Derbynanny
Gold Member
another aldi great buy is there reduced fat cheese, really delicous we now prefer it to the regular.
Teresa
Teresa
Where the bargains are at and anything else thats useful.
- Thread starter Nanny Jax
- Start date
Tinnedtomato
Gold Member
I nearly always do shopping online now. It saves us money because we only buy what we need, the offers are really easily to follow, every now and again we get vouchers to use too. We always go for the cheapest delivery slot also. We have used tesco and sainsburys, but I haven't tried asda, because I find their foods arent as good quality. I am really hoping and praying that Morrisons decide to start delivering, because out of all the supermarkets, I think they're quality is soooo much higher than anywhere else.
Most supermarkets give you £10 off your first online shopping order also, so that will help. That will give you 3 weeks at a cheaper rate, if you shop around Tesco, Sainsburys and Asda, and anymore that do it too.
I highly recommend online shopping...if you can't tell, lol xx
Most supermarkets give you £10 off your first online shopping order also, so that will help. That will give you 3 weeks at a cheaper rate, if you shop around Tesco, Sainsburys and Asda, and anymore that do it too.
I highly recommend online shopping...if you can't tell, lol xx
Here are the own brand/cheaper things that we buy. Sometimes I'll go specifically to that supermarket just for those things (rather than do a whole shop in one place)
Aldi:
Any of the super 6 fruit and veg. I find all of their fruit and veg to be very good
Frozen raspberries or forest fruits
Tinned sweetcorn
Tinned baked beans
Hot chocolate sachets (2syns)
Less than 70 calories bars (2 for a HB)
Eggs (they do free range and they are cheaper so thats all good with me)
Tesco
3 for £3 on the 4pint thingys of milk (you can freeze them too)
Sainsburys
Basic ranges of fruit and veg are good
Basic Chopped tomatoes in a little carton (absolutely invaluable for making pasta sauces etc).
Other ideas (sorry if some are obvious)
Make meals from scratch rather than buy
Use a slow cooker to batch make some recipes
Do not waste anything (keep an eye on fruit and veg looking to go past it and use it up)
Plan
Use things that previously would have been wasted (I make a lush soup from brocolli and cauliflower stalk, it is soooo delicous too)
Hope that helps
Great thread!
Aldi:
Any of the super 6 fruit and veg. I find all of their fruit and veg to be very good
Frozen raspberries or forest fruits
Tinned sweetcorn
Tinned baked beans
Hot chocolate sachets (2syns)
Less than 70 calories bars (2 for a HB)
Eggs (they do free range and they are cheaper so thats all good with me)
Tesco
3 for £3 on the 4pint thingys of milk (you can freeze them too)
Sainsburys
Basic ranges of fruit and veg are good
Basic Chopped tomatoes in a little carton (absolutely invaluable for making pasta sauces etc).
Other ideas (sorry if some are obvious)
Make meals from scratch rather than buy
Use a slow cooker to batch make some recipes
Do not waste anything (keep an eye on fruit and veg looking to go past it and use it up)
Plan
Use things that previously would have been wasted (I make a lush soup from brocolli and cauliflower stalk, it is soooo delicous too)
Hope that helps
Great thread!Lady Nebula
Full Member
I'm suffering with the same thing, I love Aldi for the prices and their dry store items but am struggling with their lack of meat and they seem to have stopped doing frozen chicken breasts altogether?
I have been known to get good bargains in the reduced section at Tesco - especially on 'counter' packed stuff - so chicken breast fillets, tuna steaks - i just freeze them when i get them! Packs of salmon as well, i once picked up a whole salmon chopped up for about £15 - worth over £40 and we are still eating it!!! (it was approx 15 portions!) xxx
WelshCake
Silver Member
If you have a market close by try getting there for fruit and veg its so much cheaper, I go at "knocking out" time around 1pm on a Saturday as the market closes until Weds and they want the stock gone, 3 pineapples 3 melons 5lbs toms 12-15 satsumas 2 massive icebergs 3 cues 10 med onions 7 pink lady apples 3lbs mushrooms these are all items I have had for £1, the hr or so before the supermarket closes is a fab time to shop too(altho its hit and miss) I have 9 joints of beef 3 of pork and 2 of gammon in the freezer all reduced to £3 per joint (dearest was £12.43 cheapest was £8.22) I have got bakery items for 10p too
lsf666
Watch this space...
