Is my food shopping too much?

MortgageMamma

Just a quick update


This morning I told the kids we will be cutting back on the shopping a little bit and eating cheaper foods, and that I am no longer buying lots of biscuits, cereal bars, chocolate rice cakes, crisps, sweets and yoghurt coated bars. I told them we will be eating more veg less meat, more fruit and yoghurts and the menus being changed around but there will still be plenty to eat.


My son (12, autistic) stated that starving a child is considered cruelty and he's telling his Dad to stop paying maintenance and then he's phoning the NSPCC (you've got to love him!)


My daughter (14) said she wasn't prepared to eat anything new and would starve herself


These are kids who have a breakfast, a break time snack, 4 items in a packed lunch, a "home time" snack, a tea and a supper! And they think I'm going to starve them!


Hilarious - looking forward to the challenges ahead, if I can get £25 a week off the bill and slim us all down a bit I'll be happy

FairyPrincessk

It will be good for them in more ways than one! I look forward to hearing updates!

MortgageMamma

I've a feeling it will get hairy with them at some point. Just waiting for the call from the NSPCC now for "starving" my son!

dragonette

Sorry to be the awkward poster, but is your dog only getting all that meat and protein? Most dogs do better on a diet that includes non meat foods too - usually veg. Some love things like celery and carrots, and accept them as treats

Good luck with the paring back the bill, hoping to see positive updates

worn_out_mum

I spend somewhere between 80 and 100 per week for my family of 5, the kids are 8, 5 and nearly 2 so he's still in nappies, a dog and 1 cat.

Both our dog and cat are on raw food, cats are carnivorous, so need 100% meat, the cheapest way to feed her is the pets at home pet mince, its £4.50ish for 2kgs. The chicken has bone minced into it so its a good source of calcium, shes an old girl of about 15 and has no teeth so would struggle with proper stuff, she was a fussy cat but took to raw brilliantly. She weighs about 2kg so needs 90g of mince per day
Dogs are omnivorous, so do need some veg, up to 50%. We have a separate freezer for dog food and we buy a box of chicken bones from the butcher for £7.50, it does about 20 meals for the dog, on top of that she has the pets at home mince mixed with veggies and leftovers, rabbit from a local farmer as well as a mixture of other bones that the butcher gives away for free. Dogs are also supposed to have a food free day or two per week on raw food, cant remember why, my husband is supposed to be writing a paper on raw food for the kennel club but he has a case of cba at the moment.
our dog is a staffie/collie cross, weighs 20kgish and eats about 400g food per day shes between 13 and 16 (shes a rescue) and doesnt have a food free day as she has a touch of dementia and she gets very distressed, our collie we had until easter (was put to sleep) didnt bat an eyelid at a food free day , she costs us about £15 a month, the cat about £6


Would you have time to make your own bread, yoghurt etc, maybe grow a few bits of salad, bake? I stopped buying sliced meats in favour of buying a piece of gammon and boiling it and carving that for sandwiches, I think it was about half the price per kg

culpepper

Maybe you could use a psychological approach..
Why not have those things that you suggested to them, yourself?
You would be sitting there eating your yummy different food and they would be having the same meat din dins as usual but the grass is always greener and someone will be watching with envious eyes even if they dont say so right away...

thriftylass

MortgageMamma wrote: »

I am no longer buying lots of biscuits, cereal bars, chocolate rice cakes, crisps, sweets and yoghurt coated bars.

There are already most of your savings. We only get crisps etc on the weekend now (one multipack that lasts as long as it lasts) and sweets are the ones left over from christmas and birthdays etc. None bought till the cupboard is empty. We see themas a treat. Reducing them will help the healthy diet and reintroduce them as a treat not a food item.

Loads of other good advice so far in terms of bulking meals out.

FairyPrincessk

If the revolt is too difficult, you might try a 'compromise' that actually means they have to learn a bit from the experience. You might also turn it into a budgeting opportunity. You could give each of the children a small allowance (I'd look at what you normally spend on snacks alone, cut some off that amount (say take 50% of it) and then divide the remainder between them) for weekly snacks and then explain they can buy whatever they like but that you won't be buying snack food apart from yogurt and fruit (or whatever you deem necessary). They could also be welcome to make things from what is available following a selection of recipes made accessible to them. As a 'compromise' they'll agree to eat whatever meals you put in front of them.

Of course, this may require them to think strategically, pool their money and consider multi-buys.

suki1964

I too would have ww3 on my hands if I served an omelette or jacket spud for the main meal. I'm lucky I get away with sausages, eggs and chips now and then ( usually have to make bubble instead of chips )

However I can serve quiche, near enough meat free, just a slice or two of ham or bacon goes miles in a quiche

Vegetarian curries - not one person notices or clicks there's no meat when it's so delicious and served with onion baghees and naans ( aubergines, chick peas, lentils - fantastic textures and great for asorbing flavours

Chinese is the same. One chicken fillet can go miles,miso can a couple of pork chops and even one steak. ESP when served with a veg dish and a rice dish. And not every Chinese is stir fry, I can put a meal together and only use the wok once.

So many veggie dishes as well to take advantage off. I personally find as long as the main component is tasty, no one notices it's not meat

Then when it comes to meat, look at cheaper cuts. I'd never use chicken fillet in Chinese or Indian cooking nor in any dish that has a sauce. Thighs save money and keep succulent Good quality sausages are great, but for a sausage casserole, go down a grade, no one will notice

Add your lentils to mince dishes. Not only better for you, you can cut down to a smaller pack of mince and no one will be the wiser

So many "cheats" to learn but you need to go one step at a time

Also lidl, Aldi and ys are your friends as well as the mantra of never throwing a bit of food away. Only buy what you intend to use,if you forget to use it in that dish, incorporate it in another. You will also learn new dishes when doing that

Lindlou

Watch this weeks "Eat well for less" .......... then feel proud of yourself.:eek: