Weekly big shop

VickyPie

Full Member
Does anyone manage to just go food shopping once a week? I seem to spend my life ( and most of my wage) in various supermarkets.
Is it just a matter of good planning? What do you do about fruit and veg? Does any particular fruit last longer than others?

Thanks :)
 
I shop once a week, generally as long as the fruit/veg is in the fridge it keeps for a week.

And I think the money issue is all about good planning. I only plan my evening meals but have a general idea about what I need for lunches/breakfasts so going with a list and sticking to it is the only way i'd be able to shop now. Otherwise i'd just wander aimlessly around the shop!

xx
 
i make a list of what we will eat, then make a list of what we will need. most fruit and veg last ok for the week, and i have my emergency bag of frozen broc for toward the end of the week. the only thing we seem to go for mid week is banana's as im sure my OH is addicted to them....they just vanish!
 
I tend to plan evening meals a week ahead... i.e. I will decide what we are having next week this evening, so I can do a Tesco order for delivery Thursday evening.

For breakfasts and lunches then I just make sure we have cereal and milk in, and loads of salad stuff for lunches. Otherwise I just make sure we have baked beans, chopped tomatoes, pasta, rice, etc, in plentiful supply in the cupboard for any emergency quick-fix dinners that are needed.

But I often find myself nipping somewhere mid week to top up the fruit supply. I also prefer to buy cooked meat (ham, turkey, beef, pastrami) from Asda, so that tends to be my early week additional shop one day during my lunch break.
 
I go once in three weeks, as I live in the countryside and the supermarket is a long way away.

I came up with a really good way to make veg last nearly three weeks:
1) take the veg out of any packaging,
2) dry the veg off with kitchen towels so it's completely dry (bit of a hassle with sacks of carrots, but worth it!),
3) Make sure your fridge's veg drawer is clean and completely dry,
4) Take a LOT of kitchen roll, and fold it over several times to fit the drawer. I normally use 5-6 layers of it.
5) Check the drawer occasionally. If the paper feels slightly damp, take it out, dry the drawer and veg again, and replace the lining.

The idea is that it absorbs any excess moisture and stops the veg from rotting. It really, really works! Now the only limit for how long I can go without shopping is the quantity of fresh stuff I can fit inside my little fridge!

I hope this helps - it's helped me save tons of time and money in shopping.

SL
 
i think you can get things from lakeland that go in the bottom of the drawer in your fridge aswell. i guess it works the same way?!
 
Thank you for your ideas :) I will make a meal plan for this week (breakfast is fruit and lunch is generally ryvita and cheese and bit of salad) going to clean my fridge tonight (it's not dirty...just a few bits) and will see how I get on :)
 
I seem to be in Asda nearly every day. Have strawberries for brekkie every day and they only last a couple of days before they get really horrible looking. I only live opposite a large superstore so its easy/expensive to go to the the shop!Really trying to limit my visits but we eat so much fruit it really difficult and stuff does seem to go off quickly.
 
Snakes and ladders said:
I go once in three weeks, as I live in the countryside and the supermarket is a long way away.

I came up with a really good way to make veg last nearly three weeks:
1) take the veg out of any packaging,
2) dry the veg off with kitchen towels so it's completely dry (bit of a hassle with sacks of carrots, but worth it!),
3) Make sure your fridge's veg drawer is clean and completely dry,
4) Take a LOT of kitchen roll, and fold it over several times to fit the drawer. I normally use 5-6 layers of it.
5) Check the drawer occasionally. If the paper feels slightly damp, take it out, dry the drawer and veg again, and replace the lining.

The idea is that it absorbs any excess moisture and stops the veg from rotting. It really, really works! Now the only limit for how long I can go without shopping is the quantity of fresh stuff I can fit inside my little fridge!

I hope this helps - it's helped me save tons of time and money in shopping.

SL

Thank You!

