I always have and always will love it. Ever since I can remember, I have been fascinated by food which I believe is primarily due to my family's own influences. My Great Grandmother was a fantastic cook and could make a meal out of just about anything and I really am not kidding. My Mum is also a brilliant cook and knows how to make things work on a budget which has certainly come in handy, particularly in early life living with my Dad and of course feeding a family of five. I was always keen to help with the cooking as a child whether that was making cakes in the half term or making decorations out of leftover pastry for the top of the pie. Often I would just like to watch, just to see how our meals were made and this has now fed onto life away from home.
There seems to be this great belief in society today that cooking on a budget is difficult and that the only way to have cheap meals is to have microwavable ones. I agree these are cheap, in fact you can get a curry from Iceland and many other supermarkets for as little as a pound. That is cheap, and I can confirm that they are tasty (if indeed you do enjoy rubbery rice) but I am a firm believer that you can have exciting meals that taste great at a reasonable price too.
It's all about organisation. If you take an organised approach to planning your meals based on what you need rather than what you fancy then you will save a heap of money.
Also, try not to take men with you. I have learnt that I cannot take Richard with me any more because our weekly doubles in price. All it takes is to head over to the DVD's and decide you have to have all three of the top rated, to then head over to the crisps and decide you want a munchy night and then find the beer and treat yourself to a crate only then to die at the price of the shop by the time you get to the tills. It really isn't worth it. The last time this happened I looked through the receipt and worked out we had wasted nearly £30 on items we hadn't set out to buy and although at the time they seemed like a great deal and may only have been a pound here and there, it soon adds up.
Ever since moving in with Richard almost a year ago I have written a weekly plan of what we will have each night for dinner. This means I can write a detailed shopping list and know what I need to buy for each meal and also helps me choose products with the right shelf life. I have used Knock Knock pads to write these lists and they display our plans in a fun and bold way. I find my latest pad to be particularly handy now that it is magnetic and can be displayed on the fridge as well as its extra features for writing about breakfast and lunches.
I also love to experiment with meals and magazines, particularly from supermarkets such as Asda and Tesco, provide great recipe ideas focussed on budgeting. I love nothing more than picking up these catalogues after a long food shop and settling down at home with a cup of tea and flicking through the many pages of inspiration. I like to tear out pages and put them in this great little recipe box that I got online from a company called Splosh. In here I have made dividers and stash away all my little treasures that I have found in my travels.
This is a great way of hiding away the many pieces of scrap paper you accumulate from scribbled down recipes and magazine articles. It also means that you don't have to worry about sticking a recipe into a book and then realising you don't like it- no need to ruin a nice book all you have to do is chuck the paper. Brilliant.
I also love to check my expenditure and the supermarkets many offers on this great app called MySuperList which allows you to create an online shopping list. You select your favourite supermarket, add items to your virtual shopping basket and it totals up your items giving you not only the price for your chosen supermarket but also compares the prices of other big names such as Waitrose, Ocado and Aldi. It also allows you to chose individual products to compare their prices too should you wish to split your shop between stores, i.e: I often do my main shop at Asda but buy my fruit and veg at Morrisons due to their long shelf life and great deals.
This app is a lifesaver when it comes to budgeting meals. It allows you to find the real time price of goods and often this knowledge has meant I have been able to adapt meals in order to make the most out of a deal. I always find that it is meat that adds the most to my bill so I critically look at the deals and prices and change my meals to suit our budget. You should also be wary of offers- although initially they seem like a big deal don't be afraid to challenge the price and look at other items in that category or aisle. I often found better deals on lower shelves or on unbranded products. Also question yourself too- do you really need to bulk buy?
Finally look at the list of meals you have made and reflect on your financial situation. I often buy cheaper meals towards the end of the month when money is tighter. For example just last week I had planned a whole week of meals but after switching some around in favour of ones that required less things to buy I found I saved £15. You can always save meals that require more ingredients for earlier in the month after you have been paid.
Things to remember:
- There is nothing wrong with making extra food when you can and freezing it for meals when you are on your own or for when money is tight. It's always great to know it's there and will be a lot better than a microwavable meal from a supermarket.
- It's okay to have jarred sauces. Brands such as Homepride are great and provide a tasty meal packed with flavour and vegetables that can taste just as good as homemade. These can also be some of the cheapest meals- Homepride Sausage Casserole Sauce £1, bag of sausages- £2 and rice 40p for a bag. That really is a meal on a budget and what's even better is it takes no time at all and is very filling.
- Don't be fooled into brands. Often a lot of produce is just as good with some of the unknown labels and can be far more economical too.
- Shop around. Supermarkets can fool you into thinking they give the best deals, particularly with all this snobby advertising on telly. Don't be afraid to go that extra mile if you think you can save some money.
- Don't doubt your culinary abilities. Often all you need to make a great meal is some onions, garlic and peppers in the cupboard so get busy in the kitchen and remember if you bulk make you can freeze it for another day!
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