Oops! I've fallen off the OS wagon.....

robsmum_2

Hi, Growing fruit and veg will help your budget a bit. I started small last year and grew tomatoes, runnerbeans, french beans, beetroot, salad stuff, potatoes and herbs. We have apple trees and are still eating last years apples.

I would suggest you use less meat and fill out things with veg and pulses as you are doing, but more so. I use Tesco's value chopped tomatoes and thery are the best I have found.

You can get cheaper cuts of ethically reared meat, bung it in the slow cooker with loads of veg on low for at least 4 hours and you have tasty casseroles, base for pies etc.

I think you can get wheat free pasta and with veg can make tasy, cheap pasta meals. Cooked pasta with bits of cooked veg etc makes a different and filling packed lunch.
Hope that helps.

Trinny

Hi there Boo

Welcome back! I will do my best with the comments and questions in your post but i am sure someone more experienced will be along in a bit to help you out.

1. We grow our own veg too:) PM if you have any particular questions. If you havent done this before, its worth chatting to neighbours who do, so that you know what grows well in your soil.

2. You seem to be doing great with your shopping - i choose free range eggs, chicken etc as well. We also buy from our farm shop - a good source of potato sacks, onions, carrotts ( for horses;) apparently) and their own meat.

3. I found i got bored of HM sandwiches, and now take last nights left overs and heat them in the microwave. It works for me - but to be honest, i sometimes leave my purse at home as its the only way to be sure i am not tempted to buy chocolate on the way home from work!:o

4. re meals - i tend to do a Sunday roast - and use the leftovers for curry or chilli the next day, and then for stirfry the day after. We also have Soup night - with HM soup and crusty bread /cheese on toast for OH.

5. re menu suggestions - i do HM fishcakes, also HM lasagne, bolognaise, chilli, shepherds pie, moussakka, ratatouille, slow cooker cheep cuts of meat, with mash and veg, or with HM chips. I also bake, i assume you are gluten free, so getting "free from flour etc is still possible. PM me if you want more meal ideas - we dont follow a special diet but i have around 50 main courses that i rotate on our weekly meal plans.

6. Re downgrading - we buy sacks of veg - rather than small packs, we buy what is in season and stores own brand. I get basics in Lidl - where you can still buy organic milk and yogurt and free range eggs, and also shop at Home bargains/ B&M for reduced jars and dry goods.

I realise its not the same for everyone - we are in a small village in Monmouthshire, so we have farms, local markets and a little room to grow stuff.

Best Wishes

HTH

Trin

boo81

Great ideas - thank you. Just wanted to respond to a few things:

Growing veg - ive done it in containers before but now decided on raised beds as they will look pretty in the garden too. Im going to have to buy the contents to fill them as we have a completely paved garden. I would love to grow something like spinach or chard if possible.

I get so confused with all the talk about bolting and complicated planting rituals, I do just want to plant seeds, water them and then pick them. Im not really very green fingered - can you tell?!

Wheat/dairy - we arent intollerant or anything, we just choose to eat this way as we followed a completely dairy and wheat free diet for a while and we found it suited us. Having these things is more of a treat for us, so avoid sandwiches for lunch, wheat based cereals and creamy recipes especially.

Kimitatsu

boo81 wrote: »

Hi

I used to come on this board quite a bit but things have been manic over the last year and ive let things slip, including the cooking and the budgeting. So im getting back on the wagon and was wondering if you could help me reduce my bills.

Welcome back to the boards - dont beat yourself up, sometimes life just gets in the way!

Firstly I am going to grow some of my own veg and herbs this year. Im going to get 2 raised beds and some hanging baskets. Hanging baskets for cherry toms, planters for herbs, salad leaves and possibly strawberries too.

If you are having rasied beds - dependant on how high you are having them, then you may not need to worry so much about the soil. I have dodgy knees so my raised beds are quite high (I can sit on them to garden) and I have had them filled with topsoil as I have very heavy clay soil. That means that I started off with weed free beds that had nice soil in that i could just add organic matter to to improve.

There are only 2 of us, we try to follow a wheat and dairy free diet as much as possible and I wont eat cheap meat that is unethically farmed. We do have a fresh fish delivery from the boats once a month (so dont know what im getting!) and a fresh veg box every other week.

Once you start getting some of your own produce then you could probably cut back on the veg box, perhaps change it for fruit instead?

We both take packed lunches - my fiance has fruit, oatcakes with bought vegetarian pate (although thinking I could maybe make this at home), lentil dahl, chickpea stew, tinned fish sandwiches - all very budget friendly really.

Leftovers are always good for lunch - my boys take leftovers to school much to the envy of their friends.

I am sometimes good and sometimes not! I used to take soup but I got bored and used to sneak out a lot, avoiding bread is difficult too and I do need something quite substantal. Salads seem to work out expensive and I find them quite uninspiring too.

