Cooking for one

caronc

beluga wrote: »

I seem to always be looking out for reduced items or using things up! Went shopping with family today and was very conscious of not being able to afford things It'd be nice to buy what I fancy rather than what's the cheapest now and again. Ah well, feeling sorry for myself won't help!
I've made a batch of stir fried pork and veg, a tomato and bacon pasta sauce and a courgette lasagne to freeze / eat over the next few days.

Och that's horrible to feel like that. If you get a really good bargain could you put aside some of the savings for the odd treat? However, don't do yourself a disservice these sound like lovely meals:)

mcculloch29

beluga wrote: »

I seem to always be looking out for reduced items or using things up! Went shopping with family today and was very conscious of not being able to afford things It'd be nice to buy what I fancy rather than what's the cheapest now and again. Ah well, feeling sorry for myself won't help!
I've made a batch of stir fried pork and veg, a tomato and bacon pasta sauce and a courgette lasagne to freeze / eat over the next few days.

I've been there and done that, luckily my arthritis gets me out of shopping trips with family now.

Your meals sound great, you are eating well - and if you are buying what is cheapest, you really are managing superbly to afford those.

I agree with the balancing budgets suggestion, I have a few days of super-cheap meals most weeks, to afford a 'treat meal'- often a Sunday roast with friends. Although even then the roast is likely to be a pork joint from Heron, or a frozen leg of lamb. It's the way things are at the moment and for the forseeable future.

I have had times when I have really, really had to watch the pennies, there was the embarrassment at the supermarket till when I'd misread a price on a shelf label and was short by 5p, so something had to be left.

Shirley Goode wrote some good advice in her books on seeing being ultra economical as something to enjoy as much as possible, to take pride in your small victories.
When you've made a loaf of fresh bread that would have cost you double in the shop it gives you a little glow.

I did the Live Below The Line challenge for a few years, now that does focus your mind on getting the best out of every penny! Basically you have a pound a day for food and drink and are sponsored to live like this for five days, for those who haven't heard of it.
I can remember a couple of slices of YS belly pork being the only red meat I had, not a bad thing necessarily.
I am very lucky in that I get nice new things to review for Amazon, but they don't deliver me many groceries...!

meg72

beluga wrote: »

I seem to always be looking out for reduced items or using things up! Went shopping with family today and was very conscious of not being able to afford things It'd be nice to buy what I fancy rather than what's the cheapest now and again. Ah well, feeling sorry for myself won't help!
I've made a batch of stir fried pork and veg, a tomato and bacon pasta sauce and a courgette lasagne to freeze / eat over the next few days.

Hugs, sorry you are feeling like that. I make a game of it now and love to get a bargain. I now only buy reduced or a good offer. Its important though to put what I save aside for a little treat or something I really want, currently a new fridge freezer. Its taken me since before Christmas but I am now almost there and hoping to get this at the end of the month.

Your meals sound lovely so try not to feel down and enjoy your bargains.

meg72

Another lovely sunny day so gardening for me, discovered I need a new cover for my little plastic greenhouse, an expense I could do without but would be really unhappy if I cant grow my plants.

Growing my own fruit and veg really does save me money and gives me so much pleasure. Also I grow plants as Birthday pressies for family and friends and with careful thought i.e. their favourite flower, colour, a useful pot of herbs for the keen cooks and an ornament I find its possible to give a really unique pressie for not much money.

Nelski

Well there was a disappointing turn out from all of you last night for pizza mop up which does of course mean I now have loads to freeze

Great night but as usual I did massively over cater so I am back to square one with the freezer stock. Next month is at one of the others houses which I am so relieved about as my freezer will take another 6 months to deplete again lol

Pizzas were lovely though ...can highly recommend Costco

so I bet you cant guess what Im having tonight .......with a load of coleslaw and salad ..quite looking forward to it to be honest :cool:

Nelski

meg72 wrote: »

Another lovely sunny day so gardening for me, discovered I need a new cover for my little plastic greenhouse, an expense I could do without but would be really unhappy if I cant grow my plants.

Growing my own fruit and veg really does save me money and gives me so much pleasure. Also I grow plants as Birthday pressies for family and friends and with careful thought i.e. their favourite flower, colour, a useful pot of herbs for the keen cooks and an ornament I find its possible to give a really unique pressie for not much money.

I wish you were my friend meg I love presents like this so much more meaningful than a boots body lotion gift set

Fancy adopting a Nelski :cool:

PasturesNew

Cheapest doesn't mean lesser or worst.

Time and time again TV programmes are 'exposing' the facts of what's in the box .... cheapest is smartest a lot of the time.

They did one comparison once of some random ready meals, for example, where they looked at a premium chicken curry -v- a real basics version - and found that the cheapest was 'healthier' because it didn't contain as much fat, sugar, salt, cream as the posh version.

They're buying "luxury", which really means "shovels of cream, butter, sugar, salt" .... so they're paying more money to become fatter quicker a lot of the time

Today I've eaten nothing. I've thought about food and what I COULD eat for hours.... I'm tempted to make a single jam tart later.... just because I can. I wonder if I will. I recently bought a very disappointing cheap pack of 6 jam tarts ... and I've thought since "I could do better, cheaper, without having to commit to eating 6" so today MIGHT be the day.

meg72

Nelski wrote: »

I wish you were my friend meg I love presents like this so much more meaningful than a boots body lotion gift set

Fancy adopting a Nelski :cool:

LOL consider yourself adopted.

Nelski

meg72 wrote: »

LOL consider yourself adopted.

yeahhhhh :j:j:j:j

caronc

Afternoon everyone,

Lovely photo Meg72 :T

Nelski I can think of worse things than a surfiet of pizza;)

I've just scoffed a ham & coleslaw sandwich and an incredibly juicy pear (it was just on the gorgeous side of being over ripe) I'm not CFO for the next few days as my younger son is home tonight, I've taken chicken breasts out to defrost as I fancy chicken, leeks and mushrooms in sauce with either rice or a baked spud.:)