to think that VAT on food might not be a bad thing?

[NotAfraidOfTheBudget]

It probably wont happen, I know, but if it did, would it really be so bad?

Lots of foods already incur standard rate VAT (all of them are processed and the sorts of things we should only have occasionally), now the govt has thought about applying a ~5% VAT on everything else.

AIBU to think that if food cost more, then we might start respecting it more? It has become a disposable commodity for a lot of people, who buy more than they need, throw away a lot, and buy into all the advertising/brand names/pester power, etc. Basic foodstuffs (ie non-processed, plain fruit, veg, meat, fish) is what sustains a race of people. Crisps, ready meals, fizzy drinks, biscuits and cakes should be considered the luxuries. If you are on a lower income, you probably wouldnt buy a foreign holiday, a brand new car, new dvds every week. So why should food luxuries be seen as an automatic right?

For a family on an 'average' (according to the govt) income, adding VAT to all foods will cost around £20 a week. And will bring in a huge revenue to set against our massive budget deficit. You at least then have the choice of cutting your food budget (fewer luxury foods) or accepting it and resign yourself to spending less on going out/booze/lottery/Sky TV/whatever.

Am I also BU in thinking (hoping) that more expensive food might just get people back into cooking real meals rather than relying on the salt-laden, transfat-saturated, convenience meals?

adding in the lentils/pulses certainly would NOT take you over the pound, theoretically or not.

adding in meat MAY do, depending on how well you are able to bulk it out, with veg/lentils etc

tin of bean 28p, other tinned beans - around 40-60p depending on type.

Pack of dried beans - all under £1 in my Morrisons and they easily last for 4 meals if used for bulking

Lentils are fairly expensive in my tesco I make a lentil shepherd pie and I need a 1/2 of a bag which costs £1.00 (I think). So that is 50p for lentils were the other ingredients less than 50p. (I use the cheapest btw). A value tin of tomatoes is about 30p. Tinned carrots are about 30p if using fresh they are about 70p but the bag says 3 carrots for a portion there are about 10 so you would need all of them.

So we will go with tinned as cheaper.
30p carrots
30p tomatoes
30p pasta but only half a bag used so 15p
and 50p for lentils
£1.25

Even if it was within the amount eating the same three healthy meals you pointed out (probably a few more but you are limited in choice) over and over is extremely unhealthy.

10 carrots to go in a shepherds pie

that's just a snap shot.....and believe me - my children's diet it much healthier than nuggets, waffles and fake sausages, without spending a fortune.

And it's also once meal of the day, they eat breakfast, they eat lunch, they eat fruit during the day. A "healthy diet" doesn't get made up out of one meal.

and besides - I aws thinking more of chickpeas (nice chickpea curry), or kidney beans - mmm yummy soup with a nice big loaf of homemade bread - roll on winter

There are better things to raise tax on that don't effect the poor as much things you can actually go with out. E.G Cosmetics, beauty treatments, Designer clothes, Caviar alcohol, tobacco, magazines.

slushy, i cannot find and compare prices, as I am on my phone (the only way I can do it is Ocado app, and that wil ldef not be the cheapest)

anyway. I spend abut £60 a week on food (and other supermarket bits - nappies, washing up liquid, cleaning products, etc). and that is shopping with Ocado. and buying mostly organic, because I can, for that price.

we eat well, with reasonable variety (within dietary restrictions imposed by allergies)

thereis plenty of choice for cheap meals. you do not need to eat a differnt meal every day of the week. that is something we have been told ot expect.

I have no idea what lentil cost, or pulses, etc. Luckily for me, I do not have ot know. But I do know that I do not spend more than average £60 weekly - and thereis lots of room to trim costs there - non organic, for a start. and we have ot buy gluten free products (£3 for a loaf of bread!) and alternative milks - latest is buffalo at £1.99 for 750mls.

so I know it is possible to feed a family of four for less than I spend.

right, have just checked. £1.99 for mince with Ocado. 500g. I would use that, one onion, a couple of carrots, plus some other veg that needs using/was cheap that week. plus some lentils, and a tin (yes I use tins - more expensive I know) of beansof some description. a jar of passata (can easily subs for tinned tomatoes).

that lot prob costs me £4.50 or so. but it feeds all 4 of us twice, and the girls a further twice (ie 4 children's meals) - probably at a time when I just grab a sandwich. dd1 eats the same amount as dh & I just about, so it, in effect, would feed the 4 of us 3 times. that's £1.50 per meal, and I haven't even looke doutside of Ocado! or used cheaper lentils or beans.

Eww chickpeas noooooo! now YADBU. I hate chickpeas my mum used to use them constantly and now I hate them.

slushy - you know what I used to be the same - my mum cooked them (badly) all the time and I avoided them like the plague until I was forced to feed us all and buy nappies for £15 one week years ago.

