Help! £40 to feed family for the month

joolsybools

You are all amazing and inspirational, well done for the support you give each other! I will take a few leaves out of your books :0)

Aeshna

Just discovered this thread after it's bumping, and I'm so grateful to mbaz for starting it!

I really need to get my grocery shopping bill down and joined the February challenge, but this thread has me totally inspired! Popped into Mr T last night and got lentils (88p, sure I could find these cheaper elsewhere?), value porridge oats (58p), value curry sauce (13p) and value sweet n sour sauce (28p). I can't wait to get going, as I stocked up the freezer at the beginning of the month with special deal mince etc.

I have never meal planned at all, but this thread has made me realise how much easier it would be so keep my food bill down if I do. I've already attached post-it notes to my freezer to keep track of what I have available, and I adore my slow cooker which was a xmas gift from my OH after reading about them on MSE. I think I'll have a quiet evening to myself and do some proper planning!

Thank you for all the hints and tips everyone, and a special thank you to mbaz for rising to the challenge so wonderfully!

Aeshna x

sb44

paigexstewart wrote: »

Normally we spend around £150 a week, which I know is ridiculous, but without sounding arrogant we dont really have to budget.

So any ideas on what I can buy to feed us for a week on £20 without him noticing too much ?

If you normally spend £150 a week on food and are going to now spend just £20 I think he may just notice.

p00

Aldi are still doing a bag of baking potatoes (around 10 pots) for 69p and some of them are huge. Much cheaper than buying a pk of 4 for aroung 60p+ in the other supemarkets.

We make potatoe and onion (or brocolli or whatever there is) soup and it really fills you up and keeps you warm

Sainsbury are doing 3 pks of wholemeal rolls for 99p, 6 per pk. I freeze them then pop a couple in the oven to go with the soup or burgers, so a nice crusty fresh roll and you cant make them for that price.

xxp00

ZCC72

I haven't managed to read the whole thread yet, so sorry if this has already been suggested -dried skimmed milk! You can get a big box for about £2 in Mr T's (probably cheaper elsewhere - Lidl?) which makes around 9 pints. I make it up one pint at a time, pop it in a bottle in the fridge - it helps me psychologically as for some reason I don't like adding powder to my tea or coffee!! It's fine on cereal too!

Anyhoo,I'm going to read the rest of this thread before planning my shopping tomorrow, well done all!!

EstherH

daska wrote: »

i'd second the stronger cheese - you use less so it's actually cheaper overall

Soups are good, it's been proven that calorie for calorie, people who have soup feel more satisfied than those that eat a 'dry' meal, it's to do with the water content.

I can feed 5 of us for 2 meals on a loaf of home made wholemeal bread with a soup made with a kilo of carrots and a couple of onions bulked out with some lentils.

Is that all that you put in? Carrots, onions and lentils? Do you use stock cubes or real chicken stock? Do you blend it all after it's cooked?

5dogs

I am bumping this thread as I'm still reading through it, and when I can't find it I panic :eek: :rotfl:

Huge THANKYOU! to everyone for the inspiration :T

EstherH

This thread has been mentioned to Katie on the getting started with a new household. I have found it to be an enormous help so bumping it up there hoping people will keepit going.

firesidemaid

hello

some might think i am going slightly off topic here, but......

for those posters who say they spend £150+ a week on food/groceries who would like to spend less, i will try this incentive.......

do you have a mortgage or any debts? if so if you could reduce your bill to £100 a week, then you can automatically pay £200 a month off your mortgage/debts.

otherwise in theory, you are paying interest to have that extra food......food for thought;)

Money_maker

Great thread, haven't read it all yet, but well done and thanks to all posters. Its amazing what can be done.