meal plan every week.
Buy loaves of bread on offer and they go in the freezer, take bread out as we need it.
If you go to supermarket at 8ish at night, you can get loaves less than quater of the price that it usually is as they need to shift it...bung in the freezer.
buy multi packs of beans, etc.
big frozen bags of vegies.
decide what days we are having meat, and only buy for that day, so eg pork chops, mash veg and gravy for Monday, buy enough for that meal.
Sheperds pie Tues...make huge portion and freeze half for tea one night next week.
chicken for curry, the shops own jars of curry are 89p, you could sling 2 of them in a slow cooker for your lot, big bags of rice.
Never ever buy ready meals or ready made rice etc, the only pre packed stuff are jars of curry sauce.
make my own pasta sauce with tins tons, garlic onions toatoe puree, again, make a huge pan full and freeze it in batches, dead easy to take out for quick pasta tea. costs pennies.
Fruit and veg, buy what is in season, frozen where possible.
Crisps and bickies are a special treat, dont get them often...and only if on offer.
Sometimes jacket spud beans and cheese is a great cheepy tea!
I plan plan plan and only shop for what is needed on the list. I am very restrained, but i have had to train myself to be over time. It isnt easy.
We treat ourselves to takaway once a fortnight as well.