Help me keep grocery shopping very low!

[Lottie4]

Sorry this is long winded!

Just worked out we won't have any money to withdraw from the bank until early May. We can rob Peter to pay Paul a little, but ideally wouldn't spend any money on food. I think I can stretch most cleaning products and toiletries, although will need toothpaste, toilet rolls and cat food. Can anyone give me any cheap suggestions for meals or cheap things to add to food I already have, which are:

1 packet noodles
1 packet rice
2 packets pasta
Tuna x 2
Marmite
Peanut butter
Jam
Tomato and chilli chutney
Opened jars, containers pickle, tomato ketchup, balsamic vinegar and chilli pouring sauce
Fish stock cubes
Packet sauces of hollandaise and white wine with herbs
Fajita seasoning, chilli flakes, dried herbs
3 cans tomatoes
3 cans soup
1 can vegetarian ravoli
1 jar mayo
2 jars curry sauce
4 packets/jars of stir fry sauce

I have a few veggie burgers, chicken nuggets, fishfingers and veggies in freezer as I was running it down to defrost and clean.

Fresh food - packet potatoes and carrots, 2 onions, part lettuce, 2 packs tomatoes, cucumber, 1 pepper, fruit, some cheese, ten eggs.

We don't want to go without coffee, milk, bread, baked beans, eggs, cheese, spread, fruit and veggies (DD is a bit vegetable fan!), yogurts and biscuits if we can help it - have a store of cereals but may need to buy one box.

DH will eat most things, I only eat fish, diary and veggie and DD loves chicken, fish, some quorn meals and boiled eggs. I'm used to cooking different things or making say a pasta dish, splitting it and adding different things, so can do this. DH and DD take lunchboxesl - DH only has a sandwich and fruit, DD has four things which I don't want to reduce as doctor has raised the fact she is underweight - I do have some babybel, pepperami, crisps, cereal bars in but will need to ensure she has sandwiches, fruit, veggie sticks and other things.

Well, you have a fair bit in, can cook and no-one is massively fussy so that is a good start. Do you need to defrost the freezer right now?
With spuds and eggs, you have frittata and omelette, A bag of cheap flour will make you batter for pancakes/Yorkshire puds. Plenty of pasta and toms, so with your peppers that is a decent meal. Also, maybe tuna pasta salad, kids normally enjoy that and can go in lunch boxes. I am also trying to save money and have become rather a fan of Iceland, the frozen veg is great (big bag of sweetcorn for 89p) also, I like Kenco coffee which right now is half price at 2.00, and the loo roll is fine at £1.00 per pack. I would not do a huge shop there but I do rely on certain bits and bobs. I like the bags of smoked haddock at around £4 a bag.
I am going to keep an eye out for other posters ideas and nick them!

Yogurt - instead of individual portion pots, buy big tubs and decant into smaller boxes. Flavour with fruit/dregs of jam jars/honey/whatever you have knocking about.

Babybel - buy big blocks of cheese and chop up instead?

Cheap porridge oats to make flapjacks instead of cereal bars? Porridge is a fab breakfast too.

Pizza is cheap to make and uses up whatever you have knocking about. Ditto hm quiche - also good for packed lunches. Line a tin with pastry, add in whatever is knocking about and pour the egg mixture over and bake for 30 mins. I don't bother with cream, just eggs and splash of milk. If you have no flour/fat for pastry, do a crustless quiche.

Pasta possibilities are endless. Frozen veg is often good value as you can use the exact amount you need. Some supermarkets do good reductions at the right time of day.

How much cash do you have on hand? Any supermarket loyalty card points? or Boots advantage card (they sell pints of milk)?

Thank you for your replies, they have helped get me started.

I can leave defrosting freezer a little longer if it means I can buy cheap frozen veg/other options - it's only about 25% full. I will have to totally restock in May.

QuiteQuietly, I've been going through everything this morning - we do have approx. £140 in the house earmarked for certain things like bus fares, pocket money, new trousers for me and are reviewing what we really have to spend it on. The money for trousers I will put towards cat food as they have to be fed. £60 was for MIL's 80th birthday meal tomorrow, but I'm going to throw a sickie so only two have to go and they are just going to have a main meal.

So I should have at least £30 saved from family meal, other cutbacks will be a lot smaller maybe £5, I have £5 in nectar points and think approx £30 clubcard vouchers may come out in four weeks when we will really be struggling. Lidl is walkable so I can get a few veggies, milk etc cheaper there.

Luckily as a family we are happy to go for a walk or bike ride or play a game, so we can still do something positive together at weekends.

