Shopping on a very tight budget

Burlesque_Babe

hi there - I split from my ex nearly 3 years ago and moved out 2 years ago. when we were together , we went to the supermarket at least (yep) at least 3 times a week and never spent less than £50 a visit. As as conservative guess I would say we were spending at least £100 - £150 a week at the supermarket !!!There was so much wasted food, looking back now, it was criminal. I love cooking and cooked every night, but always had the best of everything - cuts of meat, posh pastas etc etc. My ex is a very very heavy drinker and we always had loads of wine/beer/cider in the house for him.

I now have a very large mortgage on my own, and i've cut down hugely food shopping wise. I've got my shopping coming from Asda today and, with delivery charge i and a £10 off voucher found on this site is just over £30. It's 9 days since I went to the supermarket, and the shopping should do me for another 9 or 10 days.

I freeze leftover sauces if I cook a big meal , use extra leftover rice the following day for lunch, use my slow cooker twice or three times a week with brisket , chicken thighs/legs or pork shoulder (it used to be sirloin joints, chicken breasts or duck and pork loin).

I use money off codes with my online shopping (found on the boards here) , use the freebie board religiously for samples and vouchers, print off internet vouchers (I use them in Tesco if there aren't any decent money off vouchers for home shopping delivery). I only go for BOGOF if it's something I already use, and do basic meal planning by sitting on the floor when I'm doing my list with my head in the freezer counting how many days meat are left in there.

I'm shopping for me and my new OH and have cut it down to just over £200 last month and this month i'm trying for £200 (including petrol for me and all toiletries/cleaning products). It does take time - when I found MSE last September I was spending £350 a month on food and it's only been in the last 3 months that it has suddenly 'clicked' and i seem to be able to spend loads less.

Challenge after that will be OS cleaning product ideads. I already water down liquid handwash thanks to a tip on this board and need to discover the powers of white vinegar!

Good luck - it's a new start and you will be astounded at how much you can cut from your food budget - you will wonder where it used to go -I know I do!!

diamondcatz

Hi just to say you can do it you know you can .It just feels wobbly at first .We are like babies learning to walk everyone has faith in us but ourselves. It seems from this board that most of the tips have been covered but heres how I started. Kids will naturally hoover up all the goodies on day 1 but then expect the magic fairy to replenish overnight and moan theres nothing to eat if not done. So load up the fruit bowls break open the dips and veg HM of course [plenty of recipes here and google for ideas] Once the cycle is broke yay.I cringe at how much was thrown at the end of the week when I restocked the fridge now I shop online so I stick to budget and temptation is removed. I got them to each write a 3 meal a day weeks menu so I didnt tear my hair out cooking only to hear moans of "i hate that" I explained we would mix and match from the menus so all had their favs during the week. They all help or older ones can cook occassionally. The biggest saving in my house is the cleaning products OS strictly. They love all the homemade cakes etc and I know whats in them and for snacking theres usually a pot of spicy rice ,soup etc that they can dip in at will during the day/evening after activities and keeps the sugar slumps-bad moods to minimum.Trust me it all becomes second nature after a while and thanks to everyone who posts and keeps me inspired

tango

I have so many ideas,and know that this is my chance to prove to myself,and many others, :rolleyes: that i can make this a success
Not a good start,spent £8 in M&S,on cheese and milk etc,but i think this saved me money as i didn't go into Tesco,to do a bigger shop
I will spend time looking through all your replies and making notes,on what everyone has said.
I have so many things to cut back on ,but thats for another board
thanks,tango.

bobsa1

I don't know if they have one near you but Lidl often do half price fruit and veg, so you can buy really cheap bits to stock up with and do a massive cooking session and freeze as well.

