Confused about low weekly shop

sc6_2

Have really enjoyed this thread. I too cant get my shopping down as low as a lot of the MSE'ers manage and have been wondering what I am doing wrong.

However I have reduced it hugely due to all the excellent suggestions on here (eg bought a slow cooker - heaven!!), make more meals from scratch, dont waste anything, scrapped all the exp cleaning products, now shop at Lidl's for bulk of shop and top up at Tesco's for value range and also the reduced section - and if we run out of something its tough - no in between visits to the shops!

We are saving money, we are eating healthier, our lives are more organised so they run more smoothly, the whole family have got on board - and we continue to find ways to fine tune the budget.

I love to read how everybody else does it - I find it very inspirational - so please keep it up - even if I cant achieve it I can usually pick something out of everybody's plan that I can use. At the same time - I am very glad to know that I am not the only one "failing" to hit the target!! If we have all managed to improve on how we used to be then I guess we are all successes.:T

VickyA_2

We buy our meat from our local butcher and local farmers' market. It definitely isn't as cheap as the supermarket BUT I feel as if I'm supporting the local economy AND ask questions about how to cook certain joints etc etc. I've never been made to feel stupid when I've asked what is (more than likely) an obvious question.

We always pad out meat with loads and loads of veggies. For example, tonight I'm making spag bol with 1lb of minced beef from our local butcher. If I went with the recipe that I have in a cook book then it would serve DH and I for 2 meals. Personally, I put green lentils, loads of mushrooms, diced carrot, celery, chopped tomatoes, onions etc etc and it will serve us for 4 meals (or 8 portions).

Bogof_Babe

On a very much more prosaic note, there's nothing wrong with tinned and frozen veg occasionally. I always have a bag of mixed veg in the freezer, and at least one tin each of peas, carrots, sweetcorn, green beans, mushy peas, button mushrooms, new potatoes in the cupboard. Then on those days when everything in the supermarket seems just too overpriced, I have something to fall back on. Tinned and frozen produce seems to be quite reasonably priced, often cheaper than fresh, and the quality is consistent. Particularly peas - I don't know how they do it actually, when you compare with the cost of peas in the pod.

I also (shock horror) keep a pack of instant mash, which is ideal for topping off a quick shepherds pie (made with my stash of Beanfeast, this being a mainly veggie house). I have recently discovered tinned chopped onions too, so there is always the basis of a meal if I can't get to the shops for some reason.

Quasar

I'm lucky to have the following supermarkets near me, all within walking distance (ok, for me 20 minutes is walking distance)

Morrisons
Asda
Netto
Sainsbury
Tesco

I sort out what I want and where it is cheaper, and shop in each for what I want. I do 2 shops a week. I use Netto only for cheap household item and the odd thing or two but not for food as only buy organic and sprouts lots of pulses for my green salads.

Also, I buy BOGOF items whenever I see them as long as it's stuff I know I will use. I have enough toiletries and household supplies now to last me until mid-January, which means I really don't have to spend any money on that stuff for a few months.

All you have to do is organise your shopping methods. Planning ahead is probably the only surefire of saving in the long term.

TallGirl

I agree with all of the above you can find great buys are supermarkets and using local markets are just the best. I did want to share with you my experince of buying fresh meat at Makro's. I know you need to be a trader but you really can get some great stuff and it is such good quality. I think it is good value and this is what I got today:

3 Scotch Sirloins Steak 360 grams £2.70
6 Sirloin Steak Pack 1.030 kilo £6.49
Braising Shoulder steak pack 1.350 kilo £4.62
Silverside Roll Joint 1.015 kilo £4.56

(some of it was reduced as it was a late Sunday afternoon)

I like my meat and this will see us through for a long time over the winter and I shall be looking out for ways to cook Braised beef as I usually just do a red wine stew but fancy something different.

sans_2

I went to Tescos today and spent £20.70 (less £10 from OH so £10.70)
Various reductions, offers and coupons

1 x 6pk Heinz baby rice pudding
1 x 4 or 5 pk of Tesco sponge cloths
1 x Tesco organic mince (reduced)
1 x Tesco chicken kiev(reduced)
1 x 800g Warbartons medium slice bread(reduced)
5 x loose carrots
2 x bananas
1 x 0.31kg seedless grapes
1 x 2 ltrs Cravendale semi skimmed milk
1 x Tesco value 6pk fromage frais
1 x Cow & Gate baby powdered milk
1 x 54 Tesco nappies
1 x twin pk fresh sweetcorn
1 x biocarb soda
1 x Tesco 4pk yoguart drinks
2 x boys t-shirts(reduced)
1 x 5pk paintbrushes
1 x 1.5kg Tesco organic baby potatoes
1 x magazine
1 x Mail on Sunday
2 x Heinz 400g mayonnaise
3 x Tesco value longlife milk
2 x Tesco chicken breasts in sweet chilli sauce (BOGOF)
1 x NOTW paper

