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AIBU?

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Original poster

British families that go on these BBC save money shows can't be real

321 replies

Rufusgy · 12/09/2015 21:56

Eat well for less.

A mum sends three children to school with shop bought microwaved pancakes laced with nuttela everyday Hmm

They spend 5 mins explaining how to use a bit of left over chicken in a stir fry, basically just chop up eveything and stir fry it. As if stir fry and woks are some newfangled invention Hmm

They can't afford a house deposit and have zero savings, but won't even consider not buying a brand Hmm

Slicing chease is 'too much work" Hmm

Seriously is any British family actually like this? Who the fuck is stupid enough that they need a prime time BBC show to tell them proccessed food is expensive and its cheaper to make it yourself.

OP posts:
iamaboveandBeyond · 13/09/2015 20:29

The thing annoying me about it is how "healthier" seems to only = lower calorie. Fuck the metric shit tonne of processing going on or the fact that 'low fat' froyo is hardly the best option to feed a four year old Hmm

DH is sat next to me arguing with the tv screen asking why i even watch it Grin

Marynary · 13/09/2015 20:37

I think that the program is very contrived and I can't understand why anyone goes on it as they are generally made to look a bit thick. Perhaps they just want to be on TV or want to show off their house for some reason.

PrimalLass · 13/09/2015 20:45

Indeed. I don't think it changes the fact that 125g of minced beef in bolognese sauce is a generous portion.

I think the normal serving size for pasta is 70g though, not 125g.

Plus we don't have cheese on top or garlic bread.

PumpkinPie2013 · 13/09/2015 20:59

I use 500g of minced beef to make bolognaise but I also include mushrooms, peppers and onions in the sauce.

From that I can get 6 good adult portions with pasta and cheese on top. I don't eat much though Grin

I work with a lot of well educated people who buy lunch every day and then moan about having no money Confused They can't seem to get their heads around the idea of bringing their own lunch to save money!

I want to watch the programme now Grin

KeepBadgering · 13/09/2015 21:04

It's amazing there are people like this, but thanks goodness there are, 'cause it makes great entertainment!

Sure they could get them to save even more money by going to Aldi or Lidl, but that would probably be a step to far and bring on an attack of the vapours.

Louise43210 · 13/09/2015 21:16

I use 500g of mince (with tons of veg) and a whole packet of spaghetti to make spaghetti Bolognese for 6 people, THEN freeze the leftovers to make a whole meal for all of us again. Feeling like I'm really mean now! :-( Manage to use 500g for the equivalent of 12 people!

Catsize · 13/09/2015 21:34

I like to roast an entire cow and then pickle it so I can go to the garage and take the occasional nibble, as can the neighbours if they are feeling sociable. It is really cheap as I live close to an animal auction house so can just walk the cow home.

BoffinMum · 13/09/2015 21:38

Exactly Catsize, I feel the same about having my own kebab facility in the garage. Saves hours of cooking, that does.

00100001 · 14/09/2015 07:59

louise you're not mean.

D these people go hungry after the meal?

No? then you're not being mean.

Meat doesn't have to be the main component! (especially in bolognese!)

00100001 · 14/09/2015 08:00

marynary

It very contrived.

Also the second episode was great advert for Quorn!

Tfoot75 · 14/09/2015 08:19

To cook one from scratch I need (Aldi):

1 lb mince £2.69
Jar passata 99p
Some herbs from a jar that costs 99p
Onion 17p
Clove from garlic head that costs 17p
Packet of lasagne sheets 59p
Flour from a packet that costs 45p
1/2 pint milk 14p

This amount of meat and pasta would make 4 or 5 lasagnes for me, each serving 2 adults! I bulk it out with mushrooms, celery and lots of tinned tomatoes (not to economise but minced beef is really not the nicest ingredient in there). The total cost is around £10-£15 but it makes 4 or 5 lasagnes that are properly delicious and would cost £5-£6 for equivalent luxury meal in supermarket.

I can't believe a lasagne is edible with 1lb of mince in it, yuck. You need as much cheese sauce as mince mixture to make it nice!

Tfoot75 · 14/09/2015 08:20

Sorry the top recipe is copy pasted and should be in bold, oops!

Marynary · 14/09/2015 08:38

I work with a lot of well educated people who buy lunch every day and then moan about having no money confused They can't seem to get their heads around the idea of bringing their own lunch to save money!

