Serial Shopping Overspender!! Please help!!

viclav

After a recent Income cut i've tried to save but am finding it really difficult to cut down on my shopping which can top £150 per week for a family of 5 (10 month old baby so need nappies milk ect) and a cat and a dog and a brother who descends on me on Thursday and does't leave till Monday!!! If I'm lucky!!:rotfl: I seem to have quite a bit in my cupboards but can never seem to find anything to eat!!! My 12 yo is very fussy but my 8yo and the baby will devour anything. I can cook some things but never seem to have any idea what to cook and i seem to buy a lot of ready made/fast food items, drinks, crisps, cakes etc. Also I'm going back to work in two weeks and need to be a lot more organised around meals as I will end up going to the chippie for ease after work!!!!

Can anyone help?

After a rummage here's what I found

Cupboard -

Garlic granuals
chilli powder
half bag of pasta
pk crackerbread
pk veg soup
3 pk savoury rice
2 sausage casserole mix
2 chilli mix
2 pks chicken noodles
rice
4 pot noodles
2 tins custard
3 tins carrots
1 tin mixed veg
1 tin potatoes
2 tins thomas the tank engine spaghetti and sausages
3 tins chopped tomatoes
2 tins hotdogs
3 microwave tubs of spaghetti hoops
2 jars sweet & sour sauce
oxo cubes beef, chicken and veg
2 jars bisto best granuals

Fridge

block of butter
pk turkey ham
seafood sauce
jar beef paste
jar beetroot
half a block of cheese
mayo
pint milk
jar minced chilli
tub of marge

Freezer

8 fish fingers
strawberry gateau
4 turkey burgers
2 chicken kiev
shortcrust pastry
chilli pizza
pk of corn on the cob
pk cauliflour/broccoli
pk sprouts
pk garden peas
2 cod fillets
pk sausages
half pk king prawns

Could I just add specific items to what I already have to make this last till the end of the month. I've got £200 to spend but must include nappies dog/cat food ect. Can it be done????????????

Thanks
Vickie

paddy's_mum

For starters, if you are returning to work, I'd insist that your brother at least organises the evening meal on those days when he "descends" on you - it isn't hard to peel a pan of potatoes and clear away and wash up after the meal!

I wonder if you would be wise to start doubling up on your cooking. If you cooked a shepherd's pie, make twice the amount and freeze one away. Make up a larger amount of mince beef base and freeze. When you come to use it, add whichever herb or spice you wish so for example, add chili powder and serve with rice, Italian herbs and serve with pasta etc.

Can you tell us how much freezer space you have available? If it's only a small amount, would it be worthwhile to buy a chest freezer? I realise that's spending out money that's hard to come by but you must sometimes balance the time available to you against the money saving.

You might want to make up a couple of quiches, using the pastry and some of the frozen veg. Eat one and freeze one for another day. How about a fish pie using the prawns, fish fingers and cod fillets? Chicken pasta bake with the turkey burgers and chicken kievs?

I really don't mean to be critical or negative but you seem to have a lot of things to add to a meal but not a lot of basic ingredients. Cans of corned beef, plenty of pasta, baked beans, eggs .. I'm sure others will be along to add their own ideas but you may want to do a search for 'store cupboard' and see if that prompts any ideas.

Why not buy fresh veg - much better for you and any tired bits can be whizzed up for soup. Generous bowl of soup, fresh bread and a piece of fruit = cheap, quick and nourishing lunch.

Good luck and hope that helps a little.

mummysaver

Hi there, have you had a look at the £20 to feed a family of 4 thread on the first page, and the grocery challenge thread (it has a list of recipes on page 1 which are really good). Another good thread to have a look on is the meal plans for the week ahead thread.

If you can make a list of the things/meals you like/ready meals you buy that we could suggest how to make, then you could work out a meal plan and make a shopping list from it that was within your budget.

Meal planning can be really helpful when you're working as you can make sure that you have it organised so that on nights where you are really busy you can do simple quick meals, or just pull something you prepared earlier out of the freezer!

