50p a day til Christmas - healthily?! Weezl's next challenge...

cw18

In_Search_Of_Me wrote: »

I think Weezl started lowering until she got more innovative but sure she'll clue you up on this...her frugalista nature didnt just arrive - shes worked really hard at it!

and she's made it sooooo much easier for the rest of us as she has all these fab ideas she keeps sharing, which encourages everyone else to share too :happyhear Means I've gained more brilliant ideas (and recipes) so far this month than I would have in half a year by myself, which is very much appreciated

If I were cooking just for me then I think I could drop it a lot faster, but my family don't seem to be as 'game' to try new things as a lot of other people I know

catnap53

cw18 wrote: »

I'm with you on this one, but if I can average 50p a person for the main meal I'll be happy for now..... If I can get there and hold it steady for a few months (without everyone picking more during the day), then I can start working on reducing the daily total down.

In June my average was just over 76p, so I've still a way to go on that one..... but I'm getting there And considering my parents reckon it's not possible to do a main meal for even as low as £1 per person (they didn't believe it about 15 years ago when I first calculated my average to that if I worked at it, and now seem to reckon it should be at least double that figure!!) I reckon I'm doing really well.

quote]

I am sure I can't get anywhere near 50p a day, can't grow own veg, and as I've said before DH won't eat pasta of any sort, so when I do pasta for us he usually has rice, and then won't have rice the following night when we do. He won't have a vegetarian meal, but likes fresh veg with his meat.

Last week I think I did really well though as our main meal averaged 47p each (first time I have kept notes) This was with chicken (roast, curry, pasta bake (pie for him) or minced lamb (spicy burgers, shepherd's pie, mini burgers) as the base for the meal.

I remember about 20 years ago planning meals so that they cost less than one pound for the then 3 of us. Recently calculated that if they cost less than a pound a head we were doing really well as we would think nothing of a ready meal for 4 when we went to the shops, so this has been quite an eye opener for what is possible.

The only downside is that I am putting on weight, can't resist the hm bread, rolls and cakes. I hardly touched the sliced bread. I have really cut down on chocolate though.

Zzzzz

kazwookie

Just read some of this thread, well doen to all of you, keep it up.

Going to be viewing in over the next few weeks

cw18

catnap53 wrote: »

I am sure I can't get anywhere near 50p a day, can't grow own veg, and as I've said before DH won't eat pasta of any sort, so when I do pasta for us he usually has rice, and then won't have rice the following night when we do. He won't have a vegetarian meal, but likes fresh veg with his meat.

I'm sooooo relieved to hear I'm not the only one with a fussy DH..... it's only taken me 17 years to convince him it's OK to have chicken and fish in the same week and to have either/both 2 weeks on the trot.

I've actually gotten quite daring and started doing one or the other of them twice in one week - as well as serving the other one a different day that week and both the week before and the week after :rotfl:

He also used to object to mince based meals twice in a week -- but it's not uncommon for me to use mince two or three times a week now....... my next job is to start padding out less mince with some soya, but I'll have to be careful I'm not spotted doing this as previous attempts have ended with the whole meal in the bin :eek:

Think he's finally accepted it 'cos he knew we needed to cut back on the spends (I was on sick leave for 16 months and am now looking at (unrelated) compulsory redundancy, and he's unable to work for medical reasons), and he saw at least 90% of the meat/fish/poultry coming into the house with clearance stickers on them or on unmissable offers -- so he knew it was a case of what I could get cheap if he wanted 'flesh' on his plate every day, which to him is what signifies he's looking at his main meal

hypno06

remember that couscous and bulghar wheat are good alternatives to pasta and rice - very filling, and very cheap.....and very versatile.

I use couscous more than bulghar wheat, and it makes fab cold packed lunches as well as being very filling for main courses!

johanne

This thread is brilliant. Although no way i can cut back to 50p a head at mo.

Id never really considered costing things out though - that really does make you think. Also made me think I used to feed myself for £15 a week max when i was single ....usually less... now i can easily spend £40-50 a week for just me and OH. :shocked: Unfortunetly OH has inherited expensive eating habits i need to wean him off... like heinz beans only.. steak... and M&S pre-prepared new potatoes!

cw18

tried couscous once -- another meal that got binned within seconds !!!

haven't yet tried bulghar wheat, but I don't really know what to do with it

cw18

johanne wrote: »

Id never really considered costing things out though - that really does make you think.

I didn't realise how cheap or expensive some of our meals were until I started an Excel spreadsheet.

The theory is that each day I log what I've used for the meal, and what the ingredients cost me to buy (clearance items) or will cost to replace (non-clearance items -- allows for prices in the shops going up/down or me finding cheaper sources). I can then keep track of the costs of each meal, and the average per meal (and per head) as the month progresses.

