Shopping today

[Poodlemother]

I actually went shopping for specific items today, husband usually does a daily shop, looking for bargains. I freaked out at the prices! £12 for a bottle of laundry detergent??? I'm half inclined to wash on a hot wash only, no chemicals. I'm always making cheap choices for meals, but £6.99 for chicken breasts? How the hell do people cope? One old lady had a full shopping basket in front of me of what seemed to be basics and she paid £13 for the lot. Tinned foods mostly.

What do you all do to make your pennies squeak?

Buy in bulk. Eg rice, pasta, teabags.
Buy when regular things are on offer and stockpile these items. I currently have 16 packets of Stuffing as it was 4 for 3 and dd has afrid and its a safe food.
Buy own brand.
I buy persil non bio tablets for about £27 for 4 boxes of 40 on amazon (lasts about 9/10 months). Also buy nicky toilet rolls on amazon.
Meal plan.
Dont impulse buy.
Order shop on line to stay on budget.
Cook from scratch.
Buy frozen rather than fresh.

12 ? That’s a very large bottle or a posh brand ?

chicken thighs can be cheaper
j buy a whole chicken and carve it up as that’s often better value again
up the carcass for soup o get an extra dinner
use less chicken , perhaps a little chorizo and lots of beans

Buy a good eco brand, bio d cheaper than Ecover online or good health food shop!
Def not £12 a bottle.
other items expensive places, unless good butcher

Which shop did you go to? Lidl and aldi own laundry detergent is nowhere near that price!

I bought one bag of shopping and it was £47!

I have a few very low cost meals that we have every week. Tonight we had chicken soup, noodles and a few wantons made with the juice and bones of the Sunday roast. It's under £2 and serves 6. Also do a carbonara for under £3.

If you can do one or two very cheap meals it really helps. If you don't like the faff of cooking from scratch even doing cheesy beans on toast once a week saves money

Why shop daily?

You will save money by meal planning for the week

So for us being old and traditional the biggest expense is the Sunday roast - rare its beef or lamb now usually chicken or pork. and then depending on what it is, I can make that bit of meat last two days x 3 adults or 2 x 3 adults and a pack up

I look at Tesco and Lidl - my local shops, and I use their super six veg deals. and their reduced aisle

Yesterday I picked up prawns - 50% OFF , chicken thighs, turkey burgers - 35% off Oh and some breaded haddock - again 35% off

I cook from scratch - no jars or packets, and get family evening meals ( main meal ) at around £2 a head

I dont plan as in deciding before I hit the shops, I plan when Im there , what's available , what's good value etc

I think many buy shops own brand. I use Tescos, Lidl and Sainsburys washing detergent, all seem equally as good as Persil to me. Some people might buy a whole chicken, have a roast and stretch the rest out for other meals in the week.

If you're the one doing the shopping and trying to keep your budget down, then I think you'll be on it a lot more. So buying a tin of shops own tinned tomatoes instead of chopping fresh up for a recipe, filling out meals with pulses (filling and nutritious). I think about want I need before I shop, and if budget is tight, think about alternatives, ie shops own packet of biscuits is cheaper than a cake if you want something sweet. Also, knowing your prices in a couple of shops, ie I buy a few things in Lidl as they're cheaper.

I buy Tesco own brand laundry powder, £4.75 for 40 washes.

I get aldi washing powder, which if £4 and lasts about 3 months. Don't do the hot wash thing, that will cost you even more in electricity.

I agree meat is expensive, I've stopped buying it in my main supermarket shop and started getting a separate Iceland delivery of frozen meat. Works out a bit cheaper and means you can only use what you need, insted of been tied to pack size, so can move to slightly less meat and more veg ratio in a lot of recipes.

@Poodlemother I use Tesco or Aldi own brand non bio but I use the powder. It is way better than liquid for not sludging up the machine. I also use soda crystals or Amazon softener tablets as we are in a hard water area.

I always look for ‘per kilo’ price for chicken breasts and usually can still get it for £6.99 or under per kilo in most supermarkets, even Morrison which can be pricier. Sometimes get thighs to make a traybake as it is better for that as won’t dry out. Bought 400 PG tips teabags at £8.50 on clubcard from Tesco this week. Always shop around for canned foods and olive oil etc - even had tinned tomatoes off Amazon recently. Like others, have got Nicky loo rolls off Amazon before but currently using own brand Tesco or Aldi (but the luxury ones - comparing sheets per roll and whether 2 or 3 ply).

Buy reduced meat and freeze.
Buy laundry detergent when its on special offer and enough to last you for months.
Bulk out meals with plenty of beans and pulses (not cheap exactly but it helps).
I'm making chicken soup today, chicken was £4, carrots approximately 20p, potato 20p, pulses probably 50p, and celery, onion, garlic probably 50p, salt and pepper.
This will make 6-8 meals, freezable and perfect for the season.

You don’t save money by shopping once a week
yiu save money by avoiding waste and planning meals which can be done with a daily shop as easy as a weekly one

many people find frequent shopping means they avoid waste as they can incorporate left over foods more easily - it’s what works for you

I plan weekly meals in advance, make use of the 'oopsie' yellow sticker section as even if it isnt eaten that day it can go in the freezer and defrosted for when I want to cook it.
I shop around for cleaning products and toiletries, savers and bodycare are great for this. As are places like b and m and home bargains but also for cupboard items.
Meat i find is cheaper in lidl than anywhere else and they have a good range too.
I love a bargain and I love a deal so i often bulk buy things if its a good deal and make use of wowcher/groupon for hotel stays/restaurants/experiences. I always look for a midweek deal/lunchtime deal in restaurants too. I think that's just my mindset though and I know plenty of people who don't want to do any of that but they do spend considerably more!

I buy a huge box of washing powder in The Range and only use half the recommended amount for every wash.

I buy the big boxes of loose laundry powder (about 130 washes). I use less than half of the recomended dose and the box lasts over a year - last box cost £13.77.

Look at the price of chicken per kg. And don't forget the options of buying a whole chicken or buying frozen.

Personally I go to Home Bargains first before Asda. Save a fortune am sure.