cutting back on the food shop

[munchkin1982]

ouchie... can you not by chicken breast and cut up yourself? same with lamb? might be a little cheaper that way hun? I used to hate touching raw meats but I just had to learn to get through those few minutes! more often than not though i never actually "touch the meat" lol use a knife AND fork haha xxx

i usually do that! they were on offer though & it worked out cheaper than 2 packs of the non-diced stuff if you get me!!! lol..... i use a knife & fork too!!! goes right through me!!!!

Oh wow... um, will definately find that website for you - will report back later xx

 

[munchkin1982]

also... check out that approvedfood website link I posted a few posts up ^ as if you are ok with dry goods being past their "best before" (still perfectly edible - it's "use by" where food must be used by that date) then you could potentially save a fortune on there. I've just had a play around with it... and in my basket...

Items: 81
Basket Price
You Pay: £15.49
Basket RRP: £58.50

Order Total:
£19.54
Delivered to your door & SAVE
£38.96

Not bad I don't think?! xxx

 

[titch]

Wow that's really good! Let us know if its any good when it arrives x

 

[munchkin1982]

Wow that's really good! Let us know if its any good when it arrives x

Got to pursuade OH to purchase off there first! Hence me saying it was just a play around but if baskets are going to end up so "cheap" I think it's worth it! Ok, so there was quite a bit of cous cous cos they had like 12 packs of them for "x" amount so I put in 24 lol - mushroom-y one for 12 for £1.80 and a vegetable one 12 for £2.28 etc - oh, an another great one... Special K original cereal - 7 boxes for 99p (the variety pack size)!!!

Certainly worth a look in. I've noticed that not all produce is past the "best before date" either... xx

 

[Zazu]

I don't feel too bad now as we are spending about £100 a week including nappies and milk. But about 6 months ago we were only spending about £70, food has gone up loads. I have really cut down too, doing meal plans and only buying what we need, and it's still not getting cheaper. I think the fresh fruit n veg is what makes it so dear! Might have a look at that website x

 

[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

OMG!!! Nothing to do with the topic here but I used to live in Oakwood!!! Went to DeBohun School, don't know if you know it? x

I do, I have a couple of friends over there, I went to Monkfrith Primary, the other side of Chase Side.

Lxx

 

[munchkin1982]

I do, I have a couple of friends over there, I went to Monkfrith Primary, the other side of Chase Side.

Lxx

Wow - such a small world huh? I'm not aware of Monkfrith Primary - we are talking over 20 years ago now lol! I moved away from London when I was 8 as was adopted... xx

 

[munchkin1982]

ouchie... can you not by chicken breast and cut up yourself? same with lamb? might be a little cheaper that way hun? I used to hate touching raw meats but I just had to learn to get through those few minutes! more often than not though i never actually "touch the meat" lol use a knife AND fork haha xxx

i usually do that! they were on offer though & it worked out cheaper than 2 packs of the non-diced stuff if you get me!!! lol..... i use a knife & fork too!!! goes right through me!!!!

Oh wow... um, will definately find that website for you - will report back later xx

Okay hun, so the name of that website that my MIL uses is...

http://www.goodnessdirect.co.uk

however still not as cheap as it could be - in my eyes, but then again specialist foods never are

I did however come across this link which could prove to be alot of help for you...

http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/food/12...y-Free-and-Egg-Free-ideas-please/AllOnOnePage

There is alot of good ideas/advice on there.... in particular the fact that if you are diagnosed ceoliac (sp?) you can actually get gluten free products on prescription from the doctor!!!

Hope that helps??? xxx

 

[FebMum2Be]

Ohhhh Munckin you're queen of this thread xx

 

[munchkin1982]

Ohhhh Munckin you're queen of this thread xx

LOL why thank you hunni! I don't mean to take over lol, I'm just very interested in how to save money too hehe and if I can help etc....

Am determind to cut bread out of my diet though so stuggling for food ideas at lunchtime. I quite like the cream crackers with a bit of ham/cheese (not so much cheese though as very calorific lol) but I tend to not be able to eat less than 6 crackers at a time lol...

also like doing small portions of pasta salad but then i'm worried that the pasta carbs will take over the bread carbs iykwim??

