Frugal February
- Thread starter Surzy
- Start date
Taniau
Silver Member
Ha!
Bunnylush
Gold Member
Since Sept I have bought all our veg and fruit from our local market stall, body magic carrying it back. It's on three days a week, so I can juggle days. Mr has to come when I need spuds as its only £2.50 for a large bag, and £4.50 for a humongous bag! We go through loads with jacket spuds for teen. Since doing this, I bob in Asda or Lidl ,morrisons for essentials to make meals. It's stopped me needing the supermarket very often, it's cut around £40 off supermarket shops! I honestly get 2/3 bags of stuff from the market for around £10. It's been a life saver ,as we've had no become for 4 months 
its picking up again now
its picking up again now 
broadsbean
Gold Member
still think i am doing quite well, have spent 40 this week which is more than i intended but stupidly took the teen
the rest was mostly bread, milk and fresh fruit and veg, shouldn't need any more till next week end so should still have made a significant saving
total for month so far £210 ( month being pay period so is since the 25th of jan till 23 feb)
the rest was mostly bread, milk and fresh fruit and veg, shouldn't need any more till next week end so should still have made a significant saving
total for month so far £210 ( month being pay period so is since the 25th of jan till 23 feb)
MissSlinky2011
Silver Member
Hey can I join, this is a really great idea! I've found myself giving in to pregnancy cravings and spending money on things I shouldn't!
It's only me my hubby and my dog so I will say £60 a month for everything we need.
I did my big shop when I was paid and spent £40 so I have £20 left for bits x x x
It's only me my hubby and my dog so I will say £60 a month for everything we need.
I did my big shop when I was paid and spent £40 so I have £20 left for bits x x x
*Emsie*
Gold Member
Food waste - Lovefoodhatewaste.com - Tips and recipes to reduce food waste - Love Food Hate Waste
Might be some useful info here x
Might be some useful info here x
sarah5298a1
Silver Member
Budget Recipes - Netmums
another good site for recipes on a budget - trying to make some cut backs - tips and ideas welcome xx
heres a recipe of this site i will be trying this one soon
Lentil Spaghetti Bolognese
(serves 4-6)
one large onion
two cloves garlic
150g dried red lentils
mushrooms - as many as you want
bouillon powder
brown or white spaghetti
cans tomatoes x 2
cheese and basil (optional)
Gently fry the onions and garlic in a drop of olive oil. Add the lentils and fry gently until pale.
Add two cans of tomatoes. Pop in a teaspoon or two of bouillon.Stir well and simmer for half an hour.
If the sauce looks too thick, add some boiled water, during the cooking time.
another good site for recipes on a budget - trying to make some cut backs - tips and ideas welcome
xxheres a recipe of this site i will be trying this one soon
Lentil Spaghetti Bolognese
(serves 4-6)
one large onion
two cloves garlic
150g dried red lentils
mushrooms - as many as you want
bouillon powder
brown or white spaghetti
cans tomatoes x 2
cheese and basil (optional)
Gently fry the onions and garlic in a drop of olive oil. Add the lentils and fry gently until pale.
Add two cans of tomatoes. Pop in a teaspoon or two of bouillon.Stir well and simmer for half an hour.
If the sauce looks too thick, add some boiled water, during the cooking time.
sarah5298a1
Silver Member
Budget Recipes - Netmums
another good site for recipes on a budget - trying to make some cut backs - tips and ideas welcome
heres a recipe of this site i will be trying this one soon
Lentil Spaghetti Bolognese
(serves 4-6)
one large onion
two cloves garlic
150g dried red lentils
mushrooms - as many as you want
bouillon powder
brown or white spaghetti
cans tomatoes x 2
cheese and basil (optional)
Gently fry the onions and garlic in a drop of olive oil. Add the lentils and fry gently until pale.
Add two cans of tomatoes. Pop in a teaspoon or two of bouillon.Stir well and simmer for half an hour.
If the sauce looks too thick, add some boiled water, during the cooking time.
Budget Recipes - Netmums
MinkyDinky
Holiday Countdown!
Well I have just done a shop which should last for 2 1/2 - 3 weeks with maybe a £10 shop in between for fresh milk and bread for the OH. Came to £35 with delivery fee, all thanks to having £12.50 in vouchers (thank you tesco clubcard!)
I am amazed by all the other posts here and how people are looking at ways to be thrifty yet enjoy yummy foods! A couple of the links posted were really useful too and I will have a proper in depth look over the week.
