Well I'm doing it

curly04

I've given myself a food budget of £30 a week for me and my 2 cats
This is to include cat food, cat litter, cleaning stuff and toiletress!

So I've cut of my £10 + a week adiction to Diet Pepsi
My £10- £15 sarnies for the shop at work

Yesterday I made a list of meals for the next 2 weeks and I went shopping, I got fruit rather than chocolate, and I got Vimto and Robinson Orange to replace the Pepsi

I Spent £45 quid - give or take a few pence! So next week I only have to stock up on the fresh stuff

I even got up early this morning to make my Sarnies! and they taste nicer than the shop one's I normally get.

I'm a very fussy eater, and stuggle to prepair food - I can cook but work full time out of the house 12 - 13 hours a day and I'm disabled.

which also makes it hard shopping, I can just about manage on place never mind going to 3 places to find the cheapest.

But if anyone can give me any money saving tips or guidenance I would be really grateful.

itsallinthemind

curly04 wrote: »

I'm a very fussy eater, and stuggle to prepair food - I can cook but work full time out of the house 12 - 13 hours a day and I'm disabled.

which also makes it hard shopping, I can just about manage on place never mind going to 3 places to find the cheapest.

Reading and running, so may pop into the thread later, but just wanted to say that I get my shopping bulk delivered weekly as Tesco slots start from £3. When I am tired I make the wrong choices, so it saves me money long term.

What supermarkets are close to you? I love coke, yes of course it is bad for you and not needed, but it is my luxury. However I tried LIDL Freeway coke, I was used to it in a few days. When I moved out of an area with a LIDL I switched back to coke, but I miss the taste of it, dirt cheap too!

Is the food prep issue a matter of standing for a while or dexterity or both? I'm not bad in that department mostly, but my back has been killing this week and so I have made a lot of things that cook themselves and used a vast amount of cous cous lol. Last nights scrummy nutritious meal involved chopping 1 courgette, opening 2 cans, pouring some water and a few stirs of a spoon, with little standing, plus have more for tonight.

Is it more the budgeting or easy preparation ideas you need a bit of input with?

Well done you though, it's hard changing your shopping pattern if working with a disability

itsallinthemind

Ooopps I lost a day I ate out yesterday lol

Although I can say fairly that my only experience of pizza hut was very dull, so it is no wonder I forgot!

curly04

Yeah Pizza hut is bad near us

Thanks for your reply

Its the standing but I have a special stool thing from the hosptial

I just want idea of quick cheap but health things to cook
and ways to save money

Me and my ex were the type of people to chuck away and ended up Bankrupt! now he has gone money is very tight again and I want to be able to manage without getting the begging pot out to family.

Also I want a bit more indepenance as mum and dad has cooked 80% of all my meals (evening and weekend ones) since Feb this year

midnightraven3

well done so far curly:j

have you thought about posting this over on the old style board?
wealth of knowledge & ideas over there
they will soon give lots of suggestions, and wean you off the bottle(of coke) too:D

vicki+1

try the old style board they have lots of recipes on there, including really quick easy dinners. I am a bit fussy myself and working and having a 2 year old and a husband 2 B to look after its hard to prepare dinners but there are lots of things you can make quickly, simply and cheaply. Such as omlettes, jacket paotatoes, salad, spaghetti bolognese.
There are also lots if meals that freeze well, i am suret they have lists of those on old style board.
I got one of those Pepsi addictions as well, my preference being pepsi max, trying to avoid it though, coz drink it for a few days and i end up feeling as sick as a dog with dehydration.

Anyhow well done for your efforts so far

DCFC79

For some tips you could see if your local libray has them books for students about meals etc, just a thought,

ems2

Instead of Cat litter, can you use dirt from a/the garden?

Allegra

Check out this website for recipes and tips.