Help would be appreciated pretty please..with sugar on

Goldblend_2

Hi everyone :wave:

Been reading some great threads with so many expert answers and help given I'm sure I am in the rigt place..and will be able to set myself up nicely even on a budget.:j

Here's me ...I'm scared but I'm moving in three weeks :eek: and will be living alone for the first time in 36 years(!!!) due to a series of misfortune / unfortunate events...:(

I now have nothing except some clothes, sofabed and a duvet to move in with.. Ill get furniture as i go and am pretty low maintenance. The place does have a cooker.:D And am not opposed to joining the world of the domestic goddess ( you clever lot) and maybe trying a bit of dead easy baking?

Hope i dont sound silly
i have no stock cupboard at all .:eek:. :eek:

Could anyone help and advise with what to get or basic food / or grocery toiletry and supplies. I dont even have a grain of salt or a teabag... Lol if you have any time to help that is..

The good i do have some money as I have been making this month from the £10 a day challenge.. Needless to say some of this will be going to debt repayments but I'd like to sort out a stock cupboard to get me started.. At the minute .. I don't have a freezer, slow cooker or the like etc but could get cheap ones nearer the move in time if you feel these would be valuable purchases.

It would just only be cooking for one person and I'm not fussy but I don't like pasta or rice or ragu type sauces or noodles...other than that I'll practically eat anything but all my friends are telling me are money savers like pasta.. So not really appealing to me.

How much weekly budget on food/groceries would I need..roughly. Low budget what do you think would be liveable? Any good value or cheap products like washing powder, shampoo etc recommendations would be welcomed.

I'm worried about winter as the new place has no heating only electric plug in heaters :mad:. So no1 on the list will be a dressing gown..;) - any tips here please?..... Other than wear two jumpers...:D

As for shops -there is a Lidlle near me and a wait-rose (which even from the outside looks horribly expensive)....but can do an online one off stock shop of any of the big 4 if needed?

If anyone could spare any time to help with advise I would be ever so grateful:T please help me put this hard earned extra money to good use.

Thank you in advance if you can suggest anything.Stocks, meal pan, household things to buy.. Things to stock up on.

I have put £100 that I made into an emergency account for savings or emergencies. So will pat self on back for that one :T

Any tips on anything desired please... :A I have up to £100 to use wisely.

Thanks again :kisses:

Popperwell

You'll get so much help and ideas. On meals, how to stay warm and budget. Either on your own thread or you'll be pointed to others on MSE and you'll find loads of meals that can be done on a very limited budget. And if you have space, a store cupboard is both easy and a must...

I know that I have...and they are much better at this than I am...if I can add something later I will...

GreyQueen

Hi hun, lots of people will post, I'm sure, but let's start the ball rolling.

A fleece dressing-gown would be an excellent investment for a chilly home. If you have a TK Maxx, try them, otherwise I had a man's one from M&S and it was fab. Fleecy pjs and warm slippers and a hot water bottle (I've had a Poundland one in costant use for years without mishap) do a lot to mitigate the chillies.

Re the food issue, I'd start with some basics like tea and coffee and sugar and milk, cooking oil, flour etc expand into the fresh stuff like eggs and cheese, think about the tinned foods like good ole baked beans. They have some foodstuffs in the cheapy stores inc 99p Store and Poundland but they're not the bargainous places they once were, esp 99p Store. Iceland is excellent value for money and so are FarmFoods, if you have one of those.

If you need to set yourself up with household basics like washing up bowl, dishdrainer, brush and pan etc, you can sometimes see these bundled up in some stores aimed at the young person (or their sensible parent) "going off to uni market". If you only need one or two of that group, try the discounters or the local market.

If you're not on your local Freecycle/ Freegle group already, join immediately and keep your eyes peeled for stuff. It's truly amazing what comes up. Also, the car boot season will run for a while longer, weather permitting, and excellent bargains are to be had.

Don't forget to use word of mouth; letting everyone you know hear about what it is you want can bear surprising fruit. Yo mightn't get immediate responses but someone might hear you and think Auntie Edna has got one of those she wants to give away, I wonder if I should ask her as X wants one.........? Lots of people have stuff they would be happy to give away and our sort-of tribal hardwiring means that a friend of someone my daughter works with is often close enough to hit our psychology as one of our own who should be on the recieving end.

Re toiletries, I use Teaso Basics toothpaste (30p a tube) and it's fine. If you can get to a Lidl their toileteries are very good value, and I think Savers is a national chain and £land and 99p do branded toiletries are much cheaper than the same stuff in Boots or SuperDrug. Cheap toileties are just as good as expensive ones, you're just paying a premium for the advertising and packaging.

You can clean just about anything with these products; washing up liquid, Tesco Basics crema cleanser at 32p and just as good as Cif, soda crystals at 68-98p a kilo for heavy-duty degreasing and cleaning drains.

Last of all, the very best of luck in your new life.

ETA, I eat really well at £15 or under a week as a singleton.

hilstep2000

Charity shops are fab places for kitchen bits. If you don't mind mis-matched china you can get plates and mugs for 10p sometimes. I got a bosch coffee machine and toaster in our hospice shop for £10 for the two:eek: Saucepanns and frying pans too. Don't forget bedding and curtains in there as well, they very often have new stuff donated too.

