what are your best bargain food buys/ cheap meals?

[Dottie]

two sheds; does the 35p include the electric?? i keep thinking i want a breadmaker, but i am worried about the running costs? and is the loaf about 7" long? sorry- probably stupid questions

As mentioned before if you make use of reduced priced food via sites like bigbrandsforless, you can really eat cheaply.

1 x McDougalls White Bread and Roll Mix 3.5kg @ £1.29 and makes 13 loaves (10p each) or 105 rolls. All you need to do is add water, all other ingredients included.

I tested the bread mix last night, so it was ready for breakfast (Economy 7). It was lovely to eat warm bread for breakfast, the only problem is it's all been eaten.

If your not sure about buying a breadmaker, then see if you can get one on Freecycle, it's where mine came from and I also got one for a friend on there. It seems folk who don't really cook are given them as presents by family members who want them to cook, so they end up on Freecycle. Mine had only been used twice prior to me collecting it.

[Two_Sheds]

by the time I've paid for the plot, bought seed and other bits, it would still work out cheaper to use the 3p tins.... I don't view produce from the lottie as free.

I don't know what to say.
I guess we're coming at this from different angles: you want cheap food, I want fewer food miles and less packaging.
My beans are free (I save my own seed), and I pay for the plot anyway (50p a week), whether I grow beans or dahlias.

[Snadger]

Allotment broth............ye canna wack it!

[Dottie]

I don't know what to say.
I guess we're coming at this from different angles: you want cheap food, I want fewer food miles and less packaging.
My bean sees are free (I save my own seed), and I pay for the plot anyway (50p a week), whether I grow beans or dahlias.

Yep we're coming from different angles, as lindyloo asked for cheap meal ideas, so I've only listed dirt cheap meals.

The broadbeans I planted today I saved myself, but I as I'm a seed sale addict, I buy far more than I will ever need. I can always cut back in lots of areas of my life, but have always spent/spend far too much for the garden and now the lottie. In fact today I ended up buying more bits in Wilkinson's, as it's difficult to say no when it's 75% off.

As far as food bargains are concerned, yep I'm guilty as charged, a good deal wins over miles. As long as the food is wholesome, I'm happy.

[lindyloo]

dottie- thanks for breadmaking info, and also to twosheds- thanked you in wrong thread for that one. i am hoping to get one from freecycle or given to me. and i do take advantage of reduced food as much as possible already. i am just worried that my already stretched to the limit budget, needs to be stretched even further.

[MrsC]

Lindyloo

I got a breadmaker on Freecycle, hardly used, it's not a top notch brand, only a Hinari make, you can have it if you pay the postage for it. I'd sooner knead my own and not have it running for 3 hours to make a small loaf. Being serious about sending it to you. I don't want to skip it, just sooner make it by hand.

Sue

pm if you're interested

[reetnproper]

Tescos value tinned curry sauce was 8p last month but 20p at the weekend. Makes leftovers into a tasty curry.

Reet
x

[Dottie]

Tescos value tinned curry sauce was 8p last month but 20p at the weekend. Makes leftovers into a tasty curry.

Reet
x

Yep it seems as the supermarkets sell more value range, they put the prices up. A few months ago Tesco curry sauce was 4p, but as they started putting it up in the other supermarkets, then they have too.

Value range was priced low to look good, as not that many people bought enough of it to bother them. But as times are hard now for everyone, value food is now a staple, so the supermarkets are cashing in on it.

Sainsbury's basic frozen lasagne used to be 21p, they now have it on sale stating it's reduced from 75p to 50p. No it wasn't, it went straight up to 50p without any change of packaging.

[maytreefrannie]

Another thing I like to do is roast a HUGE container of veggies - whatever's on offer - courgettes, aubergines, onions, pots, etc. Then, you can freeze leftovers. Served with bread, pasta, rice etc always good. Also, I love an egg broken onto the veggies and baked in the oven. Very cheap and nutricious.

I second that - it's a great way to use whatever's come in from the garden. The frozen leftovers are great for adding to pasta, soup and other dishes - or just thawed and cooked up with some cheese, accompanied by nice bread.

[buzzingtalk]

I'm gonna look into getting a breadmaker, as I do spend a lot of money on my bread. I love it! But I hate spending so much on it, considering the ingredients are flour, yeast and water

[Nicos]

...well- Xmas is only 8 weeks away!

[buzzingtalk]

Good point - although I think everyone who would buy me a present is much too skint to get me one, haha! It seems like lots of people off here get them off freecycle, so I'm sure I'll bag someone's unwanted one after xmas