Armageddon food shop? what 2buy?

gailey_2

Recently found out hubbys jobs not secure.

we fairly frugal

we buy own brand
shop in many shops
hubbys on great reduced hunt now
buy value or offers only
cut bck on meat.
cook mostly from scratch.

Get paid next friday want to do a really good shop as store cupboards and freezer run down.

we have 2adults , 3kids and a hamster.

been spending £250-300 month including household and toilitries.

plan was go farm foods get frozen oven chips, stuff go with chips and frozen veg mainly.

then go aldis or lidls for some basics
morries, saisnburys or tesco for some value items

want to do a really good food shop no more than £200
stockpile on few things.

things on list so far are

bog roll-toothpaste maybe from b&m or £1 shop.
nappies-sainsburys value

salt, pepper, stock
gravy granules./
some dried herbs and window herbs
tinned beans, sweetcorn, tuna, fruit ect.
passatta
tomato paste.
tinned tomatoes
spices/curry powders as we out.
dried pasta, rice, rissotto
maybe few cheapy packet mxes
some tinned soup.

i dont mind shopping few places just needs a few tips

really need very good store cupboard so can then make loads of meals and work around whatever reductions we find.

find having food in house makes me feel bit more secure.

then if we have no money coming in then least we have a buffer zone.

Im going to try meal plan next 2 months on rolling menu bit like school dinners.

have some free frozen cherries in freezer
will pick blackberries plums and nuts next.
will get couple tubs ice cream and custard powder.
flour and baking stuff.
kids like tinned peaches, jelly and angel delight as emergency desserts.

we already buy value mouses and value fromage frais.
we try ration crips/biscuits and choc.
mostly they drink value squash.
I do 2 packed lunches a day term time.
normally its cereal or toast for brekkie
sometimes reduced crumpets.

buy 90%bread/bakery products reduced.
have baked in past but work out more expensive in bread flour but can do again in future.
we have huge chest freezer.Large fridge.
Im capable cook can make pizza base, casseroles.
cakes/biscuits not great but do my best.

I used to batch cook and freeze might do that as make me feel like doing somethng things like lasagne, sherperds pie ect.

we not huge drinkers.
have used disinfectant with water in spray bottles to clean.

thinking should bulk buy some non foods take pressure off so we have cleaning stuff, toilitries, washing up liquid, wipess ect.

I have backup cloth nappies but my 2 toddlers wee through them.
1 is potty trained just needs nappies at night.

we have small veg patch in garden so get some stuff from that.
Anything we can grow to eat in winter?

I can make chutneys not so good at jam.

i best start making home made food hampers again as xmas pressies.

trying to get through list of clothes buying and winter essentials kids need.

I know its not armageddon but day I wasent expecting and feel stressed and upset.

Been on mse and oldstyle many years.

we been doing so well with debt busting last few years got used to living frugally.

Looking at other ways to save and try bring in income.

but food always seems to be the only varaible.

last few months we not done huge shops.
we done small shops aldis or lidls then topped up with reductions.
we totally changed way we shop in recent years gone are days of tesco or sainsburys we only go ther to do mil shopping or get few bits cant get elsewhere or specific offers/reductions

bossymoo

Hi

Sorry to hear about the job problems

If you use nappies will you need bags? Sainsburys basics ones are good, and cheap. Could you maybe get some value wipes for when out and about but use some cheap flannels at home? At least for wet nappies, perhaps not soiled

Also like basics tea bags - but depends on your tastes - what things do you use most?

I think I would be tempted to jot down over the course of a week what you tend to use and quantities, before stocking up - last winter I got a bit of a store cupboard going but still have the custard sachets and tinned corned beef, as we just don't have them all that often. No point wasting money buying what you won't use.

Porridge oats are versatile - for breakfast, flapjacks, even padding out chilli / bolognese.

Maybe check out what bargain stores are near you? I'm lucky to have a market, a home bargains and a b&m all within walking distance, these are great for plain toiletries, basic cleaning stuff and staples like cereals.

Do you bake? Maybe a supply of flour etc?

It does all depend on your own preferences, really.

HappyMJ

Potatoes are cheaper than chips..they just require preparation time.

I wouldn't buy tinned soups they are so easy to make and freeze and a fraction of the cost (maybe half)....although you would be making about 10 tins worth (4kg) in a batch to be worthwhile.

Gillybean

I know you don't eat much meat but if you've got the freezer space a local butcher might do you a deal if you buy a carcass and he'll butcher it for you.

breakfasts- will everyone eat porridge? This is really cheap and can be done in the slow cooker overnight, economical if all 5 of you will eat it and there'll be plenty left over for the next day.

batch cooking and freezing is a great idea and again the slow cooker can really help here.

