Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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:
RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 20/08/2011 23:06

I made a lovely curry yesterday using tins of chickpeas which were 29p in Tesco (they were 79p in Sainsbo's!!!):

Fry 2 chopped onions and 3 chopped garlic cloves in oil on a low heat until getting soft;
add a chopped red chilli and a whole red chilli (that way you can adjust the spice levels), a teaspoon of cumin seeds and one of mustard seeds and another of turmeric, lots of black pepper and the finely chopped stem ends of a bunch of coriander and fry for a minute or two. Add about a dozen finely chopped cherry tomatoes (normal would be fine but the cherry ones were on offer; even tinned would do but I don't like them) and cook a bit then a cup or two of water and two tins (drained) of chickpeas. Shove it in the oven and leave to cook slowly for about a 45 mins to an hour, adding a good few dollops of natural yoghurt and some more chopped coriander about ten mins before the end.

We had it with rice, a cucumber and onion salad and a chutney made from green chilli, more coriander, natural yoghut and dessicated coconut.

Lambethlil · 20/08/2011 23:14

In exchange for a £30 meal plan PM please here's my tip- I make a white loaf batch on sat am then use it to make dough balls one meal, pizza the next.

kbear79 · 20/08/2011 23:32

We're noticing prices creeping up too,been trying to cut back. Would love the £30 meal plan if someone was able to send me it pls Smile

CardyMow · 21/08/2011 01:03

My problem is not so much that any one dc is particularly fussy, but they all have strong dislikes (to the point of vomiting!) with certain foods. That happen to be different for each dc. So DD will eat most things except peas, beans, lentils, radishes and celery. DS1 will eat anything that doesn't have tomatoes or mayonnaise in (Which is fucking difficult, but he eats EVERYTHING else you put in front of him), and DS2 (asd) won't eat cheese, rice or cous cous.

If you can find cheap meals where I can cook ONE meal for everyone, bearing these hates in mind, please tell me. I seem to be spending at least £130-£150 a week on shopping. Though that does include nappies, and cleaning stuff, and bathcare stuff. And the 2 of my dc that have asd seem to have super-keen senses. I tried decanting supermarket brand cereal into the big name brand box one night when the dc were in bed. The next morning, both DD and DS2 said "Yuck this has gone off, it's disgusting, I can't eat that". They CAN TELL. Damn and blast asd super-senses.

We don't HAVE little local shops to use, my estate is new, and built 'around' a supermarket over the last 30 years. The closest butchers is a 45 minute, £3.50 min (plus £2.20 for each dc if they're home), bus journey away in the town centre.

Oh - and none of them like porridge, but will eat muesli with yoghurt (never with milk Hmm )

PoopyFingers · 21/08/2011 01:04

Good thread about Sainsbo Basics range here

I have cut our grocery bill by a substantial amount.

The thing I find is expensive is not actually food, it's washing powder (have just invested in eco balls) toiletries, bog roll etc.

Food is only half, or actually less than, the battle with regards to budgeting I think.

CardyMow · 21/08/2011 01:05

Oh - no coconut as it makes ME throw up, and no chickpeas for anyone except DS2!

CardyMow · 21/08/2011 01:07

And we only have Tescos or Asda that I can reach by public transport, the rest are too far away, sainsbury's is a 1hr 15 minute bus journey, Aldi is even further by bus, no Morrisons or Lidls.

CardyMow · 21/08/2011 01:08

Anyone? I do a mean stock-based sauce that I use on pasta, but am becoming weary of eating the same 6/7 meals week in week out, but it's all the meals I can find that everyone eats.

carocaro · 21/08/2011 08:25

I agree. I went to Tesco and when I got home I asked DH to estimate cost of food shop, he said £85, oh ha ha ha I said try £135 and he was genuinely shocked. Then he asked did I get any bicsuits and again he looked shocked. £135 and no bisbuits to boot!

TheLimeFairy · 21/08/2011 08:27

I'm a bit late to this thread but I have heard a lot about the £30 meal plan and would be grateful if someone could PM it to me.

There are 6 of us (2 adults and 4 DCs) and I am finding it increasingly hard to make ends meet. We don't buy luxury food and I take sometime comparing prices etc as we have all the big stores very close but it still is too much. I cook from scratch with cheap basic ingredients and bulk buy what I can.

