How a simple change at the supermarket can get you into a home faster

By making some simple changes at the supermarket you could easily save more than $2600 a year towards a home loan, or in extra repayments on your mortgage, the author of a new book has revealed.

Nabula El Mourid, who has just released her book The Weekly Grocery Shop, says through some savvy planning and careful, but easy, decision making, buyers could save big on their weekly shop, bringing that deposit within reach, and allowing you to pay off a home loan sooner.

Following on the success of her website and app Supermarket Swap, Ms El Mourid, 44, who lives in Henley Beach in Adelaide’s western suburbs, has created a new book aimed to reduce readers’ financial and food waste, providing helpful advice amid a collection of delicious and budget-friendly meals.

More news:

How much you need to save to buy in every Australian suburb

Shock $20k hack changing Aussie lives

‘Impossible gamble’: Hidden nightmare of Aus home renos

Bindi Irwin announces move to apartment in US

Block fever sparks mad rush for rundown homes

Aussie island property selling for a steal – but there’s a catch

“It’s a little bit different to your regular cookbook because the first half is all about getting ready to cook, so taking it back a step and exploring how we get organised to cook, how we explore the supermarket and I think probably the most unique and exciting element of the book is that we’re talking about shopping, and I feel like there aren’t many cookbooks that take you into the aisle first to make sure that you have an organised, cost-effective and healthy food shop,” she said.

The Weekly Grocery Shop author Nabula El Mourid with her children doing their weekly grocery shop. Pic Supplied

“Being organised is the number one way to save money on your weekly shop while still eating well.”

She says the savings – whether the shopper is saving for a deposit, or already a homeowner looking to make extra repayments – could be significant.

“Families are spending up to $300 a week – I know some families that are spending more,” she said.

“With the cost of living crisis that we’ve seen, grocery prices increased across the board.

“Families I definitely think can easily save between $30 to $50 dollars a week, possibly more, on your shop by making a few small changes to the way you approach it and only buying what they need, shopping the specials, buying in bulk, switching to the home brands – which often are just as good if not better than the name brand – and by starting to understand the unit price.

“Instead of comparing the promoted price you see in bold, read the fine print underneath and compare items at cost per 100 grams or cost per litre because that’s where the real savings come in.

“Singles could quite easily save $25 a week, just by switching their shopping habits.”

The Weekly Grocery Shop author Nabula El Mourid. Pic Supplied

According to the PropTrack CommBank First-Home Buyer Report 2025 released this week, an average-income household in Australia would need to save for the equivalent of 5.9 years to have enough for a 20 per cent deposit on a median-priced home.

That’s 308 weeks to save a $160,000 deposit on an $800,000 property – the median sale price for the June quarter.

Following El Mourid’s advice and saving $50 a week, you could wipe 27 weeks – more than half a year – off of the time you’d be waiting to enter the market.

Even tucking away a more conservative $25 a week gets you into the market some 14 weeks – more than a third of a year – earlier.

In El Mourid’s home state of SA, househunters would need to save for the equivalent of 7.2 years to have enough for a 20 per cent deposit on a median-priced home.

That’s 375 weeks to save a $150,000 deposit on $766,000 property – the median sale price for SA’s June quarter.

Following El Mourid’s advice and saving $50 a week, South Aussies could wipe 42 weeks – almost a year – off of the time you’d be waiting to enter the market.

Even tucking away a more conservative saving of $25 a week gets you into the market some 22 weeks – almost half a year – earlier.

Spinach spiral pie from The Weekly Grocery Shop. Pic Supplied.

Breakfast tacos from The Weekly Grocery Shop. Pic Supplied

“It really adds up, and once you start looking at what you spend and how much you can save, you’ll become addicted to it,” Ms El Mourid says.

“When you’re planning, the key is to check what you’ve already got so you only buy what you need.

“So many of us go to the supermarket and we don’t have a plan so we end up coming home and thinking: ‘Oh my gosh, I already had that flour, or that packet of noodles, I didn’t need to buy that’.

More news:

‘Aussie John’ quietly pulls $200m+ home from sale

Sprawling Vic home set to turn heads

Mansion sale smashes 2025 state record

Regional SA leading home value growth

Photographer Peter Dombrovskis’ historic home hits market

Beer icon James Boag III’s home for sale

“So a really important way to save is planning your meals and buying only what you need and that involves checking your fridge, freezer and pantry before you go to the supermarket and then not overbuying.

“$50 a week is a lot of money when it comes to renting or your mortgage and you can definitely save that per week with changing your approach to food, because I think food would be one of the highest discretionary purchases we make each week and waste.

“Prior planning and smart shopping will help you not only save a lot of money, but also cut down on food waste.”