Dh and I did a month's food shopping today and spent ...

[Miaou]

£98.05

Beat that!!

Respect to you both. Reading this I feel like I've lost my perspective entirely. I've just spent 130 quid to feed self, DH, and 3 small children for a week. Am going to take home baking seriously, and force - I mean insist - the little weasles eat their porridge. Shall keep an eye out for more menu ideas - don't abandon me now.!

Miaou and MrMiaou, thanks for this, is incredibly helpful this is, please keep posting

MrMiaou is intending to add some more stuff to this thread re. recipes, vipersister so watch this space!

Hiya Chandra!

hi!!! [waves in return]

This thread is a gem, I'm trying to sort a new menu for the winter and this is helping a lot. Obvioulsy we will need to replace the things that DS is allergic to but, it is great as a base from where to develop a menu.

Many thnks you two.

You've inspired me to get off my butt and cook lentil & aubergine curry for dh & I instead of buying 2 ready made ones (cost £5). The aubergine cost 90p so you've saved me £4 already - respect!! (and I can probably make enough to freeze so 2 meals rather than 1) Children wont eat it unfortunately.

That's great Miaou. What about stuff like toothpaste, soap, shampoo, washing up liquid, washing powder, bathroom cleaner etc? Or were these included in that shop, oh and did it include tea bags? Just have to have good my Yorkshire tea bags.

Oops you did say it was you food bill only. But what do you reckon your monthly bill would be with everything please? Am trying to work out a monthly shop for my household too with extra fruit and veg as and when from local market. The meal planner is an interesting idea, although I wonder if it would make me feel rebellious.

Malady, it does include all those things too - only this month we didn't need any of those products. Washing powder is the betterbuy stuff - it works just as well, even using less than they tell you to on the packet (no, really!!). We didn't need teabags this month (I love Yorkshire tea too but have to make do with Morrisons own red label just now). I do as much cleaning as I can with hot water and elbow grease, toothpaste and shampoo we have enough of, and I'm hoping someone might buy me shower gel and bubble bath for christmas!

Woah, respect to the Miaous!

Ok - soup for lunch today - Leek and Potato.

8oz leeks
1lb potatoes
4oz carrots

Chop leeks finely, fry in a little oil to soften. Chop potato and carrots finely and tip into pan.

Add 2 litres water and bring to the boil.Add 1 chicken stock cube and 1 vegetable stock cube (or two teaspoons of each if using loose stock powder). Turn down and simmer gently for 20 mins.

If you have a hand blender, blend until smooth, or if you prefer, eat as is (MrMiaou recommends blending though). Add black pepper to taste.

That has made 8 adult servings so we will freeze what we don't eat today.

Cost: about £1.40 !

MaLady I bought some of Lidl's 29p for 80 teabags last month when we were especially skint and they are good and strong like yorkshire tea - might be worth trying them - it's only 29p.

Wow thats amazing, and your diet is so good too. I spend more than that and my diet is awful at the mo.

Mind you my slow cooker got smashed which hasn't helped as I used it alot for cheap stwes etc. Must buy a new one.

nutty Argos have one for £12 at the moment - I was looking a breadmakers I would love a Panasonic one but funds won't allow......

Just to add to Miaou's post about cleaning, we never use anti-bacterial anything! Cleaning with diluted cheap bleach is just as effective, and far cheaper. Also much better for the environment.

Take a look here for a long but interesting read.

Great recipe Miaou thanks. Have you got one for a good pizza dough please?

Lucycat thanks for the tip off, I've got a local Lidl.

Thanks Lucycat, will try and get one soon.

lucycat, don't waste money on breadmakers, it so so easy to make it yourself, and you get a much better loaf!

1.5 lbs strong flour
1 tsps yeast (the one you add to flour, not pre mix with water)
about 3/4pt warm water (half boiling half cold)
2 tsps salt
1 tsps sugar
1 tblspn olive or sunflower oil.

If you have a food processor or kenwood chef you can cheat, bung the whole lot in and mix adding the water gradually until all the flour in mixed in. Either put in a loaf tin, or shape as required on a baking tray. Leave in a warm place for about 40 minutes to 2 hours until about twice the original size, then bake for 25 to 30 mins at 170 degrees.

Another interesting read here about "industrial bread"

maLady

take a look at the recipe I just posted, makes excellent pizza dough too!

Thanks Mr.Miaou, I'll give it a go.

Should just add that the recipe above makes three 16inch pizza bases - something between thin and crispy and deep pan. If you've got some malted flour of some sort (doves farm malthouse is wonderful!) use 2 parts white and 1 part malted, superb taste.

Simply roll out the bases as you require and top with whatever you fancy. My basic tomato sauce is 1 tin of tomatoes (13p) 1 tube tomato puree (26p) garlic, black pepper, herbs to taste. Blitz in processor, voila! Makes enough for 9 pizzas.

I thought we were good at budget shopping but you two are brilliant!I think everyone should do it Why give these big supermarkets your hard earned cash Much better things to spend it on.I have been spending too much lately as doing diet that involves a lot of meat I am going to do the pizzas for ds and dp tonight Thanks

Hi noddyholder thanks for that, I totally agree, I see the profits that supermarkets make a see how my local farmers struggle and it makes me mad

It doesn't need to cost a fortune to eat meat. Avoid supermarkets! Find a proper local butcher and eat the unpopular cuts

Shin beef, breast of lamb, belly pork as a starting point. Buy the bits that they struggle to shift, they're allways cheaper. If you're lucky enough to have a good indoor market with any decent butchers they are often the cheapest places to go.

I am scared of buying meat from butchers, never know what to ask for LOL, ok I know I am strange.

I know, I do make bread by hand,but it's thought of getting up in the morning to freshly baked bread that I fancy - I like gadgets too

Can't see it happening so it's back to kneading for me - build up those shot putter muscles