Tips and Quick Questions on “How To Start Being Old Style”

Trinny

Hi Stargirl and welcome to OS:D

The experts will be along in a bit - just wanted to say congratulations on being debt free, what a massive achievement:T

Just a few thoughts

1. are you a member of the grocery challenge? you save your reciepts for a month and work out what you spend, then make a personal target which you can try to undercut each month until you are spending what you are happy with. It really helped me to do this.

2. Batch cooking - do you have freezer space to cook up some chilli, casserole, lasagne, pasta bake - whatever really (put it into single person servings and freeze separately, so when its just you and the little one, you know you are going to eat and dont have to think about it.

3. Make a list of your ready meals - and make a habit of getting one out and putting it in the fridge to defrost. That way you will get through your stash and not be left with the "what do i have for tea" question.

4. Stretching - if you make the sausages into a casserole instead of eat as sandwiches they will go further- same with the meatballs, Jamie O did a meatballs and spaghetti dish which was in the old Sains feed your family for a fiver booklet - recipe is still available on the web. the sauces in the storecupboard have all got meals written on them - especially if you add the chicken to them.

5. What you might still need - milk obviously, fruit, veg. but make a list and stick to it. The big thing with OS is that it helps us to get organised. Writing a menu plan, shopping list and batch cooking might seem tedious, but if you can, it will really help you

But over everything else - its baby steps really. I have been on OS for 18 or so months, and am still learning from the experts. I do NSD's even though my only debt is my mortgage. I feel better getting control of when i spend.

Hope this helps and makes some sense. and the very best of luck

Trin

*stargirl*_2

thanks trinny,

ive had a look at the grocery challenge and im not sure if i could make it work as my paydays are every 4 weeks hence my random next payday. im not sure how i could make it work to fit in with the actual challenge. does any one else have that?

i have a little freezer space. but im hoping if i can live out of the freezer/store cupboards this month then that will free up a whole lot of space for next month and batch cooking etc. so thats definatly something i will be doing, just not at the moment.

ready meals- i dont even know why i buy them, im such a sucker for anything reduced! they definatly need eating, i thought i would defrost one of the pasta ones, then oven bake it on an over dish (not the cover it comes in) and share it with my bf with salad and pitta bread or something. just an idea becasue he really doesnt like ready meals but if i melt a little cheese on top he might not notice!

will have a look at the sainsbury meal you mentioned as LO loves meatballs and will definatly be using up my sausage casarole mix. the sausages arnt great as theyre quite thin but perfect for DD and i can live with them.

sticking to a list- im definatly going to try this week as thats my biggest downfall!

soupdragon10

It's not exactly old style, but I actually find I spend less when I do my grocery order online than if OH and I go into the shop. Last week went to M*sons and spent over £80 just done an order for MrT order which included delivery £ 61. (also because I'm working it's easier to get shopping delivered as I can't carry heavy bags etc and OH doesn't drive).

Think it's because I only buy what we need and we're not tempted to just pop a reduced item/book/magazine etc. into the trolley.

Best of luck with the recipes.

*stargirl*_2

thanks soupdragon10,
once my food stock has gone down i will definatly be shopping online. i think it would be so much less stressful as well.
then will hopefully just have to top up a little each week and could probably avoid supermarkets for that anyway x

Penelope_Penguin

We have just the thread to help you start on your OS journey

We'll merge this later, once you have more replies.

Good luck :T

bluebag

*stargirl* wrote: »

thanks soupdragon10,
once my food stock has gone down i will definatly be shopping online. i think it would be so much less stressful as well.
then will hopefully just have to top up a little each week and could probably avoid supermarkets for that anyway x

I find shopping on line very good, I love the way it adds up the trolley for you as you add things to it, helps to budget.

I stick to a meal plan and buy what I need for the meals, this cuts out the 'what shall I do for tea?' question and I find I don't have much food waste as I only buy what we like to eat and enough to do the meals.

I don't buy much reduced stuff on the occasion I do go in the supermarket unless it fits in with my meal plan. I prefer to go for good value foods that are versatile and can be served in a variety of ways.
For example frozen chicken breast, I use in curry, chicken arrabiata, cooked with a BBQ sauce or sweet and sour chicken.

I buy all the stuff for sandwiches once a week, make the whole lot up and freeze them, I just take a packet out for each person at night and leave it to defrost in the fridge overnight. If they need salad I just make that up in a little babyfood resealable tub while I am cooking dinner and pop that in the luchbox.

I use mainly frozen vegetables including diced onions, chopped peppers and mushrooms which I use in a lot of dishes.

I add beans or lentils to most meat dishes to help increase the fibre, reduce the fat and for economy.

Well done on getting debt free, it's a long hard slog, I used to think I would never get there. I am so glad I don't have to do all that again... very dark days.

You'll be be fine, you have a desire to learn how to manage your budget and that is most of the battle. Good luck!

*stargirl*_2

Thanks Penelope- thats exactly the kind of thread i need.

bluebag- sorry to ask a stupid question here but can you really freeze sandwiches?! Does it taste ok?
I think once my massive stock has gone down i will go to online shopping. Then when i pop in to a supermarket (with my trusty list for the week) i will still look in the reduced section. If its something that can be frozen and worked in to a meal for next week then i will buy it but i have to stop buying for the sake of it.

Thanks everyone for your replies, its quite exciting being old style!

bluebag

*stargirl* I ahve been freezing the butties for 25 years and no one has ever complained. There are some fillings you can't freeze or don't freeze well, egg won't freeze and of course any salad ingredient. I use tuna mayonnaise but I add a little vinegar to help bind it, ham, chicken and stuffing, peanut butter, roast pork, luncheon meat, cheese, cheese spread, chicken paste, garlic sausage all freeze well.

Truly I would be lost without it, I hated getting sandwiches ready in the evening and I would leave it later and later, then discover I had no bread and have to go the local corner shop and pay a small mortgage for a manky old loaf.

This way, I know they are all done and dusted... incidentally I also sort out all the uniforms for work on the same day, so I know it's all good to go for the week.

Re the reduced stuff, it can be quite hard to break the 'bargain hunt reduced sticker' addiction. Sometimes you have to watch the reductions too, for example in my local supermarket, pork mince was reduced to £3.20 from £4 on the sell by date, but I could have bought some fresh on offer at 4 for £12 making them £3 each and cheaper than the reduced pack.

Pink.

*stargirl* wrote: »

bluebag- sorry to ask a stupid question here but can you really freeze sandwiches?! Does it taste ok?

Hi stargirl,

Welcome to Old Style. You can indeed freeze sandwiches, this thread should give you some pointers:

Freezing Sandwiches

Pink

*stargirl*_2

Thanks bluebag- very interesting, i will definatly be trying this out!

Also thankyou for the link pink-winged, will have a browse later x