I am trying to compile a monthly menu of 'standard' meals that come within target, whilst still leaving myself some room for changes when I find something I couldn't normally afford in clearance (or on an unmissable offer) -- but I don't expect that to come fully into play until September.

catnap53

cw18 wrote: »

I'm sooooo relieved to hear I'm not the only one with a fussy DH..... it's only taken me 17 years to convince him it's OK to have chicken and fish in the same week and to have either/both 2 weeks on the trot.

I've actually gotten quite daring and started doing one or the other of them twice in one week - as well as serving the other one a different day that week and both the week before and the week after :rotfl:

He also used to object to mince based meals twice in a week -- but it's not uncommon for me to use mince two or three times a week now....... my next job is to start padding out less mince with some soya, but I'll have to be careful I'm not spotted doing this as previous attempts have ended with the whole meal in the bin :eek:

Think he's finally accepted it 'cos he knew we needed to cut back on the spends (I was on sick leave for 16 months and am now looking at (unrelated) compulsory redundancy, and he's unable to work for medical reasons), and he saw at least 90% of the meat/fish/poultry coming into the house with clearance stickers on them or on unmissable offers -- so he knew it was a case of what I could get cheap if he wanted 'flesh' on his plate every day, which to him is what signifies he's looking at his main meal

Looks like we got peas from the same pod. I don't really know how I got him to have those meals last week. We could never have left over meat from the Sundy roast on Monday because he would always say 'we had that yesterday, even if I was going to curry it. Oh yes I remember, I told him he could get his own if he wanted.

He takes sandwiches for lunch (he makes them himself since he used to work early shift and I refuse to take it on, I get the kids and me out in the morning, he has only himself to think of) and I dread to think how much sliced meat I threw away. He opened every pack so he could have something different each day. My idea of different would be onion or tomato or salad whether or not the meat was the same.

Now as soon as he opens a pack I portion the rest off and freeze it. He wouldn't tell me how many slices for each day as 'it depends', so he gets what I think. He still isn't happy because I ask him what he wants me to get out for the next day and he wants to just look in the fridge in the morning and decide then.

He uses sliced bread but won't put it in the freezer and take out what he needs each day so I waste too much of that too as we don't use it.

Didn't get the bulking out of mince with either lentils or oats past him, 'tasted funny' but didn't get any comment about lentils and carrots in the shepherd's pie, the only other 'cheat' I have tried, apart from soya mince years ago when eldest was vegetarian, that didn't work either.

I really think I should let him have his own budget and cater for himself, he could then have the chocolate biscuits again to take with his lunch every day.

I suppose he is too old to change now!

Zzzzz

johanne

catnap53 wrote: »

He takes sandwiches for lunch (he makes them himself since he used to work early shift and I refuse to take it on, I get the kids and me out in the morning, he has only himself to think of) and I dread to think how much sliced meat I threw away. He opened every pack so he could have something different each day. My idea of different would be onion or tomato or salad whether or not the meat was the same.

Now as soon as he opens a pack I portion the rest off and freeze it. He wouldn't tell me how many slices for each day as 'it depends', so he gets what I think. He still isn't happy because I ask him what he wants me to get out for the next day and he wants to just look in the fridge in the morning and decide then.

we had similar problem.. and with salad etc.. we'd use it for one or two days then leave it and it would be all yukky! so i bought "debbie myers bags" from QVC... they keep fruit and veg fresh for weeks.. ive had them before and they are great! Really prolong the life of the stuff...i can have salad last a month and still be nice and fresh in them!!

But reason i mentioned them is in a newer pack i bought other day you get sliced meat and cheese ones too now! In one demonstration they used sliced ham and after 3 weeks in one the bags it was still perfectly fresh and edible even though it was out the original package..!!

(So then you wouldnt have to freeze the meat and get it out for him... just leave them all in the fridge in the bags for him to pick himself! )

Mine where cheaper due to buying them on special offer and splitting them with my mum But you can still get them on the qvc website - granted they seem pricing at £35.45 including postage but you get 90 bags for that.. 50 fruit/veg , 20 sliced meat and 20 cheese ones and you can use them all up to 10 times each so 900 uses (0.038p per use... )

For example aswell ... One block of cheese a week means the 20 bags will last at least near 4 years (200 uses/52 weeks)

im still using some the green bags i ordered 18 months ago because i have to buy veggies etc less often ... which in turn means i use less green bags (so they last longer anyway...! They really are good.

Oops just read back and I sound like a sales woman there.... sorry!!!!!!

i just do think they are a fab idea and know ive saved loads of money in the past by using them