Any ideas on small bites to eat for lunch that are healthy but not not necessarily bread/pasta/rice related ALL the time? xxx

 

[FebMum2Be]

On slimming world pasta is a free food I love pasta x

 

[munchkin1982]

I'm wondering whether to give this SW thing a crack you know. I just can't get my head round it! MIL is doing it and she's losing weight well - she was slimmer of the week the week before last and lost 5.5lbs! And that was with eating 3 donuts on the sunday prior to the monday weigh in AND hardly any real excercise as she is disabled so can't really get about much! Plus if pasta is "free" on it that would be fab for me. What about rice? I seem to be eating alot of that at the moment! I love making random risottos! Made a lovely carrot, swede and red pepper risotto the other day! Was lovely! Even if I do say so myself! hmmm... xx

 

[FebMum2Be]

Slimming world is really great, I've looked about on tons of others and gave them a go, but I couldn't stand only being able to eat a certain amount or what you ate was really restricted, with Slimming World it's real food, great meals and the free foods are fab.. Some of the unlimited foods include, eggs, chicken, pasta, egg noodles, honey roasted ham, quorn sausages, bacon, apple, banana, potato, tuna, garlic, slimming world chips, cous cous, sweet potato, lamb.. I don't go to the meetings but I pick up the magazine and it's fab, lots of success stories and even though they are just the unlimited foods, there is so much more you can eat while counting your syns.. Check it out xx

 

[munchkin1982]

wow - think you've just mentioned pretty much nearly everything I like to eat haha and it's all "free" apart from mince! lol... that is a key player in our diet at the moment lol... really think I need to check it out! One more question though... I know so much as that you have red/green days flexi days? I'm not sure - do you have to rotate these "days" or can you sort of stay on a one-type day if that makes sense? xx

 

[FebMum2Be]

If I'm being really honest, I only do free foods and healthy options, I don't eat lots of different foods.. I would have chicken and potatoes, pasta, egg, bacon and I would use syns for my bread iykwim? Check their website out, they do a 7 day plan with all the ingredients and info.. They do proper meals though, I have to skip most of them because I'm a seriously fussy eater x

 

[munchkin1982]

No probs hun - thanks for your help xx

 

[midnight]

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

to help them have the crispy jacket like they do from a bbq rub them in sea salt

 

[vixforever]

Mmmm great ideas!! I'm starving now I do the rice with battered nuggets and 27p asda sauce and add peas etc to it for Jacob I also buy cheese sauce granules and add extra cheap cheese on top for cheesy pasta! I bake Tescos 29p partbaked rolls for lunch and ether do a cheapy tub of soup or beans with them. I make fresh burgers and freeze any I don't need. I buy milk and nappies and bread in bulk. I buy cravendale which keeps for ages and for 6 litres is 3.50 down here. I can't praise Iceland enough for freezer stuff. I go to the £1 shop for things like crisps and cleaners yes the crisps have short dates but you will eat them by then ( well in my house anyway) lol. Other meals I do is I cook a huge bag of pasta up (Tescos quick boil is great 73p a pack) and store it in kid size and adult size portions in the freezer and take out what I need for quick meals (just add a little olive oil so it doesn't stick) x

 

[titch]

good tips there. my friend taught me how to make cheese sauce, Im a pro now its really cheap to make from scratch.

I get bread from coop. Go for a walk after 8pm and go by coop, they only sell the bread on the same day they bake it so after 8pm they put it all at 10p. I get rolls and sometimes a fresh loaf,its good for ages cos it was baked that morning

 

[littlemiss83]

Mmmm great ideas!! I'm starving now I do the rice with battered nuggets and 27p asda sauce and add peas etc to it for Jacob I also buy cheese sauce granules and add extra cheap cheese on top for cheesy pasta! I bake Tescos 29p partbaked rolls for lunch and ether do a cheapy tub of soup or beans with them. I make fresh burgers and freeze any I don't need. I buy milk and nappies and bread in bulk. I buy cravendale which keeps for ages and for 6 litres is 3.50 down here. I can't praise Iceland enough for freezer stuff. I go to the £1 shop for things like crisps and cleaners yes the crisps have short dates but you will eat them by then ( well in my house anyway) lol. Other meals I do is I cook a huge bag of pasta up (Tescos quick boil is great 73p a pack) and store it in kid size and adult size portions in the freezer and take out what I need for quick meals (just add a little olive oil so it doesn't stick) x

oooh good tip about the pasta, didn't know you could freeze it. I've always got extra that just goes in the bin