There is a thread about what to buy at Lidl & Netto etc. so check that out as well.

sparkle197828

its not much but it might help a bit if you look on various freebie sites you can get lots of free samples of washing powder, cleaning materials and shampoo's and i have recieved 100's of sachets of tea coffee and hot choc! nto much i know but every little helps lol as tesco's say you could always do tins like my mother in law who does a trip to asda each month and her cupboards are full of white stuff!

Sarahsaver

Put £20 in a purse at the beginning of the week, or as I do, on a saturday. I have a separate purse. I spend £25 to £30 sometimes now I have an OH, but often still just £20.
You can do it and £130 should be a doddle. I would say that buying stuff I didnt need was a problem before, I always had a spare of everything and it took up cupboard space and valuable money.I get fruit and veg from the market, and we don't have meat every day, but tend to have 'rubber chicken' or 'rubber duck' as it was last week. Even little things like cooking our rice in HM stock makes all the difference - luxury food on a far from luxury budget! We do 'takeaway' food at home sometimes - pizza, chinese, curries with naan bread etc, but all hm so cheap and healthier too.

VickyA_2

Welcome to Old Style tango! :beer:

We're all here to help, and it's nice to have another person on board!

The meal planning is a good idea. Something which I do loosely. Have you tried the Storecupboard Challenge? Have a little scout around your cupboards and see what ingredients you've got to "use up".

When I make a spag bol or chilli - or any sort of meat dish, I always pad it out with LOADS of veggies. The dish goes alot further and your children will be boosting their 5-a-day portions of fruit and veg.

Vicky

tango

Thanks,everyone has been fantastic Another thing i would always do is make dinner,and if it wasn't eaten,i would chuck it
The Spag Bol tonight is only for us three,so i will put the other half in the fridge for tomorrow,i know this is probably obvious to alot of you
I will check out freebie board too,sure we do have lidol store near us as well.
Oh my goodness,together with all the other ####,i will be a new woman soon( prob have a few grey hairs and look 110, but never mine)

skystar

Hi Tango. Best of luck with everything.

I have just checked through my food spends for the last few months and they total £115.98, £93.23, £129.96 and £102.06. This is for myself, my very fussy hubby and my 10 year old stepson. I could cut loads off that if my hubby ate "proper" food and not just frozen chips, fizzy juice and crisps. I kid you not but some weeks this seems to be all he eats!! So I reckon £130.00 for you and two kids will be very manageable.

Here are a few of my tips. Hope some can help you.

Always make a list before going to the shops and plan roughly what you need for meals. This means that you should have everything in that you need and avoids those "nip in the shops for one thing and come out with 10 bags" moments!! By planning and having a list should mean you only have what you need and reduces throwing anything out.

Keep receipts for a few weeks. More often than not you will probably buy mostly the same stuff within the month. By keeping the receipts will mean you know what things cost before you go and therefore have a rough idea how much your total will be.

Keep a simple spreadsheet or notebook starting with your total budget and then reducing down each time you spend. This again keeps on track what is left in the "pot".

If you spot regular buys on bogof or on offor then stock up. I refuse to pay full price for most items such as deodorant, shampoo, yoghurts, cold meat for sandwiches, full chickens, cheese etc. Mostly I go to morrisons and they list the total saved at the bottom of the receipt. Last week I saved £14 on a £34 shop.

Can't think of much else but just to mention that although we have a tight budget as well we do eat very well. Lots of fruit and veg every day. Dinners are usually along the lines of the following:

roast chicken/beef, roast potatoes, yorkshire puds, veg

leftover chicken from above mixed with veg and condensed soup and put into puff pastry parcels

mince with carrot, turnip and onion mixed in, mashed potatoes

saausages (usually the higher quality flavoured ones - particulary like the asda or tesco finest) served with pasta & sauce (and veg mixed in)

breaded fish either with chips (but not keen so not often) or salad

sausage/chicken casserole (made in slow cooker with any old bits of veg in the fridge) served with rice

Well rambled enough.

Take care

tango

Reading everyones post's i feel slightly more optimistic
Some great ideas,and i am all fired up