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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be seriously worried that the cost of food is getting so scarily high

548 replies

thebird · 18/08/2011 18:48

I am not extravagant I buy shop own brands where I can, I try to shop on a budget, I cook from scratch and have given up buying extras like wine (well just the odd bottle to keep me sane) but still each week the cost of my food bill goes up and up. I know inflation is running at around 4-5% but I cant understand this as many basic items have increased almost 30-50%. When the hell is it going to stop or I really will be living on beans on toast every night(and even they've gone up lots!

OP posts:
alphabettyspagghetti · 20/08/2011 19:50

PM'd you Stopthelights

alphabettyspagghetti · 20/08/2011 19:51

My local CO-OP has some great reductions on a sunday afternoon, but you have to get in there quick.

Leg of lamb £6!!! I got 2. I love lamb and havent had it for over a year so I am really, really looking forward to those.

maxybrown · 20/08/2011 19:56

we went to asda today and they had tons and tons of british plums reduced - by 20p!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! lol. They were soggy, bruised, mouldy you name it and the ones that weren't reduced were suspiciously very soggy too Hmm oh heck I couldn't get to a co op then, it is 2 bus rides away ad an hour on a good day but on a sunday it would be a hideous joureny!

maxybrown · 20/08/2011 19:56

sorry bad spellings Blush

Mirage · 20/08/2011 19:56

DH has just come in with a rabbit,so that is tomorrow's dinner sorted,it just cost the price of a bullet.This thread has made me clear all the bolted lettuce out of my veg patch,ready to re sow.
Blacberries here aren't ready yet,I found about half a dozen ripe ones,which the dds pony promptly snaffled.

LesbianMummy1 · 20/08/2011 19:57

ooh can someone please PM me the £30 meal plan? food bill here getting silly too Sad

cantseemytoes · 20/08/2011 20:01

Can I have the plan too please?
I use the laundry balls from Lakeland and I find they work brilliantly, even on newborn poo!

stopthelights · 20/08/2011 20:02

Thank you very much alphabettyspagghetti

alphabettyspagghetti · 20/08/2011 20:06

I wish I could take credit for it but I cant.

Credit needs to go to bitterandtwistedchocolate

maxybrown · 20/08/2011 20:07

can i have the plan too please? Am guessing it may contain mince though Grin

alphabettyspagghetti · 20/08/2011 20:10

900g of mince Maxy, but I'm sure you can think of something else to use instead.

maxybrown · 20/08/2011 20:12

Grin I don't mind it, could make cottage pie i suppose DH can cope with that

maxybrown · 20/08/2011 20:13

or burgers.............hmm

maxybrown · 20/08/2011 20:15

thanks got it! We don't have desert though so could get rid of all that from the list. We just don't much care for it and DS is strange strange boy - does not eat cake, biscuits etc

alphabettyspagghetti · 20/08/2011 20:16

Meatballs with homemade sauce.

My tom sauce is, I tin of tomatoes, 1 oxo cube (optional), 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 pepper, 1 tsp sugar, 2 tsp basil. Place all ingredients into a food processor or blender, blend till smooth, add to frying meatballs.

It's one of the kids favorites and has even turned 2 of the fussiest eaters I have ever known.

maxybrown · 20/08/2011 20:26

nO chance! Tomatoes with mince would just about send DH running for the hills and he will generally eat anything. I do ignore DS these days (at food times I mean) but he has some sensory issues with food especially..........don't even get me started! But I don't buy anything special just plain all the way lol!

alphabettyspagghetti · 20/08/2011 20:29

I'll try to think of something that you can use then...It'll take a while as DS is nattering to me again about something so not really concentrating on anything at the moment.

maxybrown · 20/08/2011 20:30

ha. Well I can make cottage pie with it, gravy dish goes down well here but DS wouldn't eat it as too bitty and all mixed together. I eat anything by the way

alphabettyspagghetti · 20/08/2011 20:31

Meat and potato pie?

Always a good cheap filling winter warmer, and you can add whatever you want for a bit of flavour.

alphabettyspagghetti · 20/08/2011 20:33

Koftas!

Basically, sausage shaped burgers but cooked into a curry or grilled with vegetables and served with rice or couscous.

maxybrown · 20/08/2011 20:34

ah pie yes!

bullet234 · 20/08/2011 20:35

I sometimes make vegetable soup to have as a starter at tea time. It means we can have smaller portions for the main meal.

DonaldMcronald · 20/08/2011 20:38

A lot of people are to fussy and do not know how to cook. We have halved our food bills by Switching from Sainsbugs to Aldi,bulk buying and preparing a weekly meal plan and going in the local coop everyday to see what they are selling off cheap

Forward planning is all you need

gaaagh · 20/08/2011 20:43

Personally I find that meal planning, bulk batch cooking, and shopping at the cheapest shops, using the slow cooker, swtiching to all-value items and no brands, buying woopsies, etc is all good

BUt the best deals to be had is being able to cook on the fly - don't meal plan, buy whatever's on offer or dented/bruised/on its use-by date so going cheaply.

that's a whole other cheapness level (in a good way) IMHO.

although, meal planning is a heck of a good start.

there's always more to save Grin

alphabettyspagghetti · 20/08/2011 20:45

"Bung it" meals are always good too.

Get a base ie, curry sauce, tomatoes etc, and chuck in anything you have that needs using up.

Some results can be fantastic if you use a little common sense.

I've found stir frys good for this type of meal too.