We've found that our weekly shopping bill has gone up but find it's mainly due to the amount of fresh fruit and veg!!!
We have tried to kerb our spending and I find making a list helps. If we get shopping delivered we always seem to get manky fruit + veg so prefer to get that in person.
Anyway, here's some quick tips I've discovered in the last month (I joined SW in May):
We have tried to kerb our spending and I find making a list helps. If we get shopping delivered we always seem to get manky fruit + veg so prefer to get that in person.
Anyway, here's some quick tips I've discovered in the last month (I joined SW in May):
- Buy the extra cheap Asda own brand super noodles and use them in cooking - throw away the packet of seasoning - I think they are 17p each!
- Try your OH on quorn mince, this is often on offer and you can use half and half with either lean or extra lean meat mince. I bet he won't notice.
- Make larger portions for the evening meal and bingo - there's your lunch for the next day.
- Go to ASDA on Sunday afternoon, just before they close and snap up all the reduced stuff. We got a freezer full of meat once doing this (it works for all supermarkets).
- Instead of buying chicken pieces (breasts or thighs etc), buy a whole chicken as they work out cheaper and you can always use any leftovers in another meal. Ours lasts us a few days. They are usually on offer too - Waitrose have 3 for £10 ATM
lsf666
Watch this space...
Yes! That's another thing we've done. Buy a whole salmon or salmon side when they are reduced and portion then up and freeze them.
Shirleen
Gold Member
Bulk out mince dishes with grated carrot, lentils, add more tomatoes than you would normally but increase the flavourings with garlic and herbs.
Passata is cheaper than a tin of toms now so use that.
Try growing your own...lettuce seeds are pennies and you have a supply of baby leaves all year round in a kitchen window box, Tomatoes are easy peasy to grow.
Fresh herbs are good to grow at home but cost the earth to buy!
Go to aldi for pasta as it so much cheaper.
Passata is cheaper than a tin of toms now so use that.
Try growing your own...lettuce seeds are pennies and you have a supply of baby leaves all year round in a kitchen window box, Tomatoes are easy peasy to grow.
Fresh herbs are good to grow at home but cost the earth to buy!
Go to aldi for pasta as it so much cheaper.
ermintrude
Gold Member
I've found I'm spending loads more partly because fresh and healthy stuff costs so much more
I've started ordering online occasionally the last few weeks. At first we used vouchers for free delivery for new shoppers but then I find it's just cheaper to do anyway as you don't have to pay the bus fare, you only buy what you need and not random crap you want in passing. Also Tesco worked out cheaper than Sainsbury's online for me, even when you include the Tesco delivery charge (which you can get free 3 days a week with Sains).
The other thing I've started doing is trying not to make myself polish off the last bits of a meal if I'm not actually hungry and instead save it for lunch the next day, usually it will go with a bit of salad or veggies or just as a side portion with something else. Obviously this is what you should be doing anyway on SW but I wouldnt be this size if Id been following the rules all my life But it makes lunch easier and cheaper not having to buy extra stuff.
I hardly eat meat, it's expensive especially compared to lentils, wheat, rice, couscous, potatoes etc. You can make a meal really cheap out of Quorn pieces, tomatoes and whatever else you bung in.
Also I never buy supermarket spices etc, I get big bags from the Asian grocers for a pound or so.
I've started ordering online occasionally the last few weeks. At first we used vouchers for free delivery for new shoppers but then I find it's just cheaper to do anyway as you don't have to pay the bus fare, you only buy what you need and not random crap you want in passing. Also Tesco worked out cheaper than Sainsbury's online for me, even when you include the Tesco delivery charge (which you can get free 3 days a week with Sains).
The other thing I've started doing is trying not to make myself polish off the last bits of a meal if I'm not actually hungry and instead save it for lunch the next day, usually it will go with a bit of salad or veggies or just as a side portion with something else. Obviously this is what you should be doing anyway on SW
but I wouldnt be this size if Id been following the rules all my life But it makes lunch easier and cheaper not having to buy extra stuff.I hardly eat meat, it's expensive especially compared to lentils, wheat, rice, couscous, potatoes etc. You can make a meal really cheap out of Quorn pieces, tomatoes and whatever else you bung in.
