Need OS advice to get my food shop down!

kerrypn

Hi

I was looking at the grocery challenge, but as I already down grade and cook from scratch I think I need a nudge in what Im buying(not brands so much as ingredients) Ive looked at the cheap meal ideas, I do have a problem in that my 4 year old will not eat potatoes in any form whatsoever.

We are a family of 5-me, DH, 4 year old DS, 2 yr old DD and 6 month old DS. I currently spend £304 per month on food, cleaning products, nappies, SMA, toiletries,milk and baby products.

Can anyone suggest how I can cut this please? I am pretty sure that meat/dairy is my worst area-this accounts for £100 of the monthly spend :eek: Another big cost is of course nappies and SMA which cannot be helped.

I cannot go completely veggie as my husband would lynch me :rotfl: but I would like to get the monthly food/household bill down to £250 if possible, maybe even £200 so I can start to save some money for our holiday.

Can anyone advise me on cheap cuts of meat/recipes I can pass off as having meat in that dont really?!!!!:rotfl:

Any pointers greatly appreciated!

life_in_termoil

Try weezls weblog HERE or
Make dinner not excuses HERE

ladylouise62

Put-it-together-yourself meals like Mexican/ Chinese/Indian are great as you only need one of the dishes to be meat, and there lots of fun putting it all together (lentils/beans/spinach/veg-in-season as the other dishes).

Lasagne doesn't have to have meat
pancakes stuffed and baked (with lentils/beans and spinach) topped with cheese always goes down well
Split sausages up to make small meatballs with pasta, with the meatballs on the top... you don't need to use many sausages then.
and my all-time favourite - Toad in the hole (although I like it with Spam or corned beef)

kerrypn

Thank you for the links and the ideas I will check them out now

Told DH today that he will no loger be allowed to gorge on the meat joint on sunday as I will be using for 2 more meals he wasnt impressed :rotfl::o

Wonder if any other families of 5 can do their household bill for £200 is it achievable?

NJW69

If you get the three for £10 meat then you would only need to get two lots of that and then probably one week only one lot.

Go the supermarket when they have the whoopsies and freeze them.

Get your milk and bread from Farmfoods 2 x four litres of milk £1.50 and two large Hovis loaves for £1.00.

I reckon you can save £5.00 per week doing this.

got-it-spend-it

kerrypn wrote: »

Thank you for the links and the ideas I will check them out now

Told DH today that he will no loger be allowed to gorge on the meat joint on sunday as I will be using for 2 more meals he wasnt impressed :rotfl::o

Wonder if any other families of 5 can do their household bill for £200 is it achievable?

I guess it probably depends on how much the nappies and SMA cost per month? Weezl's plan feeds a family of four (2 adults and 2 teens) for £100 a month so I think £200 is doable.

How about doing cheapy meals a couple of times a week- for example jacket potatoes and beans, a HM soup night, something on toast.

I find adding a tin of beans to chilli and shepherd's pie stretches them even further. I also add grated carrot to most tomato based things!

Can you save money on breakfasts? Porridge is cheap and healthy for the whole family.

Topher

I sometimes look to how my Mum and her mother used to work things when I'm trying to manage our ever tightening budget. Their basic notion was to "stretch" expensive foods such as meat, so even cheap meats would be subject to some canny methods of stretching. Oatmeal (not flakes) can stretch mince ( I spelled it mice first, we weren't quite THAT poor) although be careful, my family have really struggled with the ensuing beef porridge when I got too enthusiastic with the oats. Red lentils also stretch mince, grated carrot stretches mince in a tomato sauce, adding an extra savoury flavour. Chicken breasts beaten out and breadcumbed can make them seem to be more than they are.
Marguerite Patten had some good ideas for the kind of thing I'm on about.
Mum also lead us not to expect meat on a daily basis, to accept cheese and eggs as equally viable sources of protein. Why not look to some of the vegetarian methods (the key for us with veggie things is to have a variety of textures as well as flavours) and peasant dishes from various cultures meet the same challenges.
Good luck, and while you're at it, wish me luck as we tighten our belts a little further.
T

falady

Hi Kerrypn

Could you give us a list of the typical meals that you cook now? We could perhaps suggest some alternatives then, based on the kind of things you like.

