– I spend a lot of money on food and it has become quite expensive over time. So I wanted to see if I could make do with what I had. Increased food prices have caused more people to prioritize differently when shopping for groceries. Mari Hult is one of them. One month ago, she chose to drop the frequent trips to the grocery store. The aim was to save money, the environment and to become more creative in the kitchen. – I have tried using rhubarb to make sauces, currants in salsas and chive pesto. I have used the ingredients differently and it has been very exciting, she says. Hult says that her project has exceeded all expectations. – A couple of times I’ve been a little hungry and grumpy, but mostly I’ve eaten. Mari Hult’s shopping list when she went to the grocery store for the first time in over five weeks. It was relatively short, because she doesn’t want to hoard like before. Photo: Erik Waage / news First trip to the store Since mid-July, the 41-year-old has been boycotting the stores. – The first few days it was very strange, then I just wanted to go to the shop even if I didn’t need anything. There is still some food left in her kitchen, but today she is going on her first shopping trip in over five weeks. Hult only eats vegan food. And have missed fresh vegetables most of all. – I could do without shopping much longer, but I have such a craving for coffee, sweet potatoes and fresh fruit. With ten items on the shopping list, shopping is fast. At the same time, she takes her time to smell all the smells in the fresh produce counter. – It’s strange to be so fond of apples. But fresh fruit is one of the things I have missed the most. It’s great, she says, laughing. Mari Hult tried to eat her way out of drawers and cupboards at home. She had a lot of food lying around, so it didn’t run out. But Hult has no plans to hoard again. Photo: Erik Waage / news A lot of food waste In Norway, we throw away 450,000 tonnes of food every year. And half of this comes from us consumers, according to Matvett. – This amounts to approximately 40 kilograms of food waste per person, says Anne Marie Schrøder, communications manager at Matvett. Schrøder would like to see more people do the same as Mari Hult. – I think it is very good that she puts the spotlight on a problem; precisely that we have to see what we have in the fridge and use up what we have before we go and buy new food. It helps to cut food waste. Anne Marie Schrøder, communications manager at Matvett. Photo: Tiril Mettesdatter Solvang / news At the same time that we still throw away a lot of food, shops are noticing that more people are thinking about it during their shopping trip. High food prices mean that people prioritize differently when shopping, says general manager Trond Frafjord Ognedal at Sunde farm outlet in Stavanger. – Our general customer base is quite similar, but we see that people are reluctant to buy the most expensive items. For example, cheese, which is a good product, is very expensive. In addition, the most expensive cuts of meat are left behind, or we sell less than we did before. Trond Frafjord Ognedal at Sunde farm outlet in Stavanger. Photo: Erik Waage / news Saved 7,000 kroner Mari Hult estimates that she has saved close to 7,000 kroner by not going to the grocery store in the last month. The experiences have made her think differently. Food blogger Mari Hult used dry goods and herbs and vegetables from the kitchen garden to be creative when she wasn’t going to the grocery store. Photo: Erik Waage / news She has finished shopping and will now only buy what she actually needs. – There weren’t that many items in the basket? – No, because I don’t want to go on the same spree as before. I will probably continue to shop very little and continue to use up everything I have, because I still have more to go on. – I think everyone can benefit from trying this. Fresh fruit and vegetables and coffee were at the top of Mari Hult’s wish list when she shopped. This was all Mari Hult bought on her first round of shops. Photo: Erik Waage / news
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Food blogger Mari Hult saved NOK 7,000 by not shopping for food for a month – news Rogaland – Local news, TV and radio