I'm no expert but I think you've got most things covered. Do your research about best places to buy, love the idea of a month/2mth menu plan. Well done on thinking ahead, best to be proactive than reactive!

Fingers crossed re your husbands job.

gailey_2

Thanks bossy moo i just tend to put them staight in bin always dispose of poo down toilet.

currently using value wipes and value nappies.

sainsburys stopped doing bascic coffee.
we not tea drinkers.

huge expenditure is -8pints milk a day.

we have spar, 2 saisnburys large and small, large co-op, tesco metro, lidls, aldis, morrisions and b&m nearby.

I need to make myself useful start planning,.
might calm me down.

family feel less deprived if they have a dessert .

anoyingly basics ranges keep rising
some are good some awful.
co-op appear to discontinued their value peaches which kids loved.

I do need more baking stuff as always school bake sales.
find aldis quite good for homebaking.
might venture asda living for cake sprinkles.
farmfoods used to do large container icecream sprinkles for £1 which used to use for cakes.
we only buy butter when on offer same with cheese.

farmfoods is a distance so and what they have varies.
we eat lots frozen veg anjd 1-2nites a week is something with chips.

I use red lentils to pad out mince.

we going to have shop round lot more and be more cautious to shave £100 a month off shopping bill when everythings rising,

will go through grocery challenge an old threads for new ideas.

tried girl called jack recipes.

kacie

with your growing fruit and veg, could you pickle anything? Do you know anyone who keeps chicken and you could have some of their eggs? Or do a bit of a swap your grown food or a bit of someone elses?

madnotstupid

If you haven't used it before approved foods is great for pasta rice snacks etc. We're ploughing our way thru a 3kg bag of spaghetti

Spendless

Blackberries should be due out soon, may already be depending on where you live. or any other fruit you can find growing eg I know where several apple trees are on common land. You could bake crumbles and pies, using free fruit would keep costs down and satisfy your familys want for puddings?

Linda32

plan was go farm foods get frozen oven chips, stuff go with chips and frozen veg mainly.

As someone has already said HM are better and more filling. But they take time. What I do is cut potatoes into wedge shape and par-boil for 10 minutes. Then coat in oil the same as you do with roast potatoes, then season with salt/pepper whatever herbs you fancy and roast in the oven, gas mark 6 for 35-40 minutes.

then go aldis or lidls for some basics

Don't think of Aldi as a shop that just sells basics, its far better than that for a fraction of the cost. They save money in ways that have nothing to do with food.


things on list so far are
bog roll-toothpaste maybe from b&m or £1 shop.
nappies-sainsburys value

I can't help with nappies but you don't want to got to the £ shop for toothpaste and toilet roll, far to expensive :rotfl: Aldi is where you want to go, trust me.


salt, pepper, stock
gravy granules./
some dried herbs and window herbs
tinned beans, sweetcorn, tuna, fruit ect.
passatta
tomato paste.
tinned tomatoes
spices/curry powders as we out.
dried pasta, rice, rissotto
maybe few cheapy packet mxes
some tinned soup.

All of these are available at Aldi. Apart from parket mixes, I assume you mean Schwartz type things. I'll admit they don't sell them but I bet you can live without them as well.

have used disinfectant with water in spray bottles to clean.

Try Zoflora, you can get it from all supermarkets. Its a small bottle in a box for about 80p you dilute a capfull in 400mils of water to use as a spray.

thinking should bulk buy some non foods take pressure off so we have cleaning stuff, toilitries, washing up liquid, wipess ect.

As above on the cleaning stuff, Aldi again is your place for toilitries and washing up liquid. Almat is easily as good as Fairy.


we have small veg patch in garden so get some stuff from that.
Anything we can grow to eat in winter?

As far as I know, there isn't anything that will help you in your current situation. Sorry about that.


i best start making home made food hampers again as xmas pressies.

Personally, IMHO this is on a hide to nowhere. Sorry, but I really think this is terribly expensive idea unless you have loads of craft stuff that you have collected free over years and have hedgerow freefall and loads of time. If you have the time for this palarva you have the time to search out not very expensive presents. For example The Works if you have one of these near you have great books for a couple of pounds. Start searching around now and buy something weekly. Things can be found very cheaply you just have to think outside the box. I know its possible because I do it every year.


trying to get through list of clothes buying and winter essentials kids need.

What do your children actually need compared to what they already have?


Been on mse and oldstyle many years.

I know you have, so its just a little shock to the system, its understandable.

