In dire need of help... or a kick up the bum

Mimi_Arc_en_ciel

Ilona wrote: »

Hi OP. Seems to me that every week you have a deadline, every seventh day you chuck out what you already have No what i do on the 7th day is write a shopping list, If I have it in then I don't buy it and go shopping. Try stretching it to eight days, or nine days, and eat what you were going to chuck out. How do you test if food has gone off? Do you inspect it, sniff it, and look closely at it, or do you bin it if it is close to the date? Depends on what it is. I'm "funny" about yogurts being opened for a while, but I keep eggs and do the "water check" - Usually with veg I squeeze it (Don't smell as I cant really smell if that makes sense lol) or look at it.
As someone said, a big pot of plain Value yogurt is 45p, it will last for three weeks in your fridge. See I would probably bin it after a week Those split pot yogurts for £1.74 are way too expensive. I've down graded this week to see and then once I've got it in my head then I will swap to the big pots - The mullers were on offer for £5 so I've saved £3.26 so far Instead off real coca cola, (I personally still think that is only good for cleaning toilets), get a carton of Value fruit juice and dilute at least 50% water. I've got fruit juice in already - and I've been good today, well ... 4 coffees but 750ml of water (blurgh) Six pack white finger rolls are too expensive, you would be better buying a loaf of bread, and wholemeal not white. These were on offer along with the cobs 2 for £1 - I needed the cobs for the BBQ/burgers and didn't see point in buying a loaf of bread because the kids don't eat half of the bread (They cut the crusts off etc) and the rest goes to waste. They will however, eat hot dogs on Saturday Did you really need the seasoning at £3.30, maybe look for a cheaper brand. Probably not but I couldn't find a substitute and when I checked for a cheaper brand on mysupermarket I couldn't find any. We don't live near a supermarket (Nearest shoo is a onestop and its expensive) so I thought id just get them because by time I counter in petrol etc its probably cheaper IYKWIM

A lot of what you buy is ok, you just need to tweak it a bit, and make a rule not to throw anything out.
Ilona

Hi - Thanks for the replies - Answer in red ^^ - I know it seems im making excuses, I'm just trying to let you know what/how im thinking so you can help me change my mindset

Mimi_Arc_en_ciel

Just gone through my CC statement....


I spent £441.48 in supermarkets last month from 16th June - 16th July.


That's £441.48 / 31 (days) - that's £14.24 A DAY!!!!!


Just under £100 a week so NOT, I REPEAT


NOT


The £70 I thought it was!!!!

Honey_Bear

All of the answers to all of your questions are somewhere on the Grocery Challenge. The first sticky is the new thread and the second one is the current or previous one - when you read them you'll understand why there are often two running at the same time.


You might find that just reading the first few posts in the July Challenge would be a good way to get started - all of the accumulated wisdom of the years those Challenges have been running have been distilled into them.


Good luck.

Lavandula_Rosemary

I would ditch the coke altogether at £3 a week that is very expensive and the stuff is full of nasty artificial additives/chemicals imo

Honey_Bear

I'm still trying to get my head around throwing yoghurt away after a week.


I make yoghurt, and there's nothing wrong with it for at least two to three weeks. The 'water' that separates out at the top is, in fact, whey, and the thicker the yoghurt, the less whey there is in it. You can stir it back in to make the yoghurt go further, but I just tip that out, off the top.


(Whey tastes utterly disgusting on its own and it used to be fed to pigs as a by-product of the cheese industry, but I don't know if it still is. Ricotta is made from it, but apart from that, it goes down the drain.)


What's left is thicker yoghurt, and if strained for long enough to get as much whey as possible out of it is as close as you can get to Greek Yoghurt without buying the expensive stuff. Please don't chuck it out!

Mimi_Arc_en_ciel

I think it's just something I must have gotten from my mum. When the water stuff goes on top I assume it's bad and bin it.

pigpen

Mimi_Arc_en_ciel wrote: »

I think it's just something I must have gotten from my mum. When the water stuff goes on top I assume it's bad and bin it.

I just stir it back in, or pour it off..

