Eating for virtually nothing

8pnoodles

I do have a freezer but only one drawer in it is mine really (actually the whole fridge/freezer is mine but I share it with my housemates - I should really start charging them rent on my furniture!) so I don't have much space.

Two more questions:

Are markets really a lot cheaper than supermarkets? there's a market literally 60 seconds from my house every Saturday, is this a good idea for fruit and veg? I'm scared, never bought off a market before.

Is Iceland cheap? It's right next door to Tescos and I don't go in there! But having limited freezer space doesn't help. (Cannot WAIT to get my debts cleared a bit and move into my own place!!)

culpepper

Iceland is cheap for its own brand frozen stuff but not for the non frozen stuff(usually).Their bargain meal things are quite good eg.chicken,roast pots,peas and a gateau all bought as one.

madfrenchgirl

yeah but they tend to be a tad more expensive than 2 ya... I used to make a killing with their special offer! Ended up having food for the rest of the week! LOL

Once bought a 2.7 kg chickie with the offer, had enough for a chicken soup and several chicken sandwiches for the rest of the week!

However, I think they tend to put a lot of crap on the special offer... Iceland Nuggets> yeurk! Iceland Burgers> YEURK! Iceland mini pizzas. YEURK!

Dont shop there anymore, as i am on lo-carb, but they are quite good for choice for frozen veggies, and having stuff frozen is ideal when your single and does not have to share your freezing space with OH.

I cannot recommend enough of LIDL or ALDI tho.

8pnoodles

I wish I had an Aldi or Lidl near me, I live in Salisbury which is a fairly middle class/posh area, so I have the choice of Tesco's, Sainsbury's or Waitrose.

Gingham_Ribbon

If you're buying from a market the food is likely to be much cheaper than the supermarket and often better quality. One thing to watch though is the occasional trader who will have lovely fresh looking mushrooms on display then give you slimy ones in the bottom of the bag - you can usually pick your own from the displays.

super41

If you live anywhere near a farm shop you could buy a large sack of potatoes for about £3-4. Would last ages if you keep them cool and in the dark. Endless uses for the humble spud - jacket potatoes (loads of potential cheap fillings!), mash, fried, chips etc. Make a really good basis for any meal. Perhaps a bit boring but relatively healthy.

System

You can also buy onions by the net too. I am paying around 12p for a class 2 onion in Tesco, i am sure buying them in bulk - by the net will work out loads cheaper.

pavlovs_dog

go to the library and look up student cookbooks for tips on eating well but on very little money

squeaky

If you check the Food section of the MEGA Index sticky there are some threads listed under Food For Free that will help you too.

chinagirl

8pnoodles wrote:

I wish I had an Aldi or Lidl near me, I live in Salisbury which is a fairly middle class/posh area, so I have the choice of Tesco's, Sainsbury's or Waitrose.

Ooh, tough choice there. Waitrose would be dearer, then Sainsbury and cheapest Tesco I should think. Is is worth finding out where your nearest Aldi Llidl or Netto is, and you could go there once a month to stock up?