Learning to be frugal in the kitchen

PollyWollyDoodle

Not sure if this has already been mentioned -Jack Monroe's 'Cooking on a Bootstrap' has loads of cheap and easy recipes https://cookingonabootstrap.com

MartagonLilies

Thank you, again.
I will get myself over to OS ways and poor health, and post, when I get the chance.
I had a look at Clutterbug, on YouTube and really quite like her, so thank you for that.

In the interest of full disclosure, and in order to show how utterly useless I am at keeping to a budget, I've worked out our average grocery costs.

We spend more on that, than we do on our rent:o:(:eek:
I'm both shocked, and disgusted with myself. No wonder we get to the end of the month, like now, and are absolutely on pennies.

frosty

A pack of pitta bread can be turned into pizzas .Everyone can choose their own toppings. When my two boys were growing up they always had heaps of friend round for tea a favourite was French bread pizza,i used to buy tesco French sticks when they were reduced to 10p each then slice them in half add tomato sauce,I used grated cheddar then bake in the oven.They loved them.

MartagonLilies

I feel quite sick thinking about it. I didn't realise that we spend so much.
It's because we load up, and then when I'm too tired to cook, DH pops to the shops. It just adds up, I didn't know how much so though.
Worse thing is, we have a freezer full of convenience ingredients that I'm just not using. Steam rice, veg bags, frozen fruit, meat etc. It supposed to make things easier for me.

littlegreenparrot

The thing to do now is not panic and beat yourself up. That will only overwhelm you.

Think about the next day or two. What can you put together for dinner tonight? Can you, a helpful/willing child or partner make some muffins or biscuits for pack lunches?

Try making a list with different sections - carbs, meat whatever.
Then it might feel more manageable.

maman

MartagonLilies wrote: »

I feel quite sick thinking about it. I didn't realise that we spend so much.
It's because we load up, and then when I'm too tired to cook, DH pops to the shops. It just adds up, I didn't know how much so though.
Worse thing is, we have a freezer full of convenience ingredients that I'm just not using. Steam rice, veg bags, frozen fruit, meat etc. It supposed to make things easier for me.

I try to shop just once a week. Popping out for a few bits always proves expensive especially if it's a small 'convenience' store.


Before I go out I write my meal plan and shopping list based on what I have in. First I aim to use up any fresh food left from the previous week (fruit and veg especially) then I check what's in the freezer (I have a list). The thing to do is write your list only for the ingredients that you must buy to make what's already available into meals for the week plus things you know you've run out of (I jot those down through the week as it happens). I think there may be a thread on 'eating from the freezer and cupboards'. Then when you go shopping stick to the list! The only exception I'd make is any YS stuff (I buy much of my meat and fish this way) that's available or offers on something that you know you'll use and will genuinely save you money in the long run. That being said, if you shopped in Aldi (or Lidl) you wouldn't see many offers so it would help you save.

MartagonLilies

I am trying to think, what could I do, with what we have in. The truth is, I don't know.

I buy the food in, with the intention of following recipes, and when I'm not well, the plan goes to pot. The food originally bought gets moved to the freezer, or never taken out. DH buys a second lot of food that just a throw in the oven job.
So on, and so on, until we run low on money, and we're left with an odd assortment of food that I don't know how to use up.

Pollycat

Not sure if this has been mentioned before but does the OP throw food away because it's on or close to the use-by date?
Because as we know, most food is perfectly fine quite some time after the date on products.

MartagonLilies

No, I don't throw food out near the date. I know it lasts a bit longer than that, however I do throw food out though if we haven't used it up in time.:o

Pollycat

MartagonLilies wrote: »

No, I don't throw food out near the date. I know it lasts a bit longer than that.
I do throw food out though if we haven't used it up in time.:o

By 'in time', do you mean you throw stuff out if it's past the sell-by/use-by date?
Because that really isn't necessary.

I make dried-up mushrooms (I have no idea what the use-by date is because I remove the cellophane covering as it just makes them sweat) into soup.
I blanch and freeze left-over carrots/green beans/ cabbage/cauli/sprouts/whatever veg.
There's a great thread titled 'Love food, hate waste, on this board.