does anyone elses food bill go up in the heat?

libbyc3

Hi,
just wondered really - in the winter I have the food budget under control, use the slow cooker, stretching casseroles with lentils, using frozen veg, etc, but this time of year our food bill seems to rise with the temperature!

Buying lots of lovely salad ingredients - and having to top them up during the week coz they don't last, fresh summer fruits, more juice and a few ice lolly treats for the freezer just seem to tip the budget over.
We don't waste anything and this year is our first at trying to grow our own - with varying degrees of success, but does anyone else have this problem and how do you deal with it?

Bongedone

It does start getting more expensive in the summer. You may eat less but it costs more.

You could try growing your own salad in a tray. It is very easy and grows very quickly. Also make your own lollys.

beemuzed

I do end up spending more - salad ingredients don't stay fresh long enough, nor do soft fruits. I do make "summer soup" with salad greens that are just past their best & serve it chilled.

Bombchelle

I can understand how your food bill can go up but call me weird if you like but I still love having stews and casseroles in summer! Also, salads don't just have to be green, you can have "beany" salads too which works out quite cheap. But those bright red strawberries and raspberries are irresistible though....

Freegan

Hi everybody,

I'm busy today spreading the word on freeganism (google it and/or my username).

I find that when the weather changes the supermarket bins fill up with the 'unseasonal' foods.
Now the warm weather is here we can stock up our freezers with the 'stodgy' foods in preparation for the inevitable cold snap when salads and fruits end up in the bins in bulk. (A good time for preserving and brewing at lowest cost.)

Tomorrow (the first of the month) is also a good time to check out the bins as a lot of consumables have a 'best before end of month' date.

If you get into this take a rucksack and a walking stick (to hook stuff out of the bottom of the bins if your not agile) and you will probably need to clear space in the freezer.

Remember, you'll be helping to cut down on greenhouse gasses, landfill and airborne fungal and bacterial spores as well as vermin.

So if you get any harrassment be polite and lecture them about climate change etc.
Once they realise that you have a case against them on their lack of social responsibility their attitude softens.
Sometimes they'll leave you alone but if security insists on moving you on offer no resistance.

Should I start a thread where people can post where the richest pickings are?

Penny-Pincher!!

Salad leaves are very easy to grow. We pad salads out by adding grated carrots, chick peas, kidney beans, beetroot (HG or SP), apple, raisins etc etc. It really doesnt have to be too expensive.

Make HM coleslaw with shredded cabbage, grated carrot and onion. Add mayo and a little salad cream, salt and pepper...voila! Very tasty!

Aldi's have their Super6 ATM and have vine toms, new pots, 3 x peppers, grapes, bananas, nectarines for 49p each.

We have a chicken for dinner that I cooked in the Remoska this morning and will have lettuce, cucumber, carrot, beetroot and apple with new pots for dinner. Whole meal has about £3 and there will be chicken left.

HTH

PP
xx

blue_ashleigh

I make ice lollies with a bit of ribena and water (or other juice thing!) - cheap and tasty
Also, you could try growing your own lettuce.
Strawberries are also a good bet as they keep coming back year after year

little_miss_moneysaver_3

blue_ashleigh wrote: »

I make ice lollies with a bit of ribena and water (or other juice thing!) - cheap and tasty
Also, you could try growing your own lettuce.
Strawberries are also a good bet as they keep coming back year after year

Yday I saw the ice lolly moulds in Poundland, 16 of them in the pack. Good investment I think. Also value lemonade and coke makes good lollies. As does angel delight mmm (licks lips)

But i'm too finding buying all this salad and fruit more expensive!

slowandsteady_2

ive found so far the last week or so have probably spent a bit less, have got lots of lovely salads and fruits but have gone to the market, and for example got 4 huge peaches for a pound and 4 huge nectarines for a pound last week. Have been checking out reduced aisle for salad and have managed to pick up organic savoy cabbage for 38p and organic pre pack carrots for 30p and today got 2 punnets of peaches for 30p each so have been quite lucky. Chucked all the veg needed to be used in a pot with lentils and made huge soup which is lovely. We still have hot meals too else would be starving!

Melonade

Yes our food bills go up in the summer too

This year I've already cut out buying mixed salad because we've grown our own leaves :jA lot easier than I expected and for the past 3 weeks we've had some kind of salad or leaves to add to ham barms almost everyday.

I'll hunt down lolly moulds, nice cheap way of keeping cool

Also I read on here last week that potato salad is just cooked, cubed potatoe mixed with salad creme or mayo... that'll save me a fair bit too

Essex-girl_2

Freegan wrote: »

Should I start a thread where people can post where the richest pickings are?

Think that would be a fantastic idea, I would be no good but bet a few people on here would be.