Frugal February

[broadsbean]

Freezer

4 portions of syn free home-made soup
6 pork escalopes
400g lean lamb mince
300g Quorn chicken style pieces
8 extra lean cumberland sausages
150g mathesons turkey rashers
1kg extra lean minces beef
500g unsmoked gammon joint
400g BGTYS Pork Stir Fry
400g Chicken breast
225g raw prawns
225g cooked prawns

1/2 bag sweetcorn
1 bag cabbage
1/2 bag sliced peppers
1 1/2 bags frozen peas
1 bag green beans
1 1/3 bag diced carrot/celery/onion
1/2 bag diced onion
1/2 bag chopped toms
1 bag chopped fruit topper

Cupboards and Pantry
1.5kg wholewheat pasta shapes
2 boxes lasagne sheets
315g Quinoa
700g Pearled Barley
330g Fettucini
200g giant cous cous
600g Arborio rice
700g Brown Rice
800g red lentils
500g sushi rice
2 boil in bag rice portions
1 packet AH Lentil Dhal
1 packet AH creamy spelt
4 packets low fat supernoodles
2 tomato and herb pasta and sauce
1 cheese, leek and ham pasta and sauce
1 carbonara pasta and sauce
2 mild curry savoury rice
1 garlic savoury rice
2 thai chili savoury rice
2 golden savoury rice
2 chicken and sweetcorn savoury rice (asda)
1 mild curry noodle pot shot
4 asda mighty soups
1 tube tomato puree
1 sweet and sour mug shot
350g honey
1 sm tin sweetcorn
2 lg tins sweetcorn
2 tins baked beans
2 tubs passata
1 tin chopped tomatoes
3 tins plum tomatoes
2 tins chickpeas
2 tins harricot beans
2 tins cannelini beans
1 tin kidney beans
2 tins tuna in brine
1 jar roasted red peppers
300g smash
550g dried split peas
400g soup pasta
250g cous cous
1kg sweet chili sauce
400g spiced cous cous
800g golden basmati savoury rice
350g oatmeal
20 weetabix
8 poppadums
1 kg potatoes
7 sachets of sugar free jelly
190g finn crisp original rye
8 medium onions
1 packet rice vermicelli
8 trifle sponges

amazing isn't it what we buy stick in the cupboard and then say we have nothing in

quite excited at inventing things to cook this month

mentioned this on my diary and it sparked even more interest .

i am looking forward to seeing how much i manage to save
worked out i probably spend about 400 to 450 a month usually but waste quite a bit hoping that doing it this way i won't waste as much x

again thank you for the idea it has really sparked my interest and got me thinking about my shopping habits

 

[Tinytootz]

Went to Asda last night, and spent £12.50. Other than fresh fruit, veg and milk, I think I will be under the £30 for this week. Oh, and some pasta sauce as I have somehow managed to run out.... That included pop for OH, chocolate for OH (5 twix for £1, bargain), cat food, some baps and some naughty treat cakes.
Our freezers are full enough to live off for a month, and I am slowly getting my way through it, as OH nan buys us food each week for some reason, but its always things like pizza, kievs, burgers and ribs, which I either whack in the freezer, or try and palm off on my parents and brother, as I HATE throwing away good food, and any hints we have given her don't seem to have registered. But I am very grateful, as it does help us out when we are brassy.

 

[sarah5298a1]

Sarah,it might be worthwhile in the long run to convert part of that large garden into a veg patch..? ( good time to dig it over now as the coming frost that's been forcast will break the clumps down.. )..
free veg and salad for the summer for a small outlay cost of seeds and time..

coljack we have a veg patch and herbs and a big green house. we're just getting it ready to plant things up. i have set a challenge for the summer - not to buy any tomatoes at all which i think is achievable my son loves them and i buy at least 3 packs a week so i would save a fair bit of money just on toms oh and lettuces i didnt buy any last summer just ate fresh from the garden x

 

[SWLizzy]

I'm loving this thread. I did our weekly shop this morning in Aldi and got a trolley full for £34! So I'm under our £50 weekly budget at the min, but think I'll need a couple of top up bits mid week.

I've handed my cash card over to hubby now too and have a monthly budget in cash...I am the worse person for popping into the shop for a 'couple of bits' paying for it on card and they crying when I see my bank balance!

