November Groceries

pollyanna24

Thanks everyone for your replies. I find it helps me to keep a note of what I buy each month although bf thinks I mad. Thinks I spend way too much time on this site.

We are a bit bad with the ole veggies. I always buy carrots and parsnips, but we eat frozen peas, sweetcorn and greenbeans, just not an awful lot which is why I don't need to buy any this month.

I have tried making tomato based sauces for pasta when I was on Weightwatchers, but I just didn't relly like it, and prefer buying. The stir ins and sausage casserole sauces are all BOGOF at the mo, so have stocked up.

Re: buying stuff at the market, I went to a fruit and veg stall near where I live the other day and felt they they charged me a fortune. Have looked for farmers markets and they are none near me in Herts. There are more in nearby London which I find a bit strange!

I do intend to start making my own pizza, have done before and they were a success. But the Dr. Oetkers are BOGOF at the mo, so again took advantage!

Think I've got everyone in there. And again thanks for everyone's help. Think I need to make more stews out of cheaper bits of meat, then he can't complain!

Raspberry_Swirl

if you're not keen on homemade pasta sauces and casseroles then buying the packets of mixes is cheaper than the jars of sauce.

i know that asda have them on offer at the moment, 4 for £2. you can get your sausage casserole mix there, and plenty of other casserole flavours, as well as chilli, spag bol and pasta mixes.

cattie1

hi just thought I would say I buy diced steak from my local butchers in bulk for £10 where as it would cost £20 or over in tesco if I bought that much, so it might be worth trying your local butcher. also if you become a regular some butchers offer you better deals.

Twinny99

pollyanna24 wrote:

Have looked for farmers markets and they are none near me in Herts.

Hi Pollyanna

I don't know whereabouts in Herts you are but I know that there is a farmers market somewhere in Hatfield (probably the town centre) on the 1st Saturday of each month....

carlih1

ooh im in hatfield, and there's def one in hatfield one the first sat.

In st albans they have french, italian and farmers market occasionally.

hth

carli

pollyanna24

Thanks everyone. Never really realised before how much processed food we eat! Oops.

We buy the healthy living cheese slices to go in bf sandwiches. He prefers "real" cheese, but we figured it was cheaper to be buyer slices. Maybe I should just buy a few big slabs of cheddar.

Re: my bread. That includes rolls, baguettes and the like. We normally buy Kingsmill or such like for sarnies. I did have a breadmaker at me mums, not sure where it is now, but whenever I made a loaf of bread, it never lasted as though as a normal loaf cos slices are so much thicker than shop bought bread!

I haven't bought the pasta sauces yet, so will look into alternatives. What are the mixes someone above (sorry, can't remember who) spoke about?

I live in Watford which is fairly near St. Albans and Hatfield. May have to persuade bf to take me to Hatfield on the first Sat of November. Is the stuff there really that much cheaper? I had a quick look in my local butchers and saw that a few of the meats that I used were more per kg than Tesco. I know the quality is probably better, but needs must and all that!

black-saturn

Next time you buy a processed food take a look at the ingredients and see if it would be possible to make it yourself. It will taste much better and will be additive free.

I find the local fruit and veg stall to charge much more than the supermarket too. Plus I like to get all my shopping in one go so I dont have to go back and be tempted by other stuff. I got rid of my bread maker as I prefer shop bought bread. If you go to Asda on a sunday at about 3.30pm they reduce all their loaves to 10p each (even the ones theyve just baked) so you can stock up for the week then.

If you buy lots of spices and herbs you will be able to make the pasta sauces yourself.

Also you should buy a slow cooker which means you can buy cheap cuts of meat and they will come out tender.

I spend £42 a month on 1 adult and 2 childrens food and drinks.

pollyanna24

Wow, £42 a month. That's quite amazing. I have a slow cooker, but have only used it once so far to cook lamb.

The other two times I tried to use it, the turkey leg wouldn't fit in, then the lamb leg wouldn't fit in.

Raspberry_Swirl

pollyanna24 wrote:

I haven't bought the pasta sauces yet, so will look into alternatives. What are the mixes someone above (sorry, can't remember who) spoke about?

things like colmans/schwartz brand. packets of casserole and pasta mixes.