month and the other the next, spreading the cost so it doesn’t hit my budget all at once.

My go-to for clothing is Pick n Pay Clothing, where I use PayJustNow to spread the cost across three months interest-free. As I mentioned in an earlier post, this works well for me because it keeps my budget intact without forcing me to choose between what we need and what we can afford right now.

For the kids, I also shop at Fashion Fusion, Traders, Choice Clothing, and Mr Price. Mr. Price is where I go specifically for sneakers, jeans, and hoodies; it works well for those basics. Fashion Fusion is worth visiting for their sale items, specifically, not everything is cheaper, but if you take your time, you can find really good pieces. And Traders is one I’d particularly recommend, it operates almost like a factory shop where you can find items from bigger brands like Woolworths and Zara at a fraction of the price. You have to look properly, but the finds are very real.

My eldest is a young adult with a part-time job, so she buys her own clothes. Her money is her own, and, while she’ll contribute now and then, it’s not an expectation. I’ll occasionally pick up something random for her, a pair of underwear, a sneaker. It’s not expected, and she doesn’t ask.

For myself, I shop differently. I’m very particular about what I buy because I need it to last. I shop mostly online, Takealot and Jet for clothing, and Shoebox for shoes. Shoebox is where I get my loafers and boots, and Jet has surprised me with quality pieces that suit the style I’m building. Every piece I buy for myself has to earn its place, be of good quality, versatile, and wearable across seasons.

My Personal Rule

Quality where it counts, frugal where it doesn’t. Every rand has a job. I don’t spend money without knowing what that job is.

I didn’t learn this from a financial advisor or a budgeting app. I learned it from experience, from the hard kind that teaches you things no book ever could. And I’ve put into action what actually works for my family and me. It’s not a perfect picture, and it won’t work for everyone, and that’s okay.

What I want is to share from a place of truth. If someone can’t relate to any of this, that’s fine. But if someone can, if even one person reads this and thinks, “okay, I can actually do that”,  then I’ve done exactly what I set out to do. Reach people who are in similar situations, who are looking for something real, something of value, something they can actually put into action in their own lives.

That’s why I’m here. That’s why I write.

Disclaimer: All brands and products mentioned in this post are based on my own personal experience and preference. I am not affiliated with or sponsored by any of the brands mentioned. All opinions are entirely my own.