What's on your shopping list on a budget

vintagegirl

Heya just getting used to this budgeting lark and wondered what's on your shopping list when you're trying to keep to a budget?
I buy a lot of mince, cheese, fruit, baked potatoes (50p for 4 from Aldi) pitta breads, etc

rising_from_the_ashes

Whole chicken - may seem odd but if you get them on 3 for £10 deal & freeze 2 it's great.

You can get several meals (around 10 if you bulk out) from a chicken (eg roast x 2, chicken & leek risotto x 2, chicken curry x 2, soup x 4) so that's brilliant value!

rising_from_the_ashes

Have you tried the Grocery Challenge on the Old Style Board?

Honestly, great friendly bunch, loads of tips & fantastic recipes - I'm still learning but have picked up loads of things that do make a big difference

FireWyrm

Well, let's take a virtual trip around Aldi....

Coffee x 2
Cereal x 4 (muesli x 2 also)
10 x tins of tomatoes
1 pkt panini, 1 x crumpets
2 jars preserved fruit
1 pkt grapes
1 hand bananas
2 pkt apples
3 balls wet mozzarella
2 pkts dry grated mozzarella
2 pkts slice ham
4 pkts sausages
6 pkts bacon
2 chickens
3 pkts chicken bits (thighs or breasts)
5 lbs mince
3 lbs pork
6 pints milk
1 block mature cheddar
10 kilos flour
4 kilos sugar
2 bottles dried milk
2 goats milk if available
1 box toilet paper
1 pkt kitchen towel

That's about £60 and will last two weeks.

Veg is bought from markets on a £1 per bowl basis and I'll also visit the butcher van for additional meat if necessary but I freeze at least an extra portion of every meal. Meat is bought bulk towards the end of the day or Sunday mornings and split into roughly 1lb portions.

Total spend per month max £150 because thats all I have.

Incase you were wondering, eggs come from sister in law and bread is made daily...hence the large flour purchase. I also have an extensive spice cupboard and we make sweet things like cakes and biscuits.

Barbeduk

Rice, pasta, chopped toms, baked beans, lentils, loadsa onions, flour, sugar, eggs, yeast, coffee, apples, bananas, milk, frozen peas, frozen sweetcorn, spices.

Am editing to say that since typing this I've got my rice cooking to make spicy beans, yum. Soooo hungry now!!

cutestkids

My standard shopping would usually consist of

Large pack of mince
Sausages
Pasta
Basic cereals such as own brand weetabix and value porridge
Milk
Cheese
Bread
apples
oranges
bananas
pears
salad veg
Value tinned tomatoes
Value Kidney Beans
Baked beans
Potatoes
Whole chicken

The mince is usually 800g pack and I will split this into three to make cottage pie, chilli and bolognese I can usually get 1 pie 2 lots of chilli and 2 bolognese out of this each to feed the four of us, I bulk it out with lots of veg and red lentils.

The chicken will do as a roast dinner then the following day cold with salad and either Hm wedges or jacket potatoes.

I will use any left over for sandwiches and make stock from the carcass.

Sausages go further when chopped up and used in a pasta bake or toad in the hole.

I will make mac cheese with salad and usually use one lot of the bolognese as a lasanga.

I usually always make a large pot of soup evey week to use for lunches when I am at home and for an evening meal served with a toastie or with a pudding afterwards.

I try to buy as much as I can reduced and our local co-op has some great bargains on reduced stuff such as meat and bread products.