You've just inspired me to clean my fridge and sort my drawers out!
I tend to keep small items in salad drawer (jelly pots, mini cheese anything else I can cram in)
The other drawer is for spare cheddar and marg (for the teens they get through cheese like water)

I have sorted the jelly drawer,it's now got my fruit and salad in

I do have a Tupperware veg/fruit/salad storer in the fridge (it's big) I keep celery, carrots,limes lemons spring onion (anything long) they keep all week in there.
I may go back and rearrange the cheese drawer if I can place them somewhere that's not annoying. X

As for shopping I'm such a random shopper and although a very organised person,I find shopping random! I have been better since sw. But I'm noticing I'm in a rut already. Picking up same veg weekly and making same meals. I buy half cabbage with ideas of coleslaw and then don't make it?! Or there's no room in the fridge for what's left. It's hard because with two teens and a mr working late, I'm usually the only one eating lots of fresh stuff. I've just thrown out radishes and celery :( maybe I should fry the celery and put it in the freezer? I only use it once a week for soup. Hmm
 
Celery seems to last for months... I only use a stick at a time if at all and it lasts about 2 months before I have to get rid of it! :D

I roughly plan my evening meals for a week ahead, make a list of what we need and order it online. Im sure I still save money even when theres a delivery fee as I dont buy all the crappe from the rest of the shop. Im pretty predictable with brekkie/lunch so that doesn't need planning, I just always have salad, cheese, veg, wraps, fruit etc in.
 
I've always done one big weekly (online) shop, but when I started SW in March I just kept running out of fruit and veg. I buy quite a lot of frozen fruit now (berries and mango especially). It's really nice, lasts for ages and is cheaper too.
Also, I pop to shops in my lunch break to pick up extra veg towards the end of the week and this gives me the incentive I need to get outside and go for a walk at lunchtime too.:)
 
Somone kindly sent this reply to me when I wanted some advice on keeping costs down. It's super long but loads of advice. I've found it really useful-

· plan your meals for the week, make a shopping list and get only for the ingredients you need to make them
· start by looking at what you have in the cupboard/freezer already and choose meal options that will use them up
· cook your meals from scratch as pre-prepared sauces will be more expensive and you'll know exactly what has gone into them
· plan to use leftovers for other meals or for lunch the next day eg if you are cooking rice for dinner one day, make extra, throw in some leftover veggies and a fat-free dressing and you have lunch for day two
· cook one meal for the whole family not different ones
· seasonal fruit and veg is always cheaper so plan your meals around what it available
· take advantage of special offers - most supermarkets do cut price fruit and veg each week - and shop around to get the best prices. Check out offers and prices on comparison websites.
· try out the 'discount' supermarkets like lidl or aldi. Not everything is cheaper but many things are such as tinned tomatoes, pulses etc
· check out local shops such as greengrocers and butchers because supermarkets are not always the cheapest option
· frozen fruit and veg can be cheaper than fresh and a good alternative
· go green rather than red as meat is more expensive
· if doing EE then bulk out your meals with cheaper ingredients such as pulses, lentils, meat-free mince so you use less meat
· if buying meat go for cheaper cuts and invest in a slow cooker. Or buy joints and whole chickens that can be used across several meals rather than packs of chicken breasts
· beans, lentils and pulses are all good sources of protein and much cheaper than fish and meat
· batch cook meals taking advantage of special offers and freeze portions so they are ready for use
· go for shop own-brands rather than premium brands as they are usually just as good and a lot cheaper
· you don't have to buy mullerlights. There are several supermarket versions that are also syn free or other brands that are on special offer such as activia or shape zero
· know where your supermarket puts the things that are nearly out-of-date. You can sometimes pick up bargains on things like meats
· if you have storage then big bags of staples like pasta and rice can save money in the long-term - asda are selling 2 x 3kg bags of pasta for £3 at the moment
· invest in a water filter rather than buy expensive bottled water
· have breakfast at home so you're not tempted to eat on the go
· if you and/or your husband work, take lunch with you rather than buying out
· make your own versions of favourite family takeaway meals - save on the £s and the lbs
· and don't shop when you are hungry!
 