You probably know, but if your freezer is not full it will use more electricity. So fill the gaps with carrier bags or empty plastic milk bottles filled with water. Personally I'd leave the defrosting until May and use it to eke stuff out a bit more (eg bulk purchases and reduced bargains - our local tesco often has bags of bagels for 9p and reduced bread rolls and I grab and stick in the freezer). Also for hiding snacky stuff to reduce cupboard grazing - chocolate freezes well and can be hidden in frozen veg bags (but don't tell my kids...).

Sounds like you have a great attitude and your family are behind you so I think you will be fine! And you have an end in sight. Good luck!

Thanks - my head has been spinning a bit thinking about it today, but I'm sure things will calm down. I didn't do the usual main shop today as we can make do with what we've got for a few days. When I know how much is left from the meal tomorrow, I can think long and hard about what I really need and what I can buy cheaply.

I never thought about filling up the freezer as you suggest. We will need bread for sandwiches or perhaps toast to add the jam, marmite to we have, so I could get 3/4 loaves of Tesco value unless Lidl do anything cheaper to help fill it out.

We had some friends pop in unexpectedly earlier (pain as we were just finishing tea), but they left us with a tin of biscuits and large box of chocolates which they had left from Xmas, so that was a nice surprise - not healthy, but will go down well with coffee or if we have a sweet tooth.

Can you sell a few bits & pieces to get some extra cash? It's amazing what sells on FB & often quite quickly. Also, if you sign up for Nectar Canvass surveys, you get 50-80 points per survey completed & your account gets credited with the points within a day or two.

There's a Facebook page called Feed Your Family For £20 A Week which is always really helpful. It has proper recipes and often bits of advice on which supermarkets reduce their fresh stuff at what time. You might find that useful. Soup is also a good one for filling you up while being very cheap.

confusedofengland - we save stuff for car boot sales and I've thought about doing one, but what we have at the moment won't even fill the boot let alone the car. I have wondered about going through DD's clothes to see if I've got enough clothes to sell altogether, so I need to do that. I am actually signed up for Nectar surveys, just haven't done any recently, so thanks for reminding me on that one.

Hareboiledegg, thanks for the info. I'm about to go through the page and others links I've got and make notes of cheap meals.

Didn't go to MIL's 80th BD meal yesterday and DH&DD only had main meals, so saved £38 from that. So I now have £38 cash, £5 in nectar points (when I'm near Sainsburys) and £5 might be able to save on other essentials. I'm going to take a pair of jeans back I bought for DD (she didn't really like them anyway), so £14 there.

So this means I've got approx. £10 a week for food (might get approx £30 clubcard vouchers through next month, but not guaranteed). I'm going to divide the store cupboard food I have in two, so one half for first three weeks and not touch the second lot until after then. Ideally this week I'd like to buy two loaves bread, 2x2l milks, potatoes, carrots, peppers, kiwis, bananas, 2 packets frozen veg (ideal for adding to sauces I have), some sort of pulses, something like cheap sausages, fishfingers, pie or I know Lidl do a thick based pizza for 89p. Would love some cheese and yogurts but don't think I'll have enough. I'm going to check out prices online for these in Tescos, and walk down to Lidl late and see what's cheaper there. If anyone has any advice on any changes I can make to this, please add them. If anyone has any advice on this, that would be great.

Individual items sell pretty well on Fb ime, especially if not supermarket.

As for food, always check the reduced to clear sections. I don't normally pay more than 20p for 6 kids fromage frais, normally petits filous or character ones, because I buy ones that have split apart & the supermarket packages them in cling film & sells very cheaply.

Have you meal planned with what you've got and with the cash you have,.your ideas are a bit random.
As op has said make pizza not buy. You can get cheese (1.75) in lidl, BG pot of yogurt not small tubs.
Tinned soup can be a pasta sauce with a bit of improvisation.
Think cheaper fruit this month kiwis will have to go!
If you've meat eaters, get some cheap cuts, a whole chicken, mince or 3 for £10 and spread it making pasta sauce chili etc. Frozen peppers & veg this month for veggie dd in pasta sauce

Thank you again for your replies. I don't tend to meal plan, but think the items I'd like with go with things we already have in or I can make some work together.

I've worked out which items are cheaper in Lidl and Tesco and so far I've got my weeks bread, carrots, peppers, kiwis (after I posted Tesco sent through come coupons, so I got six for 75p so not bad - also DD loves them so a great source of vitamin C), bananas, cheese and can of chickpeas for £4.94, so that leaves me with £5 for milk, potatoes, frozen veg and possibly the sausages as I can put in pasta for DH or he can have with beans, potato. We think we can just live with 2l of milk this week, I'd really like potatoes and frozen veg for stir frys, to be in veggie curry etc.

