Top Tips for Grocery Shopping Saving

Blairweech

VfM4meplse wrote: »

I wish I could do that but don't think that I'd last a week, mainly because my working hours are very long and can often be erratic, when I am hungry I want to eat there and then, can't wait for the ping of the microwave to tell me my freezer dinner is done so end up eating snack after snack after snack...although tbh I've now run down all my rubbish and "instant" food is Weetabix with cold milk.

Have you considered a slow cooker? If you cook something like stew and serve it with bread, dinner will not even involve waiting for the microwave!

Edwardia

Milk.. it's one of those things we all buy, like loo rolls. When OH and I first lived together we were really skint and one way we saved money on groceries was by buying UHT skimmed milk in tetrapaks. We still buy it as we can stockpile the milk so it's always there and we don't need to nip to the shops in rain or snow. I find the UHT milk is usually the same price in any supermarket (fix?) but buy it from Lidl because you get a plastic top like on a juice tetrapak not a tear the corner or lift up tab. This avoids slopping it over fridge/floor/kitchen counter.

VfM4meplse

Blairweech wrote: »

Have you considered a slow cooker? If you cook something like stew and serve it with bread, dinner will not even involve waiting for the microwave!

I try to avoid cooking from scratch as much as possible because the smell hangs around the house for days. I much prefer cooking in bulk once in a while and freezing - have an excellent stockpot for that purpose.

jamesknight1

Snugglebunny8 wrote: »

totaly agree with last bit! :T well - all of it! I think its great our children learn from us to be savvy and know the value of money, my 11yo saves and buys 2nd hand PS or DS games from Game, or checks Amazon before buying, he wanted to buy a dvd present before Christmas and compared prices to get best deal, free p+p etc, am so proud! :rotfl: DD just been to town with her friends and returned with presents for us all from 99p store and The Works, really thoughtful things at great prices. This Christmas lots of people said how pleased they were with their Body Shop goodies from us, all bought at around 75% off in Jan sales, they don't know that, they get great gifts and I dont bankrupt us lol!

Referring to people looking at AMAZON don't forget if you are registed with NECTAR you get points as well on spend but not including p.p.Register at nectar.com and use as a toolbar.Has many other shops as well you can get points.
Worth having !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Edwardia

I hide stockpiled stuff if I can so that OH doesn't for example use the EV olive oil up faster, thinking there's plenty.

Sulevia

1. Dog food. If you can find a farmer's suppliers then get your dog food there, I can buy 18kg of working dog whole food biscuits for about a tenner.
2. Washing up liquid. Buy 5 litre containers and decant into your old squeezy bottle.
3. Shower cream / hand-wash cream / bath cream. It's all the same stuff bar the finest of fine details so buy the cheapest of the brand you are into and decant into the appropriate container. I buy shower cream and decant it all into a pump-action thingy which gives me less than if I tip and pour. Also I use one of those bath puff things like a scrunched up mesh. It froths up the stuff so much that two squirts of shower cream is all I need for a complete shower.

Sulevia

Just had another thought - to stop yourself spending more than you meant to, shop with a shopping list and stick to it, BUT if you see an amazing bargain for something that isn't on your list, take something off the list and substitute it with the bargain.

If you bought the bargain as well as all the other stuff, make sure you spend that amount less the next time... on the basis that - you bought more before, so buy less now.

lifebeginsagain

All fabulous ideas and tips everyone - thank you for sharing

I have bought a slow cooker - which I am looooovvvvvving! not sure I am doing very well target wise but I haven't got any stocks of anything so that doesn't help.

I could really do with another freezer as I only have a small one and I have been making breadrolls and bread then slicing it and freezing so we just get out enough rolls/bread for the day and that's saving waste and money but I'm running out of freezer space!

I have also been baking more cakes for puddings and snacks and picked up some offers on things like toilet roll so hopefully as the month goes on I won't need to do full shops each week just bits here and there - well that's the plan!

Nikki1210

This is a great thread! I'll definitely be using some of these.

My problem is that, as a student, I don't have much freezer space. I already stick to a shopping list, check my prices carefully online, buy items in bulk and slow cook cheaper cuts of meat and lots of vegetables (esp. frozen!) as much as I can. Can anyone suggest any alternatives to freezing food or any other tips for someone with not much space?

Thanks everybody!!!

Nikki1210

JBFAN - as well as food magazines the BBC Good Food website is free! I use it all the time and save their recipes to my internet favourites if I like it.