I have been inspired to go add up my spending now.. just to see how mine compares, I'm sure I spend way too much too.


between 23rd June and today I spent £512.. possibly a few quid missed off for the odd milk I sent OH for but that is just over £17 a day.. for 11 of us. £1.55 in food each day.. that is with cleaning stuff and toiletries and nappies and catfood and everything, not just person food.. I feel like a total cheapskate now lol..

The things I can think of I do differently is bulk buying.. I buy vast quantities of say, chicken breast, sausages, mince, burgers etc.. you could do that and split it to portions sizes suitable for your family and freeze it. Batch cook if you have freezer space..

Buying fresh cauliflower/broccoli etc, splitting it and just cooking what you need.. it will last several weeks in the fridge.. I also use the stalks.. I grate it and use it to bulk or mince, stews and whizz it and add to gravy. ditto carrots parsnips etc.. I buy the value ranges too.. a carrot is a carrot.. you don't need it to be a pretty shape.. and if you are using it soon it is perfectly fine and taken out of plastic packaging and kept dry and cool fresh veg lasts a LOT longer. quite often the big supermarkets will take frersh stuff off the shelf and down brand it if it is getting tired so the value carrots might have been labelled as organic a few days previously.

If you don't like value beans/spaghetti.. try the next cheapest rather than go straight to Heinz which has much higher levels of salt and sugar.

pigpen

1Tesco Everyday Value Fromage Frais Strawberry 6*55G£0.42
2Tesco Everyday Value 10 Fish Fingers 250G£1.20 .. the bigger packs of Tesco fish fingers are cheaper and actually edible, the meat is white rather than grey and they are half as big again than these.
1Tesco Broccoli & Cauliflower Floret Mix 900G£1.00
1Tesco Everyday Value Garden Peas 1Kg£0.98
1Walls 12 Thick Pork Sausages 500G£1.50 .. riverside are cheaper and much tastier and have no gristle.. definitely be down branding here.. Tesco premium ones are really nice too. I find the skins impossible to gnaw through on walls.
1Tesco Everyday Value Vegetable Stock Cubes 100G 10Pk£0.20
1Tesco Root Ginger Loose£0.271
Tesco Bunched Spring Onions 100G£0.49 .. again try a local greengrocer
1 6 Pack White Finger Rolls£0.65 .. are these value ones?? they are all made in the same factory buy the cheapest!
1 6 Pack Seeded Burger Buns£0.65
1Tesco Mixed Chillies 65G£0.60
1Tesco Everyday Value Mixed Vegetables 1.3Kg£1.00
1Barny Chocolate Kids Sponge Bear 5 Pack 150G£1.00
1Tesco Everyday Value Mushrooms 600G£1.00
1Mr Freeze Freeze Pops 20X45ml£1.00
1Tesco Loves Baby U/Soft Fragrance Free Wipes 64 Pack£1.00 .. they currently have pampers ones on offer.. I stock up on huggies wipes when buy one get 2 free.
1Jus-Rol Light Puff Pastry Sheet 320G£1.00 .. I never understand buying this but accept it is easier.. do you have and places like farmfoods/Iceland you could check out to get it cheaper?
1Schwartz Chinese 5 Spice Seasoning 58G£1.65 .. what is in it? surely you could buy separate spices and make your own?
1Schwartz Classic Barbecue Seasoning 44G£1.65
1Tesco British Skimmed Milk 2.272L/4 Pints£1.00
1Tesco Sliced Mixed Peppers 500G£1.00 .. buy whole and slice yourself, if you use for cooking it freezes well.
1Centennial Dry Roasted Peanuts 400G£1.19 .. a peanut is a peanut.. downbrand
1Tesco Everyday Value White Potatoes 2.5Kg£1.18 .. I buy a 5kg bag for £2 at a local shop.. is this an option??
1Birds Eye 4 Original Beef Burgers 227G£1.49 .. the Tesco quarterpounder ones are much nicer!!
6 Tesco Everyday Value Strawberry Splitpot Yogurt 140G£1.74
2 Pepsi Diet 2 Litre Bottle £3.96 .. I simply wouldn't buy this. it is not good for you and incredibly expensive! that would save £8 a week!!!


I know that sounds obvious and I don't mean to offend, these are just things I do differently which work for me !

