March grocery challenge

alleycat_3 · 21 March 2005 at 2:50PM

I think the meal planning might work, he is dead against cheap cuts of meat (hence the slow cooker, I have heard they taste better if slow cooked)
But won't have a meal without meat. We don't snack at all, so no crisps or biscuits allowed in the house - we just seem to spend so much and I don't know where it all goes! No alcohol either...
Will start with a meal planner this evening before he gets home and see if I can win him over!
Ali

alleycat_3 · 21 March 2005 at 2:55PM

Good time to start as well, as our month starts on the 25th when I get paid - Will aim for £150 - am I allowed to include the cost of a slow cooker somehow? Have found one on Tesco Extra for £25 ish, which should do. We are not in debt at all, I just feel that having some extra money to work on our house would be nice. Also hubby will probably be taking a pay cut to work nearer home in the next couple of months, so getting into good habits now would be nice!
A

Galtizz · 21 March 2005 at 3:03PM

Alleycat, how about going to the supermarket on the way home from work one night, on your own. When Saturday comes just tell him you went in the week so that you can spend more time together. Or arrange to do something on Saturday so that you have that as an excuse. :beer:

You'll find it is much less stressful going at night instead of on a Saturday because there are less people about. It aslo means you can buy what you like and hide it. Either pre-cook as much as possible whilst he is at work and then freeze it as ready meals that just need re-heating or take it out of the packaging and put it in freezer bags (labelled in a code you remember i.e just put P for pork or F for fish etc.) food fits better out of all that packaging

Then when he gets a job closer he'll probably not want to go shopping anyway (most blokes hate it, mine doesn't come with me anymore because I go after work) or, if he does go with you and moans about what you are buying you can say 'well, you've been eating it for the past X months without any complaints'

OMG, I never realised how devious I am :eek:

alleycat_3 · 21 March 2005 at 3:07PM

I don't want to be devious, but I am determined to prove him wrong! We do have a joint account, but I do all the administration and budgeting for it. He just says 'how much do we have left for so-and-so this month', I check my spreadsheets and tell him.
The main problem is that we are both as stubborn as each other - can lead to fireworks sometime. But I will get my way on this one!
Going during the week would work, especially at the moment he is doing a lot of overtime, not back until 10.30pm most days - plenty of time to be devious on my own...
To be fair, once I have proved it he will admit he is wrong. And then spend the profits on something else! I may have to extract the savings and keep them somewhere else where only I have access to them...
A

Lillibet_2 · 21 March 2005 at 3:20PM

Alleycat

Don't worry, you don't need to eat cheap cuts of meat or vegaterian of you don't want to. There are pleanty of people here who only buy organic, for example, it's all about stretching your money as far as you can wihtout compromising on your own personal standards. There are no rights or wrongs, just best value. If you (or boyfriend) will only eat sirlion then brisket would be a waste of money beacuse it won't get eaten, better to buy good value sirloin, checking out competitive supermarket prices & buying when on special offer, than anything less which will get chucked away or eaten but not enjoyed.

But yes, cheaper cuts of meat do taste better slow cooked & you might be able to suprise him with a few meals! Also you can reduce the meat portions of the meal to save on costs. For example when I make a susage casserole I use good quality susages but only use 6 even though they come in a pack of 8. The other 2 I save & use on pizza, chopped up in pasta sauce or mixed with cheese & rice to stuff peppers/mushrooms/potatoe skins : 2 meat meals out of 1 pack of meat, when it would be easy to use all the sausages in the casserole in the first place.

HTH

alleycat_3 · 21 March 2005 at 3:25PM

hmmm, sounds promising. our other problem for moneysaving is that I only have access to a tesco, there isn't anything else anywhere near here. So no chance of taking advantage of offers at other shops. I like the sausage casserole thing! will try that one.
My mother was vegetarian, I didn't eat meat until I left home at 18 - so I have no problem with the veggie thing, is my gorgeous awkward so and so at home!
All fired with enthusiasm now...
A

Lillibet_2 · 21 March 2005 at 3:37PM

Try fixtureferretts.co.uk & check what special offers it lists Tesco as having then plan some of your meals round these. If it is something you particalluy like buy extra & freeze/store & use in subsquent weeks. Should help a bit.

Galtizz · 21 March 2005 at 4:59PM

Don't forget that, if you are shopping on a Saturday you don't have to get it all from Tescos. A lot of local butchers will be cheaper or, if not they will often do value packs i.e buy 3 joints for £5.

During summer you often find BBQ packs cheap, I often buy them and freeze them in Summer and use the bits through the year they tend to consist of a big mix of sausages, beef burgers, pork chops, lamb chops in sauce, BBQ spare ribs, meat kebabs etc.. for £5.

I find the quality of butchers meat is better than supermarket so you might get away with buying cheaper cuts because they look nicer sitting in the butchers. If he knows the name of the cheap cuts just say 'how about some of that' and point, it always looks good in the butchers and he might not realise they are cheap cuts.

Also, don't forget markets. There are often butchers there and there are always fruit and veg stalls, again the quality is usually much better than the supermarkets. If there isn't a market in your local village have a look around. I go to a big market in town (10 miles away) 1 or 2 a year and stock up on meat (it all goes in the freezer), it is a trip out for DH and me.

nicki_2 · 21 March 2005 at 5:40PM

Well, I set myself a budget of £40 a week. So far it's worked, EXCEPT my daughter has been ill so I had to go out and buy some bits and pieces out of next weeks money. Next week I will be £5 down but I've decided that since it's Easter I will put an extra £10 in towards a joint and some afters for Easter Sunday. This will be a big treat as I rarely do a roast and its even more rare that we have pudding LOL. I am convinced that I can get both treats for less than £10 so I will try to make the rest stretch to cover the lack of funds. Next time I am going to have to set aside £10 emergency fund somewhere to cover expenses like that. I can't carry on "borrowing" the money from my daughter. Just checked and I owe her £25 to date but all incurred in February! That will be coming out of any PIN money next month (and the next, and the next)

alleycat_3 · 21 March 2005 at 6:24PM

There is a market in the town, but the best place (apparently) is Prince Charles's organic place, they make up their boxes on Wednesdays and also have a stall at the gate of the farm, so if you don't want to get the box, you can choose exactly what you want. This is only 2 miles from me, and I never realised! Now it's getting light, I might even be persuaded to get my bike out and save on the petrol.