I bought them, and cooked them - and actually really enjoyed them.

Obviously if you have a decent market that is the best option. Although it is a struggle to get a sack of potatoes home on the buggy (sorry small child, you will have to walk!)

We get bags of carrots for our horses that are perfectly good (we use them too) that is £1 - £1.50 a sack

Potatoes from the market £4.95 a sack (lasts 3 of us 2-3months over the winter)

Eggs from the market (free range, local) again are much cheaper than the same from the supermarket.

Meat from the butchers. They always have deals on something or other and just stock up accordingly.

Has no one mentioned soup? Very good for you, easy to make, cheap and can put anything in.

This is how we managed to get our shopping bill down. I know it is not an option for everyone though, but i know lots of people who will argue that the butchers or market is too expensive.

I know you can do it I have had to but it is not fun and it is really hard to get the dc to enjoy food when it is the smae sort of things every night it is also easier to find junk cheap when you are dragging two dc round the shop. I also spend much more than a pound a meal we usually spend between 3 and four [shame].

No market within a hours drive here and I don't drive too expensive, I usually walk.

yes Alice - I mentioned soup

so - if you spent between 3 and 4 per meal then you can EASILY avoid the shite and have a wonderful varied meal.

If I'm honest most of my meals probably average out at about £2-3 a meal..........less in the summer when we just have salad and bread with everything - a nice Tiger loaf >> with butter can last us 2 mealsbut I don't buy crap.

If I buy crap I spend more.

Sorry TAF, i x-posted.

I think summer is more expensive food wise though.

Slushy - i mentioned 'if' you have a market.

My grandma had to feed my cousins and i during the holidays and weekends. We ate a lot. For lunch we would have soup/beans/cheese on toast/sandwiches etc, with ice cream or custard for pudding and she would make dozens of fairy cakes to fill us up (we were running around outside all day everyday on a farm) Dinner was always meat based, but bulked out with carrots, onions, potatoes etc. This is how she had always fed her family and when we complained argued that she couldn't afford to feed us any differently. Now i have my own family i tend to do exactly as she did. We are fortunate to not be badly off, but i like to cook meals and cakes and if i have convenient stuff in the house i snack so for me it is a health thing.

really - I find the opposite.

Mind I tend to do a "poor mans salad" - in the form of lettuce, cucumber, tomato (perhaps a boiled egg if I remember to put some on early enough) bunged on a plate, maybe some pickled beetroot (yummy - DS's have just discovered this and love it [grin), if I'm feeling flush some coleslaw (I always buy that from the "salad" bit in morrisons as the big salad boxes of coleslaw are cheaper than buying a couple of the smaller pre-packed tubs), grated cheese, then either bread or new potatoes (or wedges/chips

..............or in the other night when I intended to "finish off" the pack of oven chip and discovered ther were 5 left in the packet roast potatoes LOL, then something with it.

Mind my boys always seem to eat less in the summer so I think that helps

I just find i need stodge to fill up.

Although i discovered couscous last summer and i love that with roasted veg and any leftover meat.

oooooooo couscous - gosh - must get some couscous again - DS's love that

stodge comes in the form of crumble with icecream

We are much better off than we were a few years ago and eat really healthy but I remember how hard it was to go shopping and try to find a healthy meal I used to feel like crying some days so I would feel sorry for those on less money than me if vat was to be put on food as I know how stressful it can be.

It also IMO makes sense to tax luxury items not necessities.
I am off ladies I have a lovely beef Stroganoff to cook .

oooo it's too hot here today for beef Stronanoff - I'mm off to the shop once exH picks DS3 up in a little whilte to buy some more salad stuff and they can have cheese omelettes and salad for dinner when they get back............I'll just have the salad as despite how much I love eggs I can't eat them grrr

I made up a saucepan full of pasta, tuna, sweetcorn and mayo yesterday for lunch, so DD and i are having the last of it for dinner (DH out)

One of DS2's few genuine dislikes with food is tuna - that and spicy food - he'll eat anything else you stick under his nose

I suppose I ought to get DS3's shoes on and sort the changing stuff out, hopefully exH will be here shortly

i always make really thick soup - not so much water , and then blitz it in the blender.
so it looks like a big thick gloopy slop

then you don't need as much bread to eat with it.

if you've got a garden, grow things like runner beans, courgettes and pumpkin, as they have the biggest yield for the smallest outlay- all mentioned provide their own seed for next year's crop!
i throw runnerbeans and courgette into everything - you can make a tin of value baked beans go miles if you add a runner bean, courgette, chopped onion (replace each with seasonal veg- ie now it would be spinach and broccoli)