How big is yours? Can you cut it?

df1985

I love aldi/lidl too etc but I always end up coming out with a bargain hedge trimmer or ironing board.....any savings I made gone.

feckin germans!

GetWithIt

OP, if you like Gold Blend coffee then buy Gold Blend coffee. Unless you're taking it intravenously this is not where you're money is going or where you're likely to make significant savings.

A few simple things that I do:

Where possible only purchase special offers. This doesn't mean getting the 100% extra free coleslaw that's out of date tomorrow. If the nice pasta sauce is 2 for 1, buy 10. I can't understand why anyone would buy Jaffa cakes in a normal box. The 100% extra free box is on sale every second week

Get toiletries, shampoos, toothpaste in bulk. The big bottle is miles cheaper per unit than the small one. It doesn't matter if it's just for you, it doesn't go off. Also, see point 1 re specials. Colgate, Head & Shoulders do the 2 for 1s but on a longer cycle.

Be flexible with certain things. I like about 5 types of cereal. I buy whichever is on special offer - see point 1.

Only buy perishables when you need them. Meat, veg. Never buy chicken unless you're going to use it that day. The most expensive food you'll ever buy is anything that ends up in the bin.

Experiment with cheaper alternatives. The milk argument has been done to death but anything that is a commodity should be the same all over. There's a 400% difference between fancy basmati rice and the own brand. It's basmati rice!! It beats Uncle Ben's long grain hands down.

Get a clubcard. It's a small thing but it equates to 1% off your bill.

OP, keep buying the stuff you like and sod the begrudgers. Just note the prices and look out for the specials - see point 1.

Hogzy

GetWithIt wrote: »

OP, if you like Gold Blend coffee then buy Gold Blend coffee. Unless you're taking it intravenously this is not where you're money is going or where you're likely to make significant savings.

A few simple things that I do:

Where possible only purchase special offers. This doesn't mean getting the 100% extra free coleslaw that's out of date tomorrow. If the nice pasta sauce is 2 for 1, buy 10. I can't understand why anyone would buy Jaffa cakes in a normal box. The 100% extra free box is on sale every second week

Get toiletries, shampoos, toothpaste in bulk. The big bottle is miles cheaper per unit than the small one. It doesn't matter if it's just for you, it doesn't go off. Also, see point 1 re specials. Colgate, Head & Shoulders do the 2 for 1s but on a longer cycle.

Be flexible with certain things. I like about 5 types of cereal. I buy whichever is on special offer - see point 1.

Only buy perishables when you need them. Meat, veg. Never buy chicken unless you're going to use it that day. The most expensive food you'll ever buy is anything that ends up in the bin.

Experiment with cheaper alternatives. The milk argument has been done to death but anything that is a commodity should be the same all over. There's a 400% difference between fancy basmati rice and the own brand. It's basmati rice!! It beats Uncle Ben's long grain hands down.

Get a clubcard. It's a small thing but it equates to 1% off your bill.

OP, keep buying the stuff you like and sod the begrudgers. Just note the prices and look out for the specials - see point 1.

THIS

I bought 4 900ml bottles of Tresemme shampoo (Think thats how you spell it) when it was buy one get one free in Tesco. I bought them at least a year and a half ago and I still have a bottle and a half left. €10 for about 2 years worth of shampoo aint half bad.

Dave147

desertcircus wrote: »

Why on earth would you buy branded milk? The stuff is a commodity product; the only ingredient is milk. Are supermarkets getting their milk from really crappy cows?

Milk is milk is milk. Buying a branded version is just short of throwing money into a bin. If you're going to buy branded stuff at least have the good sense to limit it to things where believing the brand makes a difference isn't entirely ridiculous.

We get CMP at home and Dawn at work as that's all they have in the local shop, the difference is huge, would nearly rather die of thirst than drink Dawn milk, yet I love a pint of CMP. So no, milk is not just milk. Just like beer isn't just beer.

kneemos

Dave147 wrote: »

We get CMP at home and Dawn at work as that's all they have in the local shop, the difference is huge, would nearly rather die of thirst than drink Dawn milk, yet I love a pint of CMP. So no, milk is not just milk. Just like beer isn't just beer.

The containers could make a difference I suppose or the packaging enviroment,milk is easily tainted.

toexpress

Have to ask but what is CMP milk?

mikemac1

Chuck Stone wrote: »

They've probably imported foreign spuds* in anticipation of a shortage.

Foreign spuds?

Send them back to where they came from! :mad:

rubberdiddies

Carolina Limited Smorgasbord wrote: »

I don't see sauces as a massive expense, There is often a special offers for instance 2 jars of Dolmio for around 3 euro or so and that's 4 meals for me.

You can make a basic pasta sauce with 3 large onions, herbs/oregano, bay leaves, water, tin of tomatoe purée for under €1

This will do as a base sauce for at least 6 meals and can be frozen.

Just add meat, make meatballs and add pasta etc for extremely cheap and delicious dinners.

7.30am and I'm hungry now for dinner!

planetX

rubberdiddies wrote: »

You can make a basic pasta sauce with 3 large onions, herbs/oregano, bay leaves, water, tin of tomatoe purée for under €1

This will do as a base sauce for at least 6 meals and can be frozen.

Just add meat, make meatballs and add pasta etc for extremely cheap and delicious dinners.

