DUKAN ON A BUDGET...

dukannotsofatty

Gold Member
If it is at all possible, could this be a sticky as I think people would appreciate being able to look at ideas for saving money at a glance instead of trolling the threads.......huge thanks.


I thought I would start this thread as its a question that comes up regularly about expense etc., and having had compliments (thanks Ms Sid) about my frugal shopping exploits I figured I might as well share what I know :D I can let you know if there are any specials, or any other low priced items I find.

But its not just me.......we all see special offers and have our own little budget tips which will help. I've found a post that was started by Xelidihx and will copy and paste a few of the ideas from there to over here as well.

But to start with, PLAN your weekly menu's it really does work. If you know in advance of going shopping what you have got in you know what you need. When I started the diet I actually listed everything I had in the freezers and planned my meals around that so that i didn't have to worry about going out and shopping straight away. I then allowed myself £25 and bought meats, fish and dairy to stock up. Keep a shopping pad stuck to the cupboards so you can write down as soon as you realise you need something, be it store cupboard or major item. Nothing worse than going shopping and spending on things you don't need because you forgot. Try to plan when to shop, don't go every day, its far far too expensive. I do Aldi, farm Foods, Morrisons in one day as I can plan my route driving to include them all and its only a mile out of my way of my normal route. I then do Asda the next day. Heron is a once a month shop, so slots into Aldi/Farm Foods shop on that day.

These are the places I shop and what foods I buy:

From Asda: Frozen Chicken Fillets (only if desperate as not as cheap), Turkey Rashers, Turkey Sausages, SP Cottage Cheese (lower Fat than their other brand), Quark, Beef, Just like Tails,
From Farm Foods: Chicken fillets, Nearly all my Fish, Crabsticks (only 29p a pack, and packed as an 8 so no going over limits),
From Aldi: Beef Mince (not totally lean, but I drain and wash), frozen Chicken Fillets are cheaper here, UHT Milk for yogurts, Skim milk powder, Beef , Eggs, Salmon fillets (cheapest I have ever seen and tiny bit bigger than Farm Foods too), Thin sliced ham, SF sweets best price from here.
From Morrisons: Frozen bags of Mussells £1, Quark is tiny bit cheaper but also less in the tub,

I'm sorry but I buy cheap eggs, I can't afford free range as it would cost 4 times the price. I appreciate some people won't buy the cheaper eggs on principle.

Always check out the reduced sections as they quite often have things like Turkey Mince and the Sausages cheaper in Asda, also beef and whole chickens which can be cooked and re frozen. If you pop along to the supermarket close to closing there are quite often reduced cooked chickens and other meats........handy to let them cool, split them down and freeze.

I buy the mince from Aldi, split it into four portions and thats enough for just me for one meal. Sometimes, I make up meatballs and burgers in advance, cook and then freeze. Batch cook, its so much easier to grab a bag for lunch instead of worrying.

I've recently been buying Quorn products, but only when on offer. Farm Foods do 2 for £2.50 or 2 for £3.50 on items, Asda occasionally have rollbacks in the fresh section and the freezer. Heron frozen foods sell Quorn really cheap but you do need to catch the deals.

There will always be items that are impossible to get, but others might be able to help with alternatives.
 
Oops forgot to mention Coke Zero from Aldi, its 43p a bottle I think, and very tasty.....they also had a range of SF jellies for a while, although that range was discontinued last week they say they may be replaced with another of a different brand.

Asda frozen Chicken Livers...........cook as pate, but last month I did them with the vietnamese beef recipe, so so yummy. Only 50p a tub......very cheap and easy meal. If you can't make your own yogurts, buy Asda SP LF Yog, its 55p a pot which is half the price of some of the other brands. Frozen SP Prawns £1.50 for 200g bag, just enough for one meal if used on own.

Aldi LF Greek yogurt, thou its very slightly over the 2g rule...but creamier than asda, and cheaper. Aldi do small chickens for lower prices too.

Farm Foods: rhubarb 3 packs for £2 (might have changed a bit at the mo, not bought any for a few weeks)

Copied and pasted over from previous thread:

Zoesastar: Also the 3 for £10s are good, i batch cook chicken thighs and legs for lunches coz theyre quick and easy!

Ceridwen: My tip for saving money is going to the supermarkets around the time they start reducing items. Most days after work I go to M&S and then my local Co-op. They are always reducing the fresh meat/fish, and you can just pop it in the freezer until you need it

Me: When I buy my meats, I split them into single portions and freeze them in grip bags. I then only have to get one bag out for which ever meat the night before so it defrosts. Its a case of getting into the habit of doing it.

Siddid: I buy steak mince and cook in advance then scoop of the fat. But ive done the same with farmfoods big bags and scooped the fat of that
 
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Oatbran - I looked into this when I first started on Dukan back in June and Holland and Barratt was actually the cheapest and had different grades on offer. I buy super fine as this is closer to flour when making the muffins.

Wheatbran is also cheap in H&B.

They quite often have BOGOHP on the brans, but they are never include in the 1p sale...not fair, but not much we can do.

Its been posted elsewhere that Aldi have Oatbran on special this week from tomorrow for 99p. I don't know what it looks like, but it def worth a look eh?
 
Make your own yogurt if you can. Some people have proper yogurt makers but if you haven't got one or can't afford to buy one, a small cheap slow cooker will do the trick.