I don't moan about having no money but even if I did, bringing my own lunch to work would be one of the last things I would do to save money. I much much prefer to decide what I want to eat at lunch time and to go out to buy it.

JanetBlyton · 14/09/2015 08:50

But in the old days when workers genuinely didn't have much money it would not be a choice. You simply could not afford to buy lunch out at work every day if you wanted to be able to afford your rent or mortgage, childcare bill, travel costs and food bills at home.

Original poster
Rufusgy · 14/09/2015 09:20

First show was a big advert for margarines and second for quorn.

The welsh peoples house looked awful, white many years ago but covered in black mould. Made me want to clean every time I saw it and they did many shots of it! Would of cost 40 quid in paint to do one coat on thst!

OP posts:
Original poster
Rufusgy · 14/09/2015 09:22

Some of the brands they used were lidl but the only ever show tesco on this TV show Hmm

I think it should be a mixture of entertainment and education. This is 100% entertainment with that annoying guy thrown in.

OP posts:
Bogeyface · 14/09/2015 09:25

What I want to see is something like family of 4 that spends £60 a month on food, but still needs to cut back. Now that would be a genuine challenge and would actually be helpful to people watching!

I am sure that there was a program like this, it was discussed on MN. The family where shown serving up nuggets and oven chips and the father ended up on here saying that he had some left over lasagne and wanted to serve that but the producers wanted the chips and nuggets, presumably to show how irresponsible he was.

Iirc, and I am sure someone will tell me if I am wrong, it was people on very very tight budgets being shown how to make the most of what they had. The chefs really struggled. They were allowed "store cupboard" ingredients even though the herbs and spices were beyond the budget of the very people they were supposed to be helping. No surprise that it hasnt come back for a second series.

RhodaBull · 14/09/2015 09:35

I was in Lidl recently and a gran (aged about 35) called to her dd with baby, "Do you want a roast on Sunday?" The daughter shouted yes, and then I goggled as I saw the mother loading five "Roast Dinners" into her trolley from the frozen cabinet. They were a fiver each, I think.

Now, I can see a ready frozen roast dinner might be ok for a single person who really can't be bothered to cook a whole dinner for one, but buying five ? Yes, I suppose I was being super-judgy, but I would defy anyone on here not to do the same!

Bogeyface · 14/09/2015 09:38

£25 for a "roast dinner"?! Wow, I admit, I would be judgey too!

RhodaBull · 14/09/2015 09:43

They were big boxes, but still...

PrimalLass · 14/09/2015 09:49

You need as much cheese sauce as mince mixture to make it nice!

I don't make it with any cheese sauce. It should be bechamel.

Once you've used Delia's recipe you are ruined for all other lasagne. It is a LOT of work though.

www.deliaonline.com/recipes/cuisine/european/italian/lasagne-al-forno.html

BrieAndChilli · 14/09/2015 09:51

Frozen roast dinners are crap, not that I've had one in years and years.
Like you said for one person it's Economical but for a family £25!!
I cook a chicken £5-6, potatoes max £1, carrots 30p, cabbage 50p, parsnips £1, cauliflower/broccoli £1-2, stuffing 50p, gravy about 25p. Plus oil maybe 50p.
So £12 maximum and much much tastier and normally leftovers too.

IfNotNowThenWhenever · 14/09/2015 10:26

Failing to see how the grandma's age is relevant...?
Do you mean she was young and able bodied and therefore should have been able to cook a roast dinner?
If you went out to a pub for a roast with 5 people it would be about 8 quid each plus drinks, so at least £40 even if everyone just drank water.
I wouldn't buy frozen roast, but mainly because of the tasteless mush aspect (I don't eat them in pubs for the same reason but lots of people do)

KanyeWestPresidentForLife · 14/09/2015 10:27

These threads always remind me of that Monty Python sketch where they compete about who had the toughest childhood and it gets more and more exaggerated. It ways deteriorated into people swearing they can feed a family of 7 for a month with four lentils, a minced quail, half an aubergine and a vat of fresh air.

I think it's quite funny people are bemoaning this woman's ignorance about food then wailing about 'fake cheese and fake tomatoes' and pearl clutching about ready meals using tomato concentrate instead of pas says when they're the same thing and the only difference is one has a posh name.

TooOldForGlitter · 14/09/2015 10:48

The age of the grandma was helpfully mentioned so we could judge the family a bit easier. Obvs.