Mumsnet Talk

That's 2 adults and a baby. I realise people on here feed more folks on less, but this is a good effort for me .

Here's what I got:

Tinned Tomatoes
Tinned Coconut Milk
Minced Garlic
Minced Ginger
Tamarind Sauce
Massive bag of Red Lentils
Dried Butter Beans
Frozen Pork Pieces
Frozen Chicken Pieces
Onions
Potatoes
Broccoli
Coriander Seeds
Posh Coffee
Madras Powder
Leeks
Peppers
Courgette
Aubergine
Spring Onions
Bean sprouts
Bag of Salad
Mushrooms
Fresh Tomatoes
Vegetable Oil
Salt
Paprika
Fresh Tarragon
Honey
Coriander Leaves
Nappies
Kitchen Spray
Toothbrushes
Razors
Flour
Milk
Pan Scourers
Eggs
Bread

Also, I got my first tutting bystander for "loud Parenting" so there must be extra points for that, no?

Thats really good. I spent about that on absolutely nothing earlier (ds' birthday party tomorrow so got 4 pizzas, a bag of sausage rolls, sweets for him to give out at school on mon and a few bits I actually needed for home)

Well for a birthday you gotta do what you gotta do.

I was shocked at how much my small basket of shopping came to though!

I tot up all my shopping every week and am always so delighted with myself if I have got it down a couple of pounds. I always round it up to the nearest ten pound and put that in my savings account. If you did that every week and averaged out at £1.75 a week (as you have this time) then it would be £91 over the course of a year. That could cover your Christmas dinner next year for example.

Christmas food, not dinner!

LadyKoKo: Thats a really good tip

LadyKooKoo I mean

That's a fab basket of lovely healthy food too! Now we need to see your weekly menus and recipes please!

Love how your budget has still allowed for posh coffee!

Yes to menu/recipes

"Love how your budget has still allowed for posh coffee!"

God yeah, you've got to have some standards!

OK menu's:

I'm not the best at menu planning ahead of time. But I do have this book which is my bible.

I go into the supermarket with an open mind and build the shop around what's reduced. Then I look in the book and find recipes that I can use or adapt based on what I have.

I also try to make one new recipe a week so I can expand my repertoire.

Sooo... Looking at what I've got and adding the pasta, rice, noodles, porridge oats and broth mix I already had, I reckon this week we're going to have:

Breakfast:

Porridge or Toast

Lunch:

Savoury Pancakes with garlic mushroom filling
Spanish Omelette
Stew (meat, potatoes and broth mix shoved in the slow cooker the night before)
Lentil Soup
Probably some variation of pasta and red sauce.

(some meals repeated: probably the pancakes and the Spanish Omelette cos I've got loads of eggs)

Dinner:

Thai Curry at least once (for the bean sprouts and coconut milk)
Simple chicken and potato curry.
Butter beans and Pork. This is my new recipe! It looks really nice.
Courgette, Aubergine and tinned tomato all cooked up together, reduced and poured over roast potatoes.
Stir Fry at least once (maybe with noodles, maybe egg fried rice.)
Stew (slow cooker again)
Peppers stuffed with rice plus a side salad.

Mine was £44 this week. Full shop at asda with a fiver off the next shop. This is for a family of 5, including packed lunches I spend another £20 a week at local butcher and green grocer. But am still v proud of myself as I used to spend at least £150 a week and even then it didn't seem to produce 7 full weeknight meals. I find that if I meal plan before I shop i make a list of only what I need and that's the only way I can cut back. Before that I used to bung in every offer of 3 for 2 or bogoff going. This way I buy what I need for the week and if anything we really need is on offer (ie milk cheese beans bread, stuff we unfailingly use every week) then I add it to my trolley. Well done OP. you've done a really good shop with that money.

Definitely extra points for the Loud Parenting Tutting - well done

I'm looking at reducing my grocery bills, I always "keep" whatever small amount may be left over at the end of the week. It either goes in a pot high up or in the car for tolls. (we're abroad) a problem I have though is local butchers and supermarkets don't refigerate their stuff properly (did I mention we're abroad?) so I have a 60km round trip at least once a week.

Your menus and shopping list are better than those you see in the foodie magazines! You should submit it to them!

We spend far too much on groceries.

I remember someone on another thread did a week shop, then every 8 days did their weekly shop which I thought was smart! Of course it works if you can get to the stores any day of the week!

I have tried meal plans but they usually go out the window by midweek! Must try harder in 2013.

I love stuff like this! Mine came in yesterday at 38! An thwt included meat for next week. We have a freezer full of whoops stuff!

What's whoops stuff, dare I ask?! It sounds rather nice.

whoops is marked down stuff.

Whoops stuff is the reduced done that (in morrisons ) has a whoops sticker on it

I haven't heard of that. I quite like it!

The best tip I could give anyone is to do your big weekly shop a day later each week. Doing this I've managed to shop so that I go three times every four week period. Once every ten days. It means one week out of four I don't do a supermarket shop and it's a huge saving. Start by moving the big shop day as far forward as you can.

It's great! Where did you shop?