Junk Food Challenge!

Coopdivi

Elmly, it seems to me that you love junk food so why pack it in?

This is just a guilt trip.

Vaila

to me even 30 quid a month is an unreachable and uneccesary luxury

kr15snw

We used to buy a lot of take aways which we're very costly.

Our way to save money was to buy chicago town pizzas (so there is always one in the fridge) as these are the only ones that come up to Dominoes standards. We also have a huge curry making session every month and make 5 or 6 portions. These then go in the freezer and we can have a lovely indian in 10 minutes (they microwave wonderfully). We also have M&S fish (which is to DIE for) in the freezer instead of popping up the chippy

maman

The health question has to be for you but if you mean you're spending too much on junk:

• meal plan so you've got a meal waiting/defrosting at home which would be wasted if you went out/bought a take-away
• take only the absolute minimum of money out with you so you can't treat yourself to subways and the like
• have treat evenings at home. We often have a curry/chinese from Asda's counter that costs a fraction of a take-away and is hot when we eat it!
• try to look on meals out/take-aways as treats. If they happen too regularly then they're not treats any more. I think taking the children out for a meal weekly is OTT (:o) Personally I'd take them once a month, say, to a restaurant. There are plenty that do 'early bird' menus. This IMO would be a proper treat moreso than fast food.

Dreamnine

Around once a month I may buy a chocolate bar, so I spend 60p a month... But I never eat takeaways/KFC/McDonalds/Subway.

Why would anyone want to when they can cook better, healthier and cheaper at home?

Kirri

jenniewb wrote: »

While I'd agree with that in part, I don't think its true. To eat junk all day would not be as expensive as buying fresh fruit and vegetables for example- may help if you have a garden, but for example I don't, I don't own a balcony and even if I could afford an allotment, I'd have to join a 7 year waiting list.

When I see posts like "10 pack of crisps for £1 on BOGOF at Asda" or similar, I can see that for around 2000kcals (more then enough for an active person to live off calorie wise) you could eat for £5 a week. Not advisable as its complete !!!! but it paints my point. And this is just one example I have read, I am sure there are even cheaper prices. Now if I could eat a balanced and healthy diet on £5 a week or less, I'd be laughing! (And also booking the first ever holiday for the past 20 years,- hell I'd even go abroad, first time ever!:rotfl:)

I find it cheaper to eat a healthy diet as it's the junk items that seem to add up to all the unnecessary expense and everything is £1 or £2 etc it seems whereas pulses, pasta, home made bread and seasonal veg etc is all very cheap. Junk food never seems to fill me up either and you'd still have to make meals, you couldn't live off crisps (not sure what else you'd get for £5 a week for 3 meals a day of junk food?).

Some parts of London still have allotments and re affordability you save so much on shop bought veg they pay for themselves easily, they average £25 for half a plot in London

To the OP, no more than £5 a week on junk maximum I'd say! Maybe one meal out a month max, I can't say I'd even enjoy a fast food meal though, I find them quite nasty!!