Keep Overspending on food

Dr._Shoe

I keep buying food. I just can't help myself.

OK, I know we need food to survive but I seem to be addicted to buying it and I usually buy too much and end up throwing too much of it away.

Let me illustrate: I live on my own so I'd be better off buying chicken pieces and freezing 2/3rds of it and then I have enough for three meals. Instead I buy a whole chicken and end up either wasting half of it or eating it some time after what is healthy. I end up paying someting like £5 for something that will only do two meals (because I end up chucking half of it away) instead of £3 for something that will do 3 meals. OK, I could just eat chicken for three days and that's problem solved but what about the pasties, the sausages, the piece of pork, the beef, the salad, the lettuce, the cucumber? I have pies and things in the freezer that I've had for two months but yet I still buy more food instead of using what I already have!

I think this is one area where I need help.

sharond101

Aldi and Asda are by far the best value and quality for fruit and vegetables in my opinion. Asda do better quality lettuce for the same price as Aldi but then Aldi had strawberries which were delicious this week for 89p which Asda were selling at £1.89. I add red lentils to my mince which bulks it out. Homemade soup is cheap and good for lunches. We spend very little on food and eat really well. Meat every day. I have time to shop around though and grab bargains. A fabulous investment for us was our second freezer which lives in the garage. Can grab all the supermarket reductions and not worry about fitting it in. I don't remember the last time I bought meat or poultry at full price.

shegirl

selement wrote: »

I already do some of the things people have suggested - I tried the getting cash out strategy, it worked back when OH was unemployed but now it might be either one of us that goes to the shop straight after work and would be annoying if the other had the cash so that sadly is no longer convenient. We do cash for our personal spends to try to control that more though.

Talked to OH he's willing to try less meat or have quorn sometimes instead.

I usually do main big shop online I too find it helps with controlling spending a little. Admittedly I didn't this month though.

Do people usually buy a months worth of fruit and freeze it? I think that's the main thing it'd be nice to not have to keep fetching.

Soup maker is actually on my wish list currently so maybe I'll try to do more soups in the future I make them occasionally but I reckon I'd do it more with a soup maker.

shegirl I have no idea what we're spending the extra on, perhaps it is as simple as Sainsburys not being very cheap as we don't even really buy snacks anymore. Following Slimming World so don't buy many bread or snack products now (just get wholemeal loafs), trying to snack on fruit or muller lights (any cheaper syn free brands anyone?). We do buy a lot of bacon but always stuff that's on offer (medallions would be fine but I usually find the normal back bacon packs are on a better offer).

I do plan meals in advance, usually having a rough guide for the month so I can do the monthly shop then I have to think ahead every few days to make sure the correct meats are defrosted.

I think my cupboards are fairly well stocked? Things like chopped tomatoes I seem to get through like wildfire but I always buy the basics ones. Part of the issue may be that I'm following a lot of recipes lately so perhaps I'm buying extra ingredients I wouldn't normally use? I also find that my local Sainsburys doesn't do particularly large bags of pasta or rice so perhaps also sourcing bigger bags of this from elsewhere would be better.

Thanks everyone, I think the main thing I'll take from this is to get even more if possible in monthly shop to prevent the smaller shops, do it online as cheaply as possible, and go to Morrisons or Aldi for the smaller shops especially for fruits even though they are further away (to get to Aldi after work means going through lots more traffic too so I can see that not happening, but the slight bit further to Morrisons isn't unreasonable though).

Also will definitely look at some of those cheap recipes mentioned near top of thread

Muller lights are often on offer so worth watching out for that. Or you could possibly have greek/greek style yoghurt with frozen berries? Cuts down on the cost of fresh fruit a bit and you'll probably end up eating less yoghurt too as it's quite thick and feels like you're eating more.

Not sure on the freezing fruit,some would be ok like apple I guess. Fruit is pricey these days,could you swap some fruit for veg (which is what we're meant to eat most of anyway) and have veg sticks and dips sometimes? Peppers can be frozen too. Have you looked at things like Quark for using in meals and snacks? I love it on toasted aubergine slices (rubbed with pepper) and topped with a slice of ham,or on riveta,used in omlettes or scrambled egg,sometimes make a cauliflower cheese type thing with that and ham.

Cut and come salad can be grown easily and cheaply too,which is something to consider aswell. Can do it your windowsill if needs be.

pawsies

Sainsburys may be a bit more expensive but the quality is far superior in my experience.

Asda/Lidl/Aldi fruit and veg is very variable in quality. A lot of the produce you can tell in the store won't last more than 2 days. Tesco and Waitrose are on par with Sainsburys in how long they last.

Plus driving miles further to another supermarket may work out the same anyway in terms of petrol costs.

I would advise either buying frozen veg if you don't mind that, buying reduced veg in sainsburys (still lasts longer than the others!), buying less veg and planning what you actually need i.e. stick to the list.

You'll find most of Sainsburys products to be better ethically if that matters to you. All meat is British unless stated otherwise. Most own brand cosmetic products are not tested on animals. They have a wide range of Fairtrade products and usually use free range eggs in their products. They pay their farmers a fair price for milk. Not affected by horse meat scandal unlike many of the other retailers including Tesco.

It depends if you think that is a price worth paying.

