Frugal February

Yes I do that too. I only have a motorbike though and too icy to go to Tesco in the evening of late to get the real bargains lol.

We only started buying happy food about 18 months ago after watching a couple of programmes about pigs and chickens. My good friend is also high up in the marketing for the RSPCA who educated me on a few things. We did one shop of everyhing full on free range organic and said if we didn't taste a difference etc that we would go 'medium happy' like willow farm or whatever it's called. However we did notice a massive difference and generally stick to happy. If I can't afford it, I'd rather go without than have chicken and bacon that's been reared in vile conditions and then injected with water that only comes out when you cook it anyway.

Rant over, sorry if it sounds like I'm preaching, I'm not, it's just my personal view that's changed over the last couple of years.

Happy English pork is often fantastic value as turkey. I get finest turkey steaks, three big ones for about £4 and beat them with a meat mallet, so tender and great for when I can't afford chicken.
 
Oooh and I'm also going to make a trip to Lidl for fresh veggies this week after looking at the paper. Sweet spuds and spring onions are on offer and often their squash and celeriac is loads cheaper than Tesco and Co op.

I live on the Isle of Wight and sadly we don't have all the big supermarkets here, Asda and Aldi to name a couple I would like to have lol !
 
Wow thats cheap for eggs! I get mine from a bloke at work but they still aren't that cheap.
 
Doing alright at this - £37 in Tescos on food mid week, so still have just under half my budget for the month left. Had friends to visit this weekend, which is why it was a bit more this week, but should be able to claw it back though, as the rest of the month is going to be pretty quiet. Have a lovely leg of lamb in the oven, that should feed the four adults tonight and still have a bit left over for lunches mid week.

Totally agree about 'happy food' - I always try and buy free range eggs and chicken (Tescos do a packet of free range thighs and drumstick for £3.50, which I have always thought is good value), although I will be RSCPA 'freedom food' if necessary. And always British pork. Would rather have less, but know that the animal had a decent quality of life.
 
Ok, you've convinced me.

I'll buy some free range chicken breast and eggs and bacon and see if I can tell the difference.

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ColJack said:
Ok, you've convinced me.

I'll buy some free range chicken breast and eggs and bacon and see if I can tell the difference.

Sent from my iPod touch using MiniMins
Click to expand...

To be honest I can't tell the difference. I just feel guilty if I don't... Saying that I'm not the best cook lol
 
Oh Blimey I can. If I'm not being a pig I can often get a dinner and lunch out of a large organic chicken breast or am stuffed if I eat a whole one. It just tastes more succulent and meaty to me.

Eggs I can taste the diff even more. Went to a BBQ in the summer and there were halved hard boiled eggs that looked almost anaemic and tasted of nothing. When I went into the persons kitchen, it was a box of value eggs on the side. My oh also commented our boiled eggs where almost orange for the yoke and full of flavour.

As for bacon, it's more about the shrinkage and water/white crap that comes out. If you can get it, spoilt pig or black farmer bacon is worth the extra. You will also find you only need half the rashers you'd normally have too as they don't shrink!

Happy stuff just tastes more tender to me too. Might be partly in my head but I reckon, freedom of movement, sunshine etc plays a big part!
 
Applekath said:
I was just thinking about the meat side of things. I only buy 'happy' meat, poultry and eggs now. It is partly to do with the moral side of it but also because it just tastes sooooooooooo much better.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not flush at all, if I can't afford a free range chicken, I don't have any chicken. Equally I'm not so hung up on it that I won't eat at others homes or check packaging etc. When I do buy a happy chicken, by god I use every last scrap of it down to boiling the bones for stock, something I never did before with say a £3.99 whole chicken.
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I am the same and recently discovered an organic butcher which is very cean and I can go in without feeling sick. I am thinking of getting some phasent. They have 2 for £10.50 which would do 8 meals for me (I live on my own),can use the bones for stock and last me whole month.

I have always been funny with meat and do not like it if it smells strange. I find ordinary supermarket chicken smells fishy and eggs stink. The worst is those vacum packed legs of lamb.
 
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I always buy free range eggs - however much of a budget I'm on. I can't so much on chicken but I try to do other things that are socially / environmentally responsible e.g. Use Ecover products, buy fair trade when I can & buy local meat & milk. So I could prob be more frugal but knowing I am making some conscious decisions to help no matter how small is important to me.
 
All filled in during the quiet time at work. Planned around what's in the kitchen already to reduce costs!

9e9f4f82.jpg
 
Oooh that sounds different, how did it turn out?

I just have to say that the courgette and mint tortilla from the latest mag is brilliant for breakfast and very cheap being just..

6 eggs, 2 large courgettes, 3 medium spuds and mint!

Really impressed and made four big portions although I'll be eating two of them during this morning lol
 
Saved so much money shopping at the city centre market. The walk home with all the veg was a good work out too.

This thread is so helpful. Thank you all
 
Ive got to say, i have been follwoing this post for a while now and it has made me cut right back and stop wasting food...... I was throwing out so much from over buying..... Ive been buying cheap meat if reduced and freezing so that i could use through the month.... (Steaks 12 packs of them i got for under £20 most of the packs had more than one steak in there :) )
I have also stopped buying lots of fresh veg because i think i will use at some point and only buying what i need for soups and meals. The OH has been told off as he costs me loads when i take him shopping, adding naughty foods in the trolly!! Aldi i find is my best friend with cheap meat and veg and also fresh fruit :)

Thanks for this post, i think i am gonna try and do a very cheap month every month and save the money up for something nice...... like new clothes with my big weight loss :p

Bx
 
Surzy said:
So here's an odd idea. Homemade pot noodles!

View attachment 26057

Just cheap quick cook fine noodles. Finely chopped veg of your liking, a stock cube of your liking and some seasoning i have added pepper and garlic :)
Click to expand...

I do a similar thing with cous cous, using leftover meat from a weekend roast, chickpeas, diced red pepper, red onion, and a stock cube. Shake it all up in a plastic tub and take into work. Then just add boiling water and leave to stand until the cous cous has absorbed the water. One warm and SW friendly lunch. :)
 
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