Reducing my weekly shop cost - possible?

dlusman

~Chameleon~ wrote: »

I'm another single person who easily spends £50-£60 a week. Would love to know how you manage on £50 a month!! :eek:

In general terms ( as most people have said already , somewhere on these boards )

bulk buy when you see a good offer - and cook in bulk / freeze excess.

Dont restrict yourself to one supermarket.

Find out the best time shop for the best markdowns. ( Cannot remember the last time I spend more than half price for bread - and normally it is quarter )

Most "value" labels are okay - try them once , if you cannot tell the difference then keep buying them.

Stick a hand full of lentils into your curry/chili/bolognase etc to bulk it out and use less meat.

~Chameleon~

This was my shopping for this week, would be interested to see what you can do with it

1 Tesco Lasagne 550G £1.62 £1.62
1 Tesco Free Range Eggs Medium Box Of 6 £1.30 £1.30
1 Suffolk Crown Sweetcure Back Bacon 200G £1.99 £1.99
1 Tesco Courgettes Loose Class 1 £0.36 £0.36
3 Loose Brown Onions Class 2 £0.16 £0.48
1 Burgen Soya And Linseed Bread 800G £1.20 £1.20
4 Tesco Sieved Tomatoes Passata 500G £0.29 £1.16
1 Tesco Whole Baby Sweet Beetroot In Vinegar 340G £0.79 £0.79
1 Schwartz Bay Leaves Refill 6G £0.99 £0.99
1 Counter Farmhouse And Mushroom Pate £0.75 £0.75
1 Tesco Luxury Soft Toilet Tissue White 4 Roll £1.75 £1.75
1 Tesco Not From Concentrate Orange Juice 1.75 Litre £2.36 £2.36
1 Alpro Soya Milk Chocolate 1 Litre £1.00 £1.00
1 Lindt Excellence Dark Orange With Almonds 100G £1.22 £1.22
1 Tesco Fresh Beef Casserole Steak Medium £4.00 £4.00
1 Tesco Soup And Broth Mix 500G £0.66 £0.66
1 Tesco Organic Blueberries £1.99 £1.99
2 Tesco Maris Piper Mashed Potato 455G £1.00 £2.00
1 Tesco Soluble 500G Paracetamol 24 £2.50 £2.50
1 Gu Chocolate Ganache 3X50g £1.46 £1.46
2 Tesco Mackerel Fillets In Tomato 125G £0.65 £1.30
1 Lactofree Semi Skimmed 1L £1.28 £1.28
1 Tesco No Added Sugar Hi Juice Pink Grapefruit 50% Fruit Juice 1Ltr £1.25 £1.25
1 Tesco Finest Cherry Tomatoes 400G £0.59 £0.59
1 Alpro Light Unsweetened Soya Milk 1Ltr £1.34 £1.34
1 Tesco Steak & Murphys Pie With Cheddar Mash 450G £1.82 £1.82
1 Tesco Fish Pie Mix 320G £2.70 £2.70
1 Dove Pro Age Rich Body Butter 250Ml £3.74 £3.74
1 Napolina Tomato And Chilli Sauce 335G £1.00 £1.00
1 Napolina Tom And Mascarpone Sauce 335G £1.00 £1.00
1 The Saucy Fish Co Fresh Fish Pie Sauce £1.39 £1.39
1 Kara Dairy Free Coconut+ Calcium Drink 1 Litre £1.29 £1.29
1 Magnum Mini Classic Dark Mint 360Ml £1.74 £1.74
1 Aubergine Each £1.00 £1.00
1 Tesco Tomatoes On The Vine £1.00 £1.00
1 Imperial Leather Jasmine Touch Handwash 300Ml £1.00 £1.00
1 Tesco 2 Venison Grill Steaks 340G £1.50 £1.50
1 Ryvita Cracker For Cheese Black Pepper 175G £0.62 £0.62
1 Dove Go Fresh Body Wash Rebalance 250Ml £1.00 £1.00
1 Tesco High Juice Orange/Mandarin And Lemon 1Ltr £1.25 £1.25
1 Yeo Valley Organic Lighter Spreadable 500G £2.70 £2.70
1 Tesco Fresh Whole Chicken Medium 1.60Kg £4.00 £4.00
1 Tesco Prepared Butternut Squash 220G £1.00 £1.00
1 Vegetable Soup Mix £1.00 £1.00
1 Tesco Finest Italian Style Meatballs 480G £1.50 £1.50
1 Tesco Mint And Chocolate Cones 4 X 110Ml £1.00 £1.00
1 Dove Shampoo Nourishing Oil Care 250Ml £1.19 £1.19
1 Dove Conditioner Nourishing Oil Care 200Ml £1.19 £1.19


PS it's not a complete menu for the week as already had stuff like frozen veg, cheese, spuds, storecupboard items etc and some stuff will be cooked & portioned for the freezer for future meals. I still shop every week even if I have a freezer full of food

tigerfeet2006

I'll have a look tomorrow for you. If I haven't done anything by tomorrow evening just give me a nudge by PM.

