How do you manage to spend so little?!

clutterydrawer

clairelg88 wrote: »

well the dried fruit i just buy for a healthy snack for all of us really.

the tomato puree is a jar, i shopped online and it was the cheapest one they had.

thanks for all your tips

I love dried fruit...I tend to buy a lot of sultanas cos they're 65p for 500g in Morrisons. For the other things I try to save by buying huge bags from health food shops....you can sometimes get good deals, but sometimes not, so do your maths first.

I also stretch it out by putting it into flapjacks....not quite so healthy! But you get the deliciousness of the fruit but filled up quicker by the oats If you follow me.

valk_scot

clairelg88 wrote: »

well the dried fruit i just buy for a healthy snack for all of us really.

It would go further if you bought some rolled oats etc and made apricot flapjacks etc. They're healthy too. Or you could buy cheaper dried fruits such as rasins for the same recipe, or fruit scones etc. Better for you than custard doughnuts tbh.

If you're into dried fruit btw Lidl do a fabulous dried whole fruit mix with not just apricots and prunes but with dried pears and apples etc as well. Costs about £1.70 if I remember correctly but it's a big bag and very tasty.

missychrissy

I've just read 'How I Lived a Year on Just a Pound a Day' by Kath Kelly. It was certainly 'food for thought' and inspiring. If I had to live off £1 a day I couldn't do it the same way as she did eg I don't think I could hitch hike. I'd have to exclude my car and it's expenses from the equation as I work for an agency and travel quite long distances at times to get to work. However, having halved my expenditure in the last 2 years I think I could contemplate doing it!

tim_n

Some interesting links on chicken:

making the most of a chicken:
http://www.downsizer.net/Projects/Processing_food/Ten_Quid_for_a_Chicken?/

How to joint a raw one - I've used the instructions, they're quite good!:
http://www.downsizer.net/Projects/Processing_food/How_to_joint_a_chicken/

rachbc

I think you are doing great - its all healthy, tasty stuff. I'd probably buy chicken thighs/ whole chicken rather than breasts. I buy fruit and veg from the market rather than supermarket as find it a big saving.

buggslife

For dried spices (and fresh chillis) at a fraction of the cost - try an asian supermarket.

clutterydrawer wrote: »

for me it's a combination of various little tricks and techniques which I have adopted over time...mostly found on this forum!...I used to spend over £50 per week and have cut it down to £10-15 but it was a very gradual process, you can't do it all at once I still struggle to get it as low as lots of people on here though *le sigh*

Maybe you could state the kind of things you buy and what you cook with them and people could suggest some thrifty alternatives?



And stick a pinch of chili flakes in instead...the cost of which is negligible and won't make any difference to the flavour (in my opinion!)

It does all depend on what youre willing to cut out though.

fudgecat

I think you are doing very well on your budget, considering that there are a few treats and time savers on the list.
Asda are very good for price for most things, but never buy tomato puree there as have also found it is such a shocking price. I can`t work out why they don`t do a reasonably priced own brand (yes I can - profit!).
The best local supermarket for basic stuff and own brand at reaonable quality is Sainsburys, and Tesco economy own brand dishwasher tablets (which you can halve). I don`t fully trust Tesco as they used to stock Stardrops and then dropped it - so they lost my business and I just cherry pick special offers and dishwasher tablets. I can`t wait until Aldi open up near here!

thecraftybear

nodwah wrote: »

It's all very well making double in order to freeze dinners - but my DH is so greedy he eats it all - eg last night I made a huge lasagne hoping it would do 3 dinners but he went back for seconds and thirds so now there's only a teeny bit left that will have to do me a lunch :mad:

So really, the work you have to do is on your DH and explain about moneysaving and the difference between hunger and greed! Good luck

steerpike

I love this thread - what great ideas!

I tend to write my shopping list and then check out how much similar items are in Sainsbury's Basics range - you can do this on the website but some of the smaller stores don't carry the full range.

Last week in Sainsburys - in the Basics range I bought several packets of instant whip (like Angel Delight) instant custard for 2p each, tins of pineapple chunks for 13p and strawberry jelly pack for 5p - I didn't need them for my planned menus but I will keep them in the store cupboard and plan to use them for sweet treats in the next couple of weeks with plate pies made with home grown (plums and rhubarb) /hedgerow picked fresh fruit (blackberries)

I find the quality of the Basics range very good - especially things like loo roll, discinfectant, tissues but the prices do fluctuate..I was buy tissues at 16p a box but they have gone up to 25p ...still cheaper than the 'brands' but I tend to stock up when I notice the prices are rock bottom.

At the moment they are doing a 3 for 2 offer on Basics wrapping film and wrapping foil (32p)so i am stocking up this week with these as both are good and you can use the wrapping foil for roasting etc (although the wrapper tells you not to- I have had no problems.

Sometimes things don't taste the same as regular brands and I think if you can get the mindset that the taste is different but not inferior to the big brands, you are on a winner.

The other tip I would give is read the instructions!! I was a devil for just sloshing a generous glug of bleach/disinfectant/cleaning product into a bucket and adding a bit of water to do the cleaning...I am ashamed to say that when I eventually got round to reading the instructions and diluting these to the correct amounts and using 'Basics' products - I realised how much money had been chucking down the sink everyday :mad:... the cleaning power is just as good but I use a fraction of what I did before.

Mitzymycat

This is cheap, filling and goes a long way.

You need
2 Leeks
2 Large Potatoes
2 Chicken Cubes
Knob of butter
Pepper
Single cream ( optional)
Cut the leeks down the middle and slice and then fly gently in the butter

Chop the potatoes into small cubes put them into 2 pints of water with 2 chicken cubes. Cook until soft.

Add the leeks to the potatoes and simmerf or 15 minutes adding the pepper, ( a good 1/2 teaspoon).

As you serve you can add a small amount of cream, to make cream of leek and potatoe soup) But this is optional

This is delicious with a bread roll and it freezes well.