Getting to know you (split - new topic - Old Style on a Pension)

Mint1955

tootles wrote:

I am one half of a retired couple on very limited income, hence my thoughts on one penny doing the work of two.

When working I was a chef, trained originally as a nurse, but a back injury put paid to that.

Had 4 children and a fulltime job when I was working, so organisation was the watchword and that has carried over into life as a retiree, still stick to working out a monthly menu, and shopping once a month for staples.

I know this is a little later than when you posted but I would love to hear what you cook and how you shop, doing a staples shop monthly seems a nightmare to me. I have tried cutting down but bad habits mean I never seem to get the shopping bill down much.

Sarahsaver

£20 out of the bank every saturday and straight into a separate purse for grocery shopping. Thats how I manage to keep my costs down.

Queenie

:hello: Mint1955 - have a read of the May Grocery Challenge and plus one started in the last couple of days about organisation - the great thing about "Old Style" is that it isn't geared towards age or gender or even income, by that I mean we have students in here, single's on benefits, one parent families on benefits, working couples, working families, single income families, pensioners, the whole spectrum of incomes and circumstances.

We now have an indexed Recipe section and then theirs the Home Made/save money on Cleaners so by looking around and reading those you will soon find ways to get organised, menu plan, cut your shopping bill, make environmentally friendly cheaper cleaning stuffs and make each shopping trip count

HTH

tootles_2

Well mint, the basis of my shopping is a menu list. I make out a rough list for the month and then buy what I need, I make my own bread, although I do buy wholemeal bread for toast.

What do I cook.

Spag Bol, Lasagne, mince and dough balls,shepherds pie or cottage pie, stews, cheese and onion pie, stovies ( for my husband) casseroles, sausage and mash, toad in the hole, sausage and bean casserole. Fish pie, we have either fish and chips (home made) or egg and chips once a week. Roast beef, a joint will do us for four meals, hot on Sunday cold with either salad or jacket spuds on Monday and then I slice and freeze whats left for another roast dinner, later in the month. Roast Lamb, Roast chicken, again this does us for 3 meals, hot (Sunday) cold with salad and then whats left I either make chicken pie or fricasse and use the carcas for stock for soup. We have soup or cheese for lunch with fresh fruit, tuna pitta breads, sandwiches. I occasionally buy salmon fillets, smoked haddock or cod. Liver and either sausage or bacon cassserole. Pasta with various home made sauces, tomato, mushroom, bacon. Grilled gammon, I always grill do not fry, I use a recipe for dry roast potatos and chips, have been using this recipe for years. Pork chops, pork casserole, cauliflower cheese, cauli and broccoli gratin. I always check the date out meat etc, and buy what I can use, freeze it the day I get it if I don't cook it first.

I bake my own cakes and biscuits, we have a fruit crumble /pie or sponge on a Sunday and it usually does at least two meals. Steamed sponge pudding, egg custard fruit jelly or fruit salad, made from fresh fruit, the list is endless and I could go on for hours................always have at least 5 portion of fruit and veg per day

JCL

Couple of tips for getting the grocery bill down:

1. Cut out vouchers from mags and newspapers then use them at the till. Can save you a quid or two per shop. I do this at Tesco and Asda without any probs.

2. Check https://www.fixtureferrets.co.uk for offers before you go shopping. You can then plan some meals based on what is on offer (BOGOF etc.). You choose the offers you're going for in advance and stick to them. Don't give in to temptation for other offers!

Persevere and you'll see your bill come down. Good luck.

tootles_2

It was late last night when I started to reply to mint, so answered the bit about cooking first.

Shopping wise, I shop at Tesco and the local market. Tesco is just up the road from us and I shop once a month for staples, once a fortnight for fruit and veg, it will keep ok if you store it properly. I wish we had a local butcher, but the nearest one is 13 miles away, not economic when you only have a small freezer. I take a list and do not buy anything which is not on the list. Keep the list on the computer and just print it out each month, tick off what I need. Last July I bought a very large box of Surf washing powder from Macro, think it was on special offer at just under £10.00 I am still using it. There are only two of us but I usually do at least 2 wash loads a week, whites and coloureds plus a bed linen wash once a fortnight. I only use half the powder they say on the packet with a cupful of washing soda and vinegar for softner.

Neither of us take milk in tea or coffee, so we use UHT skimmed milk and have done for ages, just use it for cereal in the morning and any baking, use dried for bread if I use any at all.

I use my Tesco card or debit card, pay off the Tesco card each month, its only used for food shopping and petrol, as I said in an earlier post I save the vouchers for Christmas, this year, thanks to a friend for whom I have just ordered 32 cases of Champagne we will have a bumper Christmas (She is 60 in August and is having a big bash, she was looking for a bargin and I found champagne on Tesco's wine warehouse web site with over 50% reduction)YAAAAAAAA HOOOOOOOOOOOO!!

When my 4 children were small I had a full time job and menu lists were essential, I got used to this and find it such a help now, I keep the list on the fridge door and cross off each day, check to see if anything needs deforsting and take it out at least 2 days before I need it. My fridge is very cold, although its on the economy setting, its also 'A' rated for power consumption, I find it takes longer for things to defrost properly.

We are on a very restricted income and I have to make every penny work, we are into recyling too, and all our veg waste goes into the compost bin for the garden.

Mint1955

Thank you for all your replies. My original mail got moved here and I have only just realised I had a message telling what had happened and then moved myself over here!!!

I will look more into your suggestions thats when I am not being side tracked by all the posts and info on the site. I think I am on overload at the momemt.

I have started doing a budget and things seem to be tighter than I ever imagined but I can only see at the moment that we can cut down on the shopping bill so hence my question.
I think I am in denial as I try things but they go by the board after a week or so then I blow it completely. We are not in debt as such but have to move money around a fair bit and I am fed up feeling guilty everytime I buy something and it messes up the figures. I would really love to be able to save some money and put it away.

Sheila

Mint1955

Sarahsaver wrote:

£20 out of the bank every saturday and straight into a separate purse for grocery shopping. Thats how I manage to keep my costs down.

How many of you does the £20 cover and is that just food or all shopping i.e.cleaning stuff etc as well? Sheila

squeaky

Hiya, and I'm sorry you took so long to find your post - but at least you've learned to watch for PM's now

There's a place in your options that you can tick so that you get a little box on screen to tell you that you have new messages.

As for information overload - happens to everybody.

The thing is, you can't possibly do everthing at once and shouldn't even try.

Pick a tip that you think will serve you best and just do that one until it becomes normal. Then pick the next best one... and so on.