Are you lactose intollerant?

~Chameleon~

tigerfeet2006 wrote: »

I'll have a look tomorrow for you. If I haven't done anything by tomorrow evening just give me a nudge by PM.

Are you lactose intollerant? Have you been diagnosed?

Thank you. I'd love to be able to reduce my shopping bill whilst still eat healthy food. I know there's a couple of ready meals in there this week but only because they were on offer and and worked out cheaper to buy than make but I do usually cook everything myself. The chicken & casserole beef will each make 4 meals for example so will be portioned & frozen for future meals.

I'm self-diagnosed lactose intolerant on account of since cutting out certain dairy foods I no longer have stomach cramps/bloating/flatulence etc

Oh, and the ready mash and ready prepared butternut squash are to make life easier due to a current injury but don't actually work out any more expensive that I can see.

tigerfeet2006

The reason I asked about diagnosis is I have 2 who are gluten intollerant and I have just found out I can get stuff on prescription but I have just googled and you can't for lactose intollerance. So never mind.

ETA: Sorry another quick question, do you have an Aldi or Lidl nearby-ish?

trolleyrun

If you really can't live without the Diet Coke, how about buying in large bottles instead? 24 cans is approx the same as four 2L bottles. If you take a can to work, you can fill a smaller bottle at home and reuse each day. Buying a 4-pack of 2L bottles in Sains will save you £3 on just the fizz.

I used to be addicted to Pepsi Max, realised I was wasting so much money, so started buying Cola Max in Aldi, which is the most similar taste, but only 35p ish per bottle. I've now weaned myself quite a lot, so only buy one bottle which has to last me for at least 10 days. During getting off the cola, I went cold turkey, but found that I missed the fizzy pop feeling, so started buying fizzy water instead. I hate the taste of it, so mixed it with dilute juice. Now I get plenty of water in me, I don't miss the fizz and it tastes good!

Do you have any other supermarkets around you? I find Sains quite expensive on a lot of things, probably because I do most of my shopping in Aldi. If you normally buy all branded things, try to go one brand down, as most supermarkets have several brands of the same product. That way, you won't have to give yourself such a shock.

I used to buy a lot of bacon lardons as well. Now, I've found a local farm shop that sells bacon cut-offs. Apply scissors and there we have very cheap (but tasty) lardons. I got a huge pile of it for 35p - no lie! It's organic as well - lovely! Maybe you can ask a local butcher (or the meat counter in the supermarket) if they do any bacon cut-offs. They might say no, although I'd imagine a butcher being happy to sell something for a small penny what would've normally been chucked out.

Instead of a gammon joint, you may want to try a Ham hock from the butcher (if you have one nearby). Most hocks are around £1.50-£2.00 and have enough meat on them for several meals, including your work sandwiches. It's brilliant in the slow cooker (if you haven't got one, get one - it's the best invention ever, apart from wine ).

Do you have freezer space? Cupboard space? Make up batches of food and freeze in those take-away type tubs. This is where the slow cooker comes into its own. Chop stuff up in the evening (saves getting up extra early) and leave in fridge. Put everything in the slow cooker in the morning before work and hey presto your dinner is ready when you get home - and you'll have left overs for more dinners at another time.

Being a sausage snob, I can't believe anyone eats "cheap" sausages, including Richmonds. I get my sausages from the farm shop, where they're as near to 100% meat as you can possibly get, no rubbish in them and a variety of flavours and seasonings. All from the farm itself. I pay £3.50 for 6 sausages, but I only need one for me for dinner as they're very big and they don't shrink at all. If you'd tried these, you'd never go back But I digress, sorry. This was about saving you money, my apologies.

