To ask how you've lowered your food shop?

[coffeecoffeecofffee]

Recently come under a crap time, can't work due to chronic health condition, lost our UC payment each month of £400 as my partner now earns above the threshold (but still doesn't take home much due to debt he has unfortunately) & had my PIP review recently (I used to get £430pm) and may have that reduced/taken away completely.

I'm trying to think of ways to reduce my outgoings and have decided to reduce my food budget to £25pw. (used to have £35pw)

My partner and I buy our things separately but share the cost of regular household bits, cleaning and usually salad! We both eat two completely different diets, me vegan & him a meat eater. So about £6 per week of each of our budgets goes towards cleaning & toiletries.

Left with £19 for food for the week.

I already buy a lot of frozen veg and the only fresh produce I buy are apples (whatever's cheapest), strawberries or blueberries, tomatoes, salad (spinach, kale & rocket), avocados& sweet potato.

I usually buy 1 dairy free milk (£1.40) which lasts me most of the week as I don't eat breakfast every day.

I eat a lot of wholewheat pasta w/ no added sugar pasta sauces (tomato based & pesto) as it goes a long way, no added sugar & is cheap and delicious as well as healthy as I don't eat a tonne!

I also buy a bag of plain frozen fish for the week at £3.30 for 5 fillets.

I tend to find the fresh stuff & toiletries like body wash take up most of my budget, I've tried shopping at my local Lidl and Aldi but the fresh produce is often going off when I'm in there! Let alone getting it home, hence I find Morrisons/Asda/Tesco better for that.

Anyone got any smart ways to reduce/meal plan for a vegan? I don't like beans, lentils etc so that's annoying as I know they're really cheap!

@lalafafa I didn't buy the dog, my partner did and he pays for it. He also didn't pay much for it as a friends dog had a litter. He's a lovely pup :) lays with me when I'm not feeling well.

I cant see someone whose used toilet roll all their life starting to use jugs etc. That's worse for the environment than toilet roll because the towels will have to go into wash straight away.You cant be washing 10 towels a day etc!!
Fair enough for those people that do use them.

@teta Yes, 20 :) Thank you, I'm trying to navigate budgeting and living etc. I maybe should have mentioned my age at the beginning.

I'm definitely taking some suggestions on board though and really appreciate the well meaning and kind comments.

Look on Freecycle for someone giving a freezer away, would make your life easier.

A couple of years ago I had to feed myself and my teenage daughter on approx £15 a week, plus her free school lunches. We mostly ate - wholemeal bread, basic rice and pasta, potatoes, cheese, red lentils, onions, carrots, cabbage, broccoli, beans, split peas, tinned tomatoes, bananas and tinned peaches for fruit. Just used a few different herbs and spices to come up with different recipes. Also check out the yellow sticker reduced food for a bit of variety. You can do it if you really have to, we were fine, I even lost some weight which was very welcome.
things like avocados and berries are things I would only buy if they were on a yellow sticker. You need to think how you can get maximum nutrition for the smallest amount of money, rather than just buying stuff because you like it, if you really want to reduce your budget.

I cant see someone whose used toilet roll all their life starting to use jugs etc. That's worse for the environment than toilet roll because the towels will have to go into wash straight away.You cant be washing 10 towels a day etc!!

OP is only twenty. That is not that long to be using loo roll or doing something differently. The point is that you use loo roll to get the worst off and then use the shower attachment/jug to get the rest off. No towels are soiled in this process and OP's bottom is peachy clean.

vanGoghsDog "I've never seen white pasta that is 'fortified'"

they don;t "adverttise it" - because that is saved for cerals so you overlook the sugar content, but its made with white flour, which is fortified with vitamins and iron... all white flour is fortfied.

so it will have at least as much, if not more vitamins than wholemeal.

You cant be washing 10 towels a day etc!!

Facecloths make very handy towels for drying. Or those mitts you get for washing yourself with. There a good size, a couple of dabs in the nether regions and bobs your uncle.

