Eat Well for Less...Live on MSE

C_J

I found I was wasting a lot of fruit as it would go off before it got eaten. I do buy a hand of bananas once a week as I like to have one with my lunch, but don't like them when they start getting overripe - if I have any starting to turn by the end of the week I whizz them up into a batch of banana and walnut muffins for the following week's packed lunches.

I also sometimes buy cans of peach slices (21p I think I pay), drain and chop them and set them in orange jelly. I bought the packs of Klip'n'Seal-a-like plastic pots from the poundshop for this, they'll keep in the fridge for a week and are great for packed lunches.

If you are considering downshifting from branded to own brand cleaning products, you should really try getting a bottle of Stardrops which is cheap and cleans just about everything.

ani*fan

suki1964 wrote: »

Have to recommend twinks hobnobs, they are delish and cheap and easy

Keeping a spend diary will really focus you on where you are spending

Cleaning products, I get by with a bottle of flash,a bottle of bleach and a bottle of fairy. Microfibre cloths for all cleaning and dusting jobs. They are the staples. Now and then I might need to buy something extra like oven cleaner, when I do it's from savers or B&M - a lot cheaper then supermarkets

I don't know enough about vegetarian meals to suggest changes. We do eat meat free once or twice a week, usually an egg night or veggie curry. I'd not use quorn , it's expensive. I even made a cheese and lentil load the other week which went down quite well ( well it went down ) The what are you having for dinner thread shows some lovely veggie ideas

Fruit can be expensive if you are used to eating loads of what you fancy when you fancy it. Try to buy seasonal and look at Aldis and lidls for their weekly specials on fruit and veg. I know this week lidl have caulis and carrots at 39p so we will be eating a lot of those this week

Try and meal plan and go shopping once a week if possible. Every time you grab a £20, you spend it. With a plan and a list, you buy what's on the list only.


Shopping in Aldi and Lidl takes very little time as they don't have huge aisles of things to tempt you. Takes me about 20 mins to go in get what I need and out again

Hope some of that helps

I think I'm only just realising my quorn habit has to go. I feel like a carnivore who has been asked to stop eating meat. I love quorn. But yes it's expensive, much more so than vegetable or bean based dishes.

The fact that Aldi is so small is a huge incentive for me to go there. The big supermarkets make me lose the will to leave. Really. I read a study once about the low mood people get into when they've been there and I could totally relate. It can spoil my whole day. Maybe Aldi will be better.

I'll get right onto the hobnobs. :cool:

Thanks. It's all a huge help. :A

C_J

If you regularly buy large tubs of soya yogurt, I wonder if it would be cheaper for you to make your own? Yogurt makers aren't too expensive, and often come up for sale second hand or in charity shops. True MSEers probably make their own yogurt in a thermos flask though, and will tell me off for suggesting you buy a yogurt maker

Soy yogurt recipe here : http://simpleveganblog.com/soy-yogurt/

Margaret_

ani*fan wrote: »

Yes, I need to keep receipts and make sure OH does too. Good plan. We like keeping it simple but this is going to have to involve some changes.

The brand thing is more of a problem than I thought. OH just likes Doritos, own brand doesn't cut it. The soya milk in coffee is essential for me but actually, I seem to be able to manage powdered milk better than fresh, maybe I should try that? Is it cheaper? Other brands, I don't know but I need to be on red alert.

We do eat a lot of quorn. I love it. It tastes like mushroom and I love that too. I'll think of a couple quorn free recipes. I tried to persuade OH to have beans on toast one night but that didn't go down too well.

Thank you. :A

I think there will always be some things you just have to spend a bit more on - soya milk may be one of them. I have a friend who is a vegan and the cheap soya milk does seem to curdle in hot drinks - life is too short for awful coffee I think! There is probably no point making your OH miserable either. You could always look in pound shops for branded stuff on offer - I saw Pringles in Poundstretcher for half price today - maybe they'd have Doritos sometimes and you could stock up.

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Frugal_gem

I'm veggie and I don't buy quorn as I do find it expensive. I batch cook soups and stews for lunch and will trawl the internet and cook books for fresh ideas so I don't get bored with the same stuff!

Batch cooking and freezing is a huge one as it saves time and effort and often means I save money.

I try and have at least 2 'cheap' nights a week where we have something easy and simple like beans on toast, jacket potatoes etc - I am obsessed with Jack Monroe's mixed bean goulash and this is my go to for quick and easy and tasty! I put cumin in as well and sometimes make it spicy: https://cookingonabootstrap.com/2014/05/13/mixed-bean-goulash/ In fact, a lot of the recipes are veggie or vegan and delicious (Jack is now vegan).

This shepherd's pie is cheap and easy and I will make 2 and freeze one: http://www.cheap-family-recipes.org/recipe-shepherdlesspie.html?opt=rdinner I change the parsnips for frozen veg and often have mash on top. Serve with gravy

Quiche is good and great for lunches with salad.

Aldi is brilliant and their super six is a life saver. They also do cheaper houmous, biscuits and frozen fruit if that's your thing.

Re: soya milk. Try aldi's own brand, just buy one and try it in your coffee. I tend to drink tea and it's lovely in there, but I have had coffee and it didn't curdle. Cheap as well.

Batch cook granola for breakfasts and have with milk or yoghurt and fruit. Again, can be cheap with value oats and fruit and nuts from aldi. I make enough for two weeks at a time and change this up with porridge or a smoothie to keep it interesting. Saturday mornings we have a treat breakfast!

Curries and chillies with beans are always a favourite and you can have this with rice or over potatoes.

I do buy Linda McCartney sausages and pies when on offer and stock up so I can use these when I want some stodge or am being very lazy!

We go through 28 bananas a week in my house! I have one and OH has three in his protein shakes!!

For the two of us we aim for £150 a month and eat very well (we do have a pooch but she has her own pot as she has a special diet and medication due to allergies etc).

Really hope that helps, and remember, the internet is your friend when it comes to recipes - I always start my search with 'cheap veggie...'

C_J

I agree that Quorn is expensive. Maybe as suki and others suggest you could try a few Quorn-free meals a week to save a few ££.

If you like the taste of mushrooms, how about making a mushroom stroganoff?

These spicy bean burgers are nice http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/9978/mexican-bean-burgers-with-lime-yogurt-and-salsa and you could easily tweak the recipe to include grated carrots to stretch it a bit further. I think I buy tinned kidney beans for 31p a can.

New_Me

Aldi has Almond milk sweetened and unsweetened for 99p, and it is lovely in coffee. No idea about their Soya milk

I'm always shocked by fruit and veg prices in other supermarkets, so I think you will save lots by going to Aldi if you eat a lot of fruit and veg.

PlymouthMaid

Try replacing the Quorn with brown lentils when making things like bolognaise or chilli - a packet is around £1.30 in Mr T's and probably less if you can find another shop selling them. Grapes are uber pricey and not even that good for you as they are just 'little bags of sugar' as I was informed by some slimming guru. Even so, I don't think you are spending all that much.

mirry

I tried the Aldi soya milk in coffee and it curdles,
But Sainsburys soya milk is 85p and works fine

tattycath

C_J wrote: »

If you regularly buy large tubs of soya yogurt, I wonder if it would be cheaper for you to make your own? Yogurt makers aren't too expensive, and often come up for sale second hand or in charity shops. True MSEers probably make their own yogurt in a thermos flask though, and will tell me off for suggesting you buy a yogurt maker

Soy yogurt recipe here : http://simpleveganblog.com/soy-yogurt/

http://www.greenfootsteps.com/how-to-make-yogurt.html#sthash.jNM481tM.dpbs