I'm going to need your help!

trigger2

the best thing i've learned is to go through the cupboards, fridge & freezer before you go shopping & to make a list of what you can make from what you've already got (ifswim !). This helps with meal planning & prevents any unnecessary purchases. I've bought stuff myself, gone to put it in the freezer & found one of said item there already !

belfastgirl23

You can buy long life milk from supermarkets - I use this pretty much all the time, mostly cos you often can't get skimmed in the shops. It costs around 35-38p a litre and means you never run out. Tesco value stuff tastes fine to me.

For frozen veg they are best defrosted in the fridge overnight before you use them. Bunging them straight in boiling water breaks down the cell structures. Most important for stuff like broccoli that goes mushy. I use frozen spinach and frozen green beans a lot. Also of course peas. I'd agree with the mix of fresh and frozen but frozen is def cheaper and still reasonably healthy vitamin wise etc.

It's all just about putting some more thought into it I find - easier said than done though!

Good luck!

tracyg

Hi:wave:

I'm in a similar situation, I've just decided not to go back to work after my maternity leave has finished so we are now living on one wage. Although I'm so lucky to have a dh who supports me, its still a struggle and has been hard at times. BUT when things have gone right and i've come under budget or dh has swooned at something HM for tea, it makes it all worth it. A couple of things I've done is:

Meal planned and set a shopping list - I used to chuck loads of things in the trolley and not eat a lot of it but thinking what I want to buy has stopped that, I'm now too busy completing list to impluse buy
I check that MySupermarket site to see where I can get the cheapest shopping
I keep supermarket shopping to a mininum and use my local butchers, veg shop for cheaper and better products
You could try buying online (see other boards for promo codes) to stop impluse buying
I've changed to just using mirco fibre clothes for cleaning and stardrops and soda crystals - saves loads of money and does everything you need
I've halved the amount of washing powder I use, I used to over use it -I now use 1 and half tbsp washpowder, 1 tbsp of soda crytals and splash of stardrops as recommended on here and it even removes all the baby stains
Get a Slow cooker, you can use cheaper meats, its cheap to run and stuff is so yummy when its done
Home make what you can - cookies, soup - again big £ saving but still solves the taste for sweet stuff
Record EVERYTHING you spend in a dairy, it'll open your eyes - I got in the habit of going to the shops everyday for something to do, now I love writing a big fat 0 when I don't spend anything, I also use my car as little as poss
Ask the peeps on here about anything, someone will know the answer and just read the threads, you can get some great tips

The hardest for me was budgeting and sticking to it, not just buying but thinking about it and saving for things, its hard but getting easier and I feel happier knowing I have money in the bank and still stay with my little boy. Hopefully you can get a better quality of life with your health now you've stop working - good luck xx

Sorry its so long I got carried away

debtworrier

kit wrote: »

Thanks so far guys.
I have tried going OS before but then I got my job so didnt really need to worry..... however from trying it before, I know I am BAD at it!

I cant really post a 'normal' shopping list. I wander round and grab whatever I feel like. I have no idea how much I spend.

MMMM, I think this is a tough challenge!

First and foremost if you've quit for health reasons then think about looking after yourself and getting well. ::Beaming good wishes and healthy vibes at you:: Maybe at the moment you need to buy ready-chopped carrots or some other "convenience" thing to help you while you recover.

Being OS and getting in control of this 'n' that is nice, but don't let the bad days become a weapon that you use to beat yourself up with. You're not "bad" at being OS, just new to it. Give yourself a chance to learn new skills and practice them for a while before you judge yourself - in fact, don't judge yourself at all; just assess your progress.

There's loads of help and advice here on the boards, but don't try and do it all at once, just pick one thing and practice that.

When I was starting to work out what I spent, I treated myself to a spike file - only about £3 in Ryman's - and I found it really useful for keeping all my till receipts without them taking over the kitchen.

HTH, and good luck!

sammy_kaye18

Hi Kit

I know how hard Old Style can be but trust me when you have to it is very easy and quick to learn.

Ive been here just over a year and basically this site has been keeping us going and getting us by for the last few months since bf lost his job - we've been surviving on £290 a month - bills food etc - this site is a blessing. how many people do you shop for???? who do you live with ??? any pets???

If your just starting out with it though id say the main thing is to meal plan.
decide what your going to eat for the week/two weeks/month (set yourself a realistic budget!) and to be honest my mil is a nightmare compulsive shopper so she uses the tesco online site and gets it delivered so she can basically go online order exactly what she needs and only what she needs and then gets it delivered so there are no tempting end of aisle offers that grab her attention.

The other thing id say that someone else has already said is to keep a back up of basic veggies in the freezer. We have peas and frozen green beans. Have considered buying a cheap bag of carrots and keeping these cut up and frozen so i can just bung them in when i get home from work for my little one to nibble.

