Slimming world on a budget
- Thread starter pudge30
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Neveragain
Full Member
Hi Rachael,
Like you I'm doing Slimming world on a budget, mostly when I stop SW is usually because of the amount of food I need to keep it up and can't afford it, especially the salad, fruit and the special fridge items like quark, ff yogurts, cottage cheese, etc
I've found aldi very good this time around and I have sectioned out my salads so they last more than week or two instead of a few days. and also make dishes like chilli con carne, SW Shepard pies, SW quiches and pasta dishes which I've found typically good, as I can put them into Tupperware containers and freeze them and have them during the week.
Like you I'm doing Slimming world on a budget, mostly when I stop SW is usually because of the amount of food I need to keep it up and can't afford it, especially the salad, fruit and the special fridge items like quark, ff yogurts, cottage cheese, etc
I've found aldi very good this time around and I have sectioned out my salads so they last more than week or two instead of a few days. and also make dishes like chilli con carne, SW Shepard pies, SW quiches and pasta dishes which I've found typically good, as I can put them into Tupperware containers and freeze them and have them during the week.
pippalata
Gold Member
I find beans and lentils an absolute life saver when I'm trying to stick to a budget. You can make so many tasty filling meals and if you double up the ingredients then there is a portion for the freezer too 
I also go for veg over fruit when I'm a budget because a bag of carrots is a fraction of the price of a punnet of strawberries and tends to keep me fuller for longer. Frozen fruit & veg can help with that too as there is no wastage.
I hope that helps if you google 'budget meals' BBC Good Food has lots of ideas and you can usually make them SW friendly x
I also go for veg over fruit when I'm a budget because a bag of carrots is a fraction of the price of a punnet of strawberries and tends to keep me fuller for longer. Frozen fruit & veg can help with that too as there is no wastage.
I hope that helps
if you google 'budget meals' BBC Good Food has lots of ideas and you can usually make them SW friendly x
swlaurenb
Full Member
What do you typically eat now? It would probably be easier to tweak that to cheaper options than start a whole new meal plan. But I agree with choosing veg over fruit, there are very few nutrients you can get from fruit over a similarly coloured vegetable. Or if you need the sweetness, at least choosing the cheaper fruits like bananas and apples over the more exotic fruits. Bananas are around 70p a kilo where fresh berries are over £13 per kilo!
Also agree to look at frozen foods as well. I buy all my chicken and fish frozen, they're often about half the price of fresh. Frozen berries are £4/kilo instead of the fresh price already mentioned. I do buy mince fresh because they don't do the 5% frozen (in the stores I shop in, at least) but I'll always buy the largest pack available and split it into portions for freezing myself. Same for things like yoghurts, a large tub is about half the price of buying pre-portioned ones.
For healthy extras, I stick to own brand versions of basic cereals. Value wheat biscuits cost about 6p a serving, plain porridge oats are even cheaper. Where a brand name cereal is at least 3 times the cost and two cereal bars at full price is around 80p! I do buy HiFis at group as a treat but they stop me having pudding, so feel it balances out.
I've actually spent less on food since joining SW, but also feel like I eat a lot less than other members that I see on Instagram that seem to take a full bag of snacks around with them every day! I may have one small snack in the afternoon if I'm feeling a bit hungry but I find the meals keep me so full that I don't often need to.
Also agree to look at frozen foods as well. I buy all my chicken and fish frozen, they're often about half the price of fresh. Frozen berries are £4/kilo instead of the fresh price already mentioned. I do buy mince fresh because they don't do the 5% frozen (in the stores I shop in, at least) but I'll always buy the largest pack available and split it into portions for freezing myself. Same for things like yoghurts, a large tub is about half the price of buying pre-portioned ones.
For healthy extras, I stick to own brand versions of basic cereals. Value wheat biscuits cost about 6p a serving, plain porridge oats are even cheaper. Where a brand name cereal is at least 3 times the cost and two cereal bars at full price is around 80p! I do buy HiFis at group as a treat but they stop me having pudding, so feel it balances out.
