Hello - Grocery help?

Chris419

Hi everyone,

I thought I'd finally sign up to this place, after on-and-off browsing for a few months.

I'm basically in around £5000 worth of debt at the moment. "That's not much, get over it!" I hear some say! However, my credit rating is now pretty shocking due to a few defaults, so consolidation is not the key. I'm also not including £180 per month of car finance payments within that sum of debt, so my outgoings are not exactly low each month.

I've finally decided I need to bite the bullet and start living cheap. My main issue is that I am a single 23 year old bloke who works pretty strange shift patterns.

I got made redundant from the Army, now I'm working for a pretty awesome company but getting paid around £8k less per year - meaning my debt has pretty much become un-payable unless I do something.

I've identified where I am spending most of my money, which I suppose is a start. I'm spending a lot on day-to-day food/drink and also a fair bit on booze. I'd say around £10 a day on food, around the same on alcohol (yes I know, daily recommended limits and so on).

I've decided to start buying my meals at the start of the week, to feed me throughout the entire week. The bit I am having the most trouble with is putting together a weekly shopping list that will ensure I have ALL the ingredients I need to make food. A lot of people seem to say "just buy chicken and potatoes" but fail to consider that not everyone has a cupboard full of herbs/spices/tinned food.

If anyone has any recipes or a shopping list for 1, for 3 meals a day, that is also cheap... I'd really appreciate that!

Thanks in advance - sorry for the great wall of china sized post.

Cheers

Chris

andrinaperry

Welcome to the group Chris. I have been trying to do this for about 30 years and I still struggle. Now that I live alone - well int he week anyway it seems a bit easier.

I plan my five meals for the week and buy what I need accordingly. I make my list and include the shopping list I have compliled on the fridge during the week

this weeks plans

Sausage and mash - make double and have
Sausage and mash pie ( bit like shepherds pie)
Curry and rice with salad
Fish with potatoes and veg
Pizza

then onthe firdge my note said sugar and cling film

there you go a shopping list. I dont drink so I dont have that expense.

I do sadly use a spreadsheet to plan my meals I know very sad.

Good luck with you journey.
A

thevinternet

Hello...I too have had to cut back on food costs in the last year, so I will offer you some humble suggestions if I may.

Obvious suggestions first:

1. Shop at a lower end supermarket if you can...avoid corner shops and the like as they tend to be expensive, also try avoiding the 'luxury' supermarkets, I'm sure you know which ones I mean!

2. Avoid takeaways....or if you must have them, make it a once-a-month treat and order from cheaper places.

3. Buy in bulk...ie if there's a two-for-one (BOGOF) deal on chicken breasts, then get it. Earlier this week I got a 3 for the price of 1 deal on shower gel, so I now have 6 bottles sat on my bathroom shelf :OD but at least I probably won't need to buy any for the next few months.

4. Go own brand or 'economy' brand. Everyone has one or two 'branded' items that they can't live without (for me it's toothpaste, coffee and toilet roll) BUT I was very surprised with the quality of most economy brand stuff....economy tissues, cereal, squash etc is all fine. There are a 4-pack of economy yoghurts that I buy for 35p which are delicious. I'm sure that a single branded 'corner' yoghurt costs more than that! I also buy the economy cheese and tomato freezer pizzas (60p) and add a bit of pepperoni or peppers or olives as a topping to serve as a meal with some wedges or salad. Massively cheap....cheaper in fact than buying a pizza base, and quicker than faffing about with dough.

5. If buying fruit and veg, unless there are any BOGOF deals on, generally the loose stuff you have to put into the bag will be cheaper than the 'packets' of prepackaged stuff.

6. Get a loyalty card for the supermarket you use...those savings are amazing if you shop there every week, and some supermarkets also give you money off petrol etc.

7. If you are going out to work....packed lunches my friend!! I know it might seem old-fashioned/childish to start with, but once you get into the habit of it, you won't look back, I promise. And yes, as previously mentioned, meal-plan for the week so that you don't end up wasting food.


LESS OBVIOUS:

1. Try eating less meat. Meat is unfortunately getting pricey. You still ideally need protein with each meal as it helps you to feel full...so try including more eggs and pulses in your diet. Pulses are things such as beans (baked, kidney etc), and chickpeas. It might be tricky to figure out how to use them to start with, but you can add them to pasta sauces, stews, salads, soups, curries etc to bulk them out. Try starting with just one veggie meal a week, then see if you can up it. We honestly only have meat a couple of times a week now, and the best part is that it seems like a delicious treat...but I can't say that we miss having it every day. In fact my boyfriend rarely mentions it...and he is a big chap of 17 stone

Veggies also help to bulk things out - such as mushrooms, peppers, carrots etc.

2. Consider investing in a slow cooker. It will be an initial outlay, but I find them brilliant for making easy, cheap and filling recipes. You can make at least three, if not four portions in one go, which can be two evening meals and two to pop in the freezer. There are lots of slowcooker recipes online, but you can search the boards on here too. It might work well with your irregular shifts as well, as you could bung the ingredients in before you leave (they use very little power so are safe to leave 'on' in the house), then when you come back it will be ready...all you'll need to do is cook your pasta/cous cous/rice whatever you are having with it.

