first attempt at a shopping budget - £20/week

Fire_Fox

want2bmortgage3 wrote: »

regarding toothpaste are the own brands any good? i kind of like knowing i've got a decent toothpaste...for a fresh mouth and the whitening claims!

I have used own-brand toothpastes most of my life, tho mainly Colgate for the last two years as Mr. Fire Fox is brand-obsessed. I am 36 and have all my own teeth intact, no fillings (tho I now need my first) and no need for whitening. If you read the ingredients you will see they all contain much the same stuff.

want2bmortgage3

today 30/6 spend £0
breakfast: half bowl corn flakes + milk
lunch: yoghurt, banana, jam sandwich
mid afternoon: bowl corn flakes + milk
dinner: fish fingers (2), mash potato, 1/2 tin baked beans
pudding: yoghurt and angel delight
evening snack: cream crackers, cheese, picallili, orange juice n lemonade
drinks: 4 cups tea 500ml water glass oj + lemonade

angel13

SailorSam wrote: »

Try and base your main meal around vegetables and pulses with only a bit of meat.

OP states he is vegetarian so adding a bit of meat is ridiculous! I am also vegetarian and feed a family on as little as possible. Its all about getting organised and buying what you need and not what you think you want. If something is on offer you change your list accordingly. Best thing to do is buy as much fruit, veg and salad as possible and then what ever is left over spend on the other things. for bread pasta rice etc if you can eat it try wholemeal rather than white as it will fill you up for ages. great cheap cereal is porridge but not ok for this weather :rotfl:

angel13

want2bmortgage3 wrote: »

started buying on next weeks budget as stopped in tesco earlier:
country life butter £1.10
tesco vege frozen mince £2.00
aquafresh t/paste £1.00
loose bananas £0.44
milk s/s £0.86
lemonade £0.47
ski black cherry 4 yogs £1.00
total £6.87
remaining budget w/b 29/6 = £13.13

if theres an asda near you you get 600g instead of 450g of vegemince (own brand). That extra will be a whole meal for you so makes a big difference.
I also see you bough cauldron and linda McCartney sausages. you would bave been better off buying two packs of linda pacartney as cheaper and 6 in the pack and most cauldrons have 5 in pack (just get them as a treat when they are on offer)

angel13

want2bmortgage3 wrote: »

today 29/6 spend £0
eaten:
corn flakes + s/s milk
double decker
jam sandwich
banana
baked potato and grated cheese
2 veggie sausages + 1/2 tin baked beans + slice buttered bread
yoghurt
4 cups tea
1l water

you dont seem to be having much fruit and veg or salad? you could have had cheese baked potato with a big side salad or why not have pittas with salad or salad sandwiches.

angel13

want2bmortgage3 wrote: »

today 30/6 spend £0
breakfast: half bowl corn flakes + milk
lunch: yoghurt, banana, jam sandwich
mid afternoon: bowl corn flakes + milk
dinner: fish fingers (2), mash potato, 1/2 tin baked beans
pudding: yoghurt and angel delight
evening snack: cream crackers, cheese, picallili, orange juice n lemonade
drinks: 4 cups tea 500ml water glass oj + lemonade

same today you need more fruit and veg being a vegetarian and less cheese and milk stuff. also why not cut out puddings - we dont have them and then we have a snack later on. for £1 spent on 4 yoghurts and angel delight and milk needed you could have put a punnet of strawberries and had them as an evening snack all week (cream or cheap plain yoghurt or sugar if needed) also could have shoved some on your cereal. i get blueberries for partner for his cereal as so far last for ages. i think from today you have only had 2 of your 5 a day - 1 as a banana and 1 with baked beans and orange juice. As vegetarian I have more than 5 every day to make sure we are all really healthy.

Fire_Fox

angel13 wrote: »

same today you need more fruit and veg being a vegetarian and less cheese and milk stuff. also why not cut out puddings - we dont have them and then we have a snack later on. for £1 spent on 4 yoghurts and angel delight and milk needed you could have put a punnet of strawberries and had them as an evening snack all week (cream or cheap plain yoghurt or sugar if needed) also could have shoved some on your cereal..

Actually he does need the milk and cheese to supply protein. It's the sugary and refined cards that could do with being reduced.

rickygips

Your plans and story is interesting and appealing to me. You gave me great ideas on saving my money.

clutterydrawer

You will get there, it's all about cutting down gradually

Even if Country Life butter is on offer, Value butter is only 84p in tescos or morrisons

want2bmortgage3

i would have got value butter if there was a spreadable version i dont like a solid block!

anyway today 1st july spend: £5.93 leaving about £7.20
m & s pack of 6 mini strawbery jam rolls 0.99 was hungry at work
m & s sparkling lemon lime drink 0.75 (re use the bottle later)
tesco milk 0.86
2 m & s ready meals (part of 3 for £5 deal, friend had one) 3.33

today eaten:
banana, yoghurt
cheese and picallili sandwich
2 jam mini rolls
roasted veg lasagne (ready meal) with peas and carrots
half pack angel delight
drinks: 4 teas, bottle lemon/limeade, about 1.5l water