There were a few non food items in there so guess I could have brought more food items to substitute the non food items and kept to around £20. Never have any empty cupboards and freezer is pretty full so guess it's rare we often run out of something to eat.

rainbowrisin

Bogof_Babe wrote:

On a very much more prosaic note, there's nothing wrong with tinned and frozen veg occasionally. I always have a bag of mixed veg in the freezer, and at least one tin each of peas, carrots, sweetcorn, green beans, mushy peas, button mushrooms, new potatoes in the cupboard. Then on those days when everything in the supermarket seems just too overpriced, I have something to fall back on. Tinned and frozen produce seems to be quite reasonably priced, often cheaper than fresh, and the quality is consistent. Particularly peas - I don't know how they do it actually, when you compare with the cost of peas in the pod.

I also (shock horror) keep a pack of instant mash, which is ideal for topping off a quick shepherds pie (made with my stash of Beanfeast, this being a mainly veggie house). I have recently discovered tinned chopped onions too, so there is always the basis of a meal if I can't get to the shops for some reason.

Well said bogofbabe! It seems that tins get a bit of a rough ride these days, but I find having a stock (very similar to yours, as it happens), is really useful.
We use tinned meat as well from time to time - we're all quite partial to a spam fritter when the mood takes us:eek: , as well as corned beef hash, stew, meat balls etc.
I also find tinned fish really good value - a couple of tins of sadines do us for a meal and they're all protein. We also like pilchard curry.
I'm not sure why tins are so out of fashion really - the stuff keeps far longer than freezer stuff (and won't come to grief if there's a power cut). Tins are free to store, whereas freezer stuff costs money to keep coz of the lecy. Tinned stuff is canned fresh, so won't have lost as many vits as the cut price veg near its sell by date (although i'm sure someone mentioned vits are lost due to the canning process?)
I also find cans psychologically comforting - seeing them all lined up makes me feel happy:T

Bogof_Babe

Maybe one reason for the demise of tins is the size of newbuild kitchens these days . Not much room to swing the proverbial feline, never mind stock up a pantry.

Another thing might be those ring-pull tops. I know they frustrate some people, but slipping the end of a teaspoon under the pull bit soon sorts it out. Anyway veg tends to come in old-style (yay, I claim the prize for getting that in ) type cans, so unless there is a world shortage of tin-openers then I don't see the problem.

Tinned food got us through the 1939-45 war (and possibly the one before it too) so I do hope we have not all become too snooty to appreciate it now .

Edit: You know you've had enough cider when you re-read your post and read "pull bit" as pit bull :rotfl:.

rainbowrisin

At the risk of boring for Britain on this thread, I think you also need to take account of the amount of time you have available to bargain hunt V how profitably the time could be spent doing something else. If you have the time to go round a couple of supermarkets at closing time, go blagging at the market at closing time, haggle at farm shops and so on then you can get more for less, but it all takes time and often petrol money. Sometimes it's more cost effective to pay the going rate for something and be done with it.
Also, when you read the feeding of the 5000 for a tenner a month threads it's worth bearing in mind that you don't know what money off vouchers they've got access to, and also don't know what other freebie food opportunities are coming their way. For example, if i fancy a pizza i do a mystery shop and get one for nowt - I have a next door neighbour who I get veg from for nowt when he has a glut, I collect windfall apples when the opportunity arises and we "eat out" for nowt most weeks at church sociaevents / community events or similar. Put all that together and I probably only need to buy food for five days out of every seven.
I remember one historic week when through a combination of happy circumstances I spent nothing on food at all:T It doesn't mean I'm a wonder budgeter, just that I got lucky.
We could live on three quid a week if we bought a big bag of tatties and a pat of lard and lived on spud variations, but don't think we'd stick it for long:eek:
As long as you're cutting back in a way which suits you and your family then you're doing fine.
Rainbowrisin xx

Smashing

Picked up 2 packs of salmon fillets in saisburys this afternoon - £6.49 each or buy 2 save £5.

Got both for the grand sum of 78p.

And there's nowt wrong with tinned food - deepblue tuna 29p a tin from sainsburys. Dolphin friendly, too unlike many cheaper brands.