Also dont be scared of the reduced sections of supermarkets they can be your best friend!!! (and your worst enemy on occassion!) Ive just gotten back form a lunch trip out with my nan and father. My nan is a complete reduced food phobic thinkign it must be off/rotten/unedible etc etc. However the other week we had whole chickens reduced in them £2.99 down to £1.50 as they needed using the next day and there were loads of them *sneaky trick as they were on 2 for £5 originally* so i brought 2 for £3!!! and now have had a roast dinner, soup, chicken sandwiches and stock made form it so that did me a good few meals - also there tends to be alot of fish in ours so im making homemade fish cakes nad fish fingers for my little boy.

Oh theres a tip - learn to cook, teach yourself witha good cook book - Its easy when you try - im now adapt in baking, making scotch eggs, soup, roast dinners, sheperds pie, pasta sauces, yet to attempt a casserole, and most other basic meals (and this is coming form someone who once did rice in a rice cooker and forgot to add water!) you'll be amazed at how much you save and also how much you can freeze afterwards so you have home made nutricious ready meals rather than the gunk ladened ones that leave you feeling hungry still.

Dont buy every cleaning product available to man - basically you can get buy with a bottle of stardrops, white vinegar, some good clothes/scourers and a tub of bicarb of soda etc. These 3 things will clean near enough anything i think with a bit of elbow grease - plus because you've worked hard i find i get more satisfaction from it. Plus they are more child friendly and take up far less space than polish, bleech, carpet deoderiser, bathroom cleaner, air freshner etc the list is endless.

If its just yourself why not half things. Ie buying a half loaf of bread for one person can cost about 60p + for a braces one - whereas if you buy a cheap tescos one - half it and freeze one half whilst you use the other then take the other half out to defrost when you need it you will a)save your self waste b)stretcht the bread and not need to buy extra for the followign week. The same cna apply to milk - freeze it if you can.

oops when a bit nuts - most importantly though dont be afraid to ask and always check promo codes and offers as they can be helpful and people on here are always about to give tips and advice (or bore you senseless in my case!)

luv

Sam
x x x x

debtworrier

tine wrote: »

... Whilst at it I might as well bake another banana bread...

Bulk cooking... it rocks

GROAN - don't mention banana bread. Craving it this morning but have run out. BM going to get another workout this evening doing first banana then wholemeal for sandwiches. At this rate the poor thing is going to go on strike!

kit

WOW - thanks all :T

I have LOADS in my cupboards so will try and plan meals using what i have.

Can I ask a few things?

• How long can I keep meat in the freezer? I have meat in there that has been there for over a year - possibly 2 - can I still use it?
• I have a 'part baked' ciabatta that it vacume packed but was meant to be used by Jan 07 - its not growing or anything - should i use it?
• Can stock (meat stock) be frozen, used, frozen again?

Thanks so much.

Edit - there are 3 of us. Me, OH and 2 year old DD. OH works, we can just about live on his wages if I really really careful. We have a cat, 2 guinea pigs and 2 fish!

angelavdavis

Well the guys have given you loads of tips here

kit wrote: »

WOW - thanks all :T

I have LOADS in my cupboards so will try and plan meals using what i have.

Can I ask a few things?

• How long can I keep meat in the freezer? I have meat in there that has been there for over a year - possibly 2 - can I still use it?

I would defrost it and see if its still OK - by rights I think meat is OK for 6 months, it does tend to dry out over that time (or if not packed properly). I am not particularly OTT about stuff like this, but someone on here will tell you a horror story of why you should eat stuff within a certain period!

kit wrote: »

• I have a 'part baked' ciabatta that it vacume packed but was meant to be used by Jan 07 - its not growing or anything - should i use it?
• Can stock (meat stock) be frozen, used, frozen again?

Thanks so much.

Edit - there are 3 of us. Me, OH and 2 year old DD. OH works, we can just about live on his wages if I really really careful. We have a cat, 2 guinea pigs and 2 fish!

Re: ciabatta - same, unpack it and see what you think. I have found french loaves that are vacuum packed go liquidy and yucky even though they might look ok in the pack!

Don't reuse stock - just freeze once after cooking. It will harbour bacteria just as meat does.

Some other tips from me:

• Make a note of what you throw away - it really opens your eyes! If you keep the receipts you can work out in pennies what has been wasted!
• Keep a list of your freezer contents on the front of the fridge and put a line through it when used - it stops you keeping the freezer open for long periods while you investigate and also helps you when you need to do a shopping list.
• If you haven't already, see if there is a Lidl or Aldi nearby - they are much cheaper than most other supermarkets.
• Pad out meals like casseroles and stews with pulses - dead cheap and filling too.

Good luck!

beemuzed

Biggest saver for us echoes what others have said - planning your meals and sticking to the plan. We've really cut our weekly spend and no longer waste half the stuff we did before. I try hard not to shop midweek as I know I can't go and just buy one thing! We freeze milk as that was something that often led to me coming back with 4pts and a carrier bag full of extras! Good Luck! Treat it as a challenge not a chore. Loads and loads of advice on this site!

southern_chick

as others have already said on here get a slow cooker, they are so easy to use, make really tasty food and cut meat bills. you can use cheaper cuts of meat but because it has been slow cooked it will still be really tender, if you get a big soow cooker you can really cook in bulk and freeze any extra (you might need to get a bigger freezer though!!)