Food spend won't reduce no matter how I try!

redmel1621

I find pasta dishes to be very cheap...

For example a tin of tuna, a colmans sachet (tuna pasta bake) and pan of pasta, I haven't costed it out exactly but it can't be more than £2.50 for the whole meal for a family of 4. I do think that 'traditoional' meals consisting of meat and two veg tend to work out quite pricey compared to meat in sauce dishes!!

I very rarely buy kids cereals, which are silly prices!! they tend to eat cornflakes, bran flakes, ready brek or weetabix....they used to moan but have got used to it now!

Also look at what you buy for the packed lunches, I have recently downbranded crisps, and cereal bars, and make up juice in bottles rather than buying ready filled drinks. I have definitely found that making my own bread has saved us a fortune, my two took a fair while to get used to it too, but I persevered and they love it now.

I haven't really got any other advice, I am still learning myself.

Good Luck

Mel x

SAV3R

thanks for the quick replies

We have not really tried vegetarian other than a cheese and onion bake I learnt at school, think thats part of my problem, sticking to a limited range of meals i either learnt at school or home, Mum didn't cook a lot really. Will look into this, thanks.

I desparately need to lose weight this year, so we do eat a lot of fresh fruit, veg and salads - I agree its expensive. Not very green fingered but its a good idea to learn and grow our own.

We do menu plan now, although I sometimes shuffle them aroung within the week, depending on time available to cook. I found this helps a lot as we used to buy the same things every week, and sometimes didn't need all that we bought.

I do take part in the grocery challenge, which is where I learnt everything so far, don't always have time to read everything, try to have a quick catch up when the kids have gone bed.

Don't think we have huge portions - we do probably have some exp meats, DS1 loves lamb and once a month we have lamb steaks - (prefer them to chops as there's more meat), we have cut down on chicken a little, tend to buy chicken fillets - mainly for ease in the week, try to separate the packs before freezing - I can then make sure they go further. OH likes a large portion of meat - caught him pinching the roast of the plate that I'd saved for the following day.

Don't find many reduced foods where we shop, always have a look - don't think we must time them right. We take advantage of BOGOF's etc when we can, but only on the things we will eat.

DS2 is almost 10, he has had health problems, asthma etc and also has allergies. We went through a time when he would hardly eat so at the moment we are taking small steps at a time with his diet. He will not eat meats / fish. Potatoes and carrots only for a dinner which must have melted butter on, no gravy or he will not eat them. Bread needs to be white, no crusts, it may sound really silly to put up with this, but believe me it's not been easy. He has such a sensitive pallette he can sometimes tell when you change the brands, no matter how hard you try and fool him.

Sandwich fillings are generally ham, tuna - can't believe the increase in that this year, salmon - prefer red so again buy when on offer, cheddar - DS2 will only eat this.

Don't buy Cola, buy cheap lemonade which is mixed with various OB squashes. They all eat crisps - 1 pack each a day - 21 packs a week - they now have OB or I buy from Home Bargains when available.

Sorry if this is long winded, please bear with me, I know there is room for improvement and am open to all advice. I sometimes seem obsessed.
Oh well, better go get ready, we are going to a birthday party. OH will be shouting at me in a min. :rotfl:

pink_princess

Patchwork_Quilt wrote: »

Do you count wine in with your groceries? This can be quite expensive.

Thats where half my budget goes

cdodd

Butterfly_Brain wrote: »

• Shop around for the best prices - I go on the Netto, Aldi and Asda web sites and check the prices before I go shopping

mysupermarket.co.uk is good for comparing asda, tesco and sainsbury prices before you go shopping

where possible i buy "joints of meat" for cooking rather than portions/pieces eg i always do chicken chasseur with a whole chicken, there's usually enough left for some sarnies or another meal to put in freezer