Here is to another green week and low cost food xx
Minks
I am amazed by all the other posts here and how people are looking at ways to be thrifty yet enjoy yummy foods! A couple of the links posted were really useful too and I will have a proper in depth look over the week.
Here is to another green week and low cost food
xxMinks
missflips
Full Member
I live on my own with the cat and an OH that eats me out of house & home every time he comes over!!
I do a big on-line shop on payday and just top up with fresh fruit/veg/bread/milk etc as necessary.
I've spent £65 this month which included £10 on cat food and about £10 on laundry and cleaning products.
I've got cupboards full of food and a freezer full of quorn. I'll be putting the slow cooker to use and making batches of soup, chilli and spag bol tomorrow.
I much prefer shopping online because a) I'm a short arse who can't reach the top shelf and b) because I always get too tempted
This was me in asda about 15 months ago, I only went in for bread, milk, cat food and tea bags and came out £90 lighter!
I do a big on-line shop on payday and just top up with fresh fruit/veg/bread/milk etc as necessary.
I've spent £65 this month which included £10 on cat food and about £10 on laundry and cleaning products.
I've got cupboards full of food and a freezer full of quorn. I'll be putting the slow cooker to use and making batches of soup, chilli and spag bol tomorrow.
I much prefer shopping online because a) I'm a short arse who can't reach the top shelf and b) because I always get too tempted
This was me in asda about 15 months ago, I only went in for bread, milk, cat food and tea bags and came out £90 lighter!
Surzy
Fat Fund-raising Fanatic
This week's planned meals ...
Sunday
2 weetabix with 1 apple and 1 orange
HM veggie broth (carrots, swede, sweetcorn, peas, leeks, potato, onion, pearl barley and red lentils)
Chicken stew with cabbage and broccoli
Monday
2 weetabix and 1 apple and 1 orange
Chicken stew and broccoli, muller light, orange, apple and a pear.
Pasta carbonara (eggs, quark, smoked bacon, onions, peas) with salad
Tuesday
35g of oats stirred into a muller light (left overnight) bowl of raspberries
Pasta carbonara (eggs, quark, smoked bacon, onions, peas) with salad, orange apple and pear
Chili con carne with jacket and salad (from the freezer - made double last week in the slow cooker by adding extra beans and tinned toms to make the meat go further!)
Wednesday
2 weetabix, 1 apple and 1 orange
HM Veggie soup, apple, orange and pear
Quorn savoury Rice with frozen veg (quick tea as I have a physio appt!)
Thursday
2 poached eggs on WW toast, bowl of raspberries with dollop of Yog
Savoury Rice and salad, apple, orange and pear
Jacket pot, tuna and salad
Friday
2 weetabix, apple and orange
HM Veggie soup, apple, orange, pear Muller light
tomato, ham and cheese omelette with salad and potato wedges
Saturday
Bacon sandwich on 2 slices of WW bread, chopped fruit salad with dollop of yog
Pasta and sauce with frozen SF veg
Slow cooker beef stew with broccoli and cabbage
Sunday
2 weetabix with 1 apple and 1 orange
HM veggie broth (carrots, swede, sweetcorn, peas, leeks, potato, onion, pearl barley and red lentils)
Chicken stew with cabbage and broccoli
Monday
2 weetabix and 1 apple and 1 orange
Chicken stew and broccoli, muller light, orange, apple and a pear.
Pasta carbonara (eggs, quark, smoked bacon, onions, peas) with salad
Tuesday
35g of oats stirred into a muller light (left overnight) bowl of raspberries
Pasta carbonara (eggs, quark, smoked bacon, onions, peas) with salad, orange apple and pear
Chili con carne with jacket and salad (from the freezer - made double last week in the slow cooker by adding extra beans and tinned toms to make the meat go further!)
Wednesday
2 weetabix, 1 apple and 1 orange
HM Veggie soup, apple, orange and pear
Quorn savoury Rice with frozen veg (quick tea as I have a physio appt!)
