All supermarket shopping for £80.00???

Soubrette

My local Tesco reduces their prices at somewhere between 8pm and 9pm - sometimes you can pick up a bag of potatoes for 20p. If I'm lucky enough to get one of these then I peel and blanch some for roasties and then freeze them and also make a load of unflavoured mash and freeze that too (I use this as either mash, shepherds pie topping or soup filler). I spend the next few days eating potatoey things

Also pleased if I get parsnip (soup and roast parsnips can be frozen), fruit - freeze for crumbles etc or bread. The OH goes for the processed food - reduced ready meals etc in case he fancies taking one in for lunch.

Gingerbiscuit_2

Asda do 12 loo rolls for 99p they are great last me for 2months. I buy frozen minze as works out cheaper plus you can pour yourself a tiny bit without having to get out the ice pick. One pack for like £4 will do me say 5 shepherds pie and 5 chillis. I found value biscuits to be almost exact the same as branded so really worth a go if you need a little treat for 30p.

I think the hardest about single shopping and cooking is working out the bigger value versus how much you are going to use especially with fresh salad fruit and vegetables. I buy a big bag of potaotes make mash out of half and freeze then use the others for jackets, wedges, etc before the go off.

I freeze celery and carrots chopped as I can never eat a whole pack before gone off and then use these for soup starters you can't tell the difference once they are cooked.

beadgirl87

I'll be following this with interest. I'm on my own and am keen to get food costs as low as possible. I'm going to start the meal planning next week and go from there.
I've just added up my food costs this month so far and they are £71.93. Actually thinking about it, that includes £10 on wine and a work shirt for £4 from tescos?! Maybe I'm missing something here. Havn't bought any food this week though.
I think as of next week I will be alot more strict with myself on what I buy. I will try and get August food and cleaning budget to £80.

Ginger biscuit, there are some useful tips there, my biggest problem is fruit and veg. I buy it because I think I should to be healthy, and half of it goes off before I can eat it, or i end up having half an onion with every meal! Also bogof offers are tricky as I don't always want that much food, but it saving money.

cuttingbackisitfun?

Beadgirl perhaps we can encourage each other with this one then.

My reduced curry, rice and naan was lurvly I must say x

Gingerbiscuit_2

I buy bag of onions for 99p value ones they last me for months! I ignore the best before dates mine keep ok in the kitchen. You can tell straight away if not ok to use. I do use bit of tinned fruit pineapple for example as much easier and tinned pears for crumbles, pears either tend to be rock hard then gone off in about 5minutes. Ditto peaches!

You can freeze berrys and things have a look in the frozen section its often cheaper to buy a bag of summer fruits that way just take out a few hours before you use or put in a smoothy. Sounds like you are doing really well, I was on major cut back with spending on food but havnt been very well so can't really cook so having to "splash out" on things that don't need alot doing with.

beadgirl87

cutting back - definatly can support each other. I havn't had my dinner yet tonight, however I have finally sat down and am writing down all the meals I can cook and going to make next week's plan.

gingerbiscuit - I think there is a mistake there, I can't have only spent that on food lol, however my speadsheet seems to think it is. Ohh I always see those onions but thought they would go off, so I buy one or 2 a week probs for the same price! i need to figure out how to store potatoes as i spend alot on them and never get through them.

cuttingbackisitfun?

I store potatoes in the fridge and they last a few weeks.

I am just trying to sort out the kitchen then bed.

I am trying to decide whether to do overtime Sat I fancy a day sorting the flat out but then money - oh, decisions, decisions, Which way do I go?

beadgirl87

Hello cuttingback, hows it going?
I have added up my spending for July and surprisingly I spent 81.04 in supermarkets and on food. I included the days I had bought lunch at work in this aswell.

For August I am ready with my meal plans and going to keep it as low as possible.

Tough one about Saturday, is it the whole day you would be working? Maybe do an hour on the flat each evening this week, then its not such a bit job and you could still earn a bit extra on Saturday?