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food shopping on a budget.

2

Comments

  • #32
    Chuck Stone
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,029 ✭✭✭✭Chuck Stone


    Koka noodles and soy sauce. Cheap and tasty.


  • #33
    123balltv
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,110 ✭✭✭123balltv


    dont shop in Superquinn still a rip off

    go to Lidl


  • #34
    Chuck Stone
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,029 ✭✭✭✭Chuck Stone


    Tesco own brands are shite compared to LIDL and ALDI.


  • #35
    adocholiday
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,342 ✭✭✭adocholiday


    If on a budget be careful that you don't fall into the trap of low quality food. It's one of the reasons people are so unhealthy these days. Raw fresh ingredients are generally cheap if you look for offers. That's just my opinion


  • #36
    Ally Dick
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,822 ✭✭✭✭Ally Dick


    Tic tacs are good value for money and last for ages


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  • #37
    stovelid
    Closed Accounts Posts: 27,252 ✭✭✭✭stovelid


    ilovesleep wrote: »
    Any ideas on how I can do a grocery shop on a very limited budget?

    Try and spend a small amount of money.


  • #38
    imitation
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,815 ✭✭✭imitation


    rockmongrel wrote: »
    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.

    Agreed, a 10kg bag of rice is like 20 euros or something ? Keeps forever, and the very best bit is that it will taste way better than any of the ****e budget cerals (like noodles) your gonna get in tescos etc. I'm fairly sure the sushi rice I get on regular basis is tastes more or less the same as wagamammas.

    I think the cheapest meat might be frozen fish fingers, thats just based on some article, I wouldn't be 100% on