Use 1 ltr carton UHT Skim Milk
2tbsp Live Yog (yeo valley to start with, but after that use from the yog you made)
2tbsp of Skim Milk Powder

Heat yogurt in SC for 2 hours then allow to cool for 2 hours (easy test to see if cool enough....stick finger into milk, if its cool enough to leave finger in then its ready to use)
Add Milk Powder and Live Yogurt to warm milk and stir well.
Cover with blankets/towels for approx 8 hours. I quite often leave 10-11 hours as this makes it thicker....great for making after tea and being ready for breakfast.
You can drain it at this point if you;d like but it reduces how much yogurt you end up with. I leave it and I get 2 500ml tubs.
Put in fridge to cool.

If you haven't got a slow cooker or not able to buy one, try using a thick based pyrex/casserole dish thats microwave safe.

I have recently started cheating and I heat my milk for 14min on 600w in the microwave, I then leave to cool out of the Slow Cooker base for about 1.5 hours. when standing for its 'thickening' phase i put the bowl back in the SC base and cover for usual hours. I've been making it this way for about 4 months now and never had a problem with it, its less electric too LOL....another saving.

I worked it out that if a pot of Asda SP Yog is 55p for 500ml and a litre of UHT milk is 53p from Aldi, then I have already saved half my money. As I get two pots out of the SC, so saving 55p straight away. I bought my Slow Cooker for a tenner from B&M and as I make an average of 2-3 batches a week it only took 7-10 weeks for me to save my money. Since then I'm making money LOL.
 
Great tips, thank you for sharing them!! :)
 
Mwah back at ya P.

Farm Foods have got some specials on offer at the moment.

Smoked Haddock / White Fish 2 for £5
Salmon 3 for £10
Mussells 2 for £5
Quorn Sausages/Burgers 2 for £2.50
Quorn Chicken/Mince 2 for £3.50
270g Steam Veg 3 for £1 (these are more than enough for two people for one meal)
Other Veg 3 for £2
Crabsticks have 20% extra free for 29p (I'm assuming this means another crabstick inside the pack)
 
Fabulous thread please make this a sticky mm
 
Smoked Salmon Trimmings.

If you like smoked salmon but its too expensive, then try the cheaper packs of trimmings. You don't need to buy the expensive layers of salmon. Asda is 90p and Morrisons is 99p (I think).

I make pate with these: Half pack salmon, 3 tbsp quark, good squeeze lemon juice and fresh dill.......whizz it in blender and voila pate!!! Serve with dukan bread and/or veggie sticks on PV days. sometimes i make plain dry omlettes and spread the pate on them and roll up like wraps.

With other half of packet make a salmon omlette. Fry salmon till half cooked, beat two eggs and pour over top of salmon. Cook as usual.

Protein filled and it works out to about 45p a meal for the salmon....not bad eh?
 
You're welcome. All helps doesn't it.
 
WooHoo, thank you for making it a sticky, I was searching for it and then realised there it was LOL.

Morrisons have changed the packaging on their Frozen Mussells, it even looks as though there is slightly more in the pack, but that could be a trick of the packaging. Looked up prices of Quark and salmon........they are the same prices as Asda, it means that Asda quark is a better deal for money. When they have it in!!!!
 
I found a really old 'Brooke Bond' booklet 'Handy Kitchen Hints' on my recipe book shelf. I think it belonged to my nana. Was so funny reading some of the hints.

Never go shopping on an empty stomach.

When shopping for pre-packed meat i.e. bacon or ham, do take note of the date by which it must be eaten - in busy supermarkets they are sometimes lazy about putting old stock to the top of the pile. Thought that was funny!

I loved this one, I would never have thought of this...

When a recipe is doubled, never double the salt and other seasonings. instead use only the original amount, and taste before adding more. Definately one to remember when cooking, def save money cos we won't have to use too many seasonings and they'll last longer.

A def money saver: A joint that is overcooked, dry and tough, can be cut into small cubes reheated in curry sauce (maybe a diff sauce) or it can be minced reheated in bolognese sauce.

DID YOU KNOW THIS ONE??

Freeze leftover egg whites until they're needed. Place them in a small foil dish and put them into the freezer. As soon as the egg whites are frozen solid, fold the sides of the dish firmly towards the centre to form a seal and return them to the freezer. Can be kept in frezer for up to two weeks. i really would never ever have thought to freeze egg whites. I wonder if this is still classed as an ok thing to do.

and for yolks...can be kept for two or three days if they are refrigerated in a tightly covered jar partly filled with milk. Does that mean we put teh yolks in the milk. Don't know but these tips mean eggs aren't wasted. Thats happened a few times when i use a white for something and not got a use for the yolk yet lol.

This says its ok for eggs good eh?
 
Asda have rolled back the price of the quark, its now 72p.....though it took me ages to find it on the shelf.

Farm foods have quorn burgers @ 2 for £2 - 4 in a box, so thats two meals in theory. Also Quorn Sausages at 2 for £2 - 6 in a box.

Aldi super 6 is salad vegetables
 
Thanks karin xxx
 
Went to Lidl yesterday and their meat was really good value. bought smoked salmon which was in massive package and two roast chickens and some lean chicken breasts. seem to be quite a good option for fresh meat/fish on a reasonable budget.
 
We only have one Lidl in our area now, not easy to get to but that is worth knowing thank you x
 
I've started buying my smoked salmon in lidl as its cheaper and much nicer than the tesco value one
 
Asda low fat soft cheese has lower values on all nutritional information than philladelphia extra light, which i believe is a tollerated product. Yet it's only 50p !!! (not sure if it's edible yet tho)!!!
Also amazingly enough fillet steaks in m and s are only £8 for two and they are dead nice quality from there.
 
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