I average around £50 pw week for 2 adults 2 children (3 and 6) and a cat (cat costs about £5 of that!), not incl alcohol

dealwithdebtdot

~I am wondering of you can swap chicken breasts for thighs?
~Turkey escolopes and normally well priced.
~I must admit I love meat too, just like your DH, I find if I am really fancing a lot of meat I get a ham shank, give it a boill and eat loads of it from the bone like a right glutton, I've never finished one yet, There is always enoguh to make a pea and ham soup.
~Could you swap beef joints for brisket? put it in the slow cooker, add some veg, but don't eat it with the roast save it for leftovers (with dumplings), but do roaties and yorkshires like a roast. Loads cheaper.
~Roast shoulder is a good cut for roast lamb, and makes a great curry with the leftovers (sauce made with stock form the bone, lentils, mushrooms, chickpeas and potatoes if you wan too.) Half a shoulder does me and my daughter 1Xroast, 1Xcurry for us both, and 2xcurry for my lunches.
~Sausages are a good meaty filler, alongside beans on toast/eggy bread.

Re your son with a sensitive palate, its tricky, but you will be doing him a favour if you inroduce him to a wider diet. Doing it slowly will be the thing. 2 new foods a week, only give him a samll bit and then he can have his 'fussy' meal. You need to be really explicit about the deal though, for example new food tried 10 times (just a small amount), and if he still doesn't like it he doesn't have to have it anymore. Until next year! then repeat. My daughter is only allowed to refuse to eat 2 food stuffs. She doesn't like everything she eats, but she does. Also don't let him snack so he is properly hungry for his tea. Defo no crisps! It will be hard work, but fussy eaters end up getting socially excluded!

Good luck with it.

Changingme

I'm finding it hard,spent £90.12 of my budget so far just have to learn as going along, I do have three meals in freezer and some chops not very big freezer so this don't help.Have made meal plans,and last year managed to grow some carrots,spring onions,cucumber,corgettes and some toms all in tubs hopefully this will happen this year might try a few other things aswell.

Penny-Pincher!!

Hiya

You are doing well hun, so try not to worry.

The immediate thing I could suggest is buying maybe cheaper cuts of meat and slow cooking the meat so lovely and tender. Sometimes we buy a big meat joint and SC it, then slice and portion for the freezer and this can either be put in sarnies or warmed through with gravy.

How about stews in the SC?

Meals that we find cheap are Roasts (if you can get decent priced meat/poultry), fish pie, shepherds pie, curries, chilli, spagbol, mac cheese, sausage & mash, pie & mash, egg & chips, baked spuds, soup & sarnie, quiche & salad, cheese & pot pie, bubble, fry up etc.

HTH

PP
xx

SAV3R

dealwithdebtdot wrote: »

Re your son with a sensitive palate, its tricky, but you will be doing him a favour if you inroduce him to a wider diet. Doing it slowly will be the thing. 2 new foods a week, only give him a samll bit and then he can have his 'fussy' meal. You need to be really explicit about the deal though, for example new food tried 10 times (just a small amount), and if he still doesn't like it he doesn't have to have it anymore. Until next year! then repeat. My daughter is only allowed to refuse to eat 2 food stuffs. She doesn't like everything she eats, but she does. Also don't let him snack so he is properly hungry for his tea. Defo no crisps! It will be hard work, but fussy eaters end up getting socially excluded!

Good Morning all.

As I said last night we went to a birthday party with buffet food. DS2 would not eat anything other than grapes, bread was all crusty or rolls which he will not eat, cheese was all fancy no cheddar. He did sit and sulk for a while, I felt so embarassed as our friends did not realise how bad he was. He just refuses to try something new, he knows if he misses a meal he can try at the next. He does restrict our meal times occasionally as I have to try and fit in the foods I know he'll eat some of.

webwalker

I don't like bread from a breadmaker, I prefer it oven cooked but that's no problem I bake my own, ds2 sounds like the least of your probs as he prefers cheapy white bread and processed cheddar.

Something I learned from my dear departed mother was once every six months stop shopping and use up all the food in the house it's amazing how much food is lying around not getting used, check what you have and plan your meals around that, only buying what you need to complete the meal if you are short.

dealwithdebtdot

Sorry to hear that you felt embarrassed. Just wondering if he went to bed hungry, or did you give him food that he really wanted when you got home?

"He just refuses to try something new, he knows if he misses a meal he can try at the next." -not sure what you mean by this, the 'if he misses a meal' thing? Are there times when he goes without food due to his refusal?