Being a solo traveller meant that I had to look after me, myself and I. Everything is great until you have to crack your brain on the topic of cooking for a solo traveller. Who? You.
Travelling solo meant that I answer only to myself! Which can be great sometimes…and not so great sometimes…
My daily struggle was always, “What should I eat today?”.
Buying groceries and cooking for one may sound easy but trust me, it is a lot harder than you think.
First of all, when buying groceries, I always end up racking my brain for different ways to cook a cabbage or any other perishable item.
In my first couple of weeks, I would always do takeaways (PRO TIP: Many food court stalls will pack a great deal when it is near to closing hours. This helps them to reduce any wastage and it helps you cause you get to buy ready made food at a fraction of the original price. I once bought a packed meal at 50% off and was given another one for free! – that is dinner and next day’s lunch sorted!)
After a while, I got tired of eating the same (or similar) food over and over again. I decided to cook simple meals to get myself by.
I love love love love love love looooovvveeeee the Australian supermarkets. They have a wide variety of produce (compared to where I’m from) and the best thing is that they have weekly specials.
So how did I save on cooking for one and minimising the chance of wastage of my groceries?
Tips on Cooking for a Solo Traveller:
1. Weekly Specials
Every week, there is something new on sale. And if it’s your lucky week, you might have a big chunk of your favourite products at reduced prices. I always grab my coffee, chocolates, snacks, soup, canned/bottled items whenever I spot them on sale. I have noticed that the Weekly Specials (Woolworths and Coles) get a reset every Wednesday so if you decide to hold back on buying something for whatsoever reasons, make sure you purchase them by the following Tuesday.
TIP: Normally by Monday night (or 5pm AEDT), a number of retailers will give you a Sneak Peek into their upcoming Weekly Specials. I will use this to determine if I needed to buy something during the current week’s specials or spot something else I want that will be on sale soon.
2. Reduced / Clearance Items
My favourite section. I always keep an eye out for those red/orange stickers! The products you see at the clearance section will normally be close to their expiry date but I still buy them anyways if I am satisfied after closely inspecting it.
TIP: Before grabbing anything from the Clearance section, check how much it is to buy it at it’s normal price. I find that some products are reduced by just a few cents. Furthermore, if the product is part of the Weekly deals, then you’re better off buying it with a longer shelf life.
3. Home Brand Products
You know when you want to buy, say, a pack of cereal, you tend to reach out for a brand that you’re familiar with? I used to be like that until I gave the home brand version a try.
Home brand goods are basically items that are packaged and sold under the brand name of the supermarket/retailer.
So, for example, you can either buy a bag of Arnott’s Mint Slice or Woolworths Choccy Mints Biscuits. Both are similar in taste but are priced differently. I love both of them btw. There was a time when I craved for Arnott’s Mint Slice but I could not find it for whatever reason so I bought the WW version instead. It surprised me a lot that the taste wasn’t that far off.
I do regularly buy a lot of home brand items and my personal favourite has got to be Coles’ Double Chocolate Brownie Mix. I found that to be the best in comparison to other brands (even some well known ones).
There was a period where all I wanted were good fudgy brownies and I couldn’t seem to find a place that sold good chocolatey fudgy brownies. I decided to take things into my own hands and bake some. That was how I discovered Coles’ Double Chocolate Brownie Mix.
It turned out to be so delish that my friends became addicted to it! LOL!
We did try out other brands as well but we deduced that Coles was still the best. The thought of it makes me want to go buy and bake more.
4. Buying Individually
This. This is my ultimate saviour when it comes to cooking for one person especially when buying fresh produce.
Although it can be slightly cheaper if you buy, for example, apples already in a pack, I find it helpful that I can choose to buy ONE apple just because I want an apple for that day.
I have to admit, I am that kind of person that would run to the supermarket just to buy ONE potato. HAHA! Because I have had so many instances where I buy a bag of potatoes and then end up wasting half (sometimes 3/4) of potatoes. So why not? Plus, I get to check out the Clearance section so very often!
As you can see, cooking for a solo traveller shouldn’t be too complicated. I am pretty sure that you have enough things on your plate as you explore the world on your own.
Those are my tips on feeding oneself if you’re a solo traveller. Hopefully it helps you as much as it has helped me.