Of course this is the ideal, I only wish I could say that I always followed my own advice lol, but I do try!

naturally_2

OK superlong post coming up but I have done a meal plan for how I would have a "use it up week." Hopefully most days are relatively nutritionally balanced!! :rolleyes:

Additional shopping needed:

2 pks cereal (2 different flavours, hopefully something for everyone) cost if using own brand or value - £2
Decant in to tupperwares etc if brand snobs around – 2 suitable upright tupperwares, £3
Milk – I’m allowing ¼ pint per person for cereal.
67.25 pints (I don’t know what that is in litres!) @ 30p per pint – approx £20.00
3 loaves of bread – £3.50 (estimate 18 slices per loaf, I’m not sure)
5kg bag of value potatoes - £2
Jar of strawberry jam - £1
6 Bags of value apples & bananas £1 each, assuming n8 pcs fruit in each - £6
2 Pkts white sauce for fish – £1
Multipack 10 crisps - £2
6 bread rolls for burgers - £1.50
2 Pkt frozen chips £3
4 tins baked beans £1.50
Large pkt diced pork or chicken £5
Large bag prawn crackers £2
Pkt of ham £2
Block of cheese £2
1 lettuce, 1 cucumber 1 pkt 6 tomatoes - £3
12 free range eggs - £2.50
Large pkt bacon - £2.50
Whole chicken – £5
Fresh veg for roast £1.50
Budget for additional snacks – suggest pots of yoghurt, fruit, raisins etc - £6

Total additional spend on shopping for 1 week £74.50 (very approx and over budgeted, also assuming you use supermarket own brand but not value brand level)

Day 1 Wednesday
Breakfast - cereal

Lunch - 2 tins thomas the tank engine spaghetti and sausages, 1 microwave tub of spaghetti hoops divided between the 5 of you, 2 slices of toast each, 1 for baby (9 slices total)

Dinner –Saussage casserole - pk chopped sausages, 1-2 oxo cubes stock (to bulk out if needed) 2 sausage casserole mix, froz peas and broc/cauli, 1 tin of carrots. Serve with mash.

Snacks – jam tarts, made with 2 squares of shortcrust pastry arranged at angles to each other in a greased cupcake tin (use block of butter) and a blob of jam in it, baked in the oven until cooked & left to cool.

Day 2 Thursday
Breakfast – cereal
Lunch – chopped turkey ham, grated cheese and mayo sandwiches (2 slices bread per person) (10) pkt crisps each (s o don’t feel deprived!) and pc fruit each (5)

Dinner (brother arrives) – burgers (4 turkey burgers 2 chicken kiev) in buns with froz chips, corn on the cob and side salad

Snacks – pce fruit each (5) and jam tarts

Day 3 Friday


Breakfast - cereal

Lunch – 2 beef paste sandwiches, 4 x cheese & salad sandwiches (12 slices bread)
Crisps for 5, pce fruit for the healthy one!

Dinner – Fish pie - 8 fish fingers, peas, 2 cod fillets, half pk king prawns, 1 tins carrots topped with mashed potato, 2 pkts white sauce made with milk & seafood sauce (ha ha – couldn’t work out what else to do with it!!). Serve with Cauli/Broc

Snacks – 2 pce fruit each (12)

Saturday

Breakfast – Cereal

Lunch – fancy noodles (2 pks chicken noodles, 1 tins carrots,
1 tin mixed veg, some beetroot, Garlic granuals, chilli powder, 1 Chicken Oxo cube. Use ad lib pot noodles if not enough to serve 5!) 1microwave tub of spaghetti hoops 1 pce toast (for baby)


Dinner - chilli pizza, froz chips, 1/2 tin baked beans per person, strawberry gateau

Snacks – (sorry without knowing your family I’m out of ideas, you choose and add to list for rest of week!)

Sunday

Breakfast – fry up – each to be: 2 eggs (1 each for child and baby) 2 bacon each some chopped and fried tinned potatoes (1 tin total), 1/2 tin baked beans, portion of chopped tomatoes (2 tins total)

Lunch – Hotdog sandwiches (2 tins hotdogs, 2 slices bread each)

Dinner – Roast chicken, roast potatoes, fresh veg, sprouts, gravy.