Hopefully by having the money physically I will think twice before chucking something in the trolley!

Good luck all fello frugalers (if thats a word!)

xxx

 

[Surzy]

Today's lunch was butternut squash soup (had one in the bottom of the fridge looking a bit worse for wear but waste not want not!) That'll do for some work lunches this week too!

Tea was Shepard's Pie using the lamb mince i found in the freezer and had forgotten all about!!

 

[*Emsie*]

I did a big (£150) shop that was delivered Thursday,have been to Costco today and bought flank beef, pork loins,salmon,salmon burgers and divided up and put in freezer.
Am going to now try and just shop for what is needed during Feb weeks and try and use up all the stuff in the freezer so they can be defrosted etc
Am thinking could do this monthly if it works out....we shall see.....

 

[parfittaroles]

A few people have mentioned Costco. I've never even heard of it!

 

[Surzy]

A few people have mentioned Costco. I've never even heard of it!

It's a big wholesalers

 

[parfittaroles]

It's a big wholesalers

Like macro ?

 

[parfittaroles]

Ooohhh. I use to love going to Macro!

 

[ColJack]

I foresee a lot of bubble and squeak in my future. Great to go with an egg and half a tin of beans for breakfast.

Sent from my iPod touch using MiniMins

 

[Jollyjodi]

Oooooh bubble n squeak not had that in ages!

Sent from my iPhone using MiniMins

 

[broadsbean]

costco is one of those places you pay to join, costs £30 a year have certain job criteria i can get a card cos i work for the nhs, it is quite a big criteria though covering loads of jobs.

i tend to use it monthly and stock up on meat and cleaning stuff love there meat its not really cheaper than the supermarket but its quality is fab and it is always really lean.
my other favourite is tinned toms they work out less than the budget brands but are so much nicer

unfortunatly they also make the most gorgeous cakes pastries and biscuits i have to avoid that aslie:cry::cry:

 

[ColJack]

Think my cousin has a card, she owns a cafe.
Might be worth borrowing it maybe?

Sent from my iPod touch using MiniMins

 

[parfittaroles]

I do bank shifts for the nhs, so would I be allowed one? Do I need to take a pay slip in or something?

 

[parfittaroles]

Glad I got rid of my card as I was spending a fortune as bulk buying meant bulk eating.

True. And I'd always get stuff I didn't really need! I came out with a shed alarm once... I don't even have a shed!

 

[Chipmunk89]

Me and OH usually spend about £70 a week on shopping... that's usually about £50 for the main week shop and then the rest spent across the week on top-up stuff that often we don't even need! Then OH usually spends a fortune on buying lunch in work because we're not very organised with lunches and he gets bored if he has to eat the same thing a couple of days in a row!

I'd like to aim for spending less than £200 this month on the main groceries and try to make more lunches for OH. Luckily, we both have most of next week off work so for 1 week out of 4 that shouldn't be too much of a problem.

I always plan my weekly teas but I never plan Breakfast or Lunches so I think I'll try and plan everything this month and that might help. My big problem is that we only have a tiny freezer so there's not much room for leftovers and they often end up getting thrown away! I really want a chest freezer so I can do more batch cooking but I haven't been able to find one cheap enough! It would help us so much!

Here's a good link from MoneySavingExpert... tips on saving at the supermarket. I've tried the DownShift Challenge on a couple of things and it is surprising at how you can't notive the difference most of the time.

True. And I'd always get stuff I didn't really need! I came out with a shed alarm once... I don't even have a shed!

Costco is definitely a dangerous place. I wish I was rich every time I go there as I could buy one of everything! Luckily, it's my MIL who has the card and not us so we've only been a couple of times.

 

[Tracy831]

Think my cousin has a card, she owns a cafe.
Might be worth borrowing it maybe?

Sent from my iPod touch using MiniMins

She could get u a card via her account.
My brother in law did it for me I think it cost me around £16.00

 

[Tracy831]

I buy online from 2 different sites that sell either out of date ,or just going out of date food.
It's not fresh stuff mainly tins and packets,and their stuff is excellent.
My hubby has even built me a very large shed in the garden where I store it all,it's like a little shop !!!!
They arewww.approvedfood.co.ukwww.foodbargains.co.uk

 

[parfittaroles]

Costco UK - Join the Millions who are already saving!

Thank you!