Where to begin with controlling food spend?

Lydia42

WeeMidgie wrote: »

Hello Lydia, I'm interested that you're having a roast on a weekday. What plans do you have for any leftovers?

If meat features heavily in your menus, how about saving money by having a roast once a week only, with meal planning for leftovers (rubber chicken, shepherd's or cottage pie, or stovies, or stir fries, etc). Then make meals with meat as a condiment rather than the main feature. And a couple of meatless meals. Padding out e.g. mince with grated carrots, lentils and the odd handful of oats really helps as well.

I suggest you ask JackieO for her terrific file of tasty and frugal family recipes, they are superb!

If you're making changes to what the kids are used to eating, it's a good idea to involve them in choosing and helping with the prep of new recipes, as a fun thing to do.

Good luck, and well done with recognising the need for change. Others with better and different ideas will give you plenty of good advice, and lots of support too.

We quite often do a roast on a Tuesday night as my husband finishes work early and neither of my kids have any clubs after school so we try and eat together. Weekends are often chaotic. I had some chicken breasts i had defrosted so just sprinkled with garlic salt and pan fried them and served with the usual roast spuds, veg and gravy and some basics Yorkshire puddings i had in the freezer. Not a roast as such as not a joint of meat but i managed to have some chicken left over (daughter is not a big eater) so i had that for lunch in a stir fry.

Due to a change in plans i wont have time to do a full inventory today, but i have found a pack of Charlotte potatoes in the cupboard that need using and i have lots of salad bits that are lurking in the fridge so i'm going to do salad tonight for everyone. I've got some eggs to use up so will boil them and any not used tonight i'll use for sandwiches tomorrow.

Lots of good suggestions about reducing meat - funnily enough i was veggie for 7 years when i was younger and have gotten into the habit of cooking meat most meals now. Definitely something i need to address. Even the kids school do meat free Mondays!!

viv0147

HI the way I got my shopping under control was every Sunday I write a menu for the forthcoming week doing this has many advantages (1) it eliminates waste (2) you only buy your shopping to suit your menu so no unnecessary spending if during the week you don't particularly want what you have on the menu for that day you can interchange the meal for another day example of my menu.
Week beginning 18th of June
Monday

Breakfast Beans on toast 1 egg

Dinner Fish Fillet with Salad

Tuesday

Breakfast Mushroom Omelette

Dinner Burger with Salad

Wednesday

Breakfast Full English

Dinner Cheese with Salad

Thursday

Breakfast Roasted Cheese on a Plate

Dinner Steak Etc.

Friday

Breakfast Scrambled Eggs with Bacon Etc.

Dinner Welsh Rarebit

Saturday

Breakfast Porridge & Fruit

Dinner Chicken Dinner

Sunday

Breakfast 2 boiled Eggs 1 Toast

Dinner Chicken Dinner