Supermarket special offers 20p or less

Barneysmom

Do you think it would be possible to only buy the 20p stuff for a month and still eat comfortably - I mean apart from meat and fish?
I haven't tried it but am thinking of it for next month as I really need to tighten the belt this year.
Is there anything that really should be avoided due to taste/quality?

http://www.supermarketspecialoffers.com/DiscountOffers.aspx

kippers

I should imagine there are loads of nasty chemicals and preservatives and sugar in most of the stuff listed. I would use these things occaisionally but i'm sure cooking from scratch will be better for you...what do others think?

purpleivy

I'm sure there are things that must be better for you. I understand your need to cut back on your spending. Weezl has a good thread about living o 50p a day. I don 't do a lot of her things, but there is a good page of recipes based on cheaper foods, but nutritious. She has done a lot of research about eating healthily and on a budget.

You would need to get some whoopsied fresh fruit and veg I think.

I think this is an interesting idea for a thread, but I'm alarmed at how much carp there is in the 20p listing!

Barneysmom

Thanks :cool: I really don't think I fancy eating the swiss rolls, I think I'd make my own scones and my choc chip cookies seem to turn out quite well.
I've been using the Smartprice beetroot for ages, it tastes ok, but wondered about the other stuff.

DawnW

I find that things like the basic price loo rolls, shower gel, handwash, soap etc are fine. Dried pasta is ok, and many of the basic range fresh veg and fruit are fine too, though it varies in quality from week to week. Some of the canned stuff such as tinned tomatoes are quite good too. I wouldn't like to eat much of the prepared stuff such as basics ready meals or cakes, but I don't buy that sort of thing anyway, preferring to make my own. I avoid the meat too, as I prefer to buy less meat of better quality, and save money in other areas.

Basic range cleaning products are ok as well.

shimmigirl

I imagine you probably could (obviously buying meat and fish seperately) but it may get a bit boring.

Looking at your carb options you would have noodles (flavoured with the sachets, or plain with curry/ meat sauces, in a broth / laska), pitta breads (with soup, toasted as mini pizzas, as sandwiches for lunch, as bread accompaniment to meal) and tortilla chips (maybe with chilli, or as toppings to stew / oven baked one pot meals)

Don't know what you are going to do for veg as I noticed processed peas (for me the devils food), tinned carrots (bareable if no fresh or frozen) and red kidney beans.
Also tiinned spaggetti could be used as a quick meal acompaniement.

Fruit also seemed a bit limited.

Staples that I would have thought would be useful but I couldn't see on the list (could have been there, and I missed them) - some sort of marg, tinned toms, tinned sweetcorn, pasta / spaggetti, tinned new potatoes (although I don't like them particularly - can be used in stews or fried off saute style), Milk (cheap if buying UHT but I will only have fresh)

Perhaps consider upping the limit to 30p

Barneysmom

Thank you, some of it does look a bit iffy, and some ok :cool:
I think DawnW has the right idea, be selective about the things you buy from the cheaper end?
I just thought it might be a good sort of challenge to try but I am a bit wary of wasting money on stuff we won't like.

For instance there's a curry sauce in there, this one, is it any good with chicken portions or something?
Tesco Value Curry Sauce 390g
£0.19Tesco





These don't look too bad,

ASDA Deli Mini chicken tikka samosas 22G £0.16
ASDA Deli Mini vegetable spring roll 25G £0.16
Asda Mini chicken satay 160G £0.16
ASDA Mini onion bhaji 35G £0.16
ASDA Mini tikka satay £0.16
ASDA Mini vegetable samosa 22G £0.16


And I've never tried the beans before, are they ok please, if anyone knows?

Vibrant

With the cheap stuff it's just a matter of trying what you fancy and seeing if it's any good.
I usually do my shopping in Sainsburys and their basics brands are pretty good, although some of them have jumped in price recently.
The packs of four yogurts are nice and the 8p packs of custard are good for afters, with stewed apples, blackberries (yum), or whatever else I've picked. Their cheap toilet rolls are okay to.

I don't eat much meat (never liked it), which keeps the bills down. But I like fairly plain food and happily live on baked potatos and a variety of vegetables, with things like Potato Jane for a change.
Fruit is probably the most expensive thing I buy, but visiting the market late usually provides a bunch of bananas for 50p. Things like satsumas I only have at Xmas, which makes them more of a treat.
Most of my vegetables I grow and store and I always seem to gather loads of apples, which last well stored in the unheated spare room (mum keeps hers in the summer house!)
I do buy Sainsburys basics frozen peas, which are fine and I have a weakness for tins of mushy peas, which very considerably in quality, but are always edible.

My only problem areas are bread (the cheap bread is nasty), I pop in the Co-op just before closing time and can usually get a wholegrain loaf knocked down to 40p. And Marmite is getting ridiculously expensive, but I'm weaning myself onto Vegemite, which is a bit cheaper.

When you try anything new, give it a fair run, as a lot of our tastes are just habit and a week or two will often swap your preference to the new item.
Whether you find this type of diet boring, depends on your nature, but it doesn't seem to do me any harm, in fact as I get older and see more friends with all sorts of ailments and intolerances, I think there may be something to be said for eating simply.

Barneysmom

Thanks Vibrant! :T

Me and DH are going to pop down to Tesco tomorrow and I'll have a mooch around and see what I can find nice

tiny_courageous

Barneysmom wrote: »

Thank you, some of it does look a bit iffy, and some ok :cool:
I think DawnW has the right idea, be selective about the things you buy from the cheaper end?
I just thought it might be a good sort of challenge to try but I am a bit wary of wasting money on stuff we won't like.

For instance there's a curry sauce in there, this one, is it any good with chicken portions or something?
Tesco Value Curry Sauce 390g
£0.19Tesco





These don't look too bad,

ASDA Deli Mini chicken tikka samosas 22G £0.16
ASDA Deli Mini vegetable spring roll 25G £0.16
Asda Mini chicken satay 160G £0.16
ASDA Mini onion bhaji 35G £0.16
ASDA Mini tikka satay £0.16
ASDA Mini vegetable samosa 22G £0.16


And I've never tried the beans before, are they ok please, if anyone knows?

The asda deli minis are really nice, but definitely "mini". At my local asda they sometimes have a special offer on so you can get 8 for a pound.

lilac_lady

I'd rather have a sandwich of decent bread and cheese at every meal than eat some of the stuff listed. There's healthier ways of eating well on a budget.