Food/Household Budgeting Advice for One Person

JWPopps

Oh it's really lovely to find a thread like this!

I'm not currently a one person household as my mum is living with me temporarily (possibly until about May 2017) but I lived alone for 8 years before that and will be living alone again after, so I've subscribed for inspiration!

SailorSam

I live on my own, and just a couple of examples, i stocked up yesterday with Weetabix at Tesco while they're on offer. 72 for £4, so add a handful of porridge and Asda bran flakes, and that's most breakfast taken care of.
For lunch i'll have have a bowl of soup and a sandwich. The soup i make myself in the SC so can't cost more than 10p. The sandwich, i've been getting 3 tins of Tuna Flakes (99p), cheese (1.39) in FF. Then grate the cheese, mix with some onion/tomatoe, bit of lettuce. Do lots of evening meals in the SC, chicken (5 portion 1.49), sausages (85p), both in Heron. Again just got home from Heron with bacon misshapes 2pkt 907gm £1.49. 15 eggs are £1 in FF, tin tomatoes 4 tins £1 in heron. When i do the likes of curries / casseroles in the SC, use lentils to go in with any
meat, they cost pennies Bags of veg in Heron are 50p So use some of your bacon for stirfrys rice or pasta is dead cheap

Out,_Vile_Jelly

Lots of good ideas for cheap meals here, but another approach is to identify what is significantly more wasteful as a single occupant and think carefully before spending money on such purchases.

My main culprits:

Bagged salad. The most likely item to end up in the bin unless you really are addicted to it. A better option is to grow small pots of salad leaves so you have a few at hand for sandwiches.

Bread. Freeze a third of a loaf for toast at the end of the week, and concentrate on the fresh for lunches.

I'm a vegetarian so rarely have a problem with leftover veg, but any excess can be frozen and used for soup at a future date. Definitely invest in a stick blender and learn to make soup as this is probably the most economical way of getting cheap, hot, tasty meals out of seasonal offers and stock cupboard staples.

wannalot

Hi Original Poster!

There's loads of great advice on this thread, i hope you find it helpful!

I've been living alone for the past two years. It has been a real challenge to buy food in sensible quantities.

I generally spend around £40 per week on food and household products, which allows me to eat really well. I could manage on a lot less if I really had to, but I'm pretty comfortable with what I spend.

The main thing I'd like to add to the comments above is that eating for one doesn't mean that you have to eat poorly or repetitively. If you enjoy cooking, then make the most of it! Cook a meal when you fancy cooking and freeze some portions for nights when you just want to zap something in the microwave. As a single person, your freezer really is an important tool to let you save money and to avoid waste.

nannygladys

Hi everyone, one thing I do is if I'm cooking mash pots then I will do enough for a couple days and either freeze a portion or reheat in the microwave the following day or use in another dish ie fish cakes. Another thing I do is to cook enough for four people and freeze three portions ie lasagne, spag bol, chilli etc and then the night before I want to eat it put a portion in the fridge so I can reheat when needed.
I usually spend about £80 - £90 every four weeks but that includes everything, I rarely ys shop and don't compromise on my coffee or baked beans because I enjoy the brands I buy. I don't menu plan but stick to the same/similar meals over every four week period. Sorry if I'm rambling a bit but I'm tired and can't get to sleep so I'll sign off and switch the light off again.
Nannyg

JWPopps

nannygladys wrote: »

don't compromise on my coffee or baked beans because I enjoy the brands I buy.
Nannyg

Yeah, coffee is something I'm really not sure I could skimp on... I do like some instant coffees at work (I drink it black) but I only really like the Azera one at the moment. If I had my way though, every cup I drank would be a Hot Java Lava from my cafetiere... luckily I found that my local farmshop often has bags of it nearing its end date for dirt cheap!! :T

grunnie

JWPopps wrote: »

Yeah, coffee is something I'm really not sure I could skimp on... I do like some instant coffees at work (I drink it black) but I only really like the Azera one at the moment. If I had my way though, every cup I drank would be a Hot Java Lava from my cafetiere... luckily I found that my local farmshop often has bags of it nearing its end date for dirt cheap!! :T

You can freeze coffee and just use it from frozen straight into a cafetiere or
just scoop out enough from the freezer for a day or two and keep that in the fridge.

melanzana

I shop in Aldi a lot, but the portions are quite large for two of us.

Anyway, I seem to spend a lot more than I would like when I think about it!

I'm not trying to budget to the Nth degree, I can afford it, but it just seems so unnecessary the amount I buy sometimes. I need a reality check!

Having said that, I freeze everything I don't use on the spot. And leftovers, and fresh veg (still blanch it first though).

I have come to the conclusion that whilst I am not wasteful, I don't buy for subsistence but rather "ooh that looks nice" kind of useless shopping.

I do bring a list and check stock levels before shopping too, but am often tempted by things I see. Must do better!

The best thing I have done lately is to use up mince or meat in a mixed veg soup and freeze. Lovely meal I can tell you these cold days. So that's one thing I've done!

Sorry if I come across as a waster of food, without understanding the value, NO, that's not me, I just find I buy too much sometimes. And I don't need to.

Poppy3008

Great thread. Problem I have is I live alone Monday to Friday then with hubby at weekend. So he has his food costs during the week and I have mine plus weeeknd. Joint accounts so not a money issue. But I feel I spend so much as I guess it's nice treat style food I get for when he is back. He spends about £20-£25 per week in food plus other bits he gets out. Where I have no idea but I know I spend a lot! Money is seriously tight for January so I am going to take out cash for my shops weekly and only have that. Making sure I don't waste which I am sooooo guilty of. Must use slow cooker more!

Perryface

I am seriously trying to cut down on grocery shopping.
I bought a shopping trolley thing (old lady bag on wheels) so I can walk to aldi and fill it, that way I have complete control of what I buy.

Some of my meals:
Pack of Liver and 2 onions in gravy, slow cooker (sc) with spuds and veg (makes 4 meals freeze 3)
8 Sausage, tin chopped tomatoes, mushrooms, lentils and onion, sc with spuds or rice (as above)
Half chicken roasted or sc mashed spuds and veg (makes 2 meals, freeze 1)
Half chicken roasted or sc, take chicken of the bone, add to cooked pasta with tin of mushroom soup warm through (chicken pasta bake!) (makes 2 meals, freeze 1)
500g Mince stew (mince, potatoes, tinned peas and carrots, gravy and Bartley/lentils) sc (4 meals freeze 3)
Slimming World 'curry' - 500g mince, onions, tin baked beans, tin mushy peas, spices - sc with rice (4 meals, freeze 3)

20 meals for next to nothing! I highly recommend you invest in a slow cooker and shopping trolley!