Food is expensive

[goldenorbspider]

Went to aldi got few bits for the week and not a big shop for me and one infant. Spent £40 and it's not even a big shop. What do people do to save money on food? I can't imagine spending much less. I know it would cost waay more at other supermarkets.

the sad thing is that we'd rather scrimp on the most essential things - good healthy food - and spend on on non-essential tat, clutter, toys, "beauty" crap

Totally agree with this Josef
Im also on a thread where washing daily is seen as ott and expensive.
Food/hygeine is basic needs
Disclaimer Im not talking about people in poverty but people who just want more "stuff"

I agree with others, cutting down on meat and buying own brand cleaning products and some toiletries helps.

We started with meat free Mondays a couple of years ago and learnt how to make some nice veggie meals that have now become favourites, so we are now meat free 3-4 days a week. Puy lentil and mushroom cottage pie, spinach and chickpea curry, bean and veg chilli. The other good thing about pulses is that they don’t go off, so you end up throwing less away.

@Winterwoollies

(Apologies for the tangent OP), would you recommend the Portuguese custard tarts in Lidl? I’ve always been disappointed in the supermarket ones but haven’t tried Lidl?

Worra I live in Valencia, the third largest city in Spain.

People eat out or cook from scratch. I can buy a pizza. That's about it. There is no ready meal culture here whatsoever.

But we are the healthiest place in the world, I believe.

The point of jarred white sauce, what is actually in it? [vomit]

The price of food is going to rocket next year after the transition period, when the full impact of Brexit hits

Where is your evidence?

White sauce is 64p in Asda
It would cost more to buy the components to make your own

It really wouldn't @Morgan12

It was expensive because your definition of ‘a few bits’ is hugely different from mine. There are also quite a few luxury items - steak, salmon, cherries, blueberries- on your list

@NoIDontWatchLoveIsland, could you please post your recipe for white sauce made in the microwave?

@ulvie they’re not half bad. But they do benefit from a couple of minutes in a hot oven to freshen the puff pastry.

Nrtft
But my advice given your list would be: Make your own carbonara and white lasagna sauce.
Milk, butter (or marg e.g. flora etc) and plain flour. It's v v easy.
There's lots of ways but I use this way:
Put large dollop of flora in saucepan. Add medium amount of flour. 2 heaped spoons. Stir under medium heat until it comes together ( looks like broken up playdough) its very forgiving, can be more or less done. Then add milk to half fill pan. Keep stiring constantly for about 4 minutes, until it boils.
Put on side and can be reheated or used directly. Can add some water if wanting less creamy.
Can add any spices or cheese or anything. Add salt if you like but I don't for health reasons. Pepper?
You can use it straight away, or chill and it'll keep. I think you can freeze it, but I make to use. It takes 5 mins.

Your list is high in expensive meat, fish, fruit and includes some ready made stuff.

That’s why it’s expensive.

If you rejig that slightly you could save a considerable amount.

It might seem expensive, but food is cheaper now, relative to income, than it's ever been.

I agree about a lot of meat. And we are meat eaters and greedy eaters!!

But how long will it last - there are 3 of us and a chorizo lasts ages. And with that you don't need much other meat in the jambalaya. One chicken breast would be plenty more than enough.

Carbonara is not made from jars of sauce!! Plus one jar of sauce sounds a lot for you and an infant?

That is loads! Count yourself lucky you don't have 3 DC ( 2 huge teens). For 5 of us I was £112 in Aldi the other day not including toiletries or laundry items. Fish alone for Friday's meal was £15. To eat well you need to pay for it.

I have no money worries but would never dream of buying out of season cherries and blueberries. That is madness. What is cheap here is all the in season veg and fruit. Which is so fresh and gorgeous

Good for you. The UK however has to import mostly everything, so we don't often have "fresh and gorgeous" in season stuff like I would imagine you would.

Too right. If we stayed seasonal we would only eat potatoes and carrots and cabbage like in the olden days. Some apples in autumn and some jam.

Worra I live in Valencia, the third largest city in Spain.

People eat out or cook from scratch. I can buy a pizza. That's about it. There is no ready meal culture here whatsoever.

But we are the healthiest place in the world, I believe.

So the Spanish obesity rate doesn't apply to Valencia? And Lidl don't sell ready meals and sauces?

Food costs are heavily subsidised by government / subsidies. If you were paying the true cost of food you would probably be able to keep a roof over your head , heat one room and feed yourself . The population are very ignorant as to the cost of producing good quality food . Try to eat more seasonal produce . You don’t need blueberries in winter .

As a percentage of household income , food has never been so cheap . People will happily spend £100 a month on sky tv but complain about spending £50 a week on food. You couldn’t make it up .

Oh true, I don't drive so never go to the out of town Lidl so no idea, except for the online offers are definitely aimed at the Spanish market.

No, at mo, In season produce (is never blueberries) but apples, pears, oranges (obvs!) aubergines, courgettes, new potatoes and beans and carrots and more peppers than can be healthy!
And kaki, a citrus fruit.

Much the same as the UK basically. I have to pay $$$'s for leeks and you don't I bet. I cannot get baking potatoes

But no, to buy a readymade pasta sauce is not a concept that exists, here or in Italy, I imagine.

Lidl stocks mainly things Spanish people would buy, you wouldn't recognise it as an English person.

I sense a slightly aggressive attitude at bringing a different viewpoint, I will go now.

The UK however has to import mostly everything, so we don't often have "fresh and gorgeous" in season stuff like I would imagine you would.

so true

more puzzling is the fact that we have a very poor and limited choice of fish and seafood. Yes, you can find a few decent fishmongers, but being an island ending in a cold ocean, it's a mystery why decent supplies are so limited.

Obesity crisis? Well, not compared to the UK there's not, no.

purple
Some of the young people I work with spend £50 on stuff to "sculpt" their already beautiful faces and bring 9p noodles for lunch or sometimes have no lunch.
Ditto expensive make up and lease cars costing £300 plus a month.
The worlds gone mad

So the Spanish obesity rate doesn't apply to Valencia? And Lidl don't sell ready meals and sauces?

let's be honest, the attitude of the brits towards food is dreadful, our obesity rates are through the roof and we, as a group, eat shit. We all know that, even if it of course only applies to our neighbour, never to our own home.

A lot of people batch cook, pad out meat with lentils or veg.

Being vegan saves me money but I still spend way too much.

Josef all the langostinos in Spain are from the UK! It amazes me.