PLEASE READ BEFORE POSTING

Hello Forumites! However well-intentioned, for the safety of other users we ask that you refrain from seeking or offering medical advice. This includes recommendations for medicines, procedures or over-the-counter remedies. Posts or threads found to be in breach of this rule will be removed.

Help!! Basic shopping list needed (merged)

Firstly i guess id better say Hi and introduce myself as im a newbie!!

Im Clare and ive just bought my first house!! Woo Hooooo!!

I will be moving out of home for the first time in about 6 weeks time and have budgeted for everything (very proud of myself :A ).

BUT

I have only budgeted around £25 per week (£100 a month) for my shopping. Now i can see lots of u on here do it for this or less but i have absolutly no idea what i should be buying or looking out for. Please help me.

It will only need to feed me and a very tiny chihuahua called Lucy. I cant say im a good cook but im very willing to try!

This budget is to include toiletrys and cleaning products too (OMG just realised i will have to clean!! :eek: )

Thanks in advance

Clare
«13

Comments

  • Bargain_Rzl
    Bargain_Rzl Posts: 6,254 Forumite
    Hi Clare/Trolleydolly,

    Congratulations on buying your first house!

    Shopping for one on £25 or less is REALLY easy.

    Look out for:
    BOGOFs (Buy One Get One Free) - but ONLY when you would have bought the product anyway, or can use it in place of something you were planning to buy that would have cost more.
    Reduced goods - especially useful for stuff that can be bought up at silly prices and put in the freezer until needed.
    Bulk buying - for non-perishables.
    The opposite - buying ONLY the quantity you need - for perishables.
    Ideas on stuff you can grow in your garden. Hey presto - organic veg.
    Coupons and vouchers - sometimes shops will accept these even if you have not bought the product.
    If you have access to several supermarkets, shop around so you know what products are on offer where. I have a Co-op, a Sainsburys Local, a small Tesco, a Somerfield and a Lidl where I live - when I have time I pop in to each of these for 10mins on the way home from work once a week, buying whatever I need that's best value, rather than doing my weekly shop in one go.

    Avoid:
    Temptation - easier said than done I know!
    Ready meals - very overpriced and overprocessed. Though when on reduced to clear, this can be a very useful part of the "filling up the freezer on the cheap" technique (see above)
    Sticking to the same brand for everything. Change what you buy according to what is on special offer.

    That's just a start. Welcome aboard!!!
    :)Operation Get in Shape :)
    MURPHY'S NO MORE PIES CLUB MEMBER #124
  • Magentasue
    Magentasue Posts: 4,229 Forumite
    How about posting seven meals (or however many you will be eating at home) and the other meals you need to do (breakfast? lunch? supper?) and see if anyone has a cost cutting ideas for you?
  • culpepper
    culpepper Posts: 4,076 Forumite
    depends what you eat really but I buy cheese in the big size,if you wrap it very closely and keep it in the fridge it wil last months.Put your bread in the fridge or freeze it ready sliced .You can freeze the contents of a tin (mostly) so if you dont want a whole tin of something a large tin is still cheaper (use the ice box for freezing if youve got no freezer).
    If you cant get to the shops every few days,a bag of frozen veg is handy or youll be throwing away stuff you bought fresh as it wont last.We used to have our milk delivered but were off to work before the milkman so would often come home to find a bottle of gone off milk on the doorstep.UHT is useful or powdered for emergencies.
  • Debt_Free_Chick
    Debt_Free_Chick Posts: 13,276 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    I think the first thing you'll need to do is to start to build up your store cupboard essentials. You don't need to do this all at once, but a bit a week. If we all look at our cupboards, they're full of stuff we bought, some of it months ago!

    Here's my standard Lidl list, which might help to get you going.
    Cheese - Cheddar
    Cheese - Feta
    Cheese – Masdam (Leerdammer)
    Cheese - Mozzarella
    Cheese - Parmesan
    Coffee – Espresso
    Coffee - Ground
    Dairy - Margarine
    Diary - Butter
    Flour – Bread
    Flour – Plain
    Flour – Self Raising
    Herbs - parsley
    Herbs - Oregano
    Herbs - mixed
    Meat - Black Forest Ham
    Meat - Chorizo
    Meat - Corned Beef
    Olive Oil
    Pasta
    Pepper – Ground Black
    Pitta Bread
    Salt
    Soup
    Squash
    Sugar
    Tea - Earl Grey
    Tea - General
    Tinned Tuna
    Toms - Passata
    Toms – tinned
    Vinegar - Balsamic

    Household
    Black Dustbin Bags
    Cleaner - All Purpose
    Cleaner - Bathroom
    Cleaner - Bleach
    Cleaner - Kitchen
    Cleaner - Loo Freshener
    Cleaner - Washing Up Liquid
    Cleaner - Window
    Cloths
    Dishwasher Powder
    Dishwasher Rinse Aid
    Dishwasher Salt
    Furniture Polish
    Ibuprofen
    Kitchen Roll
    Loo Roll
    Scourers
    Shampoo
    Shower Gel
    Toothpaste
    Washing Powder

    Now, I only go to the Supermarket every 3 months, so weekly, I buy meat & veg locally. You'll need to adapt my list to suit your requirements too. And I think there are some things missing, that I seem to remember when I see them! I must update my list.

    Rather than making a list of what I need each time, I have a standard list saved in Word. I print it off and then do a "stock check" on my cupboards.

