sw when short of money

hi, the dreaded bank statement has informed me that we have spent far too much money and payday is a week away so we are going to have to use up whats in the house already and buy as little as possible this week, weather its sw friendly or not lol, there is me hubby and a 2 and 4 year old to feed and a baby who has just milk still.

just out of interest is any one willing to share how much they spend shopping and has anyone any tips on how to feed us all on the cheap

charlotte x
 
I spend a blinking fortune! There's 5 of us, me and hubby plus a 9 year old, a 2 year old and baby (who just has milk!) This week for example i spent £140, of which about £25 was on baby neccessities. If it needs to be cheap go for pasta (own brand), eggs (cheap ones if you need them), spuds, and then veges and fruit that are on offer. Also get things like value chicken, and mince (when you cook the mince drain the fat off and pat it with kitchen paper so it's not fatty), tinned tomatoes, baked beans. I always get cheese as well, full fat again the value one if needs be. The other thing to do is shop for two weeks and get meat and stuff on 2 4 1 offer etc, and then just top up with fruit and veg. I got some value fruit and veg this week and it's fine, just some funny shapes, little dents or smaller fruits. Hope that helps?
 
I do green and don't eat a lot of meat, so own brand pasta, rice and potatoes are cheap, unfortunately fresh fruit and veg is quite expensive (don't let the eco health warriors tell you it's not!)

Bacon, egg and chips is a good one. Bangers and mash. Pasta bake. Potato bake. Omlettes.

Hope that helps a bit.

Natt xxx
 
I suppose I spend around £45 for OH and me but I could certainly do it for alot less! I grow veg but that's only just starting, but when the boys were little I could make 1/2 lb of minced beef go a long long way!
There are lots of good tips on martins money tips. I find pulses a wonderful way to keep full. I make soup with lentils and split peas, just for a week I would use own brands. Some of them are ok. Extend meat with rice potatoes, eggs. Spanish omellette is good. Shop at about 7 0 clock and the supermarkets reduce the bread and lots of things on their sell by dates, the same if you go to a market near 5 o clock, you can get bags of veg cheaply cos they don't want to cart it away.
Apparently if you look in the skips behind a supermarket they throw away all sorts! But I'm guessing you're not reduced to that yet! ;)
 
Hi there.... It can be done cheaply, especially on green days. why not post a list of what you have in the fridge/freezer/cupboard and see what people can come up with for the week.

xx
 
hi, thank you all for trying to help me, i just typed up a list of what we have and my laptop crashed before i could post it argh and i cant seem to copy and paste it from word, can email it to anyone who want to look and see what they sujest
thanks, charlotte xx
 
In my house theres Me & OH, mum, a 15 yr old, a 13 yr old, 12 yr old, and an 8yr old.. fish, a bird, our pup AND ham-chop the hamster.

eek. lol i do the weekly shop with mum so i can keep on top of getting the usual extra lean meats etc.

we spend about £130 and then i always end up going during the week for myself and spending another £20 .. more mullers and fruit usually. . sometimes a cooked chicken for times when i cbf to cook.


my advise to you would be, stock by things like pasta etc.. and do LOADS of cooking. Freeze up and use up. pasta bakes, shepards pies, curry, spag bowl etc.. stuff that is filling and will freeze well.

also with this weather, morrisons do a pack of 24 white bread rolls, for like 1.50 or somthin, they are actually really nice, (not that i know myself, only what the others tell me!) .. and u can freeze them also if u dont get thru them.

and eggs always help.. omlettes, boiled eggs, poached eggs, scrammy eggs, and to use in other recipes! and you can buy bumper packs of peppers, i usually pick a bag up of 5 or so, and most weeks u can pick them up for £1.25 .. occasionally they are cheeky and up the price one week, but its usually back down to normal the week after..

also, try buying the hartleys suger free jelly crystals, they'r usually 2 sachets for 49p or somthin, and thats two desserts that the 4 yr old can help make and eat for cheap.


:) xxxxxx
 
charlotte, a bag of green lentils is about £1 and will make enough dinners for 3 or 4 days, use it like mince for sheperds pie ,chilli ,stew,curry etc. It is great for the whole family once it is cooked with onions carrots tinned tomatoes,very good for you as well.
I have had many times where the budget just will not stretch and eggs are probaly one of the best cheap food sources there is,good old egg chips and beans would cost less than 50p each.
 
I'm in a simelar situation babe, I can't afford to but anything this week so I'm forced to use my credit card and even then I can't spend more than £20. It sucks and I'm about one step away from rummaging in the bins behind supermarkets! Freegans, I think they're called lol
 
Dont know what shops you have near but if you have an aldi or lidls head that way.
I have an aldi and they have 6 fruit and veg each week for 49p.
I got a pack of 3 peppers, cherries, melon , pineapple for 49p each so £2 the lot which is great. Lidl has some cheap deals too. Can get noodles and pasta there really cheaply. When we are on a budget more often than not these days I buy the above stuff and some cheap chickens aldi has a back of 8 drumsticks for £1.99 you can take the skin of cook them and then use meat for soups and other dinners.
 
Im another huge fan of Martin he is amazing! ... his website can take days to read lol ...
I spend around £75 a week for 2 adults a 15,11 and 4yr old children i cook alot of rice and stir frys, New pots and salad jacket potatos etc
Pasta is excellent in the hot weather rince in cool water and stack through with salad veggies
 
i cook for me and oh and i spend on average between 15 and 20 per week in butchers (that includes getting stuff for our lunches) and about £40 per week on main shop will poss get fresh stuff during week. but i make all our lunches and dinners from fresh
 
There is me and OH and a 9 year old who could eat for Ireland. lol
My first shop is usually about £80 and then before the end of the week I need to get more fruit veg and yoghurts etc and its usually another £50 ish...... I only get £100 a week to live on for everything.... going to have to sacrafice electricity for strawberries soon. lol
 
My father, bless him, took me shopping today and ambushed me at the tills by paying for my bits and pieces! Not terribly mature but he knows I'm struggling and I was ready to cry his generosity.
 
My father, bless him, took me shopping today and ambushed me at the tills by paying for my bits and pieces! Not terribly mature but he knows I'm struggling and I was ready to cry his generosity.
bless my mum did the same last week when she came to see me we did a spa day out and she gave me 60 towards it (i only had to pay £40) then took me to morrisons and ambushed at the tills, after she had put loads of fruit and stuff she knows i can eat in
 
I love mums, dads and grans! I don't know how I would survive without mine.

If your on the green it is very easy because you can get loads of cheap pasta, rice etc. And veggies are always best on offer. This eating healthy lark aint as cheap as everyone makes out ;)
 
i live on extra easy days and it doesnt interfear with my family foods at all. i do mince and mash which is a cheap meal use turkey mince and i use milk and butter as syns and kids love it i put gravey on it, spag bowl cheap and easy when family have this i do jacket potoatoe or omlette. talking of omlette we done ham omlette one day and the kids all loved it and very very cheap.if i am really tight one week i can spend 70-00 for a weeks worth of food for 7 of us.
 
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