Any Ideas??

deb_buffy

We have been doing well on the monthly food budget challenge and this month we have a budget of £110. My OH thought he would be nice and offered to go shopping for me this last weekend for this week. So I wrote out the things we needed on a list and said that was all we needed.

2hours later......


He carries the shopping into the flat...bag after bag after bag....and a bill of £82!!!!!

He has bought nothing I can make out of meals, nothing which was on the list but things which I have cut out of the shopping because we don’t NEED them.
I have more crisp then I know what to do with. I have cakes, ready meals which are meant for one....this wouldn’t be so bad I could live with this for one week but my monthly budget is almost gone.

I have £28 to last me 3 weeks for two people. If any one has any ideas on what I can buy/make I would be grateful.

Thanks, sorry for the rant just a bit worried on how I can feed us on such little money.

deb_buffy

Justamum

Yep. This is why I don't trust my hubby to go shopping! He would chuck in packets of biscuits and crisps, and wouldn't notice any bogofs.

Did he explain why on earth he just ignored your shopping list?

thriftlady_2

Hi, Deb,
Can you let us know what you've got in your cupboards that can be used to actually cook with ? Flour, eggs, cheese, tinned stuff, pasta etc ?

Don't let him do the shopping again

deb_buffy

the explination was.....i missed these things....i could have gone mental. It was nice of him to offer to go shopping but never again.

Justie

deb_buffy wrote:

the explination was.....i missed these things....i could have gone mental. It was nice of him to offer to go shopping but never again.

explain it to him or he'll never understand - most of the men I know if they know it's a money saving challenge will compete to olympic standard to find the cheapest way of doing things

and why does it always take men 2 hours?? :rotfl:

deb_buffy

in the cupboards i have...
2 eggs
1 bag of plain flour
4 jars of different Sources which i would buy meat for.
1 bag of pasta
and i have a few meals of corned beef hash which i bulk made last week.

Justie

and if you have the receipt take some of it back! Most supermarkets are good at taking things back if it was a mistake purchase.

seraphina

If he knew he was supposed to be on a budget, I'd give him the stuff he bought that wasn't on the list and tell him to live off that for a month:mad:

I would spend some of your leftover money on a large bag of chickpeas/other pulses, as well as a large amount of cheap tinned tomatoes. That way you could make up a tomato and chickpea pasta sauce, chickpea curry, and use the chickpeas to bulk out other meals as well.

You could also make pancakes with the flour to have as a main course - cook your meat or whatever in the sauce and make stuffed pancakes.

thriftlady_2

I agree with Seraphina about the chickpea/pulses. you could use them in place of meat with your sauces. I make a lovely chickpea and veg curry - chickpeas, carrots, frozen peas, diced potato, tomato puree and curry powder (add the peas at the end).

What about a big soup with veggies, pulses, pasta (broken up if it's the long variety). Lentils are a convenient pulse as they cook quickly and don't need soaking.

I'd also buy more eggs, a big block of Cheddar and cheap veg like carrots, cabbage, leeks. Make Spanish omelettes or veg in cheese sauce to fill pancakes.

Pasta served with a splash of olive oil and grated cheese is a lifesaver when funds are low. As are potatoes baked a stuffed with cheese or veggie curry or baked beans.

Some cans of fish are a good standby too, tuna or mackerel. Great for pasta sauces, baked spuds, sandwiches.

yorkshirejen

Could you make the ready meals serve two by bulking out with a jacket potato and lots of veggies for instance?

Pancakes filled with anything (corned beef hash???), topped with cheese and baked will be quite filling.

If he were mine I'd be very tempted to stick an empty plate in front of him and say that's all we can afford after your spending spree! Or something much worse perhaps!!

Good luck

Uniscots97

What exactly did he come back with? If we know then we might be able to suggest other things.