Today is my 1st shopping on a tighter budget.

[FairyTaleinNewYork]

i am aiming for 40pounds or thereabouts. will let you know how i get on.

[hayleylou]

Good Luck x

[FairyTaleinNewYork]

i'm going to asda. am going to make my own bread again, and also some cinnemon and raisen bread for dd's and me as we love cinnemon and raisen bagels, but am not that adventourous yet

[tamba]

sounds yummy misdee. How do you make raisen bread?

[puffoeufnog]

keep us posted misdee, I still need to get my grocery bills down.

Raisin and cinammon bread sounds scrummy.

[FairyTaleinNewYork]

i have abreadmaker, which has been gathering dust for the last 18months. the recipie is in the book which came with it.

[puffoeufnog]

I'm wondering whether to buy a breadmaker in the sales. Dh and dss go through tons of the stuff. However I know could not resist tucking in myself - my sister has one and the smells wafting from it are divine !

[FairyTaleinNewYork]

i would. lol. i stood gasping at the price of bread in tesco the other week.

[moondog]

Do you think that breadmaking is a viable way to save money Misdee? It is so inexpensive anyway.
Not denying that it wouldn't be fun however.
You need to learn lots of cunning ways with offal and pulses.....

[FairyTaleinNewYork]

i like nice bread, and tbh it does work out cheaper and at least i know whats going in it.

[FairyTaleinNewYork]

i have actually written a list and a menu plan

[moondog]

Well,I admire you tremendously.
Noone would think any the less of you for taking a few short cuts. I like nice bread too...a loaf like this would last literally seconds in our house....

[FairyTaleinNewYork]

it takes a few minutes to measure the ingrediants out, and put the machine on. not much time at all. and it smells lovely.

i have already started baking again instead of buying cakes.

i cant skimp on washing powder, or tea bags tho. tried that before and we had bought value tea bags, i had one cup and went out to buy some tetley lol.

[FairyTaleinNewYork]

oh and dd2 is excited about maiking pizza dough to make pizzas. this is gonna be fun

[melsy]

yummm homemade bread is gorge. Good meals are casseroles with loads of veg that last a few days. We also make a chowder with loads of different fishes and cream and milk and leeks and tats and at lasts afew days. I always think menu plans work well as you stop buying impulse stuff.

[ISawFrannyandZooeyKissingSanta]

My suggestion would be to make vast stews with whatever veg is cheap at the market, and add home cooked pulses (the dried sort, not the tinned sort). Freeze into portions for one meal and then bulk out with rice, bread, potatoes etc on the day. Not only cheap but very healthy

[FairyTaleinNewYork]

my kds are fussy so veggies have to disguised as much as possible.

so menu is

thursday-stew
friday-curry
saturday-homemade pizzas
sunday-roast
mon-spag bol
tuesday-shepherds pie
weds-??

they eat some roasted vegs

also getting loads of fruit for snacks. dd1 will eat apples/oranges, dd2 will eat bananas/oranges, i will eat anything as will dd3. lunch will be sandwiches/jacket potatoes/salads. i will take my own food and a flask of tea to harefield and not rely on the canteen.

i need to buy yoghurts for dd3, if i buy plain yoghurt then i can add fruit purree to it?

[melsy]

I make a fried courgette, tomato sauce and mushroom onion garlic thing with pasta , for dd I wizz it all up to hide the veg and serve with some grated cheese and she loves it. We eat it not wizzed of course ! Have a huge amount form last night on have it again tonight.

[swedishmum]

I've been sitting here trying to menu plan - can't believe how much money I waste at the supermarket and need to make some big cutbacks! I really want to try different recipes too so will keep a close eye on this.

[LadyTophamHatt]

Oh I'll be doing the same soon fairytale.
With moving house we're increasing the mortage but the money coming in will be less.

I'll be baking bread, and meal planning with you after the 5th jan.

[FairyTaleinNewYork]

41pounds and44p. howzat!!

[LadyTophamHatt]

Ohhhh, very good.

I'm impressed.

[FairyTaleinNewYork]

its going to be harder as my freezer stuff gets less. my milk is going to be delivered from tomorrow as the milk man takes milk token, so that will stop impulse buys at the shops as well.

[moondog]

Yes.Buy big pots of plain yoghurt and if you need a sweetener,add stewed cooking apples or jam. Don't buy expensive frut purees.
Or try it bananas and honey.

[moondog]

Will they eat porridge?
Bulk buy. It's cheap as hell and also very good for you.
With sarnies for another meal,you're sorted for 2/3 meals aday!

[FairyTaleinNewYork]

i didnt get any yoghurtthis week (why when i think of yoghurt these days i think 9of house of tiny tearaways) as all i could find was the bio ones.