Thursday
2 poached eggs on WW toast, bowl of raspberries with dollop of Yog
Savoury Rice and salad, apple, orange and pear
Jacket pot, tuna and salad
Friday
2 weetabix, apple and orange
HM Veggie soup, apple, orange, pear Muller light
tomato, ham and cheese omelette with salad and potato wedges
Saturday
Bacon sandwich on 2 slices of WW bread, chopped fruit salad with dollop of yog
Pasta and sauce with frozen SF veg
Slow cooker beef stew with broccoli and cabbage
Noddynoobs
Full Member
another good way to make your mince go further is grated carrot....i add it to everything mincy....i add quite a lot as it cooks down a bit.
we did or shopping on friday, and it came to £27 odd, but we had a voucher for £5 off if you spend £40, so went and bought a load of meet for the freezer. altogether paid £36 something, so im happy with my budget of £37.50 a week! and we have another voucher for next week!
we did or shopping on friday, and it came to £27 odd, but we had a voucher for £5 off if you spend £40, so went and bought a load of meet for the freezer. altogether paid £36 something, so im happy with my budget of £37.50 a week! and we have another voucher for next week!
Great thread. It has inspired me to rethink at my spending habits and write lists and budget for the month.. I actually enjoy searching for the cheapest items and sticking to a budget... just got out of the habit over Christmas, so it's back in the driving seat for me now.
Lidl's have 7.5kg bags of potatoes for £2.49 in case anyone is interested!
Lidl's have 7.5kg bags of potatoes for £2.49 in case anyone is interested!
*Emsie*
Gold Member
I made a courgette and cumin soup (recipe I found on here when looking as had lots left and am bit bored of boiled courgettes) and it is delicous!!!
I will deffo be looking for good offers on courgettes so can do this again and I recommend the recipe...hope it fills me up for lunch tomorrow and if so I will be trying to do more soups as cheap and a lot easier than I tend to think
I will deffo be looking for good offers on courgettes so can do this again and I recommend the recipe
...hope it fills me up for lunch tomorrow and if so I will be trying to do more soups as cheap and a lot easier than I tend to think 
BeckyT
Always trying!
*Emsie* said:I made a courgette and cumin soup (recipe I found on here when looking as had lots left and am bit bored of boiled courgettes) and it is delicous!!!
I will deffo be looking for good offers on courgettes so can do this again and I recommend the recipe
Hmmmm, never thought of adding cumin to a soup and defo not courgettes... Might have to give this a whirl
MinkyDinky
Holiday Countdown!
I grate both courgette and carrot into mince dishes. And vegetable / tomato sauces for pasta. Barely notice it's there but bulks it out and superfree. Xx
Minks
Minks
mrsgosling3
Gold Member
We have always been on a food budget in our house. I spend £50.00 a week for 3 of us and 3 cats and find it harder to do when following slimming world. I'm very good and plan my meals in advance but find buying fresh fruit so expensive. Will look forward to loads of new ideas. Great thread xx
xx
*Emsie*
Gold Member
I imagined it to be really watery and yuck (right up till when I had blended it)but its really nice
Shirleen
Gold Member
If any of you have farm shops nearby go buy a half sack of spuds, I buy 12.5kg for £3.95 and they last us a month, as long as you keep the sack rolled down and in a cool place there's no sprouting or green.
With you on grating carrots for mince dishes, get the food processor out and grate a kilo at a time then keep in the fridge for up to four days or freeze and add frozen to dishes.
Whilst the processor is out grate some onion for curries and burgers grated onion means you don't have uncooked crunchy bits of onion jn your burgers unless you like that!
Before you do all that grate your cheese and separate into HEA's will hopefully stop you using too much and grated cheese always looks 'more'.
I reckon you're more likely to use veg that's prepared, why else would supermarkets sell so much of it? Spend an hour prepping your veg & bag it up. Then there's no excuse for not using it and it can be quite therapeutic slicing and dicing!
Just don't do Aubergines, cucumbers, as they don't keep well once chopped. Don't use a metal knife for lettuce as it causes oxidisation, Amazon do a great plastic knife for lettuce quite cheap, or simply tear it.
With you on grating carrots for mince dishes, get the food processor out and grate a kilo at a time then keep in the fridge for up to four days or freeze and add frozen to dishes.
Whilst the processor is out grate some onion for curries and burgers grated onion means you don't have uncooked crunchy bits of onion jn your burgers unless you like that!
Before you do all that grate your cheese and separate into HEA's will hopefully stop you using too much and grated cheese always looks 'more'.
I reckon you're more likely to use veg that's prepared, why else would supermarkets sell so much of it? Spend an hour prepping your veg & bag it up. Then there's no excuse for not using it and it can be quite therapeutic slicing and dicing!
Just don't do Aubergines, cucumbers, as they don't keep well once chopped. Don't use a metal knife for lettuce as it causes oxidisation, Amazon do a great plastic knife for lettuce quite cheap, or simply tear it.
