July 2009 Grocery Challenge

DrFluffy wrote: »

Downside, they are boys who live off take away, so little in the way of cupboard staples available.

Anyway, I'm trying to live off £2 a day (food, toiletries, transport). I've had two spend free days this weekend.

Any hints and tips on how to do this successfully? I've been living on toast, pasta and potatoes for the last week or so, and am getting a little bored!

Assuming you're cooking for yourself, is there any chance of your housemates "chipping in" to cover ingredients if you did the cooking for them as well? Even if it's only a suggestion that worked a few days a week - and only until you start work - it could be worked so that you get your meal on those days free in return for doing the cooking

If you do suggest cooking for them, then best to have a 'grocery contribution' in mind first (so work out what meals you'd likely do, and calculate the costs) - and point out how much cheaper it is than take-aways, which would give them more money to spend on other things (I would imagine beer being a possibility if they're big into take-aways :rolleyes2 )

angelatgraceland wrote: »

. I bought some mamade to make marmalade-hoping a local shop has some cheaper sugar-got some the other week-2 1kg packs for £1.50.

Hi angel, I use Mamade prepared oranges regularly to make marmalade and the family won't eat anything else now (I have been using it for more than 20 years). I reckon it costs about 50p a jar not including the electricity to cook it on the hob - still considerbly cheaper than shop bought and so much nicer. The jars are all recycled, and I usually get 6-7 jars from one tin of oranges and 2kgs sugar. It only lasts about 6-8 weeks though in our house as we eat it everyday for breakfast. Highly recommended!

Moniker

Moniker wrote: »

Hi angel, I use Mamade prepared oranges regularly to make marmalade and the family won't eat anything else now (I have been using it for more than 20 years). I reckon it costs about 50p a jar not including the electricity to cook it on the hob - still considerbly cheaper than shop bought and so much nicer. The jars are all recycled, and I usually get 6-7 jars from one tin of oranges and 2kgs sugar. It only lasts about 6-8 weeks though in our house as we eat it everyday for breakfast. Highly recommended!

Moniker

Yes-I first used it about 25 years ago-not used it for ages-10 years maybe but the results are always excellent-far easier than doing it from scratch! Yes I did do a quick calculation in the shops-I think the mambe was about £1.50 and if I pay 93p per kilo then thats £3.16 for 6 or 7 jars. Well-not more expensive than a reasonable shop one-tho I do admit to having recently been buying Tesco value for 27p. What I hate about shop bought is that its full of junk though. My raspberry jam is only raspberries and sugar and will keep(in theory) for years whereas the shop bought goes off easily and ccontains all sorts of muck. I always keep a few jars and I also scrounge DH Honey jars if I can as we keep bees. Hoping to get honey this year after 2 years of expensive loss.Havent got any of the baking done or the soup! I did clean out the fridge though and I did go to the gym and do a 3km walk/run for 27 mins! Then I had a swim so Im all relaxed and getting tired now-tomorrow is another day. Took dd out for refresher driving which saved £30 instruction and its a nospend day for me today-gym and swim prepaid monthly. First NS day for ages! Looked at Mt T receipt and dismayed to find reduced sarnie at £2 instead of £1.35 and the cherries I thought were £1 were £2.99. Not happy on that!

A £2.60 spend from us on bread & milk

And a small food shop tomorrow, eek! £40 left to last until the 18th :eek:

Moniker wrote: »

Kezlou, you can always pop them under the grill for a few minutes to crisp them up - I do this with microwaved ones to save putting the big oven on for just the two of us. I have never thought of doing them in the slow cooker before - thanks for the tip!

Moniker

Thanks for that moniker, i'll have to try it.

DrFluffy wrote: »

Hi All

I've just left university - am lucky statr work on Aug 4th. However, I have £300 to last me until the end of August (payday) and it has to cover everything save for accommodation.

I've also recently separated from my partner of 9 years (:(). As a result I have little appetite anyway! I've moved in with friends in to a house owned by a friend who kindly refuses to take rent until I'm earning. Downside, they are boys who live off take away, so little in the way of cupboard staples available.

Anyway, I'm trying to live off £2 a day (food, toiletries, transport). I've had two spend free days this weekend.

Any hints and tips on how to do this successfully? I've been living on toast, pasta and potatoes for the last week or so, and am getting a little bored!

Thanks so much for your help

xxx

First of all sorry about hear you and your partners break up.
Second it will be hard but you can do it less than £100 for one person groceries. I've done it with less with a family of four, when i was university. It does take a lot of ingenuity, veg, lentils AND i do mean lots of lentils and rice.
Thirdly are you vegetarian? Do you eat fish, meat etc?
Fourthly bulk out all your meals with carrots, onions they cheap.
Fifth- look in the reduced food section meat, bread, veg etc anything really cheap buy and freeze if you can.
Look on the first page on this thread they are some really good recipes on there.
Sixth good luck!!!!

If you have anything in your cupboards, freezer etc post it up here and i'll see if i can up with any ideas. You'd seriously be surprised with what you can make out of very little.
Dhals made from lentils and some curry pastes can be really filling, all you do is boil lentils till soft add curry paste or your own spices. buy some plain flour mix with water to make chappattis add rice if you wish and hey presto a meal, probably cost less than 50p.
Cheap tinned fish, say 19p out of aldi mixed with pasta and chopped tomatoes some dried herbs (14p out of asda for basics) theres another meal.

Here is a link to some really good cheap meals and how bulk meals up to make them last longer.Its a long read but well worth looking through it.
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1129333

Heres one meal i do: It makes at 6 meals for us sometimes 8.
Kerry's Mince:
1kilo of mince(doesn't matter if meat / soya) (can just use 500g carton ) say £2.50 for mince ish
2carrots chopped
1 tin of tomatoes
handful of red split lentils
2 onions chopped
2 cloves of garlic crushed
Put in about a pint of water
salt, pepper

Shove in slow cooker on low for about 6hours or on the cooker till it becomes thick but may need more water on the cooker.

One whole chicken:- £3.50 (sainsburys)
Roast the chicken, strip all the flesh off, have some they and then for a meal. The rest of the meat place into freezer bags, i get about 8 big bags of meat.
Boil the carcass in 2 pints of water to make stock. Use the stock to make soup, risotto etc
Use the cooked frozen meat in cold salads e.g pasta salad, chicken mayo, chicken dinners, curries, lasagne, etc

So prob at least 10 meals if not more for a single person.

Hope the above helps.