Where can I save money (groceries)

suzybloo

Are you remembering to check the discounts and vouchers threads for MOC's and discount codes - this makes a difference - I saved £12 off an £80 spend last week, which meant I got the loo roll, washing powder etc basically for nothing. Good luck.

halia

Yes, I always try and get a MOC to cover at least the cost of delivery. This time i got £6 off (delivery was £4.25) plus saving £10.19 in BOGOFS. Thanks for comments people, I think I'm doing OK in what I buy now its just a question of keeping on top of quantities (when putting away the shopping I realised I sitll had half bag of onions) and planning a bit better so we dont' throw stuff away or end up doing expensive last minute dashes.

I'm not sure whether I can pull of weekly meal planning, but I only work afternoons so I thought once DS is at preschool I can spend a few minutes each mornin whilse doing washing up etc planning what to have for tea that night and getting anything ready that I can. That means I can also call in at Lidl/greengrocers/fishmongers etc between work and home to get fresh stuff or anything we need.

Hopping over to store cupbaord challange now...

Plum_Pie

Can you refridgerate tap water in bottles? I live in London, the tap water is not tasty but when it's chilled, I can't tell the difference.

newlywed

There's the don't throw food away challenge too
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=904371

mouseymousey99

Ben & Jerry's is mega expensive - but yummy - Tesco also have some Mango ice cream you get 1L (double) for 1.56 (also have yummy coconut) its in the ethnic freezer.

jennyjelly

Magentasue wrote: »

Have you tried the Value sparkling water? I think it's less than 20p for 2litres.

Which is about a hundred times more expensive than tap water and no more healthy!

mouseymousey99

Dig out your old sodastream and put the fizz in tapwater....

Magentasue

jennyjelly wrote: »

Which is about a hundred times more expensive than tap water and no more healthy!

But it's fizzy!

And about the same price as sodastreamed water. I don't like water from tap or from a bottle unless it's fizzy.

OrkneyStar

halia wrote: »

OK all I need some help here, this is my tesco delivery (with comments) for this week plus an idea of any other bits I'm likely to get. This is a fairly typical list but I'm convinced I could get it down lower - problem is. I dont' cook - please dont' tell me to try it, I can cook but I hate it! PLus DH doesn't like the things I cook. DH does cook but goes overboard with expensive ingredients.

I've put anything I got reduced or on BOGOF in bold

How am I really doing? is this overspending or OK?