Other savings you could make: Forget the expensive Carex stuff. Just buy basic handwash. It's soap. The antibacterial thing is rubbish to make us neurotic wrecks. As long as you wash hands properly, any soap's a soap. Possibly try to buy veg and fruit that's on special offer instead of what you "always" buy. Only buy stuff you like though, this is not martyr's excercise Grate the cheese yourself, you'll save quite a bit through the weeks. I know it's boring grating stuff, but you can do it whilst watching tv - just watch the fingers.

Don't forget - little steps at a time. Don't give yourself too much of a hard time. Try one change at a time. Always shop with a list and when you're not hungry. Look at the reduced section as well, you might pick up a bargain.

Good luck! I'm sure you'll do well :T

Butterfly_Brain

AFK_Matrix wrote: »

Hey guys,

Haven't read through all your replies but I am very grateful for them all and will have a good read through.

Right here it is the dreaded shopping list lol!!

Product and Price List:
1 x Sainsbury's Sausage Pasta Bake 400g - Total Price GBP 2.10 .... HM would work out a lot cheaper and you could batch cook the main sauce and just reheat with a handful of pasta

12 x Sainsbury's White Closed Cup Mushrooms (loose) - Total Price GBP 0.69
1 x Sainsbury's Red Pepper - Total Price GBP 0.63 A 3 pack of peppers 69p in Aldi at the moment
1 x Sainsbury's Green Pepper - Total Price GBP 0.63
3 x Sainsbury's Large Onions (loose) - Total Price GBP 0.46
1 x Sainsbury's British Fresh Milk, Semi Skimmed 1.13L (2pint) - Total Price GBP 0.89
1 x Sainsbury's British Medium Grated Cheddar 250g - Total Price GBP 1.70 Buy block cheddar and grate it yourself it works out cheaper
1 x Sainsbury's Smoked Bacon Lardons 250g - Total Price GBP 1.99
Why buy lardons when you could buy a pack of streaky bacon for less and cut it up with scissors
1 x Richmond Thick Pork Sausages x8 454g - Total Price GBP 2.09
That is truly expensive, Aldi do some lovely sausages 8 for 95p
1 x Sainsbury's Smoked Gammon Joint 750g - Total Price GBP 4.00 - I cook this on a Sunday and then have it for my sandwiches at work.
1 x Tresemme Moisture Shampoo 900ml - Total Price GBP 2.15 - This is huge and it lasts for ages
1 x Tresemme Moisture Conditioner 900ml - Total Price GBP 2.15- This is huge and it lasts for ages
2 x Carex Moisture Plus Antibacterial Handwash 250ml - Total Price GBP 3.20
Carex is 3 for £3 in Asda or try their own at 98p a bottle
1 x Diet Coke 330ml 24 Pack - Total Price GBP 8.85 :eek: farmfoods do 12 tins of pepsi max for £3
1 x Tunnocks Caramel Wafers x8 - Total Price GBP 1.38 - Have this as a treat for lunches at work
Try dropping a brand or find something cheaper like a piece of fruit or a yoghurt
1 x Sainsbury's Quick Cook Pasta, Penne 1kg - Total Price GBP 1.78
Asda SP is 25p a 500g bag and Aldi has a good one for 52p
1 x Warburtons Raisin Loaf With Cinnamon - Total Price GBP 1.20
Can you find a cheaper alternative or make your own?
1 x Sainsbury's German Salami Selection Slices 100g - Total Price GBP 1.59
1 x Finish Dishwasher Cleaner Lemon 250ml - Total Price GBP 3.57
£3 in Asda
1 x Sainsbury's Tie Handle Refuse Sacks x40 - Total Price GBP 4.20

1 x Kingsmill Great Everyday White, Medium 800g - Total Price GBP 1.15
1 x Sainsbury's Breaded Chicken Goujons 245g - Total Price GBP 2.00
1 x Sainsbury's Leeks (loose) - Total Price GBP 0.74
3 x Sainsbury's Carrots (loose) - Total Price GBP 0.29
1 x Sainsbury's Baking Potatoes (loose) - Total Price GBP 0.33
1 x Sainsbury's Baby New Potatoes 1kg - Total Price GBP 1.40
1 x Walkers Crisps, Prawn Cocktail 6x 25g - Total Price GBP 1.52 -
Have this for lunches at work.........Try a cheaper brand
1 x Sainsbury's Pineapple Slices In Juice 227g - Total Price GBP 0.48
1 x Heinz Reduced Sugar & Salt Bakd Beans 4x415g - Total Price GBP 2.49
Branston baked beans are a lot nicer than Heinz and cost £1.50 for a 4pack in Asda
1 x Sainsbury's Three Cheese Sauce 350g - Total Price GBP 1.50:eek:
Make your own or buy a packet mix one if you don't know how

1 x Flora Light Spread 250g - Total Price GBP 1.15 500g £1.70 in Asda

I suppose its because I am buying the loose veg that isn't helping. I have also found a good little website that does a meal plan for 1 which I am going to try as it says it should be around £15 for the whole week for dinners.

