I cant stop buying food (it is getting ridiculous)

patchwork_cat

A lot of people have issues about having food in - so if that is the case you are certainly not alone. I remember a long time ago saying you are a good organiser if you can make a meal for 4 people who suddenly turn up on your doorstep - they were obviously advocating storing food!
Feel positive on your signature you have not spent any of November's budget!! I can't say the same!
I have been wondering if shopping for a week is actually false economy for me as I invariable shop a couple more times after the big shop - and being susceptable a pint of milk and a loaf of bread become £20 of - oh bargain I must have that's!

I have a friend that if she runs out of anything will only go to the little shop down the road as although it is more expensive she only buys what she went in for and if she succumbs it is only a magazine and a mars bar! I think that may be more money saving.

elly2

gunsandbanjos wrote: »

Well its obviously not due to you not being money savvy, looking at your signature you know what you are doing moneywise so maybe your OH is right??

Thanks for that gab but the sig is only possible due to a ctx overpayment which i have to pay back when they finally sort it out, but at least i spent the overpayment wisely.

joannasmum

Off the top of my head. I would suggest,

A fish pie using the cod, possible some prawn a white sauce topped with mash.
Sausage casserole with dumplings.
A chicken pie using a tin of condensed soup as the sauce.
Omelettes and pancakes to use up some of those eggs.
Toad in the hole
Home made pizza

Sure theres more this is what jumps out at me.


HTH

elly2

looking at the list i am embarassed it is just so extreme i dont know if i could go cold turkey(which is how i see it) i have been like this for years (since i had the kids tbh) will maybe cut grocery bill down to half and use up what is in freezer, cupboards and fridge, i just get so stressed if i see an empty shelf but i know i need to sort this out.

gunsandbanjos

Make a list of what goes out of date first and start planning round these items. Staring at your whole list is probably a bit daunting, but if you only have a half dozen or so its maybe a bit easier Once they're gone start on the next lot etc.

joannasmum

You really need to do a meal plan for the next week or even just till Sunday as a starting point. I use to have cupboards full of stuff as well. I now have a list on the back of the cupboard door with my staples on it and the quantities I need to keep in, its like my comfort blanket. The top shelf of my larder cupboard I keep unopened stuff. It means I can see at a glance what I've want out of the cupboard, So I'll have one packet of pasta open and another in the top of the cupboard. When the one in the tops brought to the bottom I'll buy another. Hope this make some sort of sense!

pigpen

Elly.. I have a couple that say they won't eat veg.. I have 2 that don't even eat potato!.. SO.. I grate carrot into bolognese sauces and add mashed potato to the gravy and mash cauliflower and swede to add to meaty broth.. and when they've eaten it I say.. there was xxx in there! .. they ask me before they eat what I've hidden in stuff now!

Fruit is easy too... smoothies.. yoghurts.. cakes.. I whizz the fruit in the blender and add to cakes.. then sometimes add choc chips..

I'd get the milk in puddings.. custards, rice pud, ice cream, it also makes good ice lollies.. (I have 6 that don't 'drink milk') Think how much you'd use in bread and butter pudding!!.. and some bread gone too.

(rhetorical questions..)

What are these childhood issues your BF means?

Face them..deal with them.. and overcome them.. it CAN be done.. and usually surprisingly easily as well!!!

I just decided that, (I almost said the crappy bits of my childhood but that'd only leave out about 3 days..) my childhood was a) in the past b) not something I had control over c) not something I would allow to ruin my adult life.. my childhood was a wreck I refuse to carry that into my adult life.

I'm not a 'superstrong' person but I sure as hell won't be used like I was as a child again.. ok I'm stroppy and intolerant and downright bolshy as a result.

dorry_2

elly,

It may be linked with your childhood or it could be that you see all these people who rely on you to feed them and that in itself is incredindably stressed and this could be the root of your anxiousness and fear of nothing there to use??? Feeding 5.5 people is a lot, I think having to worry about the 3 of us and dog is bad enough!!

you could save a huge amount of money before christmas, :money: if you just live on what you have there. just meal plan it out and take it a bit at a time:D

aimeelister

Elly,
Just some thoughts... when i have more inspiration ill be back to edit.

Atora 3 1/2 boxes
stock cubes and oxo cubes (chicken (3 boxes) , veg (2) and beef (1)
condiments (sauces white wine vin brown vin mint sauce soy sauce etc etc)
tin of coconut milk - use for a curry
2 tins of condensed milk
stuffing x 3
curry paste
macaroni x 3
pasta
gravy granuals (beef and chicken)
biscuits and treats for the kids

Bread bin
4 baguettes
crumpets
buns put with the burgers and make some potato wedges to go with
bread cakes

tins
12 toms with the tuna a tuna pasta bake, tomato sauce on pasta,
12 tuna see above
1 each of ravioli, spagetti, mc cheese
2 x corned beef
2 x chicken soup (condensed) use as a sauce over pasta with some veg thrown in for good measure such as the peas!
4 x other soup
2 x peas

baking stuff
make some fairy cakes!!! (will use some of the eggs!)

Fridge
eggs (30)
7 blocks of cheese (mature)
block of mild cheese
cheese triangles
toms
mayo
marge (3 kilo) for baking
marge for spreading (3 kilo)
lard x2
butter x 1
cooking choc (plain milk and white and cake covering)15 bars all in
and all the kids stuff yogurts choc biscuits etc etc

freezer
stork x 5
6 bags of frozen veg throw some in with a pasta bake, or whir it up and
bag peppers
78 sausages sausages and mash, sausages and colcannon, sausages and cheesy mash
pork joint
6 x huge lots of peppered ham
4 x bacon
mince x 1 - cottage pie, savory mince with pasta
6 chicken legs cooked in condensed soup with some chopped bacon
4 x beef joint
4 boxes of fish fingers
cubed beef x 3 - beef bunged in the slow cooker with some veg
turkey burgers 2 x 4 packs
findus pancakes x 3
pastry
20 beef burgers - i have minced them up before and used instead of mince for something like savory mince and pasta or to make cottage pie, of course putting veg in there (pureed for those fussier children)
2 x crab sticks
2 bags prawns prawn curry
hm steak pie
shop bought steak pie
bag of cod sorry cant help with fish, allergic to it
30 battered chicken steaks
aprox 15 chicken breasts wrapped in bacon and cooked in tomato sauce
3 deserts
3 x cooking bacon

Axxx

mustsave_2

Try corned beef stew, put veggies, suet dumplings, gravy into slow cooker with chopped up corned beef. Yummy.