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!

" don't agree the op should switch from wholemeal to 'normal' pasta - this is an expense it's worth sticking with in my view, it's extra nutrition which is important."

what extra nutrition?

the white pasta will actually be fortifed with vitamins and iron, and the OP has whole meal bread and pitta.

We live on the seafront and get a lot of dust blown onto the car, so we have to wipe the windows and mirrors down in the car otherwise we can't see? It's like a layer of black dust on the car.

USE A CLOTH! Or, I dunno, those little washer jets the car conveniently provides you with?

I know you didnt ask for medical comments but wouldnt it be worth you eliminating the trigger foods that cause your IBS?

No more running to the loo, pain & using 2.5 loo rolls a day.

I dont mean it unkindly at all, but you could enjoy stuff more without the worry of the IBS.

pain, so I can't just 'use less loo roll' unfortunately.

You can use less by washing after being to the loo instead of using enough loo paper to decorate the bathroom.

It will also be better for you.

also the white pasta will have slightly more protein...

@zoellafortitude Funny isn't it? To make fun of someone because they have to use the toilet more than normal due to a chronic health condition they've already mentioned.

Cruel, nasty person.

@Boysey45 Thank god I'm not the only one who uses more loo roll. It does seem like people on here use a rationed amount sometimes.

what extra nutrition?

There's no need to pull silly faces, it's not my fault you don't know and your Google is broken.

Wholewheat has more fibre and B vitamins:

healthyeating.sfgate.com/wholegrain-pasta-vs-regular-pasta-3476.html

I've never seen white pasta that is 'fortified'.

Funny isn't it? To make fun of someone because they have to use the toilet more than normal due to a chronic health condition they've already mentioned

Actually, I was laughing at the ridiculousness of that "advice". Of course, you can't help it. I have more than one chronic health condition myself.

I think people need to stop being so mean.
You’ve explained your loo roll situation. But you need to use normal cloths and rinse for the car etc.
You just need to get into better habits with cleaning stuff and you’ll be fine. Also bagged salad doesn’t last well.

The dog insurance is £30pm & bag of food about £9pm as we get the big bags. The dog isn't expensive!

You are spending £39 a month on the dog which is about 40% of what you will be spending on your own food and groceries!! It seems a very odd decision.

And you sound about 3 years old saying you will only eat Heinz baked beans. You come across as being really fussy about food - which is fine if you can afford it, but not when you only have £25 a week and are spending extraordinary amounts on toilet roll and cleaning wipes.

@00100001

I can't drink soya milk as it upsets my stomach.
How am I supposed to use a frozen avocado on toast?! I've looked at frozen ones before and they're no cheaper where I am.
Lettuce needs cleaning & the bags are easier and quicker, also cheap too- bag of rocket in Lidl is 48p I believe.

As a longer term investment , could you look for a handhels steamer to clean? You might be able to pick one up on eBay . Just uses water , no fumes or residue , much safer for the puppy and cleans better than most detergents.

I buy Alpro soya ( varies from £1 - £1.50 a litre , I bulk buy from Costco when I'm there ) I get that bog standard cows milk is less than £1.50 for 6 pints in Asda , but soya is ££. (Like the OP I;ve tried others)

If you find out when the shops reduce prices you can pick up your fruit for pennies , but less choice .

Farmfoods often have trays of 12 or 24 tins of tomatoes on offer, go round all their shop & buy as much as you can from there, they often have multi buys on Quorn, frozen fish & veg, they also have loads of ingredients like ketchup, herbs, spices really cheap. Their toilet rolls are good value as well, big name laundry powder in massive boxes often 100 washes are under a tenner. Only go to the big supermarket for anything you can't buy from Farmfoods & try to shop after 4.30, that's when they start reducing fresh stuff. When I was first a single parent, I used to go to Farmfoods once a fortnight, if I spent £35 I had that much stuff I filled my boot & back seat of my car, they often put leaflets through your door with money off your total spend. If you haven't already got one, get a slow cooker, cook big one pot meals, spag bol on a Monday becomes chilli on a Tuesday, you can freeze some from each night, buy basics passata, add loads of frozen veg & blend, add lentils & split peas for protein, a healthy soup with hardly any effort. Cleaning wise, basic bleach spray 70p lasts ages & 2 litres of cheap thick bleach for the toilet, microfibre cloths from pound shop, basic washing up liquid, soap is often cheap in Farmfoods as well. I used to spend no more than £30 a week on everything for me & my son & that included putting meals in the freezer for skint week when bills needed paying, that week other than bread & milk we lived out of the freezer & off the cupboard shelves.

Lettuce needs cleaning & the bags are easier and quicker

Once again you're basically spending extra money out of laziness. Why even ask for advice??

@VanGoghsDog I have a hard time believe a bag of carrots lasts you 3 weeks? I've tried fresh veg before and not only is it more expensive, it goes off before I can use it. Frozen veg is a great option. It's also not £2- you can get a bag of peas for 60p. All my frozen veg is under £1 per bag and lasts for ages.

That evening meal sounds delicious, I love roasted vegetables.

Lettuce needs a rinse. And it costs about 30p

Nobody needs to be using wipes for surface cleaning. Get washable cloths and use hot soapy water.

@ItWentInMyEye I have CFS as well as epilepsy, which means I get incredibly tired & sometimes can't wake up. My partner has to wake me up to eat more often than not & I've been known to sleep for 2 days straight when I've had a seizure.

A homemade sauce doesn't take long, you're right & I've said I usually make one once a week, but when it's 7pm, I'm exhausted and just want a hot meal I much prefer to use a jar than stand cutting onions and garlic.

Also on a not o have chronic ibs and don't go through that much looking roll 🙈 here's a site with some veggies meal iseasay help. neilshealthymeals.com/category/recipes/dinner/vegetarian/

Lettuce needs cleaning & the bags are easier and quicker, also cheap too- bag of rocket in Lidl is 48p I believe.

I never wash the lettuce I eat every day but even if I did feel I needed to, rinsing a lettuce is really not hard.

I'm now thinking you really just want to sit on your bum and do very little and expect the world to delivery your lifestyle more cheaply - in fact, you need to change your lifestyle.

@VanGoghsDog last time I checked those jets don't clean passenger and driver windows or mirrors?

Carrying a dirty cloth around in the car would be stupid when we can just wipe it off & put it in the bin with tissue.

I'm not going to read through the whole thread...but 18 loo rolls a week?!! I'm a live in nanny for a family of 6, 7 including me. I buy a pack of 12 loo rolls every 2 weeks...I think you're using a bit too much

Can I just say your diet seems very healthy. Avocado and berries are really good for you, but frozen berries would be fine in porridge. Can you try varying your meals using the veggies of the day at Lidl?
I think I bought green beans,cauliflower and aubergine at my Lidl this week on offer. Cauliflower cheese, leek and potato soup and green beans with olive oil, garlic and lemon are on the menu this week.
Wipes really are a waste of money. Just buy those cheap rolls of cloth from your local pound shop and throw them out after one day.
Have you tried identifying your ibs triggers using the Fodmap diet?

Also fish isn't meat is it? Oh for fucks sake! What did you they were, swimming fucking sea veg?

Use flannels, hankies - things you can wash and REUSE. For you puppy keep a mop, bucket and disinfectant handy. Have some respect for the environment.