7.30am and I'm hungry now for dinner!

6 meals from one tin of tomato puree, you must be joking?

desertcircus

Dave147 wrote: »

We get CMP at home and Dawn at work as that's all they have in the local shop, the difference is huge, would nearly rather die of thirst than drink Dawn milk, yet I love a pint of CMP. So no, milk is not just milk. Just like beer isn't just beer.

If you're making beer, you decide whether to use hard water, what kind and what quantity of hops, malt, whether you want to make wheat beer or rice beer, whether you want to add spices, fruits or botanicals...an infinite variety of possibilities.

If you're making milk, you collect it from a cow and pasteurise it.

I simply don't believe there's a real difference rather than perceived. And I won't until I see some evidence.

ted1

desertcircus wrote: »

If you're making beer, you decide whether to use hard water, what kind and what quantity of hops, malt, whether you want to make wheat beer or rice beer, whether you want to add spices, fruits or botanicals...an infinite variety of possibilities.

If you're making milk, you collect it from a cow and pasteurise it.

I simply don't believe there's a real difference rather than perceived. And I won't until I see some evidence.

Milk from the cow is different than milk in the carton, there's plenty of processes it goes through between field and table. So yes it can be very different.

planetX

desertcircus wrote: »

If you're making beer, you decide whether to use hard water, what kind and what quantity of hops, malt, whether you want to make wheat beer or rice beer, whether you want to add spices, fruits or botanicals...an infinite variety of possibilities.

If you're making milk, you collect it from a cow and pasteurise it.

I simply don't believe there's a real difference rather than perceived. And I won't until I see some evidence.

ever tasted milk in the US? They house their cattle and feed them chemicals, and you can taste that alright. I'd imagine small local dairies would take milk from mainly grass fed cows and that would be noticable in the taste.

rubberdiddies

planetX wrote:

6 meals from one tin of tomato puree, you must be joking?

I'm not actually. I do it regularly. You can add more purée if you like.

DOnt forget the meat/meatballs and pasta all get added to it to make a chunky meal. The sauce alone stretches a long way.

Also adding a carrot, some mushroom and a chopped up rasher bulks it up even further and not adding too much to the cost

Edit: forgot to add.....more onions makes even more sauce. It's all to personal taste really.

Carolina Limited Smorgasbord

Carolina Limited Smorgasbord wrote: »

In fairness only having meat 3 out of 7 days is a massive sacrafice rather than a simple thing.

Perhaps for you. I found no issue with it at all however. I think similar to my last posts a certain amount of imagination and knowledge and practice is required. People often have a "IF not meat then WHAT?" attitude and they simply can not answer it.

There is however a whole world of pulses, beans, vegetables, tofus and much much more out there and little of it as tasteless and unfulfilling as many people think.

It takes effort and imagination to work out what to have, how to cook it well, and so forth but it is an initial outlay of effort that I have found has paid off over a long period of time. Both on the variety and enjoyment I get from my meals - and on the money it leaves in my pocket.

Carolina Limited Smorgasbord wrote: »

I don't see sauces as a massive expense, There is often a special offers for instance 2 jars of Dolmio for around 3 euro or so and that's 4 meals for me.

It is not massive but it adds up over time compared to self made alternatives. Plus many sauces contain sugars, salts and flavor/color enhancers that are unncessesary as they are unhealthy.

Not that I do not use them myself. I do on occasion. But i like to balance it out with things I made myself. When I quickly roast up some garlic, tomatoes and aubergine and then pulverise them with a hand blender and put it on pasta I am producing something that is not only cheaper than an equivalant jar of sauce... but cheaper... more flavorsome.... fresher.... free of artificial additives to the recipie... and just basically more satisfying. Nor is any of it that difficult or consuiming of time, resources or effort.

planetX

rubberdiddies wrote: »

I'm not actually. I do it regularly. You can add more purée if you like.

DOnt forget the meat/meatballs and pasta all get added to it to make a chunky meal. The sauce alone stretches a long way.

Also adding a carrot, some mushroom and a chopped up rasher bulks it up even further and not adding too much to the cost

Edit: forgot to add.....more onions makes even more sauce. It's all to personal taste really.

see that's the thing - it's actually cheaper for me to buy a jar of sauce with chunky veg in that to make it from scratch, because I would need a lot more than just a tin of puree. I want courgette and pepper, and tomatoes, and I don't want to make a cauldron-full because I don't have space to store it all, nor do I want to eat it every day for the next week. Plus I save on electricity and washing up;)

hatrickpatrick

Thread title made me actually feel physical pain for a second. Thanks OP

Deleted User

Deleted User wrote: »

Perhaps for you. I found no issue with it at all however. I think similar to my last posts a certain amount of imagination and knowledge and practice is required. People often have a "IF not meat then WHAT?" attitude and they simply can not answer it.

There is however a whole world of pulses, beans, vegetables, tofus and much much more out there and little of it as tasteless and unfulfilling as many people think.

It takes effort and imagination to work out what to have, how to cook it well, and so forth but it is an initial outlay of effort that I have found has paid off over a long period of time. Both on the variety and enjoyment I get from my meals - and on the money it leaves in my pocket.

To be honest I'm happy to spend the money and have meat, I'm not overly concerned about how much I spend on shopping.