Shopping on a Budget - pointers please?

[StaceyUK]

So, hubby and I have realised that we're spending far too much money on shopping and have decided to try and start shopping on a budget. Problem is, I have no clue where to begin?!

Is it best to plan all of our meals for the week and cost it all up or just start with £X for the whole week and buy groceries as I need them?

Any tips/hints/recipes for shopping on a budget? Thanks!

 

[Sarah-Jayne]

Well we always bulk buy food, like pasta for example. its only like £3 for 5kg! With baked beans etc we always get the value brands, tbh you cant taste the difference! Rice is another thing that works out better to bulk buy, but then we gets ours free from the sister-in-law as she owns a chinese resturant lol. Everything we buy is the budget version because its always cheaper and pretty much the same syn values.

We are skint all the time, so bulk buying foods are the way forward for us!

 

[Beki]

I would look at the moneysaving expert forum... particularly the moneysaving oldstyle board. they have loads and loads of moneysaving ideas when it comes to buying food, menu planning, bulk cooking etc... it really is a fab resource

www.moneysavingexpert.co.uk

 

[cocktailprincess]

Green days are MUCH cheaper than red, so plan more of these
x

 

[babybloo]

Hi Stacey! I live on my own so *try* and be practical with food shopping so I don't waste so much. I tend to write a menu plan for the week (don't always stick to it rigidly) so that if I open something for one meal I can use it in others. Quite often I make enough to do me for dinner one day and lunch the next. I buy the majority of my veg frozen (other than onions, pepper, courgettes, butternut squash) as it goes off too quickly when I buy fresh stuff. I only ever use bread for toast so buy a loaf, stick in the freezer and straight into the toaster if I want to use it. I usually buy the supermarket own brand of chopped tomatoes and whatever low fat cheese and yogurts are on offer. I wish canned fruit in juice was free though as I end up throwing fresh fruit out more often than not but the last couple of days I've synned for fruit cocktail and mandarins in juice and might continue to do this since I've upped my daily syns to 15 anyway.

 

[Gemmy_Lou]

There has already been some really good advice but I thought I would throw my tuppence in!

I plan what we are eating for the week and only buy the ingredients required. I know that buying a bigger pack of beef mince is better value for money than buying smaller ones so either plan to have 2 mince meals in a week or buy a big pac and freeze half.

There is only 2 of us so I tend to make recipes for 4 and freeze the other portions or have one for lunch the next day.

Have a look at the bottom of your freezer!!! Last month I decided to defrost ours and so did a week living from just the freezer. All I bought was fruit and veg in addition to it. I managed to do all our lunches and dinners and make desserts with what was in there and I did a meal for 6 without buying anything else!! It is amazing what you find lurking in there!!

 

[judimac]

If you go on the supermarket websites you can sign up for their emails and you will know whats on offer each week. I get my veg from the local greengrocers by and large as most staples are cheaper than the supermarkets, and the veg grown locally,the market stalls are good as they sell off stuff for ridiculous prices just before they close.You can often find good seasonal offers at the local butchers too.
I have a pressure cooker which I use to do pulses, and a slow cooker which is good for cheap cuts of meat. I also grow some of my own veg, but then I have a decent size garden.
I've also just picked a load of sloes which will be transformed into sloe gin for Xmas pressies!

I do however insist on branston beans! But I get them when they're on offer for £1 for 4!

 

[jezebel]

hi i bulk buy when i can bigger packs of rice ect as sarha jane said i also bulk buy meat when on special recently tescos did full chickens for £2.00 each they were quiet big i bought 5 of them i do have a chest freezer and that helps a lot i also double up with the cooking make at least double if not more and freeze bulk up curries stews pasta and such with mushrooms pepers ect i find tin tomatoes,beans kid beans sweetcorn are also great for one dish wonders lol and you dont use as much meat if any always buy extra when its cheap .home bargains are good for ceareal bars puffed wheat low fat crisps snack a jacks they dont always have them but i stock up when they do hope this helps x

 

[Gemmy_Lou]

These are my favourite budget meals...

* Spanish Omlette and salad

* Mixed bean chilli (cans of mixed beans cheaper than mince)

* Sausage casserole

* Sausage chilli (use the sausage meat for meatballs, again, cheaper than mince)

* Cheesey filled potatoes (baked potatotes, take out potato and mix with cheese and quark (optional) and worcestshire sauce, put back in skins and bake for a further 15 mins)

* Chunky soups with pasta.

Hope that helps...

 

[jo1]

Hi everyone, I found all of this very helpful as I will be starting SW on Thursday. Just in time for a long weekend away.....but I have gotta start sometime x :sigh: