Hi All- what else can i do?

JulieGeorgiana

RAS wrote: »

Also read the rubber chicken thread https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/38364

We actually did - roast, cold with baked potatoes, as a pasta sauce or curry, then soup. So it did half a week.

I can now make this last 8 meals and stock! Depends if you like chicken to be the main part of the dish... I use LOADS of veg to bulk out curries. You need a HUGE chicken to make it stretch though.

My last one was 2kg (£6)... so a big bird x

makeup

I use soya mince to bulk out my mince and I really like this.

I tried oats but I don't think I did it right as it was awful!

However the soya mince works really well, I get the dried stuff in a bag and then you just weigh out however much you intend to use and then pour boiling water over it. After about 5 mins it is ready to go and you just mix it in with the bolognese, chilli or whatever you're cooking.

The packet has the exact instructions, I can't remember how much I use though.....

I get my meat in a box delivery thing from an organic farm in Devon so it is quite pricey but good quality. The flavour of the exisiting mine is absorbed really well by the soya and no one has ever realised what I've done.

I use it with all the mince things I do including meatballs, koftas etc.

cleggie

Thanks Guys,
going to get a chicken when i next go shopping, lol! I am trying to delay shopping until 100% necessary. I also know that next weeks food bill will be more as the kids are on half tem, so will be aving lunches at home too (they have FSM at school).

Mel2

There are 3 of us and we spend £50 a week which includes all toiletries, washing powder etc and we all like our food and eat very well. I do tend to shop around a lot though, visiting Aldi, Lidl, tesco and Farmfoods regularly.
If you've got an Aldi it's a worth going there. I get the 'super 6' every week which is 6 different fruits and vegetables all for 69p each, although this week I believe they are 39p each. Aldi also sell a massive pack of 26 crisps for £1.99 which I buy every other week ( as you have son's I bet they go through crisps like I don't know what!).
I buy Lidl's Formil non-bio washing powder unless any otheres are on offer elsewhere and Cien brand provitamin shampoo and conditioner which is very good and only 69p a bottle which saves a lot over buying it in Tesco/Sainsburys etc and we also buy quite a lot of Tesco value brands. The biscuits, shower gel, beans, frozen veg, pasta, rice, oven chips, rice tinned rice pudding/custard, jam etc are all fine.
I buy my toilet rolls in farm foods. They sell 9 quilted ones for £2 and I get cheap cuts of meat which I cook in my slow cooker. I also tend to make big batches of things in the slow cooker such as 3 bean chilli, stews, soups etc. Each batch feeds us for a good 3 - 4 days. Not only does it save money but it saves time too.

cleggie

Well, i have just been going through the cupboards and seeing what i have in already, and what i need to buy at the next grocery shop.

I have 5 bottles of ariel washing gel!! No, i dont believe there is going to be a world wide shortage of ariel gel..so why do i have so many????
Lol, oh well, that'll save me a bit over the next month or so!!

JulieGeorgiana

cleggie wrote: »

Lol, oh well, that'll save me a bit over the next month or so!!

How much do you use?!?!?!?!?!?!

With us (3 people) the machine goes on 4 times a week. With half a measure of excel gel... the small bottles last 2 months (18*2)!

You could start by saving money there maybe??

cleggie

Lol JulieGeorgiana,
I put a load on most days, wash towels twice a week and bedding weekly...is that a lot? I honestly have no clue. The kids have to have their uniforms washed twice a week though, as they always get muddy!

Alison_Funnell

RAS wrote: »

Also read the rubber chicken thread https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/38364

We actually did - roast, cold with baked potatoes, as a pasta sauce or curry, then soup. So it did half a week.

My inlaws don't eat poultry, but have been doing similar with beef/pork/lamb roasts all of their married life (I think 55 yrs now).

Trust me, no one is better with money than my inlaws! They have portioned out the meat, use it cold, in stews, shepherds pie etc. Now they do not eat any foreign style of food (no curry, indian, italian etc etc) so it would be too bland for me, but the principles are still sound.

50% of each meal is veg, 25% each meat and potato. In their late 70s and early 80s they are in very rude health, so it has stood the test of time.

JulieGeorgiana

cleggie wrote: »

Lol JulieGeorgiana,
I put a load on most days, wash towels twice a week and bedding weekly...is that a lot? I honestly have no clue. The kids have to have their uniforms washed twice a week though, as they always get muddy!

Sorry if I sounded rude... I didn't mean too!

I suppose 7 times a week would be two weeks a bottle.

I personally do darks mon, wed & fri. Whites on a saturday. DS wears new uniform every day of the week, we all wear clothes only once unless it's jeans. I do the hand towels twice a week. Bath towels weekly. Bedding I do every second week!

Here's the thing though, we used to wash what seemed like everyday. Doing it on set days suddenly means we are always on top of the washing (no idea how!). But if you can't cut down the washing then just half the amount of gel you use... that's 1 month a bottle.

Oh, and I use cheap Oxy for my whites as a booster.

Also when the bottle is finished, cut it open and use a spoon... there is always 1 good wash left inside the bottle.

That would make your 5 bottles last 5 months!

Also buy the big bottle (28 washes) when they are £4 a bottle... that's the best offer I have found on this particular product. That's 8 weeks even if you wash everyday x

cleggie

JulieGeorgiana,
no you didnt come accrossa s rude, dont worry, lol!
Thanks for the tips on how to make them last longer as well, that should save me some money!

I did my weekly shop for £22.08n today!!! I have said that on every one of my threads, i am so so pleased with myself!! I have NEVER spent so little on a weekly shop before in my life!!