3. For next summer (a bit late now I'm afraid) consider growing your own lettuce. You can grow it on your windowsill and this also stops it being nibbled. We have six pots of it and I haven't bought salad for three months. We have enough lettuce for sandwiches every day, plus a side salad about once every couple of days. All you need is seeds, small bag of compost, pots, some MiracleGro and a bugkiller if you do get any pests. Total outlay probably about 8 quid. Lettuce is pretty hardy as long as you water it every day and add some MiracleGro once a week.

4. REALLY cheap snack/meal suggestions = beans on toast, poached eggs on toast/omelette, chilli, spag bol (stretch out the mince with some kidney beans in there too), pizza as I described earlier.

5. Frozen veg and chicken is often cheaper than fresh...and you are less likely to waste it, since you will only use what you need in each sitting.

6. As regards the drinking...could you promise your liver two alcohol-free nights a week, and try swapping to a soft drink for those two nights instead?

xx

thevinternet

PS - as regards the spices problem...try getting the generic ones first...so go for 'mixed herbs', 'curry powder' and maybe some chinese 5 spice. I'm trying to think what I use a lot of...personally I like a lot of spicey food, so I'd suggest maybe paprika too. Oh, and also salt and pepper.

THEN if a recipe calls for example 'fresh basil' or dried thyme or oregano, just whack a bit of 'mixed herbs' in. It might not taste quite the same, but certainly won't ruin it. Taste it a few times whilst cooking and try adding a bit more...you'll soon learn to taste what is 'missing' in terms of, does it need a bit more salt? A bit more spice etc.

Again, the bigger supers do their own versions of the herbs/spices which are sometimes half price the 'branded' ones. They also last for ages as most recipes only call for a teaspoon or so.

Sorry for the mammoth posts, but hopefully there will be something useful in there for you.

PPS - you could always ask someone for the slow cooker for Xmas.

elsiepac

Hi there

FANTASTIC posts from thevinternet there, bravo!

Tons of stuff you can do with beans and also dried grains - try pearl barley for bulking out casseroles, red lentils in chilli and spag bol, and cold quinoa with chickpeas and herbs and salad veg as a delicious and nutritious lunch!

As for the spice cupboard, I'd have to say include chilli flakes - you can get a big bag in the ethnic aisle of any big supermarket for under £2 and will last absolutely ages. Same with cracked black pepper or whole peppercorns, don't buy the ones in the herbs aisle! And definitely use supermarket own brand dried herbs - no difference whatsoever! I recommend smoked paprika, it's my vice!

Easy chilli recipe for you:

Makes 5 or 6 portions

2 red or white onions, chopped
garlic if you have it - 1 or 2 cloves, chopped
2 or 3 carrots, grated
jar of harissa paste
smoked paprika
cayenne chilli powder (or "hot chilli powder or equivalent)
2 tins kidney beans (tesco value exactly the same as their whole foods range except 1/3 price)
1 or 2 tins haricot or cannelini beans or black eyed beans or flageolet beans
some red lentils - 100g or so
2 tins chopped toms (your choice whether value or a bit better ones - if you do use value then you won't need as much water, add should add a bit of tomato puree)
stock cube if you have one

1. Fry onions slowly in a bit of oil (about 10 mins) and add garlic for the last minute
2. Add grated carrot and cook for about another minute or two
3. When soft, add 1/2 jar harissa paste, and smoked paprika and chilli powder and stir to stop sticking
4. Add the tinned toms and stir
5. Chuck in the lentils and one tomato can of water (if you have a stock cube add it here)
6. Simmer very gently for about 20 mins and stir every 5 mins or so - do NOT have the heat too high or it will stick to the pan!
7. Taste a bit to see if the lentils are cooked - if not, cook until they are soft - also you might want to add more harissa if not spicy enough
8. Drain and rinse all the beans and throw them in
9. Cook for another 10 mins and serve with rice, cous cous, bulgar wheat etc.

Good topped with cheese and freezes well

LC

smartiedriver_2

Hi Chris and welcome.

We plan our meals out in a notebook, and write every item on the shopping list immediately, that way we don't miss anything.

In terms of store-cupboard items, all we really have is salt, pepper, chilli flakes, soy sauce, and ketchup & brown sauce.

We eat a lot of pasta with various sauces, which is cheap because it cuts out the meat - which as previous people have said is getting very expensive.

Try Farm Foods for frozen items, they are great value. Also Aldi and Lidl.

Make sure you take packed lunches - if you're not into sandwiches, try salads, pasta or rice dishes, i.e. leftovers from a previous meal. We also do the same with takeaway - I'm always careful to order a curry or chinese dish which I know is quite substantial, and then make sure I've enough left for a lunch.

Have plenty of variety, for example meat on a monday, fish on tuesday, perhaps vegetarian pasta on a thursday, then chicken on a friday... that way you won't be tempted into 'cheating'.

