How much do you spend on food?

calleyw

skystar wrote:

I had the same problem as I work full time and just don't have time or inclination to be going shopping to get fresh stuff every day. I found fruit and veg bags from lakeland plastics company and these keep fruit and veg fresh for at least 1 week.
:xmastree:

Frozen is just as good as fresh as it is normally frozen very quickly after being harvested. I know that peas are frozen with in two hours.

Also frozen means you don't have to hurry to use it up. Boiling from frozen most veg will take about 10 mins max.

I use a electric steamer so it does take a little longer. But at least I don't have to watch pans.

Yours

Calley

lindadykes

Fay wrote:

I was wondering guys, I would love to eat more fresh veg, but I just can't seem to keep it fresh. From the sounds of it most of you buy your veg once a week? However, when I buy it on a saturday it isn't very good by wednesday. I have tried keeping it in a cupboard and in the fridge and doesn't last either way.

This means to eat fresh veg I have to go and get it daily, which is a pain as I work full time and I am trying to write up my PhD So how do you keep yours?

I too had this problem until recently. I began buying a regular organic bag of vegetables delivered every wednesday, and these lasted all week, somtimes longer. However I also ended up throwing quite a bit away as there was always at least one item in them that no one in my family liked, and they never supplied enough potatoes, so I felt I couldn't justify the £10.50 a week and cancelled. Prior to ordering the organic veg bag though I bought my veg from Morrisons, but I've recently gone off this store as the checkout staff in my local store always seem surly and unhelpful. I started to shop instead at the Asda accross the road (Their staff seem to be trained to be pleasant, polite and helpful!) Since then my supermarket veg have lasted the week. So if your veg aren't lasting try a different supplier.

Jo4

I spend at least £40 to £50 a week on groceries!! :eek: My hubby does not like eating fruit although I try to get 2 smoothies a week into him. He doesn't like many vegetables. He likes chocolate, crisps, buns, sweets. He manages 10 bags of crisps a week and at least 2 to 5 chocolate bars a day. He only weighs 10 stone and no matter how much he eats he doesn't put on weight yet if I even thought of a choclate bar I would probably put on weight, lol.

I must try to get the shopping done without him for a couple of weeks to see if there is much difference in the amount spent but before I do that I must clear the fridge freezer and cupboards!!

HOLsale

there are 2 adults and one 4 year old child in our house

we spend approx £30/week and that's for all food, bin liners, cleaning products, beauty products etc

wish i could afford to bump it up to £50 though as i'd like to buy more organic products

HOLsale

lindadykes wrote:

I too had this problem until recently. I began buying a regular organic bag of vegetables delivered every wednesday, and these lasted all week, somtimes longer. However I also ended up throwing quite a bit away as there was always at least one item in them that no one in my family liked, and they never supplied enough potatoes, .

some of the box schemes allow you a likes and dislikes list

i know that abel cole do though they are a bit more expesnive than most as they deliver uk wide

my local scheme that i belong to allows you some likes and dislikes if you call up and ask and they will accept a few no go items
most places would be happy to add more potatoes and you could easily buy a bag of extra potatoes for not too much more per week... you can look on my yahoo group in the database as i've compiled a long list of box schemes

you'll have to join to view it though as it's for members only

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FrugalGeniusUK/

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FrugalGeniusUK/database

i find that using the organic box really saves me a lot of money as i hardly go to the shops anymore and can't spend money on impulse buys

hermit-crab

I live by myself and by my rough reckoning I think I spend about £3.00 a day on food. I thought that I was doing well until I read a post by a remarkable person on another thread who manages to feed themself and their two children for one pound per day! I make porridge with milk every morning followed by toast and marmalade then a meat and two veg meal for lunch most days and a light evening meal soup sandwiches a salad or omlette. I believe it is more expensive to cook for one person but this can be solved if you cook larger quantities and freeze the left overs or eat the same two days in a row.

parkside_stroller

hermit-crab wrote:

I live by myself and by my rough reckoning I think I spend about £3.00 a day on food. I thought that I was doing well until I read a post by a remarkable person on another thread who manages to feed themself and their two children for one pound per day! I make porridge with milk every morning followed by toast and marmalade then a meat and two veg meal for lunch most days and a light evening meal soup sandwiches a salad or omlette. I believe it is more expensive to cook for one person but this can be solved if you cook larger quantities and freeze the left overs or eat the same two days in a row.

I'm jumping in here a bit - do you have a link to the thread (yeah lazy me, could search the site) but £1 a day that could be the focus of a daytime telly programme never mind anythingelse.

hermit-crab

parkside_stroller wrote:

I'm jumping in here a bit - do you have a link to the thread (yeah lazy me, could search the site) but £1 a day that could be the focus of a daytime telly programme never mind anythingelse.

I'm sorry but I dont know how to do the links, the thread is on the debt free want to be forum and its titled confused and concerned and not sure.

parkside_stroller

thats not meant to come across as takin the P** by the way - I'm trying to be too clever there about the daytime telly thing (DOH back to school). I am totally grabbed by the idea of feed an adult and 2 kids for a Quid a day.
On a slightly off topic note about porridge - you can cut the cost and the fat content (along with the other nutrients obviously) by using half milk/water - bit of salt does it for me too with regard to taste.
If you don't mind putting the cost up a little and want a bit of a bad cholesterol banger replace the dairy milk with soya milk (oats and soya work against bad cholesterol and they will still work out cheaper than buying FLORA yogurt, spread and cheese.

lindadykes

I have always made my porridge with water as that is the way I was taught by my grandfather. It has to be the rolled oats though, not the instant type. I usually make it now in the microwave (not the way my grandfather told me!!!) Just measure out 1 measure of porridge oats to 2 measures of water in a bowl, mix well and nuke for about 1 minute.