food shopping on a budget.

ilovesleep · 2011-08-13 17:17:22

Any ideas on how I can do a grocery shop on a very limited budget?

13-08-2011 06:17PM

#1

ilovesleep

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Any ideas on how I can do a grocery shop on a very limited budget?

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#2 13-08-2011 06:20PM

Ghandee

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How limited is limited?

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#3 13-08-2011 06:22PM

Biggins

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Lidi are Aldi are a blessing most of the time when things are tight.
Lived off them when living in Manchester.

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#4 13-08-2011 06:23PM

livinsane

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Spuds and more spuds.

Always check the price "per kg" and you'd be surprised what is actually cheaper.

And everybody should be growing their own veg. We should be more self sufficient.

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#5 13-08-2011 06:25PM

thee glitz

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Pasta's always a good bet.

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#6 13-08-2011 06:25PM

LaVail

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If you live in a city or built up area and have most of the big name shops (dunnes, tesco, supervalue,lidl,aldi etc) then you could get leaflets and see what items are on offer in the different shops. If you have a day to spare you could pop into all the shops and just get whats on offer, you'd probably save a few quid? I have never done it because I dont live in a city but I assume you could save a few quid by doing it?

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#7 13-08-2011 06:25PM

Sonics2k

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Aldi and Lidl.

Cheaper than most places, and largely of good quality.

I've done a full weeks shopping there for 60euro and less a few times.

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#8 13-08-2011 06:26PM

Saila

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beans!

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#9 13-08-2011 06:40PM

zero19

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Check the reduced section in supermarkets for meats, just use it on the day if you get something.

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#10 13-08-2011 06:45PM

ArtyC

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Eggs are really versatile and good for you. Round steak is cheap and still lovely. You can get a decent sized piece in dunnes for 2 or 3 quid

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#11 13-08-2011 06:47PM

rockmongrel

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If you're near a city, head to an asian supermarket or shop and get yourself a massive bag of rice, they can be hilariously cheap.

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#12 13-08-2011 06:48PM

Asphyxia

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Online shopping has saved me loads!!

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#13 13-08-2011 06:49PM

whatdoicare

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Tesco does three family packs of meat for 9 euro all the time.

Aldi does a veg for 69c every week (got a bag of salad potatoes, peppers, mushrooms, onions and carrotts all 69c each aswell as pears and small apples)

aldi also does good bread and it's far cheaper than in stores and a 4 pizza in a box for 4 euros or close to it.

Fizzy drinks are all 89c.
A 12 pack of eggs are a little over 1.40 and milk is around the same for a 2 litre carton.

My weeks shopping for 3 people this week was 25 euro and I bought a huge steak and sausages!:P Love Aldi!

Also, just read about chinese stores - buy the huge boxes of noodles - cheap and a hell of a lot better quality than in supermarkets! Bags of frozen seafood are a steal too!

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#14 13-08-2011 06:50PM

Bipolar Joe

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Tesco have a thing going where you can get three packs of meat for nine Euro. You get mince, chicken breast, steak burgers, all that crap. I usually get that, a bag of potatoes and some vegetables, which brings me to around fifteen Euro and can last nearly the whole week. It's handy because you can just grill the meat, or you can buy sauces and do something with that. Rice, pasta and potatoes will fill you right up.

I've found a lot of butchers will do great deals and are cheaper than buying meat packaged from a store. Lidl and Aldi, like everyone said, can be great for living on the cheap, a packets of crumbed chicken breast with ten or so in it is only something like five bucks. A few years ago I practically lived on them, wedges, croquettes and beans. Not the most wholesome of meals, but cheap and easy.

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#15 13-08-2011 06:51PM

qz

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-Aldi and Lidl
-Round steak
-Pasta

Sorted.

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#16 13-08-2011 06:52PM

whydoibother?

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I agree that online shopping is hugely helpful because it allows you to plan your shopping basket in a more organized way without being distracted by the amazing smelling bakery section etc. in the supermarket. You can compare prices more easily without searching the shelves. You can plan meals and you can also "save" your basket meaning that you only have to make a couple of alterations in two seconds the next time you go shopping if, like me, you buy mostly the same stuff each week. Even with delivery costs, I find I do better this way.

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#17 13-08-2011 06:54PM

Sunnyisland

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Potatoes,pasta,rice,tinned sardines,mackerel,chickens,beans,peas, fruit, all these can be bought at reasonable prices at lidel.

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#18 13-08-2011 07:34PM

inkwell

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Think about what you are going to eat every day few days ahead and cook yourself (everything whats ready made is less healthy and more expensive)- make a list of ingrendient's and dont buy anything whats not on it.

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#19 13-08-2011 07:37PM

EverEvolving

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Dunnes Stores do 2 packets of meat for €6 and I've found it's better quality and you tend to get more than the Tesco one. (yes I'm one of those loons who lifts every packet checking for the heaviest!)

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#20 13-08-2011 07:42PM

Broads.ie

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Aldi do bags of frozen chicken breasts, really cheap, and tastes like chicken.

I also make stirfrys with cans of tuna! Just a tin of tuna, a few veggies, soy sauce, garlic and ginger powdher, egg fried rice. Probably costs a euro in total per dinner.

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#21 13-08-2011 08:02PM

bonzodog2

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LAst time I looked LIDL had 500g pasta for 49c. Do you like porridge or weetabix? IF your poverty isnt for a long time, you can get by with feck all !

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#22 13-08-2011 08:11PM

- bo -

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inkwell wrote: »

Think about what you are going to eat every day few days ahead and cook yourself

Don't do this, no matter how desperate you get..

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#23 13-08-2011 08:13PM

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

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learn to love stew
make a big batch, freeze it and just desfrost/microwave the day you want to eat it

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#24 13-08-2011 08:15PM

For Forks Sake

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try this

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#25 13-08-2011 08:20PM

Witchie

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Become a veggie.

Buy own brand stuff in Tesco etc, rarely any real difference in quality but can be massive difference in price.

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#26 13-08-2011 08:34PM

pragmatic1

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Lidl and aldi. Cheap as fook.
or
Just go out and start robbing people.

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#27 13-08-2011 08:37PM

Cantona's Collars

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Try this thread http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056283932

Becoming ever more popular these days and if you're clever you can save a fair whack.

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#28 13-08-2011 08:45PM

Mrs Garth Brooks

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Weed killer

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#29 13-08-2011 08:48PM

xzanti

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Five finger discount.

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#30 13-08-2011 09:39PM

Solnskaya

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gather a group of like minded bargain hunters and rush your local high street. Grab whatever you can-probably best to stick to groceries so's not to pollute your cause- set fire to a few shops and cars to distract the cops. Bound to save yourself a small fortune. may work better in the uk.

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#31 13-08-2011 09:45PM

1966

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best thing to do is follow the bargains !!
all supermarkets have big adds in the sunday papers - so you could follow the bargains that way but definitely plan ahead -

had to defrost my freezer last week and tbh was astonished by the amount of food i had there - most of which i had forgotten about but definitely i have been buying staff over the last few weeks that i had in the freezer and i'm sure i'm not alone there!!

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