In terms of cutting back I would meal plan, stick to the list, allow yourself a personal spending limit (e.g. I can have a fiver to spend on something I really want right now!) as this will make you more likely to stick to the list. Consider whether the products you usually buy you actually use e.g. are you buying lots of bananas and no one is eating them?

maman

meer53 wrote: »

Don't waste money on a soupmaker, a saucepan and cheap stick blender (you can get one for about a fiver) will do the same job.

Shop at Aldi, you'll save loads. I get all my fruit and veg there, their mushrooms last a week in my fridge, the salad stuff lasts too. I think Aldi fruit and veg beats Morrisons every time.

Do you have to shop after work? If you could drive to Aldi at the weekend and stock up on all the main things for the month I'm sure you'd save loads. Their frozen berries are excellent value and would keep and save on fresh fruit. I buy their fat free plain yogurt (or the Greek style one) and mix with fresh fruit rather than buy Mullers.


I get their gammon joints (far better value than buying cooked ham) and boil them, using the stock to make amazing lentil and veg soup. I don't have a soup maker or blender, just attack it with a potato masher. Aldi do FR chickens and all the meat I've bought there is red tractor British AFAIK.


Great that your DH is on board.


Things I definitely would stick to in Sainsbury's are : BGTY Cumberland sausages (1 syn each) and 5% mince (although cheaper in Asda last time I checked).


If you have the room I'd definitely think about getting more freezer space.

Ken68

I've given up buying most of the processed food on sale. Make my own yogurt and only eat bread occasionally. So just plain fruit , veg and some meat and run a lot on powdered milk for protein . BUT, I am retired and have the time to grow own food and hunt for bargains. Couldn't live cheaper.
To make even more money the supermarkets are making up meals from any old left overs, adding a load of salt or sugar so as to keep longer on the shelf and then selling you their labour as well. Shoppers need to not only brand down but to go generic.

catwoman73

Dr._Shoe wrote: »

I keep buying food. I just can't help myself.

OK, I know we need food to survive but I seem to be addicted to buying it and I usually buy too much and end up throwing too much of it away.

Let me illustrate: I live on my own so I'd be better off buying chicken pieces and freezing 2/3rds of it and then I have enough for three meals. Instead I buy a whole chicken and end up either wasting half of it or eating it some time after what is healthy. I end up paying someting like £5 for something that will only do two meals (because I end up chucking half of it away) instead of £3 for something that will do 3 meals. OK, I could just eat chicken for three days and that's problem solved but what about the pasties, the sausages, the piece of pork, the beef, the salad, the lettuce, the cucumber? I have pies and things in the freezer that I've had for two months but yet I still buy more food instead of using what I already have!

I think this is one area where I need help.

How about buying a whole chicken, portioning it then freezing and using as you like? There are videos on You Tube if you aren't confident in doing this.

Or you could cut the legs off to freeze and use separately and then roast just the breast in a chicken crown type manner so you'll have a lot less meat to deal with in one go and some saved for later to use at your leisure.

mrsHall2b

Ma77hew wrote: »

I have found bizarrely that I spend less when I shop online, compared to instore. Don't know if it helps me see alternative products, or if its because I stick to the list better. I tend to look at whats on offer and then plan meals around that.

Before shopping online I was averaging £150 a week, now its around £85, there's me the wife and a baby, so although thats a lot to some, its been a big saving to us.

Though the wife complained last week that I'd missed a couple of items, so decided she would do the shop this week, she never got round to ordering it, so she just went into the shop and spent £100 on her way home from work. She wants to try the SW meals this week from iceland, and didn't get any of them, so I can see us spending another £50 at least.

Maybe its her not being involved rather than internet shopping that's helped reduce the bill.

Im the opposite i spend more online as i cant find the cheapest options, whereas shopping in store i can see it all!

selement wrote: »

shegirl I have no idea what we're spending the extra on, perhaps it is as simple as Sainsburys not being very cheap as we don't even really buy snacks anymore. Following Slimming World so don't buy many bread or snack products now (just get wholemeal loafs), trying to snack on fruit or muller lights (any cheaper syn free brands anyone?). We do buy a lot of bacon but always stuff that's on offer (medallions would be fine but I usually find the normal back bacon packs are on a better offer).

sainsburys have a pack of cooking bacon for either £1.10 or £1.30 (cant remember) which is what i buy.

One thing i couldnt be without is my slow cooker.

there is occasions all i have left is potatoes, gravy, sausages so i throw it in the SC + a couple of slices of bread and heres another meal.

fannyadams

mysupermarket.co.uk will help you plan your list. It has the big 4 (including sainsbury's) as well as Iceland and Aldi.
I'm another Aldi convert and have (since he became unemployed) converted HWTHMBO to shopping there too.
Always suprised at how tiny the bill is when I check out. you just need to get used to chucking everything back in the trolley and packing it into your bags on the shelves away from the checkout.
good luck - you can do it!

disabled_NCIS_fan

I don't know if anywhere round your place does it but we get fruit and veg delivered from a local company. Found them on FB. Get tons more than I would even at Aldi and Lidl and it lasts longer. I order say Tuesday/ Wednesday time by messaging him, can add small bits usually up till the night before and he turns up and we pay him at the door.

Meat we tend to get from a market. Lot cheaper and with things like mince can buy only the amount we need. And huge bags of chicken breasts for £20 for 5kg. B&M I find is quite good for tins. And for your muller yogurts Heron usually have those on offer.