cutting back on the food shop

[titch]

OMG tesco have got so expensive its ridiculous! I reckon we'd be spending £75 if we went to tesco. Have you ever tried aldi or lidl? You cant get LOs milk there but you can get most other things. we buy aldi nappies now cos theyre cheaper, and washing powder etc.. even if you just get those type of things there you'll save money. The other thing to do is plan your weekly meals and just buy the ingredients for those meals. Even down to lunches and breakfasts. You should be able to get it to around £50 that way, if you eat cheap meals!

sorry to hear about your nan dying

Ive been in tears over money too, its scary. They were saying on the news that they might cut vat. I really hope so, this recession is beginning to hurt!

 

[Princess81]

Jacket potatoes are great, I love them when they are wrapped in tin foil and put in the charcoal on a bbq, they taste so much better!

What about making pizzas from scratch? x

Can I just add that u can cook all your bakes potatoes in one go in the oven so they are crisp. You're unlikely to want to eat them all in one go so put the spares in a tub in the fridge and they keep for a week then just blast them in the microwave and they are still crisp outside - phew

 

[titch]

seriously? thats really good! Saving on the old electric bill too then!

 

[Princess81]

I think asda are cheaper then tesco - it's cheaper for me to get my stuff delivered cos i live so far away

 

[Princess81]

seriously? thats really good! Saving on the old electric bill too then!

Yep, SIL worked in a cafe and gave me that priceless tip, I always do it now

 

[FebMum2Be]

Ohhh get you that's a great idea!

Always take advantage of deals, buy own brand toilet paper, it's about 55p.. I mix between asda and sainsburys, alway have good deals on in each. I buy frozen mash for a quick snack for Odhrán, been buying aunt bessies for donkeys and found asdas own and it's nice and half the price

 

[titch]

^^ of course making your own is cheaper

My mum buys a sack of potatoes from a local farm for a fiver and splits it with us. It lasts for ages! Does anyone know how to prepare mash for freezing? Mine went gross!!

 

[FebMum2Be]

No idea how to freeze mash, I use the frozen one for quickness, even eat it myself.. Add in different things to spice it up. Mint sauce, black pepper, ranch sauce, garlic, garlic mayo, cheese.. (not all at once)

 

[Princess81]

No idea how to freeze mash, I use the frozen one for quickness, even eat it myself.. Add in different things to spice it up. Mint sauce, black pepper, ranch sauce, garlic, garlic mayo, cheese.. (not all at once)

Scallions

 

[leanne1b]

Thanks for that tiny. I don't think ive got an Aldi or lidl near me... Does anyone know if morrisons is cheap?
I'll google the other 2 and see where they are though.
I'm praying they cut VAT. We've never had money spare, but this is getting ridiculous!
Think I'll be getting to the pound shop soon too!! X

 

[isobel84]

Lentils, filling, healthy n fairly cheap. I add it to most things. Xx

 

[FebMum2Be]

Leanne Asda always seems to be cheaper, I think you can compare online xx

 

[Piglet10]

i find asda cheapest leanne!!

oooooooh today i made chicken curry and for me john and madison i always use 3 fillets, but today i only realised i only had one so i thot fuck it itll do and shoved in extra veg - and it was perfect!! it was farrr better and saved a fortune will defo be reducing quantity of meat in future! xxx

 

[littlemiss83]

Glad I came across this thread, some good tips!

Cant big up home made soup enough, it only costs £1 odd for stock, some carrots, onion, potato, lentils, and boil for an hour. It lasts us 3 days (for dinners) when I make a large pot and I put in loads of veg and keep the carrots/onions chunky, so it really fills us up. Sad thing is I only started making it 2 yrs ago, was always too scared to try it coz im rubbish in the kitchen.

Iceland is good for frozen veg/meat, most items are £1 or £2.

I dont eat this, but a tip I got off a friend, for kids is plain spaghetti pasta, with a tin of meatballs. Or boiled rice, chicken nuggets with asda/tesco smart price sweet and sour sauce on top (only costs 30p odd) - you could also do this with chicken breast instead of nuggets, the smart price sweet and sour from tesco and asda are very similar and both are lovely. Also, the wee packets of 10p noodles are brilliant from asda/tesco, i use them as a snack for after school or supper. Potato waffles are great, costs £1 for a box, and you can stick them in the toaster rather than waiting for grill, I sometimes have a potato waffle sandwich.

Buy anything you see on offer that can be frozen..bread/pancakes/crumpets/rolls/baguettes/yogurts/grapes.

Oh and i was told this one the other day but never tried it - pasta with soup. God only knows what that one tastes like, OH wouldn't touch it with a barge pole if I made it he's the fussyest person ever.

 

[FebMum2Be]

Ohh yes you reminded me! Sainsburys own sauces, curry and sweet and sour, like 9p each and they are YUM x

 

[leanne1b]

Thanks all. Will be going back and giving asda a try shortly! X

 

[isobel84]

We use Asda. We spend a lot on food tho. I very rarly use jar sauces n we eat lamb quite often. One thing we both love tho is chicken wings. Cheep n with loads of spicy marinade its lovely. With a baguette n a sallad its a meal for 3.50 xx

 

[Amy_J]

i dont have a big asda near me and they dont deliver to my postcode either grrr. tesco has got so expensive, i did a price compare yetserday and i think i will be doing online shopping with sainsburys from now on, deffo cheaper!!!

 

[AugustMum]

I like to do an online shop as it stops me buying extras, but I use my healthy start vouchers for the fruit and veg so have to go the supermarket anyway to use them, then I always end up buying little extras. Im a sod for willpower.

 

[Lander]

Thanks all. Will be going back and giving asda a try shortly! X

I know it's further for you but Southgate Asda is alright really, honest!

We're managing to buy £80 one week and £40 the next alternatively, to top up lunches and fresh bits for three of us (Me, OH & Flatmate), so an average £60 per week

We split up all our meat for freezing. We buy bags and bags of frozen peas, sweetcorn, carrots and cauliflower and frozen mince, all Asda own brands, lasts ages and great for filling out meals