I have as the same age as the Op when I moved abroad and started using a bum gun

It’s a bit mean that your partner bought a puppy rather than help you out with your food bill. If he had given you the £39 a month he spends on the dog then you wouldn’t have to be worrying.

OP is only twenty

I feel for the Op. She must be red raw at times from the loo roll.

The water trickling over your bits can be really soothing.

@NotWhatWhat That is true, however our circumstances changed only recently (in the last 3 weeks) and we've had the dog for 3 months so he couldn't foresee me losing the UC & PIP payments. He's a good guy & our dog adds so much joy too. I'm hoping his work will pick up more soon as he's working so hard, so hopefully we should see an improvement by the summer, fingers crossed.

Not on the £ point of the thread but you are 20 with IBS for the last 4 years ? .
I've had this for the last 5-6 years and I'm in my 50s , I know it's my life now and I just ave to deal with it (until my intestines either behave or wither up and fall out)

But - blueberries, strawberries,apples ................. huge irritants. Apples were a absolute "No" on low Fodmap and the seeds in the other fruits can irritate your intestinal lining. Avocados are also on the 'No' list

There are other fruits more suitable ( bananas , unripe . Urgh)

Have you ask for a MR regarding your PIP? If you were ill prior to your assessment and already in on it I would fight the DWP every step of the way.

Just found this new frugal food blog, if anyone is interested, it looks quite nice.
frugalfeeding.com

@70isaLimitNotaTarget Hi, I'm sorry you suffer too, yes I was diagnosed at 16 whilst in college, it's all been rough these past few years as the epilepsy started at 14, then IBS at 16 then CFS from 18. It's debilitating. I take Colofac daily to help the IBS but as you probably know, some days nothing can help and everything is a trigger!

@ScarletBitch What is an MR? I've been claiming PIP successfully from age 14 so hopefully they don't take it away, I know they're being really strict atm with cutting it down and I'm so scared I'll have nothing.

My parents are going to help me appeal it if it does happen that they take it away.

Hang on 18 loo rolls a week for two of you??? What are you doing with it? Eating it??
One pack of 9 lasts our family of 4 2 weeks.

Apart from that shocker (lol) yes to vegetarian curries that you can split and do meat in one and maybe cauliflower or butternut squash in the other.

Shop towards closing time on a Sunday together. Loads of orange sticker items on fresh produce that you could both use, there's always loads on fruit, veg and meat at our local Morrison's.

Look, you everything costs either money or effort. If you want more money, things will be less convenient. You genuinely don't come across as understanding that really simple concept...

Are you hoping to go to university? Just you mention college?

Berries are low Fodmaps, Apples are high in Fodmaps, as are Avocadoes. I think everyone has different triggers. Apples are a bad trigger for me but I can eat a small avocado. Lentils, chickpeas and beans are terrible for me. But I believe individuals can tolerate small portions of the canned ones as the irritant leaches out into the canned liquid.
Coffee i bet your dog gives you a lot of joy.

@Notastepparentbut I would love to eventually, I did college for 2 years but didn't get anything good enough to attend uni anyway. I'm thinking of doing an access course in September then attending the local uni a year later? Physical health permitting of course!

The past 2 years since finishing college really got bad as my anti seizure medicine stopped working so I've had weekly neurology appointments lately to try and figure out what's gone wrong, as the CFS is almost definitely a direct cause from the epilepsy I'm hoping once we get the seizures under control again I'll feel a lot better and able to manage something in September :)

@teta He really does! He's always there for me and lays next to me when he can tell I'm not feeling well. He never leaves my side once I've had a seizure and my boyfriend has noticed the dog seems to pick up on when I'm about to have one as the dog gets nervous!! Incredible!

Get good advice on PIP especially if you've not completed the forms or had your assessment yet. A successful claim will make a great deal of difference to you.

Well I think you have your answer for your question OP.

No one on here can give you help with your shopping bill cost because you are not willing to change anything. So your answer NO we can't help.

@Streamside I had the assessment about 4 weeks ago (they take 6 weeks to get back to you). I've claimed since I was 14 so hoping they will take that into account. 🤞🏻🤞🏻 it definitely will help me out, even if they lower it to £200pm!