This is the site: http://resourcefulcook.com/mealplans/browse/forone

I look forward to your comments

You use predominately branded goods and a lot of convenience foods, but then you are on your own so you buy what you like, which is fine but maybe you could drop down to the Sainsburys own brand and maybe down to the basics range bit by bit.
It has been proven that the basics ranges have less salt, sugar and fats and so are healthier than the expensive branded goods.
Try cooking more from scratch - cook an extra portion then freeze - it is surprising how fast you can build up a good stock of healthy ready made meals - saves on fuel too.
Why not try shopping in Asda one week, then Aldi or lidl the following week.
We get a lot of things from Aldi and for the most part the things we buy are lovely, but the lines are very basic. Anything else we need we buy from Asda or Wilkinsons.
Try the market or a friendly local greengrocer for your fruit and veg if you only want small amounts. But I buy in bulk in Aldi and just freeze what I won't use up in 2 days.
The same goes for meat, find a local butcher who will do exactly the amount that you need.
I feed four adults for £200 and under a month and our DD is vegetarian so we buy quorn for her as well as meat for us.
I buy a joint of meat, roast it and slice it up then put in freezer bags and reheat in gravy, this way I can make a joint stretch to 3 meals for 3 of us instead of one meal.
Have you thought of popping into your local library to pick up some student cookbooks ? They will give you ideas on cheap, healthy meals.

I hope this gives you a few ideas x

immie

I agree the 24 cans of coke is costing your a fortune!
Have you got a poundland or 99p store near you? Could potentially save a lot of money not buying cleaning products from supermarkets, can't believe bin bags are £4 in supermarkets! :eek: (I've seen 2 litre bottles of coke in poundland before!)
For things like laundry detergents I usually try buy a huge box/ bottle, like a year's worth from a cash and carry:D

[Deleted User]

AFK_Matrix wrote: »

Hey guys,

Haven't read through all your replies but I am very grateful for them all and will have a good read through.

Right here it is the dreaded shopping list lol!!

