Eat Well for Less...Live on MSE

C_J

Ha ha, I knew it

I have one of those large Easi-Yo yogurt makers which I bought from a charity shop several years ago and it's great, but I did think the first time I used it that it was really nothing more than a fancy flask!

tattycath

vegetarian recipes thread




https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5512781

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/1956915

YKay

Off topic, but why do people not like spelling out supermarket names? Seems strange...

C_J

It's in case the supermarket googles their own name, doesn't like what you've said about them, and comes round to your house and smacks you.

suki1964

C_J wrote: »

It's in case the supermarket googles their own name, doesn't like what you've said about them, and comes round to your house and smacks you.

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Kimba1234

C_J wrote: »

Do you have an Aldi near enough to warrant changing this to your main supermarket? You'll find it chops a massive amount off your shoppng bill.

Yes Aldi is super cheap and you definately can get som good offers and save a lot of money!

suki1964

ani*fan wrote: »

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

I went in to Asda the other week, first time in a year, and I was ready to kill by time I came out again

Even more so that my shopping was a lot dearer then what I'd have paid in lidl, plus I hadn't bought any meat:eek:


Definitely try a few quorn free nights, as we meat eaters do a meat free night

I see you like the odd pizza and garlic bread as well. Well I usually always make my own bases, we have a pizza oven and throw the odd pizza party night. However this party, I was up to my eyes with looking after the grandkids, I cheated. Lidl do beautiful fresh stoneground bases. 2 in a pack for a couple of quid. Their frozen garlic bread is also scrumptious. A pizza base will easily do two if having bread. A smear of passata, a ball of mozzarella and a sprinkle of fresh basil, you have two fake out meals for two for £4

How about a big old juicy burger? Instead of quorn, use a big fat flat mushroom. Top with roasted red peppers and onions and whatever cheese you like. Even a smear of pesto to liven things up

Frittata is also a really cheap filling meal, esp if you have bits of left over veg sitting wilting

Jam sandwiches really aren't that good for you and hardly filling which is possibly why you are heading to the fruit bowl so much. Do you know how to make a soup? You can make a big pot and freeze in individual portions. - big empty yoghurt pots are ideal

Eggs are a very good source of protein and vitamins. They are good for you and your wallet

Oh and never be afraid to yellow sticker shop. That's where I buy a lot of fruit and veg, esp when there's been a severe weather change. This week we actually have sun so the more winter type veg is being reduced as people choose salads. Last week it was that cold some days that cooked meals were the order of the week and summer fruits and salad stuff was being reduced


Oh, and Doritos? They are always on a special offer in one or the other supermarkets. I love them myself but refuse to pay £2. I only get them when on special at £1

Actually most things do the rounds of special offers. I never pay full price for Persil, fairy and head and shoulders - these are the only brand I have to buy because of allergies. I keep an eye out and buy when they are on special

Supermarkets are horrible places, designed to make you part with your money. We just play them at their own game and only buy at the price we want to pay. We don't do loyalty, we shop around as much as is viable to get the best deals

Pound shops, savers, B&M, all worth a look in. And I always pop into M&S food hall if in town looking for the yellow stickers or getting the meal deal ( worth it for the wine and chicken alone)

ani*fan

Thank you so much everyone for all your good ideas. :A I think a review of the menu is called for. I'm a creature of habit and don't really need much variety in meals, I'm happy with the handful I can easily prepare, just mixing up the vegetables, but the quorn needs to be greatly reduced so I'll get onto it with our next meal plan.

frugal_gem...is your shopping really only £150 a month? I would love to be able to achieve that. That'd be an extra £100 a month, which is huge.

I love the idea of making yogurt and bread myself. I also want to get back to growing vegetables at some point in the future. Unfortunately at the moment I have practically no time due to a very long, difficult training course that takes up all of my time and more, but I only have a year to go and then I'll be getting back into all these things.

I eat jam sandwiches probably for the sugar. I don't really get a lunch break and have to eat in the work car or in 5 minutes at my desk. I think my nutrition's ok so I'm not too worried about that and it's cheap.

Ooh frittata...nom! I haven't made that in ages!

We don't really stock pile Doritos when they are on offer. They're one of those things that if you have them in, they just get munched by OH. We tend to buy them if we're having a move night or something. Maybe I'll get them when they're on offer and hide them from OH?

And yes, I usually hide the supermarket name so they can't google what I write about them. I'm sure they have better things to do than stalk me though. At least I'd hope.

The soy milk is a strange one. With cheaper brands, sometimes they curdle, sometimes they don't. I always thought it was the heat of the drink but then realised it is often the strength of the coffee. None of them curdle in tea. And the nut milks curdle too. Frustrating.

What's star drops?

mirry

We make spicy bean burgers at a fraction of the cost.

In a frying pan...
Fry one sliced red onion
And a teaspoon of garlic
Then add a tin of mixed bean.
1 egg
MASH TOGETHER
then add any spice you fancy (chilli/cumin)

Then add a load of bread crumbs to the mix ....
I make my own breadcrumbs, and use about five slices of wholemeal bread.
Stir it all together and shape into 8 burgers.
Let them sit on a plate in the fridge for a hour.
Then either cook them,
or place them in parchment papers for the freezer.

We worked out they cost 10p per burger which is a big saving, we serve them in a bun with homemade sweet potato fries and salad.

maman

ani*fan wrote: »

I
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.

Not sure if that was a deliberate pun but I love it!! I think the big supermarkets want you to lose the will to leave so you stay there spending and spending!:rotfl:

YKay wrote: »

Off topic, but why do people not like spelling out supermarket names? Seems strange...

I've always though it rather strange too. I've been told it's to disguise the names in case the SMs trawl the net and find out about glitches. Personally if I write something about a supermarket (good or bad) I'd want them to read it.


I'd say that frozen veg is good and nutritious and can sometimes be better value than fresh. You need to factor in preparation time (I'm a huge fan of frozen leeks for that) but the price of frozen veg stays fairly constant whereas fresh can fluctuate seasonally. I completely agree with buying the Aldi Super 6 though. You can find out online what it's going to be (changes every 2 weeks on a Thursday) so that you can incorporate into your meal plan.


Do you have a Farmfoods near you? They have excellent frozen food especially vegetables. They sell Quorn products too so worth a look.


Although your DH didn't fancy beans on toast, would he eat something like a jacket potato with a portion of veggie chilli (batch cooked from the freezer) as a quick meal? I like a dollop of cottage cheese on the side too.


I think £200 is doable. That's roughly what I spend on 2 of us although we don't have a cat. I shop in Aldi with a few (and getting fewer all the time) bits from Sainsbury's and then random things where I see good value (like Farmfoods, Lidl and pound shops) but that's when I have the time or need to stock up not on a weekly basis.