Very best wishes.

gailey_2

address a few things

only hubby eats porridge im not keen and neither are kids.
we tried value cereals grim so buy branded when on offer and supermarket own either sainsburys and aldis find lilds cereals bit rubbish.

Only recently had adli open near us used to go one further away but last 2times we went aldis spent loads.I do like aldis frozen fish and lots other things they do,

I will mix £1 shops, co-op has £1 deals as does local chemist.
just brought new toothpastes so just need couple extra.
will be going down b&m payday as find some of their stuff good.

I know potatoes can work out cheap and if i have the time i make my own chips.

we growing potatoes in garden:)

chips we buy normally co-op value £1.30 for 1.2kg bag or lidls 62 p abag sometimes champion in adlis taste as good as mcain.

Dont know anyone with chickens.

always buy co-op value free range eggs £1.90 for 10.

yes blackeberries and plums nearly ready
already forage cherries in july and frozen them and been up pick your own farm.morries do their own brand packetmixes just handy things like cheese sauce to go with frozen cauli for kids, or stuff to liven up reduced meat or chicken.

will make some presmade crumbles and freeze.

the xmas food gifts not cost me much

ging to try superscrimpers blackberry liquer this year.
missed elderflower but going to attempt to brew elderberry wine.
cherry brandy with foraged cherries and cheap brandy or could buy cheap vodka,
then nearr the time i make couple jars hm chutney and make few shortbread gingerbread an cheap box chocs please dad every year and dont cost me much.

Apart from poattoes we growing weetcorn which could freeze and tomatoes thinking could make homemade pasta sauce and freeze.

tonight hubby went reduced run slim pickings saisnburys/co-op bit more in tesco metro ham sandwiches for 16p so just added cheese tosted them served with oven chips and ketchup for kids and transformed reduced garicflatbread into pizza wth passatta, cheese, tomatoes and some reduced ham.

he got some breaded fish/chicken on offer.
going to do fish with reduced potaoes tomorow night with frozen peas and sweetcon.
Then sunday breaded chicken with chips.

we stoill have eggs.

he got some reduced muffins which will probably freeze inividuallyi in sandwich bags for lunch boxes.

crossients reduced to 25p nice wth value jam for brekkie tommorow.

he got loads of berad muffins 9p a pack now frozen which can make mini pizzas with by adding passatta /cheese and toasting under the grill.

reduced kiwis and bananas for kids.
i quite like banana sandwches.
he has 1 more reduced ham roll left and reduced pasta salad for lunch tommorow.

we out bicsuits so will make flapjacks this weekend as have otas, sugar and golden syrup.

we have so much reduced bread in freezer.

going to go lidls tommorow for just milk and any amazing weekend offers.

doing carboots sunday and theres often cheap veg man there well im hoping.

it being holidays my 7year old hungry all time.

I want to cut bck without them feeling deprived.


clothes eldest needs uniform. shoes, coat , new school bag an gloves thats it.

middle child needs new stuff as shes had growth spurt ad lost of her stuff summer.she needs new coat,aslso shoes.


small boy doesnt need huge amount.

I dont need much.

hubby could do with few things especially if he has job interveiws

as long s everyone has hat, scrat, gloves, cardigans and jumpers save on heating, coat and decent footwear then we happy.

off to morries to try their school uniform.

its middle childs birthday sept so might ask for vouchers.

will try buy couple xmas pressies per month in run up to xmas.

This may sound daft even if we are substantially poorer dont want kids to realise that so will ensure they look smart go back to school, always look nice and feel as if they have some cheap/free family days out and presents.

Im expert bargain hunter and often gets things for 50 or 31.
picked up 2 pairs pjs, 2cardigan and jumpers for £5 today for small boy.

hes 2,5 and most of his clothes since he been born been 2nd hand and everyone comments on how nice he looks.

I never expected hi to lose job and have huge drop in income.

could be months before he finds proper job so would be agency work topped by tax credits in mean time so nee make serious cutbacks and prepare for the worst incase this months pay packets the last.

thank you everyone for ideas.

lovefullshelves

gailey I think you sound like you're doing really well, and you should pat yourself on the back, I'd do it but you're too far away! And you've thought about it before it happens too:) If I was your mum I'd tell you I was very proud of you!
HG tomatoes make a good pasta sauce, onion, herbs, sugar and seasoning, good background to alot of things, I do it most years. Mixed with cheap aldi cream cheese with garlic(49p) makes a good creamy tomato pasta bake.
Instant noodles (18p aldi) with beansprouts(65p jar aldi or reduced if you're lucky) and bits of leftover chicken and veg..chow mein- ish!
Good luck x