Single Money Saver living on my own

Emmzi

you can totally put frozen veg in a slow cooker, because I hate dicing onions I use frozen which if you are making a slow cook think is ok and pre-frying is less vital for the flavour.

I throw in veg, quorn (you would use meat) and whatever spices apply for what I am making. Curry powder + tomatoes; chiili powder + tomatoes; veggie stock; vinegar + pineapple juice for sweet and sour. There is a giant slow cooker thread here somewhere...

The only thing I don't add are beans and grain products like rice or pasta - they stick to the sides!

Emmzi

oh - packet mash? gross. really. Use aunt bessies premashed. OR bake them and put them through a ricer. No peeling involved, just a bit of stirring in milk and butter.

Citygirl1

Hi, thanks for this. I meant premashed spuds and not the packet ones

Can you put frozen veg in with the fresh meat I mean? I know it sounds daft but I am so paranoid about meats and food poisoning.

flutterbyuk25

Definitely build up your storecupboard! I could live off the tins in mine for about 3 weeks probably, and from the stuff in my freezer for a further 5 weeks!! And I think this is bare :rotfl:.

It will take time to build up a storecupboard, start slowly by just buying a few extra bits each week/month. I like to have at least 3 tins of everything in the cupboard as a starting point (beans/spagetti/tinned toms/sweetcorn/various beans/lentils/fruit) and a spare bag of rice/pasta/lentils/oats. This way I won't run out of something and have to pop to shops and end up buying lots! What I do to build up my storecupboard is use the till spit vouchers in Tesco e.g. spend £40 save £5. I may only need to spend £25 in Tesco but I buy all the storecupboard stuff to make it up to £40 so I get £5 worth of free stuff

I don't use a SC so can't help with those questions, but instant mash should be fine on a cottage pie.

Could you shop with a friend who has a car? Then you can buy more things in one go, and split BOGOF deals etc?

Is you will still be shopping in M&S you could apply for their credit card. I have one and they always send me vouchers to get money off or extra points for food stuff. Sometimes I get voucher for 200 extra points for spending £5, which equals £2 in M&S coupons. You get points for just spending on it, which are converted to M&S coupons every quarter, which would equal free shopping

HTH

Emmzi

Citygirl1 wrote: »

Can you put frozen veg in with the fresh meat I mean? I know it sounds daft but I am so paranoid about meats and food poisoning.

yes! (and yes you are )

BitterAndTwisted

You're off work for the week? Honestly, this is a golden opportunity to get some cooking done. You may only need to do a quick batch of something on a weekend in future and you're all set.

I have a philosphical objection to people buying pre-prepared mashed potatoes. They cost a fortune and can't compare with home-made. If I can take ten minutes out of my life to peel some spuds and boil them, anyone can.

As far s the frozen veggies are concerned: yes, you can use them in a slow-cooker but tinned ones would be rather pappy once you're done with them.

What I think you should think about doing in future is to make a monthly online order for all the ehavy stuff and pop out to the shops with your trusty shopping-trolley on a Saturday and buy your fresh veg, milk and bread. When the weather's decent you'll have a nice walk, so can save the cost of a taxi home. Do whatever it takes to keep you out of M&S on work-nights to avoid lazy-bones temptation.

I have a feeling that you and my sister H may have been separated at birth somehow. She's another M&S ready-meal queen.

lainz

I live alone and often my meals are as I had this evening - starving after a day out walking in the sunshine

Large potato - rinsed under the tap, stabbed and put in microwave for 5 mins or so

Ge0rge F0reman out of cupboard - switched on

raid fridge / freezer for veg - peel & chop or chuck in microwave bag (I reuse mine several times as its just veg - give them a rinse out) - or I have a microwave veg cooker - I sometimes chop the potato (in to 4) shove in for microwave for 10 mins - after 7 mins stop and chuck in whatever veg you're having)

Take piece of meat (or fish) tonight was some steak (think it was a frying one - I have 4-6oz (100 - 150g) portion

That takes about 2 mins on Ge0rge

bish bash bosh - in my tummy in under 15 mins Just requires taking the meat out ahead of time (although this can be speeded up by putting in cold water)

Things like stirfry are quick and easy and you can use fresh or frozen veg - I often find I have enough left for lunch the next day. Frittatas (or spanish omelettes ) are quick and easy. I have extras of curry, chilli, spag bol etc in the freezer for when I want something in a hurry.

For lunches (although you could freeze bigger portions for dinner) I cook a whole pack of pasta and chuck in a bag of mixed frozen veg, then mix in a jar of pesto (or tomato sauce) - portion up into containers and chuck in the freezer, take it out in the morning and its defrosted for lunch, if I've got leftover meat or cheese in the fridge I will add some for protein.

Hope that helps

Stan_Here

Batch cooking it is, pehaps once a month a big cook up at the weekend. Takes getting used to cooking for one as vegetables are not 1 person sized. If you want a roast meal for one and like lots of veg you will have loads left over, so what I do is plate up however many meals are left over, together with meat portions, stick in a freezer bag and there you go. Also make up a big batch of gravy and freeze portions separately in plastic Chinese meal containers. Defrost for a few hours stick in a steamer for 10 minutes and you have a hot roast. BUT you have to do the roast spuds fresh every time as they will not freeze properly.

Its a routine you need to get in to but when you have done it you will find the food much nicer than meals for one, and better for you as it will not be full of manufacturers !!!! additives. Much cheaper too.

You can do this with almost everything you need to create a good variety of meals, and it saves so much time so you can then "fresh cook" at the weekend anything special you fancy and put more time into it

VfM4meplse

Emmzi wrote: »

- scones, just a packet mix from tesco for about 60p, but I added fruit (if the oven is on I use it for more than one thing, even if it is making sponge cake for trifle and freezing it.

I agree with the sentiment but tend not to do this as I use my oven rarely, and mainly for roasting vegetables - if I slung a cake in to bake at the same time it's sure to taste of garlic . It's obviously not such a problem if I'm baking a foccacia.

So its sweet or savoury but not both I'm afraid.

fozziebeartoo

I am newly living alone after the end of a 30+ year marriage and youngest DD and DGS moved into their own place and yes, it does take some getting used to!

I found it very hard to cook smaller amounts and I found it seemed to limit what I could be bothered to cook.

Now I cook pretty much as I always did, but freeze my excess food!

I started off thinking it wasnt worth cooking for myself, but convinced myself I AM worth the effort and now I cook more than ever!

And my freezer is full of home made ready meals (lamb tagine, chicken and veg curry, baked chicken and peppers in tomato sauce, chicken casserole and dumplings, cottage pie base etc), muffins (made 7 today, froze 6), cake (made a square one, cut into 10 pieces, ate 2, gave 2 to friends, froze 6), hot cross buns (frozen in seperate bags and toast from frozen).

I cannot bear the thought of instant mash but the Sainsburys and Aunt Bessies frozen tastes okay.

Frozen diced onions, mixed peppers, mixed veggies are fabulous for adding to anything and everything!

I cut a packet of frozen puff pastry into 4 and freeze seperately - one quarter makes 4 bacon and cheese puffs (like Greggs), another quarter tops a chicken and leak pie etc.

Loads of good advice already posted, thanks to everyone!