Reducing food costs

valk_scot

georgeholmer wrote: »

I'll have a look at packed lunches for the kids too. Trouble is, at the moment, I have to get three little girls dressed and have there hair brushed as well as the baby changed and two teenage boys out the door on time for the bus most mornings more or less by myself so the idea of also making lunches for them all seems a bit much but if it could save me that much, then I will look at that.

Don't the teenagers help with the younger ones? For instance one makes the packed lunches, the other changes and dresses the baby and you sort out the girls. And don't tell me that teenage boys don't do that sort of thing, my lad was helping feed and dress his baby sister from when he was about 8 yrs old while I made the lunches or whatever. He still plaits her hair for her in the morning, he's 18 and she's 12. I bet if your teenage boys were teenage girls they'd be expected to pitch in a bit more.


Or make it simple for them.. the two boys do the pack ups or they starve. Simple equation, they should be able to cope with that as a concept.

dlusman

dlusman wrote: »

Yes - in your position with a large family , bulk buying dry ingredients & tins from approved foods will be a good option. ( though you do have to keep checking regularly as they have a quick turn around of popular items )
For example they recently had 3Kg of pasta for £1 but have now sold out - and I have seen it low as 3Kg for 50p

The postage charge puts a lot of people off - but if you are buying a lot then the saving soon mount up.

pasta is back in stock
http://www.approvedfood.co.uk/?pid=68923

As I said - You have to keep checking in regularly to get the best deals

kayester

shame its all out of date stuff on that site!

dlusman

kayester wrote: »

shame its all out of date stuff on that site!

doesnt mean there is anything wrong with it

kayester

i know. i use things after 'best before' just wouldnt bulk buy on things out of date thats all. i have 2 small children so wouldnt want to risk anything

notanewuser

kayester wrote: »

i know. i use things after 'best before' just wouldnt bulk buy on things out of date thats all. i have 2 small children so wouldnt want to risk anything

What would you be risking? It's not advised to eat things free their "use by" date (generally found on fresh food) but "best before" dates can be freely ignored. I've just bought 30kg of our of date coffee beans. They're vacuum packed so will keep perfectly for at least another 18 months and I got them for a fifth of the normal price!!

kayester

sorry its just my opinion. and like you say for at least another 18 months, they arent going to stay ok forever

Murphy2011

Just ordered £25 of stuff including the cheap pasta, it's past it's best before date which means it is fine to eat, why pay extra??

paulineb_2

kayester wrote: »

i know. i use things after 'best before' just wouldnt bulk buy on things out of date thats all. i have 2 small children so wouldnt want to risk anything

Its the same on approved foods. Some of the stuff is after best before, some of it is close to the best before date.

You can use things for a good year or two or more after the best before date.

notanewuser

kayester wrote: »

sorry its just my opinion. and like you say for at least another 18 months, they arent going to stay ok forever

Food has no brain and it can't read the date on the packet. We had Xmas pudding this weekend that was 2 years out of date - it was perfectly fine. Biscuits may go a bit soft months past their date, but they won't harm you!