Somone kindly sent this reply to me when I wanted some advice on keeping costs down. It's super long but loads of advice. I've found it really useful-

· plan your meals for the week, make a shopping list and get only for the ingredients you need to make them
· start by looking at what you have in the cupboard/freezer already and choose meal options that will use them up
· cook your meals from scratch as pre-prepared sauces will be more expensive and you'll know exactly what has gone into them
· plan to use leftovers for other meals or for lunch the next day eg if you are cooking rice for dinner one day, make extra, throw in some leftover veggies and a fat-free dressing and you have lunch for day two
· cook one meal for the whole family not different ones
· seasonal fruit and veg is always cheaper so plan your meals around what it available
· take advantage of special offers - most supermarkets do cut price fruit and veg each week - and shop around to get the best prices. Check out offers and prices on comparison websites.
· try out the 'discount' supermarkets like lidl or aldi. Not everything is cheaper but many things are such as tinned tomatoes, pulses etc
· check out local shops such as greengrocers and butchers because supermarkets are not always the cheapest option
· frozen fruit and veg can be cheaper than fresh and a good alternative
· go green rather than red as meat is more expensive
· if doing EE then bulk out your meals with cheaper ingredients such as pulses, lentils, meat-free mince so you use less meat
· if buying meat go for cheaper cuts and invest in a slow cooker. Or buy joints and whole chickens that can be used across several meals rather than packs of chicken breasts
· beans, lentils and pulses are all good sources of protein and much cheaper than fish and meat
· batch cook meals taking advantage of special offers and freeze portions so they are ready for use
· go for shop own-brands rather than premium brands as they are usually just as good and a lot cheaper
· you don't have to buy mullerlights. There are several supermarket versions that are also syn free or other brands that are on special offer such as activia or shape zero
· know where your supermarket puts the things that are nearly out-of-date. You can sometimes pick up bargains on things like meats
· if you have storage then big bags of staples like pasta and rice can save money in the long-term - asda are selling 2 x 3kg bags of pasta for £3 at the moment
· invest in a water filter rather than buy expensive bottled water
· have breakfast at home so you're not tempted to eat on the go
· if you and/or your husband work, take lunch with you rather than buying out
· make your own versions of favourite family takeaway meals - save on the £s and the lbs
· and don't shop when you are hungry!


Really great advice! Thanks for sharing that. The points seem obvious but you don't always think of them!
 
I am managing to save a fair amount by shopping around. I get most of my tinned stuff, pasta, rice & veg from aldi(super 6 is wicked). My meat & eggs from the butchers. Fruit, fish and anything else from asda or coop.

I did 2 weeks shopping for 2 people for £120 this weekend. That included 6 salmon fillets, 4 sea bass fillets & some sirloin steak, so i wasn't exactly shopping for gruel! I will need about a tenners worth of fruit & veg at the weekend again.
 
I go to my local Asian supermarket for my fruit/veg(super cheap 3 pineapples £1, 3 melons £1 3 massive icebergs £1 etc) low fat natural yogurts (5 x 500mls) £1 Where I spend around £20 then I go to a butchers for the meat spending around £35, then a supermarket for the rest usually spending around £70, I will pop into a small local supermarket 2 more times spending £10-£20 a time, this is for 2 adults and a cat
 
I seem to spend all my spare time food shopping!!
We have all the regular supermarkets really close by and although my cupboards, fridge and freezer ( plus the one in the gargae too!) are full, I always seem to 'fancy' something to eat that we havent got!
I reckon we could easily survive a couple of months or more without buying anything, other than bread and milk!!
I also throw a lot of fresh stuff out because it doesn't get used....it's awful really, I need to get more
organised and stop being so wasteful.
 
It's only me and 2 cats and they eat whatever tins are on offer.
I do try to work the aldi super six into my meals, I don't drive but my friends usually call me if they are going shopping so I go along for a chat with them and to pick up sone bits, which is really good I just need to be more restrained and only buy what I need when I go :)
 
VickyPie said:
Does anyone manage to just go food shopping once a week? I seem to spend my life ( and most of my wage) in various supermarkets.
Is it just a matter of good planning? What do you do about fruit and veg? Does any particular fruit last longer than others?

Thanks :)

I shop once a week but since starting SW 9 weeks ago I live in supermarkets as the fruit and salad stuff runs out fast lol
 
I shop only once a week using a list so I only buy what I need for my meals that week. On the rare occasions when I shop without a list i end up spending around £10 to £15 more so it would really mount up if I did that on a regular basis
 
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