Winter food musthaves on a budget.

unimaginative_user_name

I make a list of dinners I can cook from the store cupboard and make sure that I have enough to feed the family for a couple of weeks in case we're snowed in or ill. I like to keep some tins of fruit in case we run out of fresh, though my daughter would rather eat tinned anyway! Tinned pulses are also handy or dry if you don't mind having to precook them.

I also make sure my freezer is well stocked for the winter and I have drawers full of homemade soup! I'm not a particular fan of frozen veg but I buy peas, sweet corn, green beans and mixed veg for when I need a quick vegetable accompaniment or when I've run out of fresh. I freeze my own chopped onions and peppers when they are cheap. I also find the odd can of mushroom or chicken soup in the cupboard is handy either to eat as soup or to pour over meat and/or veg as a sauce. I think it's important though to run down stored supplies in the spring or summer or else you can end up with out of date stuff. If you do this it cuts your grocery expenditure in the summer when there are lots of extra expenses like school uniform, days out in the summer holidays etc to budget for.

I also like to have extra stocks of washing powder, fabric conditioner, washing up liquid and so on as I don't want to run out of these if I can't get to the shops.

Bottled water is also handy in case your water supply fails but the cheapest supermarket own brand that you like, not imported mineral water.

fuddle

I go the other way and stock up on cupboard essentials while running down the freezer stocks.

I do this because I don't want to invest and rely on something that needs electricity source. I lost a whole months worth of meat and dairy 2 years ago and since then concentrated in things I can cook in hot water on an external heat source should emergency hit. My cupboards are full of ingredients and tinned stuff.

Don't get me wrong, I have meat and frozen veg in my freezer but I don't invest heavily on freezing batch cooking or extra meats for longevity.

There's nothing wrong with either way, just differing perspectives.

WantToBeSE

Thanks for ll the lists. I really should put custard and rice pud on my list, as it can be eaten hot or cold (in case of a power cut).

[Deleted User]

mince
long life milk
bisto powder
rice
pasta
herbs and spices (they can go a bit stale if not used often.)
porridge
Cheese I buy a big block and divide it up into four and freeze it
Tinned tomatos/passata
Tinned spuds(great to add to soups,stews almost anything really
Lazy garlic(I wouldn't be without a jar in my cupboard
Crispbread(I have stopped eating bread anyway)
My freezer is stacked full at the moment so I am not doing much in the way of shopping If I can run it down a bit by Christmas I am hoping to stock up on some bargain meat on Christmas Eve when it gets off loaded in the SM.:):) Last year I snaffled a huge turkey which went into my DDs box freezer and we had it at Easter It only cost £4.00 and weighed around 12lb.Fed seven of us over Easter and I used the carcuss to make some delicious stock.

WantToBeSE

I have never bought Tinned stewing steak before. Is it just a tin of pre cooked beef? What can i use it in, just casseroles or more?

[Deleted User]

I keep my eyes open for special deals, and stock up.

Asda are currently doing 5 minute simmer soups, @ 4 for a pound, so I bought 20 packets, which are currently languishing in my cupboard.

Similarly, some months ago, they were selling packets of Pasta and Sauce, for 50p each, so I bought 30 of them.

I still have about 25 of them left.

At Aldi, I don't buy a few tins of beans, peas, spaghetti, potatoes, fruit salad etc.

Instead, I buy whole trays, meaning I have several month's worth of food in the house.

bluebag

Marmite,

makes a good hot drink, eat it on toast, use it as a stock cube.
Great stuff.

flubberyzing

Lots of soup.

I'm too lazy to make my own, so it's usually tomato soup for me, with a handful of grated cheese and a sprinkling of dried garlic and black pepper. Lovely and tasty.

Things like cottage/shepherds pies are also lovely.

bluebag

flubberyzing wrote: »

Lots of soup.

I'm too lazy to make my own, so it's usually tomato soup for me, with a handful of grated cheese and a sprinkling of dried garlic and black pepper. Lovely and tasty.

Things like cottage/shepherds pies are also lovely.

I can only make one soup, minestrone. The rest all seem to turn out like gloop. I am not a bad cook, but soup defeats me for some strange reason.

trolleyrun

Wine, sausages and loo paper can see me through any apocalypse