Product and Price List:
1 x Sainsbury's Sausage Pasta Bake 400g - Total Price GBP 2.10 Ready meals are overpriced and no where near as tasy as stuff you can make yourself for half the price,even if you batch bake them on a Sunday and freeze for the week if your working
12 x Sainsbury's White Closed Cup Mushrooms (loose) - Total Price GBP 0.69
1 x Sainsbury's Red Pepper - Total Price GBP 0.63
1 x Sainsbury's Green Pepper - Total Price GBP 0.63
Buy a bag of value instead and slice dice and freeze what you haven't used for later on
3 x Sainsbury's Large Onions (loose) - Total Price GBP 0.46
1 x Sainsbury's British Fresh Milk, Semi Skimmed 1.13L (2pint) - Total Price GBP 0.89
tesco's or Icelands do a four pinta with a long date on it decant and freeze what you don't need imeadiatly
1 x Sainsbury's British Medium Grated Cheddar 250g - Total Price GBP 1.70, Buy a block and DIY I bought a big block a couple of weeks ago for around £3.00 and cut in half and froze half and the other bit I sat and grated into a covered lock'n'lock box to use as and when
1 x Sainsbury's Smoked Bacon Lardons 250g - Total Price GBP 1.99 Buy a pack of Value bacon take out of plastic wrap and wrap in foil put into fridge and just cut up what you need with a pair of scissors as and when needed
1 x Richmond Thick Pork Sausages x8 454g - Total Price GBP 2.09
1 x Sainsbury's Smoked Gammon Joint 750g - Total Price GBP 4.00 - I cook this on a Sunday and then have it for my sandwiches at work.
1 x Tresemme Moisture Shampoo 900ml - Total Price GBP 2.15 - This is huge and it lasts for ages
I have been using sainsburys basic shampoo for ages its around 40p for a BIG bottle It washs your hair just as well
1 x Tresemme Moisture Conditioner 900ml - Total Price GBP 2.15- This is huge and it lasts for ages, this too I have bought from sainsburys as I find their basic range for shampoo and conditioner is excellent
2 x Carex Moisture Plus Antibacterial Handwash 250ml - Total Price GBP 3.20.I can't work out why anyone would need anti-bac handwash ordinary coal tar soap will kill anything on your hands and hot water and a bar of soap is chaep as chips
1 x Diet Coke 330ml 24 Pack - Total Price GBP 8.85
Much as I like a bottle of coke I stopped buying even sainsburys diet stuff and feel better for it .I now get a bottle of value orange squash or Lemon squash for around 30p from MrTs its double strength and if its just a cold drink you want its ideal fizzy pop does nothing but rot your teeth and is full of sugar
1 x Tunnocks Caramel Wafers x8 - Total Price GBP 1.38 - Have this as a treat for lunches at work,No harm in a treat occasionally .I cook my own 'twinks'cookies'for a treat and they are super
1 x Sainsbury's Quick Cook Pasta, Penne 1kg - Total Price GBP 1.78.Pasta is available cheaper than this if you shop around.Most pasta only takes minutes to cook anyway ,being 'quick cook' doesn't make it better down grade a bit and try a cheaper one .Once the sauce is on top who's to know ,only your purse
1 x Warburtons Raisin Loaf With Cinnamon - Total Price GBP 1.20
1 x Sainsbury's German Salami Selection Slices 100g - Total Price GBP 1.59
1 x Finish Dishwasher Cleaner Lemon 250ml - Total Price GBP 3.57
1 x Sainsbury's Tie Handle Refuse Sacks x40 - Total Price GBP 4.20
1 x Kingsmill Great Everyday White, Medium 800g - Total Price GBP 1.15
1 x Sainsbury's Breaded Chicken Goujons 245g - Total Price GBP 2.00
1 x Sainsbury's Leeks (loose) - Total Price GBP 0.74
3 x Sainsbury's Carrots (loose) - Total Price GBP 0.29
1 x Sainsbury's Baking Potatoes (loose) - Total Price GBP 0.33
1 x Sainsbury's Baby New Potatoes 1kg - Total Price GBP 1.40
1 x Walkers Crisps, Prawn Cocktail 6x 25g - Total Price GBP 1.52 - Have this for lunches at work, again try making your own treats for a week and see the difference
1 x Sainsbury's Pineapple Slices In Juice 227g - Total Price GBP 0.48
1 x Heinz Reduced Sugar & Salt Bakd Beans 4x415g - Total Price GBP 2.49, beans is beans and if you try them most own brands are very little differant from the branded ones
1 x Sainsbury's Three Cheese Sauce 350g - Total Price GBP 1.50. Again something I would have a go at making myself
1 x Flora Light Spread 250g - Total Price GBP 1.15

I suppose its because I am buying the loose veg that isn't helping. I have also found a good little website that does a meal plan for 1 which I am going to try as it says it should be around £15 for the whole week for dinners.

I only ever buy loose fruit and veg as I don't like food wrapped in plastic.The secret is to extend you meals by artful ways, a lb of mince will make me at least half a dozen meals for the freezer. with the aid of carrots,a diced onion and mashed potato on top for a sheps pie or tin of kidney beans for a chilli or a tin of tomatos or carton of passata for a bolognese sauce
I have a stash of small brown earthen ware dishes one portion size that I have collected from boot sales over the years and use these in my freezer for one portion meals or even leftovers Last night for dinner I had all from my freezer two sausages,mashed potato,from the fridge a portion of cooked brocolli and some mushroom gravy left over and re-heated in the microwave .I use my freezer and fridge to the maximum and my microwave and remoska is my best friend .Passing an Aldi last Saturday I popped in and bought four of their special offer pork chops at half price for £1.87 these have gone in my freezer so there are four meals once added to veg for under two quid

AFK_Matrix

Wow thanks for all your input guys it is really appreciated. I didn't realise you could freeze some of the stuff you mentioned, especially freezing milk (you learn something new everyday ha!!).

I am a diabetic and hence squash is not a great option for drink and I can only have 200ml of fruit juice a day. I really only have the diet coke at meal times and mostly drink water the rest of the time, I will try the sainsburys stuff though. And also I know its fussy but I hate flat coke and I find that bottles go flat after a while.

I will continue to read through the posts and give your suggestions a go tonight when I order my next shop. THANKS!!!