I've actually spent less on food since joining SW, but also feel like I eat a lot less than other members that I see on Instagram that seem to take a full bag of snacks around with them every day! I may have one small snack in the afternoon if I'm feeling a bit hungry but I find the meals keep me so full that I don't often need to.
i have found that by shopping at Aldi my food bill has reduced massively!!! The fruit and Veg doesn't last forever but it doesn't stick around long enough to go off in my house anyhoo
I am also a whoops queen and love a yellow sticker!! I tend to bulk up on meat and freeze it whenever I see a whoops yellow sticket
Also for mince, muscle food quite often have their mince deals on where you can get 400g of extra lean mince for 90p. They do have a minimum order value so you tend to have to bulk out your order with other items but it is still well worth it. I tend to stick to the steaks rather than the chicken on that site as it represents the best value for me x
I am also a whoops queen and love a yellow sticker!! I tend to bulk up on meat and freeze it whenever I see a whoops yellow sticket
Also for mince, muscle food quite often have their mince deals on where you can get 400g of extra lean mince for 90p. They do have a minimum order value so you tend to have to bulk out your order with other items but it is still well worth it. I tend to stick to the steaks rather than the chicken on that site as it represents the best value for me x
Clobberella
Member
I have a few tips.
Buy dry foods in bulk when you can. I just bought 10kg rice for £7 at tesco.
When I use mince, I use half mince, half lentils.
I make a rice porridge - 1 part rice to 8 parts water plus: spring onion, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, and if I have money, then a chicken breast. Cook it all on a really low heat in a saucepan for about 2 hours. For me, it is a bit of a comfort food.
Homemade potato wedges with my healthy extra cheese (mozzarella or cheddar are good) and gravy.
I cook in batches and make 4-8 portions per meal, then freeze them.
Legumes (dried) are your friend. They require a little more prep, but are crazy cheap.
The mushy pea curry is actually good. It's just a pea and bean curry - tin mushy peas, tin baked beans, tin chopped tomatoes, curry powder and simmer for a few minutes.
Spices and herbs are your friend. I used to use fat for flavour, but now am focussing more on herbs and spices. invest in some (packs of fresh herbs can be frozen, spices last for ages)and experiment.
Buy dry foods in bulk when you can. I just bought 10kg rice for £7 at tesco.
When I use mince, I use half mince, half lentils.
I make a rice porridge - 1 part rice to 8 parts water plus: spring onion, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, and if I have money, then a chicken breast. Cook it all on a really low heat in a saucepan for about 2 hours. For me, it is a bit of a comfort food.
Homemade potato wedges with my healthy extra cheese (mozzarella or cheddar are good) and gravy.
I cook in batches and make 4-8 portions per meal, then freeze them.
Legumes (dried) are your friend. They require a little more prep, but are crazy cheap.
The mushy pea curry is actually good. It's just a pea and bean curry - tin mushy peas, tin baked beans, tin chopped tomatoes, curry powder and simmer for a few minutes.
Spices and herbs are your friend. I used to use fat for flavour, but now am focussing more on herbs and spices. invest in some (packs of fresh herbs can be frozen, spices last for ages)and experiment.
marybobs
Silver Member
Hi Rachel,
I've been on SW since June, was feeding 5 for about €75 a week, now I've just moved in with my boyfriend so we have to start from scratch with the herbs/spices buying all the ones we need, but I can feed us for about €35 a week. I bulk buy when I can, I buy a lot of fish and meat for the freezer as cost per kilo is so much better value and I've just found a local market, I got my weeks supply of vegetables for €3.70, I try to be creative with my cooking. so I add kidney beans, chickpeas, peas, beans, lentils to meals to bulk out the proteins in a meal. I buy frozen berries for overnight oats or baked oats, and I use froze veg in meals as well, but I always buy fresh onions, garlic, ginger and chili as I think they make a great base for any of the curries/stews that I make.
I've been on SW since June, was feeding 5 for about €75 a week, now I've just moved in with my boyfriend so we have to start from scratch with the herbs/spices buying all the ones we need, but I can feed us for about €35 a week. I bulk buy when I can, I buy a lot of fish and meat for the freezer as cost per kilo is so much better value and I've just found a local market, I got my weeks supply of vegetables for €3.70, I try to be creative with my cooking. so I add kidney beans, chickpeas, peas, beans, lentils to meals to bulk out the proteins in a meal. I buy frozen berries for overnight oats or baked oats, and I use froze veg in meals as well, but I always buy fresh onions, garlic, ginger and chili as I think they make a great base for any of the curries/stews that I make.