In the meantime, a couple of suggestions for you....

1) Batch cook and put any leftovers into a separate dish / tub while you are dishing up, then put somewhere out of view to cool. This also applies to the meat left on the roast. That way, the OH can't pick at the leftovers!

2) Homemade scotch eggs make a delicous and economical tea. You need one egg and one sausage per person. They make very big eggs, so half one could well be enough for a child, depending on the age of your children.

Homemade scotch eggs

one medium egg per person
one raw sausage per person, skins removed
1 extra egg, beaten
breadcrumbs
flour

Preheat oven to 180 degrees
grease a baking tray with a bit of veg oil / spray oil.
Boil the eggs for 5-6 minutes. Cool and peel
using damp hands, wrap a layer of sausage meat round each egg.
coat in seasoned flour
coat in beaten egg
coat in breadcrumbs.
The last 3 steps can be repeated if liked.

Put the eggs on an oven tray. Spray with frylight oil or drizzle over some veg oil.

Cook at about 180 degrees for 30 minutes.

Serve hot - delicous! Nice with salad and mash / couscous etc.

They keep reasonably well for a few days in the fridge for packed lunches etc too.

Hope that helps.

Ali x

Alcmene

I like posh cheese but it can work out rather expensive, so when any cheese is marked down I quickly buy them and then freeze them.

kerrypn

Thank you for all the wonderful ideas on recipes, the scotch eggs sound lovely and I will definitely be trying the oatmeal flakes. But not the mice :rotfl:

SMA costs £7.29 per week-this is never ever on offer so that is a given no matter what. Nappies I always buy on offer. Usually costs £20 per month. Wipes(luxury but I am not and will never be a cotton ball wiper) cost £5 per month. Toiletries, baby specific(have to due to eczema) probably around £5 a month but often less as buy on offer where I can.

A typical week would be

Sunday Roast dinner-always buy on offer joint/cheapest option so usually chicken. I normally buy a small one. Anything thats left DH has for sandwiches the next day. Usually have a homemade trifle for pudding

Monday
Breakfast Porridge/Cereal (Same every day)

Lunch Sandwiches, fruit or yoghurt for children

Cottage pie-I use the 97p mince from sainsburys for 5 people-mix in frozen carrots and peas, never any left to freeze in our house. Did try to bulk out with rice once and no one would eat it fruit or yoghurt for pudding for children

Tuesday

Lunch Sandwiches/salad/crackers depending on whats in(same idea every day really)

Tuna Pasta Bake

Weds

Bacon and egg pie and beans

Thurs

Spag Bol/Meatballs/some other mince based dish

Friday

Omlettes(sp) and salad/egg and chips

Saturday

Meat based dish depending on what bargain I found shopping. Usually with rice or potatoes

I think I need an overhall generally with it, I am not afraid to spend time cooking but I just need a good push

Thank you for farmfoods tip-that will save me a fortune :money:

I have a breadmaker-my bread always tastes too sweet though-any tips as this could save me £10 per week (butty box household!)

Thanks o everyone who has replied, more ideas/guidance welcomed

EstherH

You might find it more economical to buy a larger chicken and use to make stew/curry/pie/soup. If hubby won't accept having chicken for rest of week, take one of the breasts and some of dark meat and freeze in gravy. This will then do for next weeks meal.

How much sugar do you add to the bread you make? Try adding half the amount.

Sausage casserole made by cutting up the sausages small, so don't need as many, tin of tomatoes, peppers, onion, garlic, any other veg you have and stock, worcester sauce, tomato ketchup, mustard, herbs - you don't need all of these, just whatever you have in, so experiment. It never tastes the same twice here. It's nice with some apple sliced up in it too. Serve with mashed potato, jacket potato, pasta or rice.

Corned beef hash is loved in our house. Tin of corned beef, onions, potatoes and I put carrots in but I know not everyone does.