Mimi_Arc_en_ciel

pigpen wrote: »

1Tesco Everyday Value Fromage Frais Strawberry 6*55G£0.42
2Tesco Everyday Value 10 Fish Fingers 250G£1.20 .. the bigger packs of Tesco fish fingers are cheaper and actually edible, the meat is white rather than grey and they are half as big again than these. I'll have a look, I think I swapped these when I went and put my order through Tesco (At work, cant check right now)
1Tesco Broccoli & Cauliflower Floret Mix 900G£1.00
1Tesco Everyday Value Garden Peas 1Kg£0.98
1Walls 12 Thick Pork Sausages 500G£1.50 .. riverside are cheaper and much tastier and have no gristle.. definitely be down branding here.. Tesco premium ones are really nice too. I find the skins impossible to gnaw through on walls. Thanks!
1Tesco Everyday Value Vegetable Stock Cubes 100G 10Pk£0.20
1Tesco Root Ginger Loose£0.271
Tesco Bunched Spring Onions 100G£0.49 .. again try a local greengrocer Nearest one is miles away so counter act petrol its not worth going. What I will say is my dads just got an allotment so i'm planning on tapping him up for veg haha!
1 6 Pack White Finger Rolls£0.65 .. are these value ones?? they are all made in the same factory buy the cheapest! These were on offer 2 for £1 (I bought Hot dog Rolls & Burger Buns)
1 6 Pack Seeded Burger Buns£0.65
1Tesco Mixed Chillies 65G£0.60
1Tesco Everyday Value Mixed Vegetables 1.3Kg£1.00
1Barny Chocolate Kids Sponge Bear 5 Pack 150G£1.00
1Tesco Everyday Value Mushrooms 600G£1.00
1Mr Freeze Freeze Pops 20X45ml£1.00
1Tesco Loves Baby U/Soft Fragrance Free Wipes 64 Pack£1.00 .. they currently have pampers ones on offer.. I stock up on huggies wipes when buy one get 2 free. I'm trying not to stock up - LO is potty trained in day so only using wipes at night, we're just getting to the "night time" training then we wont use baby wipes again
1Jus-Rol Light Puff Pastry Sheet 320G£1.00 .. I never understand buying this but accept it is easier.. do you have and places like farmfoods/Iceland you could check out to get it cheaper? I think the nearest Farmfoods is 8 miles away, will check
1Schwartz Chinese 5 Spice Seasoning 58G£1.65 .. what is in it? surely you could buy separate spices and make your own? No idea! Have it now, not have to buy it for a while
1Schwartz Classic Barbecue Seasoning 44G£1.65
1Tesco British Skimmed Milk 2.272L/4 Pints£1.00
1Tesco Sliced Mixed Peppers 500G£1.00 .. buy whole and slice yourself, if you use for cooking it freezes well. These are frozen ones, when I was looking at price per g these were what moneysupermarket came up with
1Centennial Dry Roasted Peanuts 400G£1.19 .. a peanut is a peanut.. downbrand Again - This was a rec from Mysupermarket
1Tesco Everyday Value White Potatoes 2.5Kg£1.18 .. I buy a 5kg bag for £2 at a local shop.. is this an option?? Only local shop is a One Stop - but dads planning on growing these!
1Birds Eye 4 Original Beef Burgers 227G£1.49 .. the Tesco quarterpounder ones are much nicer!! I don't eat these I'll try the own brand ones next time
6 Tesco Everyday Value Strawberry Splitpot Yogurt 140G£1.74
2 Pepsi Diet 2 Litre Bottle £3.96 .. I simply wouldn't buy this. it is not good for you and incredibly expensive! that would save £8 a week!!! I know I know - I'm trying to cut back (used to buy 4!!!)


I know that sounds obvious and I don't mean to offend, these are just things I do differently which work for me !

Sorry pigpen I haven't replied as I haven't been online - replies are now in purple for you


I live literally in the middle of no where, the nearest town is 8 ish miles away and I rarely go there so nipping to farm foods etc is out of the question.


There is a local butcher but hes expensive


The greengrocer is in the next village but my dads now got an allotment so veg cost should reduce


And no, not offended - happy for the help

brightlikeme

I would suggest buy for 6 days and stretch for 9 days , I am sure you will end up finishing whatever groceries u got for yrself and not throw them just like that.