    You'll find a way to suit you, but I hope this gets you going :)
    Warning ..... I'm a peri-menopausal axe-wielding maniac ;)
  • rchddap1
    rchddap1 Posts: 5,926 Forumite
    One tip. When you freeze anything split it up into 'meals'. For example, when I buy chicken I put bags of 2 portions in the freezer for my other half and I. It means that I don't end up defrosting more than I need at any one time. I pick out a bag before I go to work, and when I get home it is all nicely defrosted and ready to cook.

    If you use potatoes keep your eyes open for somewhere to buy them locally, eg, a farm shop etc... I find them expensive at supermarkets and not as good quality either. Mind you whenever I see my Dad every couple of weeks he hands us a free bag of tates, so you can't really get cheaper than that.

    Also, this weekend I'm going to part cook some individual shepherd's pies and stick them in the freezer. I've found a local butchers (at last) and I will pop up there at the weekend to try and get my lamb mince. Remember, sometimes if you make that little extra effort to go to a butcher's or a green grocers you can make savings.
    Baby Year 1: Oh dear...on the move

    Lily contracted Strep B Meningitis Dec 2006 :eek: Now seemingly a normal little monster. :beer:
    Love to my two angels that I will never forget.
  • elona
    elona Posts: 11,806 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    You can use white vinegar as a rinse aid in dishwasher and instead of fabric conditioner.

    Instead of j clothes buy a pack of old fashioned dish clothes for cleaning and wash them every day when you have used them - they will last for ages.

    Instead of ironing liquid - use a spray bottle of water with a few drops of essential oil and spray garment with this when you iron.
    "This site is addictive!"
    Wooligan 2 squares for smoky - 3 squares for HTA
    Preemie hats - 2.
  • Pooky
    Pooky Posts: 7,023 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    In my store cupboard...... (bearing in mind there's 4 of us and I do a lot of baking)


    Flours, plain, self raising, bread
    Yeast
    Oats
    Herbs and Spices
    Baking stuff - cake cases, baking powder, cooking choc,cake decs etc.
    Custard powder
    Salt - table and course sea salt
    Pepper - White and black
    Vinegar
    Sugar - brown, granulated, castor
    Dried fruits, raisins etc
    Popping corn

    Tinned goods
    Tomatos
    Baked beans
    Spahetti hoops
    kidney beans
    Tuna
    Corned beef
    New potatos

    Range of different dried pasta, spaghetti, lasagne etc
    Rice
    Cous cous

    Tea - regular bags and fruit teas
    Coffee - Instant and for cafetair
    Cooking oil and olive oil
    Cereals
    Marmite
    Jam's
    Marmalades
    Mustards
    Relishes
    Pickles
    Chutneys
    Sauces - Tomato and brown

    Tin foil
    Cling film
    Food bags

    Fridge stuff
    Butter
    Marg for baking
    Sunflower spread for sandwiches
    Cheese
    Mayonnaise
    Salad cream
    Squash
    Fruit juice

    Fresh veggies, salad items.

    Frozen
    Bread
    Milk
    Selection of veggies
    meat
    homemade stocks and soups
    Ice cream (bailys haagen dazs of course!)


    It will take a while to build a store cupboard up but if you try and get a few things each week when they are on offer, if stored well most will last for ages.

    Once you have a meal plan sorted out you'll be able to see what to buy on a week to week basis to see you through.

    I remember moving out of home for the first time, I had all this nice cupboard space that I filled with pots and pans and china, my mother called round on moving in day and said......"when are you going to get some food..and where are you going to put it???" The answer of "can't I just take what I need from your larder" didn't go down to well ;)
    "Start every day off with a smile and get it over with" - W. C. Field.
  • Pooky
    Pooky Posts: 7,023 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Oopps forgot the cleaning stuff....

    Bleach - value (does the job)
    Soda crystals
    Cream cleaner (gets used on everything)
    Washing up liquid
    Dishwasher powder
    Washing powder - fabric conditioner for some items
    Basic value multi purpose cleaner for floors etc
    Disinfectant
    Rubber gloves (for all those messy things)
    Dish clothes/ sponges
    Dusters
    Spray polish/ wax polish for wood
    Shoe polish
    Toilet cleaner ..i.e. a limescale remover (hard water area)
    Wet wipes for quick wipe overs - Lidl's own are great

    Pet food

    I try and buy in bulk - works out cheaper if you have somewhere to store it.
    "Start every day off with a smile and get it over with" - W. C. Field.
  • Wow !! Thanks everybody, ill print all that off and work out my own list from that!

    I love this site!
  • I have started doing most of my shopping on our local market with is really good. I can get all the veg needed which i can get 2 weeks for the same price as the supermarket for 1 week. They even sell gallon containers of thick bleach for £2 and cleaning products such as toilet duck for £1 and washing tablets cheaper as they are in a plastic bag and not the box, but they have the brand name logo on them. I bake all my own bread and buy milk now in bulk from Tescos and freeze it when i go for anything i cant get on the market. As another poster said i buy big blocks of cheese and wrap it in tin foil to stop it going hard and mouldy, lasts ages. Having said that i have time on a Friday to do this, not everyone has the same time. Saving loads of money :D :T
This discussion has been closed.
Meet your Ambassadors

🚀 Getting Started

Hi new member!

Our Getting Started Guide will help you get the most out of the Forum

Categories

  • All Categories
  • 350.3K Banking & Borrowing
  • 252.9K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
  • 453.2K Spending & Discounts
  • 243.3K Work, Benefits & Business
  • 597.9K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
  • 176.6K Life & Family
  • 256.4K Travel & Transport
  • 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
  • 16.1K Discuss & Feedback
  • 37.6K Read-Only Boards

Is this how you want to be seen?

We see you are using a default avatar. It takes only a few seconds to pick a picture.