In despair at how much I spend on food

Slinky

You mention dishwasher supplies - could you replace your dishwasher with a freezer?

notional

Slinky said:

You mention dishwasher supplies - could you replace your dishwasher with a freezer?

That's a good suggestion but two years ago after a lot of thought I replaced my washing machine with the dishwasher and started using the launderette (there isn't room for both). The kitchen is so small that I literally used to hem myself in with washing up as I tried to batch cook.  Also I often had wet laundry hanging up round the flat. The only way to get a bigger freezer is to wait until mine dies and then replace it with one thats a 50/50, mine is currently an 80/20.  I was wary of that when I bought mine, as a 50/50 would really loom over the tiny space.

Slinky

May be worth keeping an eye out for a decent second hand 50/50. In my experience utilities hang on forever when you're waiting for them to break down! When our slimline dishwasher died we got a decent second hand full sized one for £60 with not much effort.

C_J

Instead of buying expensive salmon (which I know is nice, but ....) how about getting your weekly Omega 3 fish oil hit from a high strength oil capsule a day? They even sell tubs of 30 capsules in Poundland.

PipneyJane

You mentioned struggling with storage.  Have you considered adding extra shelves to your existing kitchen cabinets?  When I lived in a small flat, the kitchen came with a 7-foot tall “broom” cupboard - it had one, tiny shelf - and not much else storage wise.  I measured the interior of the cupboard carefully then went to Homebase and had them cut conti-board to make 5 full sized shelves, which I fixed in with chipboard screws and fasteners.  Shelf height was determined by what would be stored on it, so there was a shelf fractionally taller than a can of tomatoes, another that would take the Lock’n’Lock boxes I use to store my rice and flour but not much else, etc.  

The largest sized Lock’n’Lock box will take 5kg of rice or flour.  I have 4.  I buy 10kg sacks of Basmati rice and wholemeal Atta/chapatti flour, store one box of each in the cupboard and the other on top.  They are bug proof, vermin proof and water tight.  (In this house, we had a makeshift kitchen for years, complete with dodgy roof.  Nothing got into the flour or the rice.)

It is a pity you don’t have a larger freezer compartment in your fridge.  Freezer Tetris is my specialty.  Are you freezing your meat and fish as flat as possible?  Could you insert a box or basket, to stop things like bags of peas falling out?  (Making them stackable instead of an avalanche.). What containers do you use for freezing your bulk-made meals?  (I prefer plastic takeaway boxes instead of Tupperware; they take up less space.)

HTH

- Pip

bouicca21

Pre-lockdown I regularly got stuff In the £1 bowl type market.  One of those bowls of tomatoes makes loads of soup, cheap and filling.  I make soup all year round and the market is really good for that.  

But as others have said, you really aren’t doing badly at all.  Do you need to save on the food budget or do you just think you ought to?

sallywallydoodlealltheday

I wouldn’t beat yourself up about what you spend a week. You clearly have very specific needs due to health issues. You have luckily identified what suits you and what doesn’t (no doubt a lot of trial and error). And you probably live in the most expensive part of the UK!
Those who only spend £20 or whatever a week probably have plenty of storage to bulk buy and get things when they’re on offer, transport, meals in the freezer already and possibly a well stocked larder that has all the basics in already.
While I’m here, did you know celery keeps for ages if you wrap it in tin foil before you put it in the salad crisper drawer.

rach_k

Is there a reason you can't shop online?  In London, you should have your pick of all of the supermarkets.  I have a Tesco delivery saver plan which makes the delivery fee disappear (I use my Clubcard vouchers to pay for it) and if you don't get your money's worth, they pay you the difference I think.  Shopping online would mean you could choose a supermarket based on your needs and the cost rather than what you can carry while walking.  If you reduced your shop so much that you didn't meet the minimum order value, you could shop every other week or start buying toiletries there (we use a mix of Superdrug and Tesco for toiletries and find them comparable).  

I don't actually think £60 a week is too bad when you consider that bigger packs are nearly always better value.  I know you said a freezer would need to go in your living room but is that so bad?  We have a half size chest freezer in our dining room (slightly different, I know).  It's covered with a table runner and we don't notice it.  I've had (honest!) friends say they didn't know it was there either.  Then you could buy things like frozen salmon (I don't eat it but the husband and kids say it's nice), meat that's on offer etc.

Mickey666

Household of three adults, monthly Tesco expenditure of around £600/month, although that does include some non-food items such as cleaning stuff, soap, toothpaste, toilet rolls etc.  Seems that fresh fruit and veg is expensive and we also eat a lot of nuts.  Never buy any ready-meals, rarely buy alcohol and we’re not obese!  Not really sure where all the money goes.

silverwhistle

I'd second the tinned fish suggestion: sardines, pilchards, mackerel, herring, and I stock up with tinned octopus and mussels when Lidl have their Spanish week: the padding can be whatever you fancy. Anchovies also go a long way and although I use them on home made pizza plenty of other dishes they really liven up..

I've got a car but this afternoon after my baked aubergine lunch I'm cycling a few miles into town for a few bits and pieces I need and plenty of space in my panniers. Is a bike an option, as it would make the journeys a lot quicker and give you exercise at the same time?