How do you manage to spend so little?!

Olliebeak · 17 August 2009 at 12:32AM

If you buy things like tomato puree or passata (where you use a small amount and get left with the remainder that needs using within 3 days) - freeze the remaining amount in an ice cube tray. When solid tip them into small freezer bags - easy to defrost a small amount next time it's needed.

clutterydrawer · 17 August 2009 at 12:36AM

yikes, is tomato puree meant to be used in three days - I keep it for months:eek:

maybe I've become immune to the toxins by doing it for so long

:rotfl:

Fire_Fox · 17 August 2009 at 1:28AM

The tubes of tomato puree last ages, it's the little tins and jars that need using up quickly.

OrkneyStar · 17 August 2009 at 5:19AM

valk_scot wrote: »

What are the dried apricots and prunes on the list for? Just wondering if we can suggest alternatives or recipies to make them go further.

Perhaps a healthy snack, for the 3 year old ?
We do buy dried fruit for DS (he's 2), good stand-by.

clairelg88 · 17 August 2009 at 11:46AM

well the dried fruit i just buy for a healthy snack for all of us really.

the tomato puree is a jar, i shopped online and it was the cheapest one they had.

thanks for all your tips

mama67 · 17 August 2009 at 12:35PM

For tomato puree I would use the little tins and freeze half for using next time if not making a double batch of whatever.

It is often far easier to make a double of even triple batch of something and especially mince based meals can be padded and stretched alot further if making larger quantites.

I use 1½lb mince, add in 2 good handsful of oats and 1 of orange lentils and get the meat based tomato sauce for chilli/bolognese etc for 2 meals for 2 adults, 1 teen and 1 preteen (both of the hollow legged variety).
We also always have hm bread with these type of meals.

Cakes and biscuits etc, are hm also as I would never keep the tin filled if not.

I only buy an odd sliced loaf for using for toast as they don't like the hm bread toasted; so we have at least one if not 2 loaves of hm bread daily depending on what we are having for dinner; although sometimes I make baguettes or rolls instead of a loaf.

If you have fresh veggies that are going to go past cook them down with some turmeric and sweated onion and garlic, these can then be frozen in small marg tubs and then added in to curries or casseroles as extra veg content.

GettingHitched · 17 August 2009 at 1:13PM

clairelg88 wrote: »

I've been following some of the threads on how to spend less, etc and have started to cook from scratch, use lentils etc but I don't know how you all manage to keep your weekly shopping so low!

I have just done an online shop at asda (i dont normally shop this way, just i usually share a lift with my mum but she's away at the mo) it still came to £40 so i dont know where i am going wrong. I dont buy any ready meals anymore and most of the stuff is value.

