http://www.mysupermarket.co.uk/

I think the first thing to do is write a meal plan so you know what you'd like to eat. Then come up with the list for the storecupboard basics and freezer stuff. There are loads of tips on the Old Style boards, but planning is def. the way forward. I'm sure more people who can help will be along shortly.

Just remember, neither the kitchen cupboards nor the freezer need to be full for the first month or so. With wise and judicious planning you'll get there without going over budget.

Good luck and I hope you'll be happy in your new home together

Just accept that you'll be living on beans on toast and cereal with the odd banana thrown in btwn now and the NY. Don'y buy anything full price for the freezer instead visit your supermarket at about 6.30pm and pick up a load of reduced goods from the bakery and chiller cabinets to freeze.

That's how I got through my first month anyway!

Thanks Guys x

I can't do links but on the Food Shopping forum there was a recent thread about living on £10 a week for food and some interesting ideas on it too, it should be easy enough to find if you scroll down.

In addition do you have family you can go to for meals, or could you ask for a hamper type thing as a kind of 'moving in' presents, with some essentials?

If you search 'rubber chicken' in the forum there are some good ideas on how to stretch a chicken to loads of meals. Also mince is very flexible and can be stretched easily with cheap additions such as tinned tomatoes.

At the top of the forum there are sticky's on recipes which are really useful.

Obviously don't know if you are vegetarian but there are some good recipes for everyone (in my humble opinion!)

Im a bit of a newbie compared to some of the other guys on here, but have a search through the Old Style forum its fantastic and so helpful, you will probably learn tons more tips before you have enough money to do a proper shop and will save loads anyway by the time you've read up on here!

Good luck!

Congratulations on moving into your flat, Leanne!
You don't need to fill the cupboards all at once, just get things as and when you need them or theyre on offer.

Making a months meal plan is a great idea. You will get the most out of your ingredients that way. Why don't you make a start on the meal plan, post it here and we'll have a look?

Ok, it's been a long day, but did anyone else read this & think Leanne's food had been flattened? No? OK I'll get my coat, lol.

How about pizza, omelette, tortilla - they're all flat :confused:

Just pass mine, while you're there, please, Hester

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=2116179

try this one on a similar theme

Remember, if you don't go to the shops, you don't spend any money!

Make a plan of what you are going to eat.
Eat less meat - it is often expensive. You can make a lot of meals of lentils and beans very cheaply. Check your local butcher to see what's on offer. You can often get small quantities of meat, rather than buying big supermarket packs.
Shop around. Use supermarket Internet sites to compare prices.
Go to the local market, especially for fruit and vegetables. You can often get great bargains. Last week, I bought a tray of tomatoes (2ft by 4ft size) for £1. The week before, I got 3 pineapples for £1.
Take a pack lunch to work.
Drink tea not beer.

By jove, your sharp....i had to read the OP twice to 'get it'.

Hope noboby laughs at this I got a student cookbook, and it was a lifesaver , when I was in your position Leanne.
Cheese and potataoe pie, Corned beef hash , and huge pans of veg curry, thats what we lived on for 18 months, and survived to tell the tale lol.

Yes me too, I thought 'why do they need flat food?'

I thought the OP wanted flat food so she could stock up a freezer compartment and make the best use of space:confused:

I'll get my coat too.

Congratulations on your new flat!

For your first month I'd definitely recommend doing a meal plan for each week (or for longer if you can manage it). I started meal planning when I first moved into my own flat a few years ago (OK, quite a few years ago!) and it really did make all the difference as I was only buying what I actually needed. (And still do, as the meal planning has become a permanant habit. )

Don't worry too much about stocking the cupboards / freezer at the moment - you can build up your stores over time when you have more money. Having said that, BOGOFs and similar special offers can be a great way of stocking up on things you use a lot, at a low cost.

Oh, and the one thing I found really helpful was to try to keep enough money for an occasional treat, even if it was just a bunch of cheapy supermarket flowers to make the flat look pretty - I just found it stopped me getting fed up with the whole thing and spending a lot of money I didn't have to cheer myself up.

Good luck, and enjoy your new home!

ROFL me too, I was thinking she must not have much cupboard space

I would do a shop for the month £25, then keep £15 for whoopsie bread/eggs

If its just the two of you you can keep costs minimal

lots of soup

basics ranges, no branded items.

Least the festive period is near, lots of leftovers from relatives etc!! make the most of it!

Congrats on the new pad

Congratulations on the new flat - I wish you many happy years

As others have said, planning's essential - knowing what you'll eat each day will help you to minimise the spend. Plus you can plan tasty but cheap meals (like pasta pesto - a jar of pesto is about £2 and will do two people for 3 or 4 meals and even with the good brands of pasta like Napolina, you can still make a meal for less than 70p per person).

Another tip is that making your own bread (if you have the time and inclination and/or a breadmaker as a housewarming present ) can be a lot cheaper than buying it. "A leading supermarket" are selling 1.5kg of Strong White Bread Flour for 68p. Even factoring in the price of the yeast and your gas or electricity bills to bake the stuff, you're still looking at less than 35p per loaf (which is often cheaper than when they reduce the bread close to its sell-by and it'll taste a lot better!)

Fruit and veg are often cheaper on market stalls and stallholders tend to reduce the price towards the end of the day, so popping along at 4.30pm can bag you a bargain. And of course, with a market stall owner, there's no reason you can't try to negotiate on the price (the worst that can happen is that they say no and you pay full price, but if you're smiley and happy with the stall-holder and ask nicely you could save quite a bit of money).

Veggies are great for soups (perfect at this time of year) and on the whole all you need to do is boil them up in a load of water and seasoning till they're soft and then liquidise or mash them until they're the right consistency. Carrot soup made with ground corriander, or Parsnip soup made with a bit of corriander and a bit of nutmeg are cheap as you like and really filling (particularly with that home made bread )

Pulses (lentils, beans, peas) are a great way to get plenty of protein without having to pay the price for meat and fish.