£7 a day the Paleo way

elantan · 18 March 2018 at 5:08PM

Tink_04 wrote: »

Well done on setting a budget - the cost is yours and what you choose to spend your money on and that!!!8217;s fine - sticking to any budget is hars!

Have you tried meal planning? Batch cooking and meal prep for the week? All just things to get you organised and aiming to make sure you don!!!8217;t slip up! Also checking what you have in the house already and making a list when you shop so your not buying things you don!!!8217;t need or forgetting things you do!

Good luck!

We do batch cook and have meal planned in the past, the problem we have is that we manage it for so long but eventually we stop, I am hoping this will help keep me on track.

I know I have lots of staples ( i.e coconut oil etc) but I am going to include them into my daily spends as when they run out they will need replaced anyway, and I want a true reflection of my food costs.

Making a list is Deff going to be a priority

Thanks for the input and advice much appreciated.

elantan · 18 March 2018 at 5:17PM

Ok so today's spends (on me) so far

Sunday 18/3/18

Breakfast

2 rolls = 50p
2 sausages =60p
2 bacon= 37p
2 cheese slices=30p
butter= 20p ( roughly)
onion=5p

coffee=£1.10 (had 3)

nuts=50p

apple=25p

Still to work the rest out but am off to help make dinner just now

dinner

cauliflower 700g ( approx 2) =£2
Olive oil =15p
1 brown onion =15p ( roughly)
1 tsp garlic paste =6p
1.5 tsp ginger paste=10p
1-2 fresh green chilli=22p
90g tandoori past= 66p
30gtomato paste=22p
20gAlmond meal =23p
500g chicken breast= £4
1 tsp salt =15p
90g coconut milk=23p
corriander= 22p

=£8.39

now this is for the full meal so I will be dividing this between how ever many portions I get, but that is the price for tonight's dinner..it's meant to feed 6 ... no chance of that happening, 4 meals tops so £2.10 each portion

when I break it down I see that yeah we really do spend a lot of money on food

none of today's food has been organic etc

so far today the cost of food (and coffee) is £5.97 not including vitamins or a lunch etc

Prinzessilein · 18 March 2018 at 6:03PM

What coffee are you drinking?...I'm pretty sure you could cut the cost on that.

Free range eggs are available at less than 25p each too.

On the other hand, it isn't always practical to shop in half a dozen supermarkets to get the best deals as travel costs eat up the price-savings! (I am limited to a choice between M&S and Tesco most weeks....getting to the budget supermarkets is too much of a trek!)

Whatever your budget....making a list is the way to go!....closely followed by sticking to the list!

Ginmonster · 18 March 2018 at 6:18PM

It seems that a big chunk of money goes on supplements. Is it worth maybe reviewing whether you need them all? Are some of things already present in the food you eat or would a cheap multivitamin cover some of them? The sceptic in me also thinks it's wise to bear in mind that dietary supplements are big business and quite often there is weak evidence that they provide any benefits (only very small studies or based on effects on cells in Petri dishes rather than actual people etc.). It might be worth doing a bit of research to find if there are any reputable sources evaluating whether they're worth it or not. You might be able to save a whole lot of cash by ditching them.

Of course it is up to you and if you think it's best to use them then check out some places you might not think of to see if you get them any cheaper. For instance I've seen organic coconut oil in Quality Save and Aldi do a range of the kind of powdered green stuff that costs lots in Holland & Barratt that looks to be pretty cheap in comparison.

Good luck!

elantan · 18 March 2018 at 6:24PM

we are currently using Lava Java available from Asna, we use the stove top method, I have previously roasted and ground my own beans which was cheaper but a bit of a faff if I'm being honest.

have bought lidle best of range before at £2.39 a bag but felt it wasn't as good a coffee as Lava Java which last time I bought it was £3 a bag, I'm kinda estimating the 25p a cup ... I spose I do get more than 12 cups from a bag so will need to hone down this price ... thanks for the push

it's large eggs at that price, I will go down to medium next time and see how that goes, I did have a local supplier but it was a faff getting them, we go through approx 30 eggs per week ... which is just more than 2 a day each

elantan · 18 March 2018 at 6:36PM

Ginmonster wrote: »

It seems that a big chunk of money goes on supplements. Is it worth maybe reviewing whether you need them all? Are some of things already present in the food you eat or would a cheap multivitamin cover some of them? The sceptic in me also thinks it's wise to bear in mind that dietary supplements are big business and quite often there is weak evidence that they provide any benefits (only very small studies or based on effects on cells in Petri dishes rather than actual people etc.). It might be worth doing a bit of research to find if there are any reputable sources evaluating whether they're worth it or not. You might be able to save a whole lot of cash by ditching them.

Of course it is up to you and if you think it's best to use them then check out some places you might not think of to see if you get them any cheaper. For instance I've seen organic coconut oil in Quality Save and Aldi do a range of the kind of powdered green stuff that costs lots in Holland & Barratt that looks to be pretty cheap in comparison.

Good luck!

your totally right, I was shocked when I worked out the daily price I spend on supplements, I do believe this will need to be reviewed, I take the L'arginine as it is good for blood pressure, it relaxes the artery walls allowing the blood flow to improve, the Alpha lipoic acid I take because I had a TIA 6 years ago and it is good for cognative health, Magnesium is good for the heart, sleeping and bowel function, the Omega 3 is good for the heart, Zinc is good for eye health ( i lost my vision when I had my TIA) Vit d3 well I live in Scotland so kinda need it lol

I also like to buy from reliable sources, good quality stuff, I have no doubt I can buy cheaper at Holloind and Barrot but I tend to pay more for my supplements, I do think though I will cut it down to Vit d3 and Omega 3 (I dont eat fish otherwise is would take that instead) and take it from there, that should help

coconut oil I tend to buy in 9.2kg tubs for £101 .. it tends to last me a long time and works out cheaper than buying a small amount at a time, it is a product we use a lot of... well we use a lot of oil full stop tbh.

so supplements are going to be drastically cut which should save some money, but not including those supplements I am nearly £6 already today and didnt have any lunch, thats a lot of money

lessonlearned · 18 March 2018 at 9:26PM

I eat largely paleo too for health reasons....and I also take a range of supplements on medical advice. Sorry I am a bit confused ......is that £7 a day just for you or for 4.

Actually I dont think £7 a day for 4 of you is unreasonable. Food prices are definitely increasing. If you have an Aldi or Lidl they will save you a lot of money. I am a coffee snob and I love Aldis coffee.

Do you have A garden. You could grow berries, salads and vegetables, herbs etc. That should help at least in summer. Maybe freeze any surplus.

Good luck.

beanielou · 18 March 2018 at 10:01PM

A skoosh.
Love that word.

beanielou · 18 March 2018 at 10:06PM

Its 7 a day for 2 I think? El?

beanielou · 18 March 2018 at 10:09PM

VfM4meplse wrote: »

Actually what stands out to me is the price of butter. It's risen dramatically of late, but I'm sure Lidl and Aldi sell it for £1.70/250g. Shop there, and you will make decent savings on other things, including nuts
I have to say though, when money is tight I stop eating completely. There is no way I am going to risk debt whilst there are reserves on my body.

Sorry, but I think this is just not on.
Your health is way more important than debt.
If you dont have enough money for food then visit a foodbank or reduce your debt repayments.

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£7 a day the Paleo way

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