I have an excellent recipe for a fat-free soup, which you can make, keep on the stove, and re-heat when necessary. It lasts about 4 days in this way:

Finely chop 2 x carrots, 2 x garlic cloves, 4 x celery sticks, 3 x leeks and put into pan

Make up 1 1/2 pints of vegetable stock ( vegetable Oxo cubes or similar) and add to pan

Bring to boil and simmer for an hour. It is then ready to eat. You can whizz it in a food processor if you like, but I prefer to have some chunks. It does about 4 bowls.

If you really want to make it go further, when the pan is half empty, and assuming you haven't whizzed it up, make another batch of stock and add it - the veg will still have flavour and you have even more soup then for the same amount of veg.


As for alcohol, we all have our vices. Try going down a brand if you drink beer/lager, i.e. try supermarket own. Or simply buy what's on offer rather than your favourite. If it's spirits you drink, definitely buy shop's own - there's no noticeable difference.

I'm a wine drinker, and can happily polish off a £30 bottle if it's a special occasion, but I'm equally happy with £3.99 Australian Cabernet Sauvignon from Tesco.... it's just a case of finding a cheapie you like.

Good luck!

FireWyrm

I didnt want to intrude on what Thevinternet has said, but a couple if ideas for you.

Argos and Comet both do a miniature slow cooker. This is just like the bigger ones, but the right size for one person. I saw them on sale for £17 in comet, so might be worth a look.

Also, a cursory search on amazon using the terms "cooking for one" turned up at least 6000 results. Obviously cooking for one is becomming more common in our society so the books are being published. I know from memory that the sainted Delia does a book which has roughly that title and it's well worth having.

Many specialist cookware stores do miniature items of cookware such as frying pans just big enough for one egg for example. I've always thought they were cute, but since I never cook for less than 4 it didnt seem worth it.

Naomim

Hi,

Also - pop over to the Old Style money saving forum.

I am in a grocery challenge to help budget our food costs which helps. Also there are LOADS of meal idea's on there, some of them work out at pennies to make.

HTH

Naomi

timbstoke

Lots of good stuff here. Another point: Shop around. Every month, I do a circuit around all the 'big 5' in my area (Iceland, Tesco, Asda, Morrisons, Sainsburys) and buy ONLY things that are on offer (and that I have a use for, obviously). I do this before my main shop, so before I've even started, I'll have a load of loo roll, cat food, and various other bits.

As for spices, I just picked up a jar each month of whatever took my fancy - chilli steak rub to start with, then bbq mix, then mixed peppers...then started stocking up on actual herbs and spices like cinnamon, rosemary, thyme, etc. Speaking of which - best chips in the world, EVER:

- Chop a couple of decent potatoes into good, thick, chips.
- Simmer them for about 5-10 minutes until they're just starting to get soft.
- Put them on a greased oven tray, brush lightly with olive oil (or just toss them in oil before putting them on the tray)
- pop a few cloves of garlic on the tray, and sprinkle a bit of rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper on over them
- Bake until they look nom (about 10 minutes)

Nectar.

sickasachip13

I'd say get these in as a starter and they'll cover most bases:

Tesco / asda value dried mixed herbs (19p per pot)
Paprika
Salt
Pepper
Generic curry powder
Chinese Five Spice
Chilli powder
Couple of boxed of vegetable stock cubes (basic ones are ddead cheap)

and garlic and onions - we can't function without these!

Stuff to have in your cupboard (that are cheap, healthy, filling and have multiple uses):
Dried red lentils
Brown rice
Pasta (even if its the basic cheapest white stuff, although we go for the brown)

Tinned stuff to have on hand:

Tinned tomatoes (don't pay the extra for chopped, just stick a knife in the tin when you open them and chop 'em up)
Tinned chickpeas
Other sorts of beans (borlottis etc)
You can also get a tesco and asda value passata - this is like a rich tomato sauce, dead cheap and helps any sauces along.


A slow cooker is fab.

If you're not keen on cooking try to do big amounts when you do cook and have it over a few days - maybe with different sides if you get bored. For example, spicy sausage casserole - first night we had garlic bread with it, second night we had it on top of baked potato and third night we spiced it up further (with chilli powder etc) and had it with rice.

Sausage casserole (can be done in a slow cooker or big pan)

Heat up oil.
Fry up some onion, then add garlic, then a load of mixed dried spices and paprika
Sausages (cheap / pricey whatever) chopped into pan, fry them up for a couple of mins
Chopped up veg - whatever you have
Chopped potatoes
Couple of handfuls of dried pasta / rice / both
Couple of handfuls of red lentils
Two tines of tomatoes
Some passata
About a pint of veggy stock (using the stock cubes) (a bit more if its in a pan not a slow cooker)
Then stir and leave it (if in slow cooker) or keep stirring if its in a pan.

Make a load and eat it for days!

Best of luck - you'll soon be cooking up a storm, it's not difficult it's just getting started, learning what you like and getting some basic stuff in place.

BKAT_9

Naomim wrote: »

Hi,

Also - pop over to the Old Style money saving forum.

I am in a grocery challenge to help budget our food costs which helps. Also there are LOADS of meal idea's on there, some of them work out at pennies to make.

HTH

Naomi

I second this - an afternoon reading through the Old Style board will have you sorted!