How about making up some salads with lactofree cheese? They do hard and soft cheeses so that gets you around the bread issue. I try different crispbreads too, there are several that are really good. Seeds on the salad always pep them up, sunflower, sesame that sort of thing.

Ive drawn up the cheap meals within my repertoire and hoping somebody can add a few for me - pork cassoulet, steak and ale stew, lentil dahl, lentil shepherds pie, meatballs and rice, tuna pasta, fritatta, ratatouille and a chicken thing I cook - like a tomato stew using thigh meat.

3 bean chilli (use chick peas, mixed beans and kidney beans instead of meat), homemade burgers, pork and apple meatballs, chicken and apple meatballs, as long as you are buying local meat, anything with mince really, so spag bol, shepherds pie etc, vegetable and egg curry is always a favourite in our house.

I would love some more suggestions and also tips on where to buy things. was thinking of downgrading my tinned tomatoes and getting a cheap brand but not sure which ones are good ie not all water and no tomatoes.



Please inspire me - oh and I have a slowcooker :-)

If you are growing your own toms, then harvest them and cook them before you freeze them, that will take out a huge need for a lot of tinned tomatoes. I like Morrisons organic tomatoes because they are very sweet tasting and are not very watery, and many times are cheaper than branded toms :eek: Best thing to do is try some and see which ones you like.

boo81

Hi guys,

Reading everything on here has really given me a boost, yesterday I cooked a homecooked meal using mainly storecupboard ingredients and it was lovely (tuna pasta). I also made some hm ice cream and rhubarb sauce for dessert, its the first time ive used the ice cream maker my mum bought me for years!

Today ive got a bagel and cold meat, both things from the freezer than need using - my hubby has the same.

This weekend im clearing out the freezer. Im going to use a beef roast joint I have in the slow cooker, if mum and dad come round it will be fine for dinner for 4 of us, and if not it will give us leftovers. We also have loads of soups I bought on offer and forgot about, so definately will be enough for 2 lunches over the weekend and might bring them for lunches next week too.

Ive got a few other things that could do with being used and with fresh veg delivery im getting today it will mean a very cheap shop.

Going on honeymoon next weekend but we have money as gifts to get us through that so we can be a bit more indulgent.

Also planting up the garden this weekend hopefully - wish me luck!

ciderwithrosie_2

boo81 wrote: »

I would love to grow something like spinach or chard if possible.

I get so confused with all the talk about bolting and complicated planting rituals, I do just want to plant seeds, water them and then pick them. Im not really very green fingered - can you tell?!

I planted some Pak Choi and tatsoi last year - that was really easy and quick to grow and cooked up like spinach. I had a tub of mixed salad leaves that I kept cutting from and they were so much nicer than the soggy stuff in bags (although you do have to keep an eye on things wandering about on them and laying microscopic eggs). Also grew some spring onions and radishes. I only have a few small planters so couldn't grow masses of stuff.

I always have a few fresh herbs on the go and tomatoes and assorted chillies in the summer (keep the chillies away from slugs, they love 'em and decimated mine the first year I tried growing some)

Runner beans are pretty forgiving - we grow ours from a big pot up the trellis on our decking. I gave my mum some seeds from a really nice squash I bought in Lidl (not seen any since) and she's managed to get some seedlings from those that she's bringing me back to plant out and she's also giving me a loganberry bush.

If you've got good earth/compost in your beds and water and feed regularly and keep an eye out for pests, you should be able to grow most things successfully. I love growing veg and tending it, it's very therapeutic after a stressy day at work.

regards CWR

boo81

oooh pakchoi is a good idea, my hubby will eat that too. Will definately add that and spring onions to the list. Im not sure about beans because of the trellis thing, plus mum and dad usually have loads anyway.

I have a good list of things now, just need to go and get the plugs/seeds. Might call into the nursery on my way home and try and have a look what they have. i can then nip back tomorrow with something to protect the boot of the car!

niklepic

Ooh just re-found my posts. Would just like to say thanks everyone for the motivational speeches. Im five days into my new everything is made at home regime. So far even OH is doing some cooking (only cos he's off work)! The one day i couldn't be bothered cooking we had beans on toast....with HM (well bread maker made) bread!!

Now need to start cooking extra portions for the freezer and taking my lunch to work! Little baby steps seem to be working. :j

zippychick

That's great Nicklepic!:j

There are heaps of lunch threads for inspiration, or give us a shout and we can find them if you need some

And Breadmaker bread is still home made! :T

Eels100

I have lost my way

OK, that's not entirely true. I used this forums years ago and have lived a largely OS existence where possible for a long time. But I need to up my game!

I am good with the principles of OS and moneysaving in general. But I feel that I need help in the practical application of the theory. Know exactly how to come up with a superb budget - no idea how to make it happen in real terms so the debit card gets aired too much and it all goes to pot. Mealplanning - FAB! But how do you start and how do you shop and what about non-fresh ingredients etc?

I need focus and fast - can you amazing lot help?