Also I never buy supermarket spices etc, I get big bags from the Asian grocers for a pound or so.
WelshCake
Silver Member
If you're happy to eat close to or slightly out of date food try these websites, you need to pay for delivery but it usually works out much cheaper, NB its charged on weight of items so fiddle around adding/removing things so you get the best deal
Tinned Food
Tinned and Jar Food | Approved Food
Tinned Food
Tinned and Jar Food | Approved Food
snowy-willow
Member
My best bit of advice would be plan, plan and plan some more. If you plan your meals you only buy what you need and you can ensure you get a variety of different meals.
Bulk pasta sauces with lentils and quorn, I have even heard people bulk it out with grated carrot.
I buy the small loaves of bread and freeze in packs of 2 slices.
Bulk pasta sauces with lentils and quorn, I have even heard people bulk it out with grated carrot.
I buy the small loaves of bread and freeze in packs of 2 slices.
sarah5298a1
Silver Member
just got some joes sausages - got pork and mustard, pork chilli and garlic, chipolatas and sausage meat. the pork chilli and garlic and soooooo nice and i can't wait to try out some meals with the sausage meat xx
azlan
Full Member
Are these fat free? We don't have Asda in Ireland but most of these flavoured packet noodles are coated in oil (fried) before drying. It came up in my meeting and the syns in some are
Do you have an Asian supermarket nearby? I have a couple locally and their meat is much better quality than what I would buy at Asda and I've found you get about twice as much for your money! Last week we got 7 chicken breasts for about £9 and they were absolutely massive and taste much nicer than Asda where you would probably pay £6 for half the amount. They also didn't shrink with cooking. Also because you are at a meat counter you can order the exact amount you need and they have a variety of cuts (although they don't sell pork for obvious reasons!) You can also get things like herbs and spices and massive packs of rice/lentils cheaply.
WelshCake
Silver Member
I got to my local Asian supermarket PAK and get my fruit and veg if I cant get to the market plus my herbs/spice, its sooooo much cheaper, never bought meat from there but did notice they do whole skinned chickens
Shirleen
Gold Member
Oooh just thought, if you do buy spices in supermarkets, then go to the ethnic food aisles as it's so much cheaper.
For instance
Bay leaves are around 80p in Tesco, yet if you buy from the Polish shelf they are 35p
Same with Paprika it comes in a little packet so you decant it into your jars.
The indian aisle is even better!
Ground Cumin (jeera) is £1.99 for 400g Tesco ground cumin in a 43g jar is 59p
Cumin seeds (Whole Jeera) is 99p for 100g or £1.89 for 400g opposed to 59p for 37g
Whole Coriander 100g 99p
Curry powder 100g 99p (various strengths)
Tumeric 100g 99p
Cloves 100g 99p
All purpose seasoning 400g £1.39
Anyway you get the gist the brand names are TRS and Natco.
Indian and Asian groceries
Now you'll never use it all but ask at group, or friends and family. if anyone wants to go in with you, or if you have room in your freezer, decant them into zip lock bags, be careful to squeeze out excess air and freeze. They will retain their flavour for longer and you can replenish your jars as you need to. (same principle as keeping ground coffee in the freezer).
For instance
Bay leaves are around 80p in Tesco, yet if you buy from the Polish shelf they are 35p
Same with Paprika it comes in a little packet so you decant it into your jars.
The indian aisle is even better!
Ground Cumin (jeera) is £1.99 for 400g Tesco ground cumin in a 43g jar is 59p
Cumin seeds (Whole Jeera) is 99p for 100g or £1.89 for 400g opposed to 59p for 37g
Whole Coriander 100g 99p
Curry powder 100g 99p (various strengths)
Tumeric 100g 99p
Cloves 100g 99p
All purpose seasoning 400g £1.39
Anyway you get the gist the brand names are TRS and Natco.
Indian and Asian groceries
Now you'll never use it all but ask at group, or friends and family. if anyone wants to go in with you, or if you have room in your freezer, decant them into zip lock bags, be careful to squeeze out excess air and freeze. They will retain their flavour for longer and you can replenish your jars as you need to. (same principle as keeping ground coffee in the freezer).
