To control your food budget and save money in the long term, the IMC method has proven itself. For Charlotte, whose household is made up of 6 people, it is “the only effective method” and she has been using it for 7 years already.
Due to the rise in prices in supermarkets caused by inflation, more and more families are looking for the slightest offers and tips to save money and also review the way they do their shopping. Because we often tend to buy products that are duplicates or that we don’t really need. Taken together, this can quickly add to your food shopping budget. In 2023, the average basket amounts to 392 euros per month, according to Sofinco’s Sofinscope barometer, conducted last February. A reality that pushes some households to look for solutions to control their food budget. This is the case of Charlotte, from the Instagram account @organizen_green_mamawhich adopted the IMC method which is based on a well-known but little-used food budget management technique, because “often perceived as off-putting”she explains to us straight away.
A method applicable to all family compositions
The principle of the IMC method is quite simple and effective once it is acquired: “it’s about balancing your food budget by respecting these 3 steps on a weekly basis (or otherwise depending on your frequency of food shopping”). specifies our interlocutor :
- Inventory: take stock of what food we have left in our fridge, freezer, cupboards and fruit and vegetable baskets.
- Menus: based on your inventory, establish your meals for the week.
- Shopping: make your shopping list, noting only the missing ingredients for the preparation of the different recipes.
For example, “I have milk, vegetables and dry lasagna noodles left in my cupboard. I decide to include vegetarian lasagna in my next menu: I already have the pasta, the milk for the béchamel and vegetables for the stuffing, so I’m only going to buy what I need to make them, a little bit of cheese for example or tomato sauce”, explains Charlotte. If you’re curious to try new money-saving tips, here’s another technique called optimization.
Savings of up to 50%
The IMC method has two main advantages. It not only saves money, but also fights against food waste. From a financial point of view, “savings can range from 25 to more than 50%, depending on the household”, declares the mother. This of course depends on the composition of the household as well as each person’s eating habits. For example, Charlotte manages to save “between 30 and 50 euros per week” in her shopping budget since she started using this method.
Thanks to Charlotte for answering our questions. On her Instagra account @organizen_green_mama, she offers a 2-hour workshop, entitled “reducing your shopping budget”, with tips and practical advice to adapt this method to all situations.