Here's what i got:
QtyProductPrice1Arla Fresh milk - 1 per cent£1.001
ASDA 8 Beef burgers£1.00
ASDA Apricots£1.88
ASDA Battered cod£2.00 personally would buy a big bag of frozen fish fillet (SP) and make bread crumbs
ASDA Bran flakes£0.85
ASDA British Beef Mince£1.00
ASDA Broccoli£0.50 I would buy this and any ogther veg frozen. Much cheaper and just as good for you
ASDA Carrots£0.50
ASDA Custard Doughnuts£0.50
ASDA Diced chicken breast£2.00
ASDA Fresh-for-a-week medium white loaf£0.82
ASDA Freshly frozen Mixed Vegetables£0.98
1ASDA Iceberg lettuce£0.50
1ASDA Low fat yogurts - peach, pineapple & mandarin£1.00 buy a big pot of cheap natural yog and add bits to it ( fruit, muesli etc )
1ASDA Mix - pizza base£0.55b
1ASDA Organic Organic dried split lentils - red£1.21
1ASDA Smartprice Apples£0.69
1ASDA Smartprice Bananas£1.26 these are cheaper at Tesco £1 a bag
2ASDA Smartprice Batter mix£0.16 have you got flour and eggs? if so you dont need this
1ASDA Smartprice Coco rice£0.66
1ASDA Smartprice Digestives£0.31
1ASDA Smartprice Eggs - minimum net weight£1.45
1ASDA Smartprice Fruit fromage frais£0.45
1ASDA Smartprice Pasta sauce - bolognese£0.36 buy a tin of toms, add onion and herbs....much cheaper
1ASDA Smartprice Potatoes£1.36
1ASDA Smartprice Rich tea£0.25
1ASDA Smartprice Sausages - thick£0.48
1ASDA Smartprice Toilet tissue - white£1.26 again cheaper at Tesco
1ASDA Smartprice White rolls£0.29
1ASDA Soft pitted prunes£0.90
1ASDA Stuffed chicken - sage and onion (please note that the price displayed is the price per kg)£2.490.6 kgASDA Tomatoes£0.41
1ASDA Tomato puree£0.78 buy SP
1ASDA Wheat bisks£1.15 Im guessing this is Weetabix? Again cheaper at Tesco
1ASDA Whole cucumber£0.70
1ASDA Yellow honeydew melon£1.00
1ASDA You'd butter believe it£0.85
1Bisto Gravy granules - chicken£0.70
1Chicago Town Edge to edge pizza - Californian cheese£1.00 buy a SP cheese and tom base, and add the toppings you want...much cheaper
1Oxo Chicken stock cubes£0.781 SP ones
Paxo Sage and onion stuffing£0.41 SP one
1Wall's Cornetto family 6 pack - classico£1.00
1Wyke Farm Rich & Creamy Mature Cheddar£2.00
1Yeo Valley Organic yogurt - strawberry£1.00 big tub natural yog, add extras

Any tips/ recipes would be most appreciated!!

thanks in advance

what I would say, is use Mysupermarket.com to get the best deals from the individual supermarket, you find quite big differences in prices. I personally find Asda can be quite pricey on a number of things. If you have an Aldi near you or a fruit and veg market, then try using them

attentionseeker1 · 17 August 2009 at 1:33PM

I think £40 is ok budget-wise- We spend that much on two of us (and OH has an enormous appetite!) and that includes some organic things, all toiletries, cleaning products etc.

If you do want to cut down though, I would do the following:
1) NEVER throw any of your SC food etc away- get some cheap freezer bags and freeze or have it for lunch the next day
2) We buy a large chicken and it does the two of us three meals so no need to buy diced chicken breast. MEAL 1= roast, MEAL 2= curry with the bigger chunks of meat left, MEAL 3= risotto with pickings or hot and sour soup
3) The £2 spent on burgers/pizza could buy you another 2 packs of mince/ a much bigger chicken etc etc to cook and freeze for next week (or your baking ingredients??)
4)You've ordered a stuffed chicken and a packet of stuffing mix- prob cheaper per kg to buy a plain chicken and make up your own stuffing

Other than that, I think it looks good- a large amount of fruit, veg and dairy which is important for you and the little one so I wouldn't cut back on that.

HTH

blushingbride_3 · 17 August 2009 at 4:34PM

do you have a julian graves store near u? as they do big bags of dried fruit etc i think cheaper than the supermarkets?

Butterfly_Brain · 17 August 2009 at 4:58PM

Try buying a whole chicken instead of the diced breast (you actually pay extra for the dicing) You can easily get three meals from a whole chicken.
Or buy chicken thighs the meat is really tasty and again thighs go a long way.
Make your own pizzas they are cheaper and way tastier than any you can buy in a shop.
Build up a good bakery store cupboard so that you can make your own cakes and biscuits.
Don't stick to one shop, shop around for the cheapest bargains. Aldis have good deals on fruit and veg plus 10 large eggs are only 99p and are gorgeous.
Netto have some good deals too and I find Sainsburys own brands better and cheaper than Asda. Farmfoods Milk is only £1 for 2L
Check out prices on the shop websites before shopping
Always Meal Plan and write a list and stick to it.
Get fruit and veg from the local market
Use your butcher he can be a real help with cheaper cuts of meat and how to cook them

But most of all don't knock yourself out we have all been there and OS savvy comes with time and help from the friendly bunch on here

PLEASE READ BEFORE POSTING

How do you manage to spend so little?!

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