Feed a family of four for £20 a week challenge

yabby

Hi yes have heard and read about the pound shops but will still have a look . I don't drive so tend to go to tesco about once a week and top up in the local co~op in between as I said before I'm to lazy when it comes to shopping , I have no excuse as I only work part time and buy a weekly bus ticket so I could easily go to town a couple of times a week or a least to the market! If I do go I look and buy things I don't need not for things I do need!! I read a quote somewhere on here that said ' we buy things we don't need with money we haven't got to impress people we don't like' somehow it made me realise how true that is !! So no more clothes just bargains for me

angela30

yabby wrote: »

Thank you can you tell me what you use seasalt for and where do you buy the sea soap from? You are 100% dedicated to shopping and I admire that�� I on the other hand am 100% lazy when it comes to shopping! but will now check out the pound shop ��

The sea salt comes from the health shop 500gs for £1.50, we add the rose lavender or oils to the salt, so its just like using bath salts, but so much cheaper and last much longer lol, the sea soap comes from the health soap as-well, but i think that more people are catching on to the benefits of using sea soap so it's turning in lots of places now.
i'm making some xmas bath salts at the moment ready for some gifts for friends lol.
I also use a little in the washing as-well, and a little down the drains with bicarbonate each month, if i remember lol.


I agree that pound land can be a little costly that's why i shop around alot. it was just this month it was cheaper for me to use pound-land.
its always better to shop around.

don't get me wrong i'm not always so dedicated when it comes to shopping, sometimes i just throw everything to the winds but by the end of the month i've spent too much and thinking, oh god what have you done lol.

my shopping bill for the week is between £25 per week.
house hold shopping, usually around £15-£20 per month.
so that's about £30. per week, thats for 4.5 of us, my eldest moved out so really there is only 4 of us, but since she moved out, i've seen more of her and still ends up having dinners at least 4 times a week lol:rotfl:

yabby

Thank you Angela 30 isle from your location you live in cornwall 😄 going off the subject a bit we go to cornwall every year for a holiday ( rock) such a lovely lovely part of England anyway I know the water is soft down there as when I've stayed there it seems that baths sinks etc are easier to keep clean up here it's hard so have to use hardcore cleaning products . You also seem to have butchers and veg shops down there , there are none around the area I live 😞 will look in holland and barratt for the soap . Thank you for the tips . Just thought of something if I lived in cornwall I still would spend money as I love SEA SALT ( the clothes shop) have bought some lovely things from there so just as well we don't have any here😞

angela30

lol, yeah i love cornwall, so many farm shops, or just people putting up little tables outside of their houses, jars of honey for a £1 or pickles for £0.50p, the farmers market is some times a god send if you go at the end of the day when the farmers are packing up to go, but not before because the prices are just beyond what i can afford lol,
i can't afford to shop in our local butches, he is the only one in town so he hinks up the prices to silly money, so i get my meat off-line, the delivery charge isn't that much really and much more better meat and the prices better than in town somewhere, and i can get things like cheek and ox liver, large bones for me soups, better mince and sliver-side roast etc lol, just so much better than getting them from the supermarket, well i think so but there are loads who disagree with that lol, we also get a veggie box from one of the farms as well, there are loads of veg boxies you can order of line now,
shopping online has become my friend over the years, i find it saves me money, because if i will only buy whats on my list, but sometimes i find that i spend much more in the supermarkets that i don't need.
yeah the water is alot softer so the sinks and tubs are easier to clean, one of my commented on that once lol, but the windows and front doors have to be cleaned alot more than normal because of the salt air makes the windows go nasty lol.

Upsidedown_Bear

If you are buying anything in £1 shops do check the price per 100g/quantity/weight/amount of what you are buying.
The poundshops have some branded items made specially for them. As they (obviously) sell them for a £1 the price per 100g/quantity/weight/amount can be more than the same product elsewhere.

yabby

I think I could put up with dirty windows if I lived where you live. I live in the south some of the towns in the area do have farmers markets but usually once a month , up here there is a big supermarket around every corner not even a decent bakery . Never mind will see what I can do with the shops here, it's interesting how different areas have different shops as we also have a big ma& s and a new big next home and clothes but I've never seen any your way ( although I'm sure there are some somewhere!

yabby

Just would like to add that I am not complaining about the shops around here it's just it's to easy to go to these big stores to spend money and if you are a shopaholic like me it's hard not to resist. When holidaying in cornwall it's nice to go to the bread shop everyday to buy nice fresh bread (and a cake or two!!) and I miss doing that when I get back home. 😞

meer53

yabby wrote: »

Hi RAS , will also check out lids also. I live in a hard water area so have to use limelite a few times a week but will try star drops , I have tried the cheaper shampoo but find we use to much as to much comes out at once , I use tresseme but only buy it when it's on special offer and buy 2 as I do when sanex is on offer( so maybe there is a money saver lurking about somewhere) I meant lidls not lids .

My hairdresser doesn't rate Tresemme shampoo. I find it strips my hair and makes it dry.

We use Aldi's own shampoo, it's practically the same as Herbal Essences. It's very thick so you don't need to use much. It's about £1.40 i think. Use their conditioner too.

yabby

I know in a previous post I said there are plenty of supermarkets here the nearest aldi is about 20 mins drive away, but will look in lidl there might be something similar in there. Thank you anyway��

slowandsteady_2

Thanks to all for reviving this thread.

Being in between jobs at present, I try to save and cut back where I can while still producing good meals. There is me, hubby, a five year old (6 at Xmas) and a two year old (3 next month). Luckily my eldest has come out of the fussy eating stage and is willing to try most things, youngest not so much!

I need to be more organised and strict, have a fridge freezer and an upright freezer full of bargains but can't resist whoopsies! Having said that, all I have really dome is top up shops last couple of weeks and have utilised freezers, which need clearing really either way.

The slow cooker is also back out of the cupboard now and I am eagerley awaiting the chilly weather so I can enjoy lovely, hot filling stews again.

I'm enjoying having new ideas with what to do with what I have in, and appreciate everyone's posts x