Summer is our cheapest month as we grow some veg on an allotment and we don't use much gas and electric. We have got rid of the TV and therefore saved on the license. We don't want to get rid of broadband as it saves us money looking up deals etc. We don't have tumble drier and we use reuseable nappies and wipes. My DH works FT and I work shift work PT when he is home so no childcare costs (although jobs aren't high income but they are all we can do/get). I am getting stuck as to where we can cut anymore. I am dreading the winter months as the gas and electric will shoot up and I will need to get warm clothes and shoes for the DCs.

Any ideas as to where we could save more are welcome. I do look at all the threads for ideas. Smile

Sorry about the essay! It's good to get it off mychest! I only came on to ask for the meal planner Blush!

alphabettyspagghetti · 21/08/2011 08:27

Loudlass, I didn't sleep well at all last night so all plans for today have been thrown right out of the window, what I will do instead is write a list of everything you said they dont like, and I will have a hunt through my recipie books for you...there are loads so it may take some time. I'll PM you and recipes I find.

Sofabitch · 21/08/2011 08:29

The lime fairy. If you have a computer with broadband. You need a tv licence.

alphabettyspagghetti · 21/08/2011 08:30

Lime, I'm currently trying to cut back on cleaning products, ie, bleach and washing powder, washing up liquid...these are the things that is costing me most at the moment. If I think of anything other than the usual...I'll let you know.

In the meantime....

Ketchup/worchestershire sauce make a great brass cleaner
lemon juice and bicarb of soda for the toilet
Lemon juice or vinegar for the windows and glass
I'm sure there are more...

alphabettyspagghetti · 21/08/2011 08:31

Sorry Lime, but Sofa is right. It also applies if you can download anything on your phone.

The TV licence company have us by the short and curlies I'm afraid.

Shutupanddrive · 21/08/2011 08:34

YANBU I went into our local bakery yesterday and paid £1.60 for a loaf of bread, I worked in the bakery and remember customers complaining it had gone up to £1.20 not so long ago

maxybrown · 21/08/2011 08:37

I think Lime could be ok actually - this is from BBC

Why do I need a licence for my PC?

You only need a licence if you use your computer to watch programmes at the same time as they are being shown on TV.

Before now, this has not been a major problem as very few programmes are available simultaneously on air and online.

Computer users only needed a TV licence if they had a special video card that could receive TV signals.

But the TV Licensing Authority now says watching the BBC's World Cup coverage over broadband will require a licence.

This is to stop people receiving TV programmes for free on their computer when they would have to pay to see them on a regular television.

Is this just about the World Cup?

No. The TV Licensing Authority says you need a licence to watch any TV station broadcasting within the UK on your computer.

However, you are free to watch archived programmes or downloadable clips without a licence.

alphabettyspagghetti · 21/08/2011 08:40

Milk, bread, flour and eggs have all SHOT up over the past two weeks.

I sent DD to the shop for some milk last week and gave her the correct money for it, turns out it had gone up by 10p in 3 days and she had to come back without it.

pickgo · 21/08/2011 09:07

alphabetty your recipe offer is so kind.... some people are really good at restoring ones faith in humanity!

Wrt license - only needed if you watch live tv on tinternet, not for iplayer etc. I believe?

pickgo · 21/08/2011 09:13

£30 MEAL PLANNER

.....if only!!! Think this must have been a while ago. Try this £50 one
www.sainsburys-feed-your-family.co.uk/MealPlan/

deemented · 21/08/2011 09:17

Have PM'd you the £30 meal planner, pickgo.

Scootergrrrl · 21/08/2011 09:18

TheLimeFairy - I've sent you the £30 meal planner. Do you want it too pickgo Grin

alphabettyspagghetti · 21/08/2011 09:20

Blush it's nothing Pickgo.

GreenEyesandHam · 21/08/2011 09:22

Oops I also sent LimeFairy and kbear the meal plan Blush

Please no one report me for spamming Grin

deemented · 21/08/2011 09:23

I also sent it to imeFairy too... oops Grin

maxybrown · 21/08/2011 09:25

Hey, Limefairy - do you need the £30 meal planner at all? Grin

Swipe left for the next trending thread