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!

You live with him. You have no income. It’s not for your parents to send you pocket money. You should be sharing money.

@bbcessex Thank you so much, I'm sorry your daughter is struggling too, it really is a lead weight everyday! I sometimes have to lean on the sink or sit down to brush my teeth it's so bad!

I love tinned fruit too, really cheap and yummy. I've never heard of a B vitamin injection, I'll enquire at my doctors about that.

I really hope your daughter recovers, I'm so sorry.❤️

@Mummyshark2019 There's no costco near us.

@Notastepparentbut I've already explained why we can't share money. My parents are fine with giving me the £25pw.

@Hollowvictory I've explained that a million times, read my previous replies

Coffee he is financially abusing you . Of course it’s great that as a household you now don’t need to rely on UC. But the reason you no longer receive UC is based on household income, not your income alone. He has to support you as his income is the reason you no personally have less money.

He is financially abusing you pet.

Thank you coffeecoffee

She is coming to terms with her limits now.. the pain, she can deal with, but the chronic fatigue is the most debilitating so I have utmost, utmost empathy for people like you who suffer. No one would choose to live with this ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Vitamin B12 injections are on my list - have a google & see if you think they may help you, there are also a few FaceBook groups that you could join for CFS xx

I try to make all DDs main food ‘count’ , nutritionally, but she still need treats for mental health - Tesco now has really good vegan chocolate, and she tells me that Orios are vegan (just off to Google that!!!)

This is what i do -
Asda for fresh, tinned, cupboard ect.
Iceland for frozen, milk and bread.
Pound stretcher and/or poundland for treats for dc

@bbcessex she's right! Oreos are vegan (and delicious ) yeah definitely treat her, I always look forward to a hot meal at the end of a day spent in bed completely knackered.
You sound like an incredible parent! She's lucky to have you❤️❤️

I'm definitely going to google the b12 injections, I'll try anything at this point!

How come you didn't mention you had a puppy a few days ago when someone recommended joining walkmydog to get out of the house?

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/feeling_depressed/3543469-struggling-really-badly

@killpop I had a bad day that day and obviously didn't think to answer with that? I do love dogs. I also tried to make that post as unidentifying as possible.

Glad that Orios are vegan, OP - she’s got me to go veggie, maybe I’ll take the Vegan leap no!!

Good luck to you, OP. I’m very grateful to have my DD at home where we can support and look after her. I hope with everything I have that whenever she is ready to be independent she doesn’t have to compromise her health❤️❤️❤️❤️

Ooh following... im going to start deliverys again as i found i spent less if i meal planned and had food delivered on a set day!

I don't wash salad. Or car windows. I do eat more vegetables than most it seems, I have probably had three carrots and a few celery sticks today. Half a carrot doesn't seem worth it :o

OP a great, cheap spray is to buy a box of Milton tablets ( about £1.50 for 12 tablets) and dissolve one in a spray bottle. It's anti-bacterial and super safe. We started doing it when the kids were young and just continued. It works out just over 20p for a full spray bottle.

I'm sorry I've just read the link the other posted added and your so called BF is an abusive arsehole.

I suppose it's good you're talking to your parents more as they can perhaps support you to move back/ away from him..

'Nicky' loo rolls in home bargsins are thick and much better than any 'own brand' i have tried and last ages. 18 in a pack.

Buy frozen fruit its much cheaper. (Open the bag to let out all the air many are resealable or use a bag tie and they take up.less room in freezer. Also unbox everything you buy for the feezer and put into resealable bags, you will get twice as much food in freezer.)

Batch make veg soup with veg thats on offer. Bag up and freeze.

Use resealable freezer bags and wash them out and resuse.

Cloths for cleaning kitchen/bathroom are far better than wipes, just chuck them in with a wash. Buy a pack of dish cloths or cut up old towels. Wipes are such a waste of money, bad for the environment and not disposable no matter whats on the packet.

I never used to like any beans other than Heinz but when tshtf years ago i swapped and we all soon got used to the cheaper brand. Lets face it they are just beans in tom sauce😁

Shop around. Often home bargains have good deals on washing powder/liquid or food and bulk buy.

Always compare 'bargains' to regular prices as many supermarkets expect customers to take thier word that its a bargain when there are cheaper alternatives or it doesnt actually work out cheaper than say 2 normal tins or packs/buying a bigger pack. They are very good at trying to con customers like this.

Soap is much more economical than shower gel etc and much more envirinmentally friendly than lits of plastic bottles. Does exactly the same as body wash etc! Again buy on offer or in bargain.shops. Home bargains or B&M often have even branded stuff much cheaper than supermarkets but Aldi toiletries are pretty good and very cheap.

You need to.put a bit of effort in initially and it soon becomes routine for you to shop savvy.

Damm thread didnt update so i missed some of your later posts op.

I've just RTFT. Think op has been given quite a hard time to be honest and I can
empathise with having CFS as I have that and Fibromyalgia as well as other conditions and anything that can make life
a bit easier is essential for us.
The unrelenting bone crushing tiredness that follows the simplest of tasks is something that us sufferers sadly get used to.

Op I think you're doing great. At 20 years old you sound like you have a good head on your shoulders and are doing your best.
Sure there is room for change but I suppose that's why you started this thread and you've already began to make some changes. Good on you

Ps please fight the decision if it doesn't go in your favour. The appeal success rate is quite high.

OP how can you call yourself a vegan if you eat fish?

Food is expensive in the West of Australia!
I shop most days and just buy what we need. Hardly any wastage now.
We have chooks for eggs.
Citrus trees.
Herb garden
Aldi for all cleaning products.

I can’t get past a family of 5 using 3 loo rolls a week.

Check out your local green grocers, they are usually good value and you don't get tempted to buy non veg.

Haver a look at growing some things, I've recently started growing spring onions. Get the spring onions from the shop, roll the elastic band down to about 1.5 cm above the root and chop the whole lot off above it.

You will now have spring onions to eat and a bunch of roots fastened with a rubber band, this you put in a jar with water, I put mine on the windowsill and they grow into another bunch of onions.

We're a family of 4 and use 14-16 rolls a week.
3/4 people are out all day.