I think I will struggle more as the weeks go on and we run out of things in the store cupboard though.

Too late, but re chickpeas it is usually cheaper to buy dried. I soak and cook the whole pack in one go and freeze in "tin-sized" portions - usually 4 tins-worth for less than £1. Even cheaper if you have a decent ethnic supermarket nearby, or a big regular supermarket with an ethnic aisle. Tesco has much cheaper rice/lentils etc in the ethnic bit than in the curry department.

Instead of allowing £10 per week, I would personally use £10 for one of the "3 for £10" meat offers (to split, freeze and last the month - especially if you can joint a whole chicken) and spend another £10 on other bulk buys to last the month (eg huge block of cheese, bag of frozen sausages, large bag of porridge, huge sack of spuds). Then £5 a week for milk, fresh fruit/veg, big tub of yogurt, bread and reduced bargains. And step away from the kiwis.

Do you have good friends/family locally? I have often had people round for dinner in their lean times and have gratefully eaten with friends in our bad patches. Just one meal a week can take the pressure off and you can reciprocate when you are not so pressed.

Thanks - I did wonder about dried pulses but didn't really fancy having to cook them for a while each time. Do you think this would work with kidney beans as well, ie soaking, cooking and then freezing? I was thinking of making tomato sauce which I could add kidney beans to and either have with pasta or add some chilli flakes and onion for a chilli type thing. I'll be passing Sainsburys in a couple of weeks and think they have an ethnics aisle.

It's only DH really who eats meat, although my DD likes chicken. Will go and have a look in Lidl and Tescos to see what might be cheaper to buy in bulk as meat can be added to lots of things like pasta sauce, stir fry or whatever else we're having.

Any ideas anyone, how I can buy portions of fruit really cheap as DD loves it, and we don't want her in particular going without. Again, Tesco and Lidl are the main options otherwise we'll be spending money on extra petrol (we've got money in the budget for this but obviously want to limit it).

I'm managing okay with main meals at the moment and we have an abundance of cereal so breakfast is covered. Can see snacks and lunchbox fillers slowly reducing though - us adults need to eat, but again DD it's priority to give DD what she needs.

If you're cooking dried kidney beans you MUST boil them properly for several minutes (10 mins, I think) or they can be toxic.

Which is why I buy tins...

There are always instructions on the pack - just follow them. Most dried pulses are along the lines of soak overnight, rinse, boil for x minutes in new water. Loads of things can be toxic if not prepared correctly - eg chicken. If you are nervous, a bit longer boiling isn't going to cause trouble and will reduce wind-yness after eating. As a general rule of thumb, pulses double in weight when cooked. So if you are not planning to cook the whole pack in one go and freeze in portions, cook 100g dried to replace 200g tinned etc..

If you do chickpeas, houmous is nice in sandwiches/with veg sticks and is very easy to make.

If you only have one meat eater, don't faff with the 3 for £10 offers. Look for big packs of frozen meat instead. Iceland used to do a big bag of frozen chicken breasts for £2.

A few little things to make food go further:

Grate a block of cheese to keep in a box in the fridge. I find when people make sandwiches they cut thick, uneven slices but are more frugal with grated cheese.

Grated carrot bulks out sandwiches nicely and gets in an extra half portion of veggies in a day.

Most supermarkets do frozen fruit. Tescos do a bag for 90p. A handful makes a reasonable smoothie blended with a splash of milk, or served with plain yogurt.

UHT milk is fine in tea and coffee and you can get used to it in cereal. It's got the same calcium as fresh milk though it is lower in B vitamins and folate in particular, so you might want to put that into consideration if you're going to have a predominately vegetarian menu. Often I've bought fresh milk when on offer and frozen it; it defrosts fine.

When I was a kid we used to freeze yogurts, good for sore throats or instead of icecream. I now do it with yellow-stickered children's mini yogurts. Stab a tea spoon in the top, freeze for a hour or two and hey-presto healthy (if not a bit random) pudding.

Hope things go ok OP.

A good filling soup is cheap and healthy.

Bag of frozen broccoli, wedge of cheap brand blue cheese and a veggie stock cube. Boil and blitz.

Minestrone is yummy and can be made with tin of tomatoes, carrots, onion, celery, courgettes, mixed herbs then chuck in handful of pasta and shredded Savoy cabbage at end. Lovely with grated cheese in and a roll. I made it all from Aldi veg once for next to nothing.

