Can you live of basic/value/smartprice food for a month?

jo1972

Tracey, bulk buying rice is an excellent tip - we also do this. I wait till a 10kg bag comes on offer, usually for £6, this will last us around 4 months, the equivalent we would've spend in separate 500g bags is £14 :eek:

I will definately be emailing you for some Thai recipes, I LOVE Thai food, thanks

cat4772

Ok, went to the Asda this morning and did a mamoth shop (after writing out my list last night - list went on to two pages :eek:!

Made a conscious effort to buy smart price (even bought smart price cola to go with my smart price vodka:beer:). Couldn't buy smart price washing powder because it clogs my washing machine and that costs a fortune in repairs (not very DFW) so I bought the liquid detergent (2 for £3 usully £2.50 each).

I thought it would total around £90 and was pleasantly shocked that it came to... £49.72 I mean I had a full trolley, overful really, I had lots of cat food and alcohol so I asked the supervisor to rescan everything (I hate the thought of not paying for something even accidently). This time the bill came to... £49.72! I paid up, apologised for wasting their time and left.

My cupboards are full, I've bought all our food for the week (including entertaining next Thursday) and all because I made sure that I bought smart price rather than brand names / extra special!!!

Cat.x

beanielou

Great result for you cat.
Keep us posted on what was good & not so good.

sjpsam

My niece, her BF and new born baby came to live with us last year in oct for 9 months!!, which put the household up to 4 adults and 3 kids!!! ( 3 bed house well over crowded only supposed to have been 6-8 weeks! but thats a different story).

We were really stuggling financially at the time, but they needed a place to stay, I had to then feed all of us on the budget I was using for 4 of us! so I did some shuffling and started to buy some of the tesco value range in place of the usual "brands" I used to buy. I managed to feed us all healthy meals (except for the friday night junk food night) along with other branded items without a problem and the cupboards were always full......

:T They moved out in july :j and I must admit, I have still been continuing to use some of their value range because it is good value, roughly on a months basis (x4 shops) this is what I've ordered from them from their value range......

Value tinned carrots
Value tinned peas
Value tinned chopped tomatoes
Value beans
Value beans and sausages
Value red kidney beans
Value meatballs in Tom sauce
Value Noodles (all flavours)
Value crunchy peanut butter
Value chocolate spread
Value full flavour white cheese
Value block butter (for cooking)
Value breakfast juice
Value orange juice
Value Instant custard powder
Value batter mix
Value mixed dried herb
Value Mild Curry Powder
Value Spaghetti 500g
Value reduced cal mayonnaise
Value coco snaps
Value tuna chunks
Value lasagne sheets
Value quick snacks
Value rice pudding
Value tinned Curry sauce - have to admit I ocassionaly use this to add to a curry I've already made to tone it down a bit, because it is a bit tasteless on its own.

Value apples( bag)
Value tomatoes
Value pack mushrooms
Value red onions
Value onions

Value Middle Bacon
Value Chocolate mousse 4pk
Value natural Yogurt
Value eggs box of 15
Value Sauages frozen
Value Vanilla Ice cream
Value fruit flavored lollys
Value liver & Bacon Spreading Pate
Value mixed veg carrot brocolli and cauliflower
value fry chips
Value yorkshire puddings

Value sugar free lemonade
Value caramel wafer bars pk5
Value custard creams
Value Bourbons
Value snack assortment(24pk)

Value kitchen roll
value tin foil
value cling flim
value food bags

I have tried a few products that were a bit naff, the value mince, but I am spoilt with that because I always buy lean steak mince from our local butcher he does 10lb in weight for £11.50, I found the value stuff to be a bit to fatty and bitty.

I only like heniz spaghetti and will not subsitute it! lol

Cleaning products & washing powders I tend to stick to "brands" although I did buy value bleach one, it was like water, but it was only to pour in the drain outside, so it did the job.

I only like diet coke or diet pepsi and can't stomach any of the stores on ranges in coke, but I have tried basics & tesco vodka and they were ok. Smartprice vodka I thought had a real funny taste to it.

There are some products that I would not buy from their value range, but I definately agree that you could live on value/basics/smartprice food/products for a month with no problems..... :T

HannahandMark

I prefer Value macaroni cheese to any other on the market. Some freshly ground pepper and garlic salt, under the grill, lovely.....

You can make so much of food with a little thought. Make sure you have some Worcester sauce etc. to hand to turn an ordinary dish into something tasty.

Have a fun month experimenting. Will probably improve your cooking skills as well!

painted_lady

I 2nd the macaroni cheese thing, I get smartprice, better than the big makes.

jo1972

Well, DH and I went Tesco shopping at the weekend, I HATE going shopping with him as he goes up and down every single aisle looking at everything and sneaks untold stuff in the trolley. Last time I made him put back Tesco's finest quails eggs, an assortment of condiments and extremely expensive fruit juices, he is just a nightmare. So this time we were walking round and as usual strange bits started appearing in the trolley so I told him to put them back and get the basic equivalent and he did it!! Even told him to put the bottle of Evian back and replace it with the 16p 2 litre bottle of value water, water is water IMHO

Usually when I go shopping with him it's in the £90 mark, but low and behold.......£38 :D:D

Well chuffed, even got a tin of 6p value curry sauce but he's refused to eat it as it has raisins in so I shall make summat up with it and me and DD will take it for lunch (she's doing work experience at my place for the next two weeks so I need to lunch on a budget)

rog2

jo1972 wrote: »

Even told him to put the bottle of Evian back and replace it with the 16p 2 litre bottle of value water, water is water IMHO

I quite agree, jo - we've found an EXCELLENT source of cheap water - the tap. :T

jo1972

Rog, my DH would definately not drink tap water :eek:

Maybe I shall boil some water up and bottle it in the fridge and see if he notices the difference

wok_boy

I have tried doing this in the past and found the taste of some value produce a lot to be desired. So I always ketchup on standby if that's the only stuff left in the freezer.