1 T Finest F/House Multigrain Batchbread 800g £1.19 make your own ?
4 Finest Multigrain Triangle Roll £1 (I like to have some nice rolls in for lunches at the weekend) make your own ? (better than finest lol)
1 Stonebaked Sourdough Bloomer 400grams £1.39 (I allow us one 'nice' loaf of bread for every sliced loaf) as above
1 Value Apples Pack £0.99
4 Bramley Cooking Apples Class 1 Loose £1.44
1 Tesco Galia Melon Class 1 £0.80
1 Ready To Eat Nectarine Punnet £1.59
1 Punnet Plums Class 1 £1.28
Value Bananas 1.25kg £0.86
Clementines Pack £0.85
Supersweet Sweetcorn Pm Twinpack £0.99 value sweetcorn if its for cooking ?
Value Onions 2kg £0.78
2 Loose Carrots Class 1 £0.16
New Potatoes 2.5 Kg £1.48
Tesco Finest Tomatoes On The Vine £0.99 normal vine toms or even just normal toms ? (get vine ones for a treat every so often), or grow your own ?
Tesco Healthy Eating Semi- Skimmed Milk 1.136ltr/2 Pints £0.80
Tesco Light Choices Low Fat Natural Cot Cheese 300g £0.79
Tesco Healthy Living Greek Style Natural Yoghurt 500g £0.98 (for me, I eat it with tinned fruit or frozen fruit for dessert)
Tesco Value Chocolate Mousse4 Pack 250g £0.28
Tesco Value Low Fat Yogurt 4x125g £0.29
Napolina 2 Pizzeria Bases 300g £0.74 easy peasy to make (and fun too)
Napolina Pizza Topping Tomato And Basil 300g £0.81 (both for quick meals) easy to make with toms, some herbs etc
Cadburys Buttons Standard Bag £0.35 (potty training rewards for DS)
Cadburys Fruit & Nut 400g £2.26 (extra LG bar, I break off 2-4 pieces at a time for DH and DS instead of buying small bars) Tesco own ?
Fruit Bowl School Bars Blackcurrant 100g £0.64
Tesco Victoria Sponge Mix 225g £0.32 (DS likes baking so we get the mix as its less likely to go wrong!)
Tesco Peach Slices In Juice 410g £0.42
Tesco Apricot Halves In Juice 411g £0.37 (both to go with yogurt for puds)
10 Tesco Calcium Enriched Soya Drink 1ltr £6.30 (For DS, he can't have cows milk)
Tesco Value Mixed Fruit Jam 454g £0.39
Tesco Thick Cut Orange Marmalade454g £0.54
Fray Bentos Meatballs In Bolognese 410g £0.69
Tesco Value Meatballs In Tomato Sauce 392g £0.29 (I mix up the fray meatballs which DH likes with the value ones which he says he wont' eat and so get it slightly cheaper than just buying frays)
Tesco/Lancaster Mince Beef & Onion392g £0.46
Tesco Value Chicken Curry 392g £0.49 (use these as basis for quick stew type meals, I will add in extra veg and meat/pulses to bulk it out but find it gives better results than my attempts at sauces)
Tesco Sandwich Piccalilli 330g £0.69
Tesco Value Green Pesto 190g £0.99 easy to make with basil, pine nuts and parmesan
Tesco Tomato Ketchup Squeezy 485g £0.69 (just run out this should last a good 2-3 months)
Tesco Value Peas 900g £0.98
Tesco Value Fishcakes 420g £0.78
2 Del Monte Raspberry Smoothie Lollies 3 X 90ml £0.99 (great deal BOGOFF so 6 smoothie lollies for around 15p each!)
Tesco Yogurt Tulameen R/Berry500ml £1.29
Ben & Jerry's Mango Berry Swirl 500ml £3.99 a treat I take it ?
Swedish Glace Smooth Vanilla 750ml £1.41 (all of the icecream is cos of the hot weather! the swedish glace is expensive but again it has to be cows milk free for DS, I buy cornets and raspberry sauce and make him up his own icecream coens at home rather than buying them when we are out)
4 Tesco Mountain Spring Sparklingwater 4x2 Ltrs £4.92 (we get through loads of this cos I hate the tap water here) value sparkling water ?
Tesco Swivel Head Twin Blade Disposable Rzrs 10's £0.95
Tesco Value Biological Powder 3kg £1.41 Soap pods or Eco Balls ?
Tesco Value Thin Bleach 2 Ltr £0.28
Tesco Value Twincistern Block 100g £0.33
Tesco Value Sponge Pan Cleaners 5pk £0.14
Tesco Value Kitchen Towel White 2 Roll £0.97
Tesco Value Toilet Tissue 12 Roll 2400 Sht £1.12 (all household stuff lasts about a month)
2 Huggies Pull Upscarry Pack Boy Medium 16 £4.96
2 Huggies Pull Upsnight Time Boy Medium 14 £4.96 (both on boggoff, trying to potty train at the moment but reckon we'll need a few packs yet)
(a bit too late to suggest reusables I suppose )
Likely to get more milk for us, and some more fruit, possibly some bread otherwise this should last us a week or so.

Hi,
I have added some comments in blue, I hope its some help. My main comment would be avoid the finest stuff unless its a treat. With the bread it really is easy to make your own of all types (I can post a recipe if you like or check the Grocery Challenge thread- naan, pizza, rolls etc etc), and you can add all sorts of seeds, diff flours etc.
:wave:

Lunar_Eclipse

halia wrote: »

OK all I need some help here,

Hi Halia

I think you're doing really well and not overspending. In fact, your main meals are incredibly cheap, I had to look hard at your list to spot a week's worth of family meals. But also be aware of the actual meat, salt and additive content in some of the items eaten, especially for any children in the house, such as the tinned value chicken curry for instance.

I think you could probably 'save' about £5 fairly easily by switching to different brands. So Tesco's chocolate buttons for instance and value water which I highly recommend at 17p/2 litres. There is a lot of fizz in their sparkling one; it's actually one of my favourites! You could also buy cheaper bread and tinned fruit if you wanted to. That would come to around £5 I think.

We also have the Tesco own brand of Whole Nut chocolate, of which there are actually two choices. They are fine IMO, but not a patch on Cadbury's, so the difference in taste is very noticeable. Personally I prefer the Tesco brand, but that is only because I am not a Cadbury's chocolate fan (and so the chocolate isn't bought for me!) Thus I don't think you'd be able to fool your OH with a brand switch. My hubbie isn't too keen on the Tesco's ones, but eats whatever he finds in the chocolate 'box'.