Economy Gastronomy - new budget cookery programme; BBC

dizziblonde

We budget for £50 a week for food for us... gradually it's spiralled up and up (to be honest it's during term-time when I'm working and knackered - we tend to slip into lousy habits then) to about £80-90. Then during the holidays when I've got the time and energy I tend to knock it right on the head back down to £40 (leaves the extra bit for a Starbucks coffee on the way out - I know - but they're my vice).

The thing is - yes I don't live on complete Tescos basics - but I know HOW to and I can cut it right back to about £20 a week for the pair of us if we need to. I think the issue is the people who have no clue on how to cut things back, then fall on hard times and are still living like they've got two salaries coming in every month.

I'm picky about some things - I don't like chicken on the bone so we tend to buy breast fillets in bulk, bag them into portions and use them sliced up rather than cheaper cuts. Silly things like I buy higher priced tinned tomatoes purely so they've got a ring pull opening rather than fight with the world's most evil tin opener - again - they're stuff I know I can cut back if I have to, and we do go through periods of living on one income when we have to tighten our belts quite heavily. I think the difference between those on this programme and those on here who do choose to be up a brand level or whatever is that we generally know where we can make the savings when we need to, and we're not so deluded to keep going spending at stupid levels when things get tight.

Butterfly_Brain

I agree with you dizzy we all have our own budget whether high or low.The reason for being OS is personal to all of us. The one good thing that we have in common is that we all hate being ripped off and are willing to help others when they need a bit of advice with no malice intended.

redmel1621

dizziblonde wrote: »

The thing is - yes I don't live on complete Tescos basics - but I know HOW to and I can cut it right back to about £20 a week for the pair of us if we need to. I think the issue is the people who have no clue on how to cut things back, then fall on hard times and are still living like they've got two salaries coming in every month.

Yes I think this is a big issue, as then people continue to spend as they did but it goes on credit cards etc.....that's when the bigger problems start.

This is pretty clearly the target audience of the programme, as so many people have lost there jobs over the last year, they are trying to show people how to still eat healthy within a tighter (not non-existent) budget:) Rather than thinking it is impossible and then racking up a ton of debt just on daily expenses

Mel x

raphanius

The lamb dish they made was looking pretty tasty until he said "just £2.76 per person"...WTH??? I want to spend £2.76 ON THE WHOLE MEAL!!

its all about scale, i was talking to someone the other day who took his wife to a top derbyshire restaurant for seafood platter at £57 for two so £2.76 a head would be a snip for them. for me, like so many other money savers its extravagant. i cant remember the last time we had lamb...its just too dear.

p00

Mrs England was wearing my Dotty P tee shirt :rotfl:

xxp00

Knonie

I've just had a hillarious time reading all your posts on this thread...made even better by the anticipation built up from not having the internet for a few days:eek: still normal service now restored:T

I'm really sad that some members feel that comments made are out of order, all I can suggest is that they spend some time exploring the OS forum fully to gain a true picture of its members, as whilst I don't post on here very regularly, when I have I've always been welcomed...

I feel sorry for the lady in this programme as the one time she tried to cook her eldest son's favourite meal it was unsuccessful and this obviously had a profound effect on her. Perhaps if she'd had more support and/or the OS forum she would have changed earlier..but she's finally been shown the way now and really likes the results, tired though she may be, her family will now benefit from healthy balanced meals and have more pennies in their pockets and a mum with bag loads of self-esteem to boot!!!

I also wanted to post as I was reading the Business & Media section of the Observer yesterday (I know...) and came across an article in the CASH section which refers to this programme...

It is entitled "Food for Thought: why shoppers no longer discount own-label brands" and is reporting on the rising trend of buying own-label brands (i know you never guessed that from the title did you:rotfl:). It mentions this programme and ra raas about cooking from scratch, batch cooking etc but the bit that I just had to tell you about was right down the bottom... now OS'ers please form an orderly queue as there's a real risk of freezing the global email servers here (:rotfl:) but.....they ask...

'Have you cut your food bills in the past year? How did you do it and have you any good tips for other readers? And if you've switched to the budget food ranges, what do you think of them? Email [EMAIL="cash@observer.co.uk"]cash@observer.co.uk[/EMAIL] or write to Cash, The Observer, Kings Place, 90 York Way, London, N1 9GU'


K
xx

k2tog

I enjoyed the 2 chefs tut-tutting over the mother feeding her son ready made macaroni cheese "processed food is no good for children" and then making a meal with hotdog sausages :rolleyes:.
For a nation where Home Economics teaching seems to be on the slide (apart from notable exceptions above - lillibet!) I think the programme had some useful things in it, like the basic mince dish that is the basis for the other 3 dishes. I have also seen on some threads "how can the mother be too busy/tired etc to cook, she only works part time". I agree that there are ways of doing it but undermining the energy it takes to work and look after 3 children (2 of whom are under 2) is unhelpful. In true OS style, I think the key is organisation and without that being second nature as a result of Home Ec or upbringing, I think it's easy to slip into bad habits. I am a competent cook but had got disorganised and tired in the past so never had room in the freezer or forgot to freeze leftovers. Have now got a decent freezer and having leftovers in there means I can be too tired/fed-up/lazy to cook and we still all eat reasonable food :j. I find it disappointing how many recipe books and TV programmes have unrealistic time scales for making food (a common "cheat" is putting something like 4 carrots peeled and sliced thinly as an ingredient, and therefore don't take into account that prep time) and also ignore wastage in that the so called comprehensive menu plans do not factor in how to use the other half of the cabbage etc that you used the previous day. I OS and reducing waste and all of that stuff. I think the programme will be useful for all the people who haven't yet found MSE OS!

miss_saveapenny

I did the bedrock mince, had it on pasta one night and then did a chilli with the other, sorry I didn't get it to go 3 ways too yummy (hubby scanned kitchen to see if there was anymore). It was alot tastier than my normal mince dishes as it was so full of flavour and soft due to braising and reducing the liquid down. Will be doing again and again, just need to double ingredients so I can freeze a few batches. I will also be trying the navarin of lamb next. This show has refreshed my menu planning and food moneysaving.
Looking forward to tonight !!!!17k a year on food ????????????

Reverbe

k2tog wrote: »

I enjoyed the 2 chefs tut-tutting over the mother feeding her son ready made macaroni cheese "processed food is no good for children" and then making a meal with hotdog sausages :rolleyes:.

IMO there's a large difference between her giving her son the ready meals 3 times a week (full of additives preservatives, salt, fat and probably sugar) as well as a kebab with no veg compared to a few pieces of hot dog in a portion of a home cooked meal made prob once a fortnight .:rolleyes:

I use hot dogs now n then as they are a cheap way that I can get a bit of meat in my home cooked soups and pastas and other meals without having to buy expensive meat (which can only be bought locally in large prepacks) and throw a lot away or having to eat the meat several nights running.My flatmate being vegetarian it is an easy way to adapt should I feel like it and something done only every coupla months or so.

Gothicfairy

I didn't think much of it as it all seems common sense, Of course buying fresh is better and cheaper but if you can't cook then all the fresh food in the world will not put a meal on the table.

I also had a problem with the hotdogs as first off I am not really sure they are meat and second I would rather have something veggie then eat them.
But that is just me