Pick remaining meat from chicken carcass and boil carcass and veg peelings to make stock. Make tomorrow’s rice salad.

Monday

Breakfast – cereal

Lunch – Cold chicken rice salad – leftover chicken, 3 pk savoury rice, froz peas made night before and put in tupperwares for everybody.

Dinner – “Chinese night” – Chicken soup (stock, stock cube, leftover chicken, pk veg soup), sweet & sour (2 jars sweet & sour sauce & meat of your choice, pork or chicken maybe?) rice (boiled or egg fried if you have eggs & froz peas left) and pkt prawn crackers.

Tuesday

Breakfast – cereal

Lunch – Cheese & ham Sandwiches

Dinner – Chilli (Pkt minced beef, 2 tins red kidney beans, 1 tin baked beans, chilli mix, 1 tin chopped tomatoes chilli powder, garlic granuals) served with rice. Pudding of custard with a blob of jam on top (2 tins custard, jar of jam)

That should just leave these items in the stock cupboard:

Garlic granuals
chilli powder
half bag of pasta
pk crackerbread
1microwave tubs of spaghetti hoops
oxo cubes assorted
1 jars bisto best granuals
jar minced chilli

:T
Hope at least some of that has given you some ideas!

Edited to add I have budgeted for your baby as a "big" person a lot of the time - I'm sorry I have no idea what to feed a baby!!!

viclav

Hi Everyone
Thanks for all your help. I sat down and decided to meal plan for the next 2 weeks, write a list, and go shopping:rotfl: So off to sainsbury's i went!! I spent £57.91 which included my nappies for the rest of the month!!! It was the least i've ever spent in sainsbury's!!! I also stocked up on baby jars, puddings for the rest of the month as there was 1/3 off all baby products.

I already had cereal weetabix, sugar puffs, frosties, and rice crispies + baby cereal so thats what we will be eating for breakfast along with toast and cooked breakies (at the weekend) for the rest of the month

My kids stay for school dinners and me & oh will take sandwiches etc to work. Baby has scrambled eggs, spag hoops, saus & beans etc. We rarely eat lunch at the weekend as we have a large cooked breaky late morn.

So that just left the evening meals

Today - baby jar and pud for baby. Home made pitta bread pizzas & chips for us (kids love these and make their own)

5th - Omelet for us and baby (kids don't like eggs!) Turkey burgers and noodles for the kids

6th - baby jar & pud for baby. Chilli con carne with rice for us. (Gonna make 2 and freeze 1):rotfl:

7th - Chicken roast dinner for all

8th - chicken soup with chicken left overs for all. If enough chicken left i'll also make something else and freeze

9th - stew and mash for all & making a spag bol for tomorrow and 1 to freeze

10th - spag bol for all

11th - fish chips & peas for me and the kids. (oh doesn't like any seafood) so kievs and chips for him.

12th - sausage casserole for all

13th - Saturday left blank prob have a take out (the kids will be withdrawing by then!!!)

14th - Scouse and make a meat and potato pie for tomorrow

15th - BACK IN WORK!!!!!! Reheat the pie from yesterday serve with veg. Marinate chicken for tomorrow

16th - scrambled egg & toast for baby and Devilled chicken with savoury rice for us.

17th - baby jar & pud for baby and hotdogs and chips for us

18th - leek & potato soup (and 1 to freeze)

So after that it leaves 12 days till end of month and i should have 3 meals in the freezer so 9 more meals to plan!!! I' ll let you all know how i get on

Ben84

Ready made and snack type foods seem to be some of the most expensive items we buy, and some of the least healthy too.

Partly for health reasons and partly to save money I've been swapping them for alternatives. Instead of crisps or pot noodles you could make sandwiches. Many sweets and cakes could be exchanged for fruit or yoghurt, and if you like having some long lasting stuff in the cupboards you can buy tinned fruit as well.

I still appreciate some convenience stuff when I don't have time for cooking. Pasta and supermarket brand sauce has been good, or baked potatoes. Lots of easy things can be made with eggs too. I think you can have some convenience meals without spending a lot.