Reducing food shop

C_J

Another vote for the Aldi or Lidl chocolate here too! We’ve been buying it for several years (prompted by our boycott of Cadbury) and Mr CJ (v fussy with his confectionery) actually prefers the bars from the discounter.  We normally shop at Aldi so buy their Moser Roth bars, but at Christmas we bought - on a friend’s recommendation - the Lidl version of Lindt chocolate balls and you could not tell the difference. Apart from the fact they were less than half the price.

boxer234

Thanks everyone I can certainly give it a try.  Anything to get the savings going.  I need to be strict this year.  I spent loads on food last year but all you could do was sit around and eat.  

greenbee

I cut my food budget drastically during lockdown 1 as it started just after I went into isolation, with very little fresh food in the house having been in the middle of a long series of work trips. I was reliant on a weekly veg box with no ability to specify dislikes, and the contents of my cupboards and freezers.

Over a year later, I've found the bottom of the chest freezer and used up all the things that had been lurking. I've embraced frozen fish, berries and peppers which reduce waste significantly. In the early days, when supermarket slots were few and far between I carefully washed and saved veg ends/stalks and made soup each week after the veg box arrived with the bits left from the last one and damaged outer leaves etc from the new one as I prepped the contents to put it away. For several months soup came in 'green' or 'orange'. 

I also started up my veg garden (there'd been no point while doing a lot of work travel), which meant a supply of fresh salad leaves and radishes within a couple of weeks. The chard planted last year has kept going all winter. And while the rest didn't feed me, I grew things that I wouldn't necessarily find easy to get hold of (baby broad beans are delicious) in small quantities. This year I'm probably growing too much, but the plan is just a couple of plants of each thing, to add variety to what the veg box offers. If you're not sure about growing, then even a selection of herbs on the windowsill can make meals more interesting. 

monkeyD_3

My situation is very similar. During Lockdown I've had supermarket deliveries for the first time. I've been amazed by how much I've saved as I plan my shop better and have far less food waste. I also have as many cleaning products delivered as possible through SMOL. I love the products and they are very reasonably priced for eco friendly. Toilet rolls from Bumboo too. My perception is I'm becoming more environmentally friendly whilst reducing my spend at the same time. Good luck

GaleSF63

boxer234 said:

Yes I only eat tinned tuna I love it have a lot of salads and potatoes. I think a lot of my money goes on the fresh stuff like salad I need to try more frozen veg based recipes.  

A cheap addition to tinned tuna is/are  tinned kidney beans and chopped red onion. Mixed together, with a bit of vinegar to give a bit of zip, (depending on what your tinned tuna comes in).

goldfinches

GaleSF63 said:

boxer234 said:

Yes I only eat tinned tuna I love it have a lot of salads and potatoes. I think a lot of my money goes on the fresh stuff like salad I need to try more frozen veg based recipes.  

A cheap addition to tinned tuna is/are  tinned kidney beans and chopped red onion. Mixed together, with a bit of vinegar to give a bit of zip, (depending on what your tinned tuna comes in).

There's also this recipe for any tinned white beans from Nigella White Bean Mash | Nigella's Recipes | Nigella Lawson
which I can vouch for using either butter or cannelini beans. There are also some great variations in the comments below the recipe that you might like.

Apintplease

Dont be afraid of Lidl 

I shop there for two reasons - its either that or Tesco and I can do a weeks shop in about 20 mins because there is no choice in there.

Lidl Northern Ireland only stock Northern Irish/Eire meat, fish and dairy. Butter that is made at the creamery just 5 miles from my house and made from the milk of the cows that surround my home is £2.79p  - Tesco blended butter, made from whatever milk is the cheapest in the EU is £3.50

Fresh Cod fillets - £2.99 in lidl - £5 in Tesco

Lidl Chocolate is excellent, you wouldn't buy Cadbury again after you buy lidl

There Batts Tomato ketchup blows Heinz out of the water in terms of taste, the Mayo is better imo then Hellmans

I finally got their baked beans the other week -28p a can and even my granddaughter who is going through that stage where is has to be certain brands ate them without comment 

There is a thread on the grocery board here about the best buys from Lidl, worth a browse

Salad, I love a salad, but yes it can be wasteful - stuff goes floppy and runny before its all ate. So now I buy the bare minimum in terms of fresh and the rest comes from jars. Iceberg lettuce - yes its pretty tasteless but it lasts in the fridge for ages as long as you dont cut it. Peel off the leaves as you use. Tomatoes, I prefer to buy the bigger plum tomatoes and chop them into salad. I can also slice them to add to a sandwich - and use the lettuce leaves up that way. They are the only two fresh salad ingredients I buy. Cucumber always goes off before being used - so pickled cucumber , same with peppers - pickled roasted peppers. Lidl also do an amazing braised red cabbage in a jar and their sauerkraut is beautiful - both lovely on a salad. Waste of time buying spring onions when fine diced onion will do. Also use up fresh fruit on a salad - grapes, chopped apple and pears, add nuts, add some grated raw carrot - theres usually one sitting in the bottom of the fridge

When I buy fresh veg I buy veg that can be used in a variety of meals. Lets say a cauliflower is needed here for Sunday dinner. I buy the biggest one as they are sold individually. Some will be used for the roast dinner, some will be used mid week, and whats  left gets turned into a cauliflower cheese and frozen for another time. Cabbage, I do the same, cook it all and then Ive bubble and squeak for mid week. I do only buy veg and fruit ( other then bananas ) thats in season in the UK - its cheaper. Yes there is less choice but thats when you have to be inventive on how to cook it, Chinese and Indian cook books are fantastic for ideas

Seriously though, dont be afraid of Lidl or Aldi, they are excellent VFM and of very high quality

2childmum2

Our local lidl was selling Cadbury dairy milk this week - no idea whether it was a one off or a usual occurrence.  But as others have said, Lidl chocolate is really nice!

Apintplease

2childmum2 said:

Our local lidl was selling Cadbury dairy milk this week - no idea whether it was a one off or a usual occurrence.  But as others have said, Lidl chocolate is really nice!

Lidl do sell brand names but you would be mad to buy them there as they - unless on offer - are normally priced higher then in Tesco and Sainsburys

boxer234

I thought I’d update.  I hate supermarket shopping so have stuck with Tesco delivery.  However I’ve dropped a brand or two on most things.  I did a big order at the start of the month; cheese, rice, tinned stuff, oat milk, snacks.  It’s going strong I will need to do one top up shop. I think I’ll come in just shy of £200 which is good for me. 

How much should 1 person spend ? How much more can I shave off? A few details 
I eat all my lunches at home.
i rarely drink alcohol a bottle of wine can last months
I run approx 30 miles a week and walk at least 4 miles a day on top so get hungry
Shop should include toiletries and cleaning products this month I bought 75p Tesco and conditioner no difference from the branded stuff ! I’m kicking myself the money I’ve spent
Shop doesn’t include dog food they have their own budget

Thank you