Food and other swaps to save money

[LadyScouse]

Yesterday I was doing a mini shop and I nearly fell over that a small tub of Lurpak was £5. OK, so I was in a not so cheap shop (Waitrose but don't shop here exclusively), but it got me thinking. I don't want to give up the stuff I like, but am not prepared to pay these prices any more. It's also the principle of the thing. I have lived in other countries and IMO we are just shafted left right and centre here WRT the prices we pay for things.

So, this thread is about swaps.

If I like like spreadable butter, what is a very good, cheaper option? I'll think of some more, but please share yours. Anything goes.

Get a block of actual butter and keep it in a butter dish on the side. £1:60 ish for 260g. This time of year its perfectly spreadable and in the winter you just need to pop in the microwave for 5 seconds to soften.

Just buy normal butter and keep it in a butter dish.

Tesco do a fantastic West Country butter with flaked sea salt running through it for 2 quid.

OMG, that is so obvious. 🙃I'm a dingbat.

Lurpak is on offer in Iceland, £3.00 for 500g.

Aldi also do a West Country salted butter for £1.85 that seems slightly softer than many standard block butters so should remain spreadable at room temperature for more of the year.

<ponders the extent of the mind control that Lurpak seem to have over so many of the population that people need to seek help from Mumsnet to buy one of the many cheaper and nicer alternatives>. I don't know whether to be impressed or terrified.

You can make your own spreadable butter by putting block butter in the food processor with olive or other oil. (Recipes online)

I've stopped buying packs of ham for sandwiches. It's got really expensive and we get through a fair amount. Even on special offer it was 2 for £5. I now buy a piece of gammon and carve that up instead, so much better value.

Also I can taste no difference what so ever between Aldi Lighter than Light mayo and Helmans. The only difference I've noticed is the £2 cheaper price tag.

The best tip I can give is that when you are in the shop and go to pick up your regular (say) apples, look at the price per kilo and compare it with the other apples on offer. There's almost always something cheaper. And that's just one item. Do that with everything and the savings will soon mount up.

Don't buy anybody's own brand instant coffee though. Ugh.

I use block butter and a butter dish too. I recently stayed at MILs and we had the LIDL spreadable butter Danpak which was absolutely fine.
I buy Nescafé Azerra coffee. But only ever buy it when it’s on offer. It usually is every few weeks so I buy a few when I see them.

following

Not a direct swap but swap out mince for tinned lentils or do 50/50 it really bulks the dish out, tastes amazing and they are super cheap!

meal plan/use stuff up, look in the fridge before doing the shop and plan how to use it much easier said than done when busy

buy frozen veg or freeze veg so it doesn't go to waste. Chopped onion freezes really well so buy a cheap bag of onions and chop (blend) and freeze what you're not going to use this week

try own brand items, some you won't want to swap out but often they're just as nice/better

Use tins of mixed beans in chilli instead of mince , or use half lentils and half mince
I use peanut butter instead of expensive tahini for home made houmous
Grate your own cheese instead of buying ready grated - actually, avoid any pre-prepped food if its cheaper to buy and prep your own--you pay for it.
Shop in Aldi instead of Waitrose
look for reduced meat/ chicken and fish and freeze immediately.

I’ve been avoiding buying “on offer”, thinking I’m saving myself money. About 3 months ago I stopped buying cleaning fluids, and lo and behold, I’m still using up what’s in my cupboards. I’m doing the same for toiletries.

A few days ago I decided to go through my cupboards. With a freezer full of frozen spinach ,fruit and a cupboard full of baking stuff, I’ve made; 3 spinach and ricotta cannelloni meals for the freezer, 48 blueberry muffins, a raspberry cake and a banana loaf.

I plan on using up what I’ve got, and bring much more mindful of what I buy and how much it costs.

Thanks for Mayo tip. I’ll check that out.

Lurpak is still only £2.75 on Ocado. I double checked my receipt from this week after I saw your post.

Good thread though, I will be following

Pre prepped is taxed, 'food' isn't.

Explore what you can freeze. I don't drink milk but I usually have some in the freezer.

You can freeze it in ice cube trays and just drop one into a hot drink. Cheese also freezes so if it is on a BOGOF you can always freeze one.

Don't buy premade pasta tomato sauce, but passatta, the shop's own brand, you can add herbs to it and it is just as good. I noticed (pre covid when I used to shop) supermarkets often hide it away from the pasta sauces.

Mayo is easy to make but doesn't last as long as shop bought.

Lots of dips are easy to make eg garlic dip, a couple of tablespoons of may and the same of Greek style yoghurt and add a crushed garlic clove.

Instead of the garlic add blue cheese, or onion and chives or experiment.

I know these are not strictly swaps but do save money.

Another tip, don't buy packet casserole mixes, try using tinned soup instead.

There are various things you can grow on a windowsill.

beansprouts are super healthy, grow in less than a week and literally just involve you soaking them and then rinsing them each day. A packet of mung bean is really cheap and will make a mountain of bean sprouts.

spring onions can be regrown by putting the white ends in a glass of water.

herb packet are cheap and good for growing on window sills for an endless supply

Lurpack is £5 at Ocado too,£ 2.75 is for the small one 250g

We like Nescafé azera too but have found we can't taste the difference to lidl own. Can't remember what the price difference is but it's massive

Country life butter is good and is always on offer at home bargains, £2.75 for a 500g tub.

@FLOWER1983 OP says she's talking t about the small tub in her OP

I've done that this week too. Ham was £4.50 for 400g and gammon is £5.50 for a kilo and is nicer.
Plan to carve it up and freeze some.

Also I've told the kids they can have ham 3 times a week and the other days have to have a cheaper filling like peanut butter or dairylea

The small one is £2.60 at waitrose, the standard 500g is £5 at Waitrose and £5 at Ocado, still a lot though, i am sticking to £2.15 Lidl one🤣

Organic chicken in sainsbos was £20!