FOOD SHOPPING FOR A FAMILY - ISH

16011996

big_c

mingy means vile i suppose is the nearet i can get to it, bit like when something goes off, we call it minging or mingy.

my dad has a freezer list, tried many times to complile one but never know how to quantify a bag of veg (ie how many meals it'll do) etc so gave up. he seperates them into portions when he buys them so he knows how many hes got. mite give it another try tho.

thanks,

16011996

Janeryan

So more saving tips for you. to help.

- buy in bulk.  Get down to aldi etc. and buy beans, sugar, salt, pasta, flour etc in bulk.  Much much cheaper.

- start a price list.  Boring I know, but then you can see what is cheap.  If you know cereals are 20p per hundred grams at supermarket A when you are in supermarket B then you can check the price to see if it cheaper.  Also helps to calcualte is 'special offers' really are worth it.

- instead of using kitchen roll or j-cloths use old t-shirts etc.  Cut them up and re-wash and re-use etc.

- do not buy tin foil or cling flim, pick up some cheap tupperware and re-use this for sandwiches

- I have a 6 week meal planner - took me a while to create, but really helps.  It is a shopping list for the week and a list of basics so that I know what to buy when I get to the supermarket for what meals will be cooked.  It is the only way I have found so that we do not throw away loads of food at the end of the week.

- we make our own bread

- switch from meat to some subsitutes for certain meals as they are they are usually cheaper. e.g. lentils instead of minced beef etc.

- make you own cleaning products from white vinegar, soda and essential oils.

- buy bulk, cheap shampoo and soap.

- buy cheap washing power for the machine and only use 1/2 the reccommended dose (unless clothes are really dirty)

- some supermarkets charge for plastic bags and so take a re-useable bag with you.

Hope these help

C.

Great tips-I'd love to have a copy of your 6 week meal planner as I just cannot get my head round this at all!
My husband has recently changed jobs and has had a substantial pay drop(but is much happier) so could really do with some help. he works shifts which does make things more awkward on the dinner front as I never know what time he is going to be home(and neither does he) so need tips for things that can be enjoyed by myself & my 13 yr old son and then reheated later(without causing wholesale food posioning!!!)

halloweenqueen_2

Morrisons were having a clearout of packs of 3 peppers yesterday for 10p a pack - I bought several packs and froze them, great for casseroles, stirfries etc and better than using the dried ones I keep in the cupboard as i'm too tight to go to the shop if I forget one and need it. In my defence I do live in a rural area so its a car journey for a forgotton pepper - I don't think so!! I never really thought about freezing stuff etc frozen items from the shop ;D until I started reading this site and between this thread and the can you freeze cheese thread I'm increasing the stuff in my freezer for hardly any money. My only other tip is don't say no to anything thats offered to you (well within reason!!), if I don't find a use for things 'donated' to me I pass them on to someone else or a charity shop, if you say no once people don't usually like to ask again!

Bigpaul_4

It seems that most of the posters on this thread are women. I am a single dad and a tightwad to boot. In my opinion Lidl has the best prices around for most things. The fruit and veg is always cheap (and sometimes 1/2 price) but needs to be carefully inspected. The natural yoghurt is ridiculously cheap and the frozen pizzas cant be beaten. Steer clear of their own brand baked beans though. My children thought they were 'disgusting'.

Another money saver for me is to keep the crusts of each loaf of bread and dry them out in the oven (only when you are cooking something else or the cost of the power would negate the saving). Breadcrumb the crusts and make fish cakes. I made approx 25 portions the other week for a total cost of about £2.50. My kids love em too.

I also regularly check the 'reduced for a quick sale' section in the supermarket. Any meat i get there is either cooked that night and frozen or frozen immediately for future use.

Bottom line is that you can feed a family for much less than most families spend.

16011996

thanks figjam, my kids love fish cakes, but aways though breadcrumbs expensive to try, will have a bash with the way you do it. and its nice to have a mans point of view, its hard doing it on your own as i'm learning, but you sound like a fantastic dad. your kids are very lucky to have you.

we tried aldi beans and the kids hated them, but they like kwik save no frills so thats not too bad.

i do buy cheap meat and freeze or cook and freeze it too, also our local butcher i have found throws in some extra sausages or bacon if I go late on a Saturday afternoon, as they are not open Sunday. Also get cheap pies that won't last till the Monday after. Also my locl green grocer often has cheap fruit and veg late saturday for same reason as butcher, which i take home and make a big fruit salad with, whch lasts a couple of days.

take care everyone,

16011996

had a sit down last night and worked out how much better i'm doing since my first post on the 10th may. I reckon we are saving on average £20-£30 a week on food alone, but it has lead to many other changes too.

We now sit down together for a meal nost nights of the week, and I feel I learn more about my kids day at this time, than I ever learnt before. We seem to be eating more balanced meals, as I am making meals rather than using ready meals, and we eat more fruit and veg as I get it late in the day, and quite often it needs using up.

we are still finding it hard to cope with the emotional side of things, but all your tips have helped with the practical side, its taen a weight off in that respect.

If anyone has anything further to add, i would appreciate it, as I have tried practically all that has been suggested,

Anyway, just wanted to say thanks.

nicki_2

I'd like to recommend a website which I think is great for freezer-cooking and tried-and-true recipes. It is an American based website so some translation is needed occasionally for some ingredients but there are members based all over the world! It's mostly about organising your home but it's full of useful tips and I've tried alot of the recipes and only had one disappointment. Have a good look round, I'm sure you'll find something useful there.

http://www.organizedhome.com

System

Hi 160
This isn't a food saver but if you go into any of the larger stores where theres a cosmetics counter you can usually get soime free scent samples with a smile and a bit of cheeck. Or does this just work for me? Either way it's a free treat for you or your daughter.

System

Doh
I forgot to add this to my previous mail. Usually you can get at least 2 samples from the assistant but if you 'hit' more than one perfume counter you could do a lot better. This also works for mens aftershave.

16011996

thanks nicki for the website address I have become a member and found some good recipies that i'm going to give a try, also some ideas on decluttering, which I have decided I must get around to doing. tried this weekend, but is so hard to decide what I get rid of, what I keep etc, just ended up in a soggy mess on the floor. if anyone has any advice for sorting a loved ones things i'd really appreciate it, cos thelonger I leave it the harder it gets, but it was never going to be easy if you know what I mean.

ANyway, enough of the doom and gloom, A friend of mine has bought some energy saving lightbulbs, and I didn't think they made that much difference, but she is on an electric meter in her flat and she reckons they are saving her over £2 a week on electric costs. I was amazed by this, must make an even bigger difference in the winter.

She has also been giving me ideas for foods to freeze that are easy to warm up, my new additions are cheesy mash to use up old potatoes, just boil, mash, mix in some grated cheese, bag in portion sizes and freeze, also mashed carots and swede instead of mash, as above without the cheese (this was lovely on last nights shepherd pie, as a topping). Also the kids have been having ice lollies made with cordial and water in a lolly maker I bought for a quid, reckon its saved me ten times that already.


We went to a car boot on Sunday for something to do, (also I was wighing up wheter it would be worth me doing one there) and there was a bloke there selling meat from a trailer, it all seemed clean, and the meat sounded a good price but I was still wary of whether it would be alright or not. Can anyone tell me if they have had stuff from one of these places and if it was ok???

Thanks

and lots of love

16011996