Mirror has £5 off £40 shop voucher in today if that would help.

Aldi do great gnocchi too which is yummy just with jar of pesto and grated cheese.

I've made bread recently too from Aldi flour and yeast and really can make a boring soup yummy if fresh hit bread to dip in it and can bulk out a meal too.

Can you explain to DD's school and put her on school dinners (on tick) until May? I'm sure you would rather not, but our school will do this should the need arise.

If we are having a skint week I make a huge lentil dal (onions, garlic, spices, red lentils) and this is the basis for main courses or lunches. Delicious and freezes beautifully, serve with homemade chapattis, also only cost pennies. Also we go to our local co-op around 3 on a Sunday and buy up their hugely reduced bread, fresh veg etc. Knowing when your local supermarket do the reductions is key!

Negatives here - the lawnmower has broken down so something else that will cost money. I should be able to borrow someone else's a couple of times, so can delay that.

I've been trying to eat a bit less fruit, biscuits and be careful with portion sizes, have less milk etc and it all caught up with me yesterday and I was hungry. I then stupidly gave in while cooking tea and eat the last of the pepper and a chunk of cheese. Luckily I'm okay today.

Positives - changed tariff with our energy supplier (not because of present situation). As we have a small credit of £25, they can deduct it off next's month dd, so we'll have an extra £25. As well as food, I was worrying if I'd have enough cat food and one or two other things, so this will give us a bit of extra flexibility.

I told friends I couldn't see them tomorrow as money was short and they are going to club together and buy me a drink and cake (which is lovely).

I've now bought my milk, potatoes and frozen veg and still have £1.40 left (I haven't got anything like sausages). I don't tend to meal plan, but now I will have the extra £25 I'm really going to think about what that could be used for, some will have to go to cat food as I don't think I have enough in the budget for them, might need toothpaste and a pack of toilet rolls and the rest I can buy things like dried chickpeas, value rice, cans tomatoes, more rice etc.

Thanks for the suggestion re: school dinners. We have to load the account ourselves with money, so don't think school could help. Also, I know DD wouldn't want to do this.

All your replies and suggestions are appreciated even if I can't/don't take some of them up.

If your dd school has a cashless system/ you put money on a card - free meals are put on via the computer system. Your dd or others wouldn't know. I worked within schools with this system.

Is this a longterm scenario Op, or just until May/June. Because the lawnmower really shouldn't take priority!

How old is DD?

Well done for being resourceful and approaching this with positivity, mean to say that above.

We do try and be careful and can cover bills, food, petrol, as well have having some left over for treats, clothes, days out, occasionally cheap pub meal (nothing extravagant but we happily get by!). I checked out what money we'd have though as we knew money would be tight due to a larger expected expense, following on with some unexpected ones which we needed experts to help with. It shouldn't be a long term problem and the lawn mower will wait (it just didn't help at this time), I think we should be able to borrow one a couple of times.

Looking forward to tonight, I'd doing curry from a sauce I had in the cupboard and I'm adding some of our potatoes, carrots and the chickpeas we have to that. Ideally we haven't got quite enough rice, so I might mix that in. DH has just finished making some wine (which he does) so we have a bottle of wine!

I'm in bucks...if you're anywhere nearby you are welcome to take advantage of my overstocked toiletries cupboard.

I hope you aren't offended but I would be more than happy to pass on some duplicates. Someone helped me out once upon a time when I was in similar circumstances and toiletries can take a chunk out of a budget especially as they all seem to run out at the same time!

As I say I hope I haven't offended you - apologies if I have.

Paperblank, thanks so much. We are the other side of the country, but your offer was greatly appreciated.

We are hanging in here. Have managed to feed DD properly, but we've been eating more toast/bread and less fruit & veggies. With money I had, saved on potential purchases and refunds, I was lucky to end up with £77. I'm glad I divided my food cupboard in two, food for first three weeks and second lot for now. It means we have a few cans/jars still for something tasty or to which we can just had value frozen veg, chickpeas and then serve with rice or pasta. Tescos have been selling large bags of potatoes for 49p, so that's been great for putting on the side with lots of things, it means I haven't used too much of the pasta I had in (somehow had loads). We do need some more toothpaste and I will have to start buying toilet rolls, so funds may be more of a struggle now - fingers crossed Tescos will send out their clubcard vouchers soon as that would be a great boost.

I've done a few Nectar surveys I accumulated nearly £2 quite early on. Next time I'm near Sainsburys I'll check if I have enough in Nector points to buy a few things with.