Recipes » Potatoes Save Money

Potatoes Save Money

A new study by the Potato Council has revealed our average weekly food shopping bills are nearly 350% more than average bill our parents received!

If you’re looking for ways to reduce your weekly shopping bill, without missing out on delicious healthy meals, potatoes are your answer. Read on for tips and advice on getting the most out of potatoes, reducing your food waste and most importantly, saving money!

Get the most out of your potatoes

Potatoes are so versatile, you can get lots of different meals out of just one bag. Simon Rimmer, the BBC's Something for the Weekend chef, who is currently touring the country with the Potato Council, answering Mum's kitchen dilemmas and serving up mealtime solutions comments: "With the current credit crunch, a staple home-grown crop like potatoes is, as it was to our grandparents, so important. A bag of potatoes offers such tremendous value and so many options."

Reduce food waste by using your leftover potatoes

Leftover Mashed Potato...

• Make a Shepherd’s Pie or Fisherman’s Pie topping
• Make these quick Salmon Fishcakes
• Mash together with chiili and spice to make Chilli Potato Cakes
• Stir in a spoonful of pesto or wholegrain mustard to make an instant Flavoured Mash or Winter Vegetable Mash
• Make this quick Potato Crust Pizza

Leftover Boiled Potatoes...

• Add to a New Potato Wedge Omelette or Farmhouse Potato Omelette
• Turn into delicious classic Mashed Potatoes, Roast Potatoes or Potato Wedges
• Use in a tasty, wholesome soup like Chilled Potato & Avocado Soup or Chunky Potato & Bean Soup
• Pan-fry slices of boiled potatoes for a hearty breakfast or simple dinner like Panfried New Potatoes

Leftover Jacket Potatoes...

• Scoop out the centre, mix with cheese and bacon and pop back in the oven to make Smoky Bacon Loaded Skins

Save money by choosing potatoes over pasta or rice

British households are going Back to Basics with their cooking and as the prices of pasta and rice rise, turning to other store cupboard staples, such as locally-grown potatoes, which are experiencing steady pricing and an increase in sales. Potatoes also give you more nutrients for your money than pasta or rice which makes them the best choice for health and your purse!

Take some tips from independent money expert Jasmine Birtles at moneymagpie.com:

• If you shop for your fruit and veg at local markets rather than the supermarket you should save about 30% on your food bill.

• Shopping locally will also save you a packet on petrol.

• Cook from scratch and shun expensive convenience foods so that you have less waste and save more money

• Buying locally-grown food where you can means you’ll be supporting local farmers and saving on the rapidly increasing costs associated with transporting food from other countries – not to mention out-of-town shopping centres.

• Bringing certain foods such as potatoes back into our diet will certainly cut down on family food bills. 

• Baked potatoes are a great way to feed a family on a budget and they really fill you up. I have them at least once a week with a topping and salad. 

• Mashed potato is also a great way of making a meal go further which is why it's in great British staples like shepherd's pie and fish pie. 

• If families replace some meals that were rice or pasta-based with potatoes then their food budgets will go further!


To read more about the Potato Council's study into British household's shopping bills, click here
If you have any tips or advice for making the shopping budget go further with potatoes, contact us