Food wise, potatoes are very adaptable, as is anything on toast. I personally love pilchards, which are good for you too. Beans of all sorts can be eaten alone or added to other things, and eggs are so versatile too.
One chicken breast added to a bag of 50p stir fry veg does me for two meals.
You will do fine, enjoy and embrace the chance of being alone for the first time!
Good Luck:T

aeb_2

I have found Lidl very good for cleaning products. Their washing powder has had very good review, often beating leading brands. After buying washing powder and washing up liquid I would buy just one bottle of multi-cleaning liquid to everything. My choice is store brand Cif but I know many people on here choose Stardrops (which I have never been able to find or I might be buying it too) Don't waste your money or space on different cleaning products for different jobs. Oh, and good cleaning cloths - kitchen surfaces, kitchen floor, bathroom surfaces, loo. Will save you a fortune in kitchen roll - a cloth will always do.

As for stock cupboard my top would be:
(rice and pasta)
tea
ground pepper
mixed herbs
plain flour
stock cubes
olive oil
bag of potatoes
bag of onions
canned tomatoes
jar of jam

Good Luck!

Suffolk_lass

Hi Goldblend,

My advice is to meal plan to some extent, so that as you use something, you buy it - beans is a good example. Baked beans; 4 tins for £1 and you immediately have 3 in your storecupboard. Baked potato with baked beans and even a little grated strong cheese is nutritious and cheap.

Also, lots of us on the Grocery Challenge threads pad out stews, casseroles and chilli with things like bendy veg (past its' best) and red lentils, which thicken and stretch portions. I also add pastry lids to portions of stew that we don't use. It is filling and satisfying. If you read the first page of any month's thread there are loads of excellent tips and hundreds of recipes.

If you work, I would definitely look for a small slow-cooker as you can put your dinner on in the morning and it's ready when you get home. Some even roast joints this way but if you have no freezer this might be too much - I casserole chicken thighs with root veg and chicken stock or soup (soup means it thickens too).

I would endorse the need for a hot water bottle. Marvellous things!

Here is a link to the Grocery Challenge (you can subscribe using the Thread Tools option at the top

Good luck
SL

camelot1001

Some fantastic advice already.
Remember soup is very filling and nutritious and a pot can last for a few days.
Places like L!dl and Aldo often have reduced items, especially bread. They also sell part baked bread which can be handy to keep in.
Freegle has been mentioned, you may be able to pick up a freezer in the future and Gumtree can also have kitchen appliances for sale at a reasonable price. The good old charity shop is worth a look too.

Good luck, let us know how you get on.

VeggieCatLady

Firstly, I'm sorry to hear you have been going through some troublesome times and I hope moving can be a positive fresh start for you :-)

Personally if you can afford to get a small freezer as well as a fridge, I would advise you do. The last place I lived in only had a fridge and my food bill was higher without a doubt. With a freezer you can buy frozen items which often work out cheaper e.g stir Fri veg, and you can also freeze leftovers or portions of meals for another time. Also if you go to supermarkets when they are reducing their fresh produce in the evening, you can often pick up a bargain and freeze it for another time.

My last place had electric heaters too. They can be more expensive to run but if you are careful they aren't so bad. If you keep doors closed and just heat the room you are in it will save you money.

For fresh fruit and veg, avoid the big supermarkets like the plague, unless it is reduced by a good amount. I find the cheapest place is the pound a bowl stall in my local market.

Good luck and let us know how you get on :-) x

Goldblend_2

Thank you for your kindness vegicatlady ( I like your name..lol)

:j wow I knew I was in the right place

Going to look on gumtree Camelot :T so thank you

F & veg loose from the market will be a great idea...

Thanks for the link to the thread SL

Aeb good idea about herbs spices.. I think that will be useful to have the stock list you did for me is a great starting point .

Hillstep2000 thank you for advise ..looks like I'm going to have fun bargain hunting in the charitys

GreyQueen thank you hopefully I can eat like a queen too:A your post made me feel not so down so thanks for posting it was very positive for me too read :j genuine thanks again :j

The hot water bottle is going to be essential.. I might have forgotten these existed if it wasnt for you all.. Looking forward to getting a bottle so I can be toasty.. This has got to be the best advise yet
:-)


I think I should do a meal plan and seriously think about a slow cooker.. Think this would be a good way to spend some of the earnings I have made

Thank you all for taking time to respond it is appreciated and is a great help

the_cake

My pennyworth: bedsocks!! (As well as a hot water bottle). Took me years to discover them, but I sleep much better with cosy feet.
Also, other posters have suggested charity shops etc. - I found my wonderful breadmaker for £5 in my local hospice shop (more like a warehouse, sells furniture etc.) - I use it 2 or 3 times a week and after nearly 2 years it is still going strong.
Sainsburys Basics teabags are 29p and are great.
Good luck in your new life: be happy!
love, the cake.

[Deleted User]

If there are any in the area try a boot sale I know its getting near the end of summer but over the years I have bought some great odds and ends for the kitchen from there.Pyrex dishes are fantastic for cooking from oven to plate with and if your short of cutlery or a rolling pin etc you can pick them up for pennies.I always look at the boxes on the floor in front of the stall where its all jumbled up together I bought my DD a super glass pyrex jug for gravy from one for 10p.Also charity shops of course but do shop around as some charity shops can be a bit pricey at times When ever I go to a new town with my friend we always look at them all before deciding which is the best value.Great place to buy dessert bowls or a flower vase or picture to help brighten up your new home Good luck in the future and keep posting as we are all on here to help if possible