My shopping bill keeps on going up and up!!!

sexykellylovespink

ginnyknit wrote: »

Sadly they built a large MR T next to our market and lo and behold the market is sinking without trace. The veg on there was very good and kept much better than supermarket veg but the stall has changed hands 3 times in 6 months and the latest guy is fed up after a month's trading. Bolton has a fab market and late Saturday afternoon you can buy everything reduced so when I go to my Mums I try to nip on the market. Ive just been to Mr T's and am shocked how much our bill has crept up. Tomorrow see's the opening of an Aldi right near Mr T's so we will see how much I can find there cheaper.

were about do you live ginny, i live in bolton too x

squelchy69

I'm in the same boat. I work 41 hours a week in shifts and try to do a few of hours overtime a week too just to help out. I have 3 sons, 13, 8 and 4 so saving time is really important to me too. I try to spend no more than £80 per week on food. This includes basics like, cleaning products, toothpaste and loo rolls etc.
I always plan my meals around whats on offer. BOGOFs are a godsend!
I buy most things unprepared as its cheaper and often chop veg and freeze it ready to use.
I add pulses to anything with a sauce - bolognaise, lasagne, stew, soups, shepherds pie etc. Not only does it bulk it out but its tasty and good for you. My sons don't even notice!
I blend stale bread into breadcrumbs which I add to homemade burgers and meatballs.
I always take leftovers to work and drink water from the machine - this has saved me a fortune. I used to spend £20 a week sometimes on lunch and a can of drink a day!
I try never to throw anything away now.
I spend at least 4 hours at a weekend preparing food for the week. I usually make at least 2 meals for the fridge (for OH to heat up if I'm on a late shift). These are usually a bolognaise sauce and a shepherds pie. Sometimes a pie or a stew. And I couldn't live without my slow cooker. I put all the ingredients in the pot and leave in the fridge for a day or two sometimes. Then pop it in the slow cooker before work and its done when I get home.
I really think stocking up on offers and preperation is the key.
HTH.
Jo x

Souk08

Hey, just to second what the others have said about slow cookers. I have been shopping for myself for £65 a month using mine and have been lazy at this so will be really trying and working to a £40 budget next month. I work f/t and put stuff on at night or on a Sunday morning so it's dead easy and cheap! I live by an Aldi and it's amazing but I also get the Co-op/Somerfield leaflet through the door and they have some brilliant offers too ie massive half price joints of some meat or other on most of the time. Good luck and X

Butterfly_Brain

I hear the nanny state want's to get rid of BOGOFS cos it increases obesity - bull$*&% it's too keep us poorer :mad:

maman

Butterfly_Brain wrote: »

I hear the nanny state want's to get rid of BOGOFS cos it increases obesity - bull$*&% it's too keep us poorer :mad:

I think you need to be selective on BOGOFs. There are lots of carp ones for junk food, just like lots of special offers and reductions are for junk. BOGOF meat is a really good buy, but I doubt that 'nannies' will differentiate (Where's shrugging smiley when you need him:p)

Nicoll

Loving this thread, my shopping bill has gone up a lot lately. Some of it I can blame the supermarkets for but some of it is down to me not being a savvy shopper lately and wasting money. This thread has made me think again. We get paid tomorrow so I'm going to start writing my shopping list this afternoon and make sure I buy what we need instead of all the rubbish I've started buying again.

Was thinking of trying online shopping so any hints on how to get free delivery or money off offers to use online would be appreciated, used to shop online about 5 years ago but found I bought too much stuff, hopefully this time round I will behave better!

fedupfreda

Nicoll wrote: »

Was thinking of trying online shopping so any hints on how to get free delivery or money off offers to use online would be appreciated, used to shop online about 5 years ago but found I bought too much stuff, hopefully this time round I will behave better!

Sometimes they will offer you money off for a first order, as long as it is over a certain limit, £50 say. Check their websites as they are always fighting to get new customers. You can also go via a cashback website - sometimes they will pay you £5 for your first order, you do have to wait a little while for this to come through though. (I use cashback kings.co.uk - sorry don't know how to do the link ) Check any leaflets you get through the door or your reward/nectar vouchers, often they do offers for free delivery or money off if your order is over a certain limit.

Otherwise get together with a neighbour and do 1 bulk order for the 2 of you then split the delivery cost. There is no reason you can't both sign up as new customers and each get the money off your first order Or you can use sites like my voucher codes.co.uk - often they have money off codes you can use.

HTH
Freda

patchwork_cat

The thing that gets me, slightly off topic, is for example this year my DH is, like everyone else in local govt, not getting a pay rise - we think (also tax code is static too)and yet our council tax for example is going up by 2 %, food is constantly increasing, petrol has gone up again etc etc.

Our food bill is going up again, too. For dog food I buy Gusto at £7 for 15 kg? To the OP Sainsbury's can be good for soemthings - I like a lot of their basics, but for a week in week out shop it is really quite expensive.

Georgia - just wanted to say thank you for all the time you put into going through op's list. I believe with regard to BOGOFF's weren't TEsco doing a thing were you could get a voucher and buy the bogoff the next week? Also babyfood does seem v expensive, but OP I did it too occasionally, I live in the real world! Perhaps you could give baby something more reasonably priced bearing in mind what baby likes and will eat! Perhaps some little muffin pizzas /finger food or something?

Again off topic, but does anyone else think that slow cookers should have a tray above or seperator so you could do jacket potatoes above or rice pudding in 1 side and main in the other. Is there one like this that I have missed.

phizzimum

Nicoll wrote: »

Was thinking of trying online shopping so any hints on how to get free delivery or money off offers to use online would be appreciated, used to shop online about 5 years ago but found I bought too much stuff, hopefully this time round I will behave better!

Hi Nicoll. If you look on the "Discount Codes and Vouchers" board on MSE they have threads that should help

floss2

patchwork_cat wrote: »

The thing that gets me, slightly off topic, is for example this year my DH is, like everyone else in local govt, not getting a pay rise - we think (also tax code is static too)and yet our council tax for example is going up by 2 %, food is constantly increasing, petrol has gone up again etc etc....

I know that feeling - and then some, as we have just had our single status pay review decisions, and I am a loser by 11%