Three real food things I make at home that save us $4,000 a year

I'm not really a budget person. But I am someone who has spent the last five years at home with my babies, working sporadically and mostly during nap times, and being a predominantly one-income family means being thoughtful about where money actually goes.

What I've landed on isn't really a budgeting strategy so much as a lifestyle shift that happened gradually, and that I genuinely enjoy. Making real food at home, from scratch, with good quality ingredients, turns out to be both cheaper and better than most of what you can buy. Here's what that looks like in practice for our family.

The three real food things making the biggest difference

Yoghurt is the one that surprises people most. We were going through two to three tubs a week at around $7 each, which adds up to well over $500 a year. I now make it myself with better quality milk for around $3 a batch. It tastes better, we know exactly what's in it, and it takes minimal effort once it's part of the routine.

Sourdough is the bigger saving. A good loaf costs $11 or more, and we can easily go through three a week. Making ours at home costs around $2.30 a loaf using the best quality organic flour, no pesticides, no additives, nothing unnecessary. That's over $1,300 a year back in the budget.

Coffee is where the numbers get really interesting. Two takeaway coffees a day at $5 each adds up to over $3,600 a year for two people. Making them at home with organic beans and raw milk costs around $2 each and is, honestly, much better for us.

Almost all of this happens in my Thermomix, which I've had for four years and am still completely obsessed with.

None of this requires being a budget person. It just requires enjoying the process, which I genuinely do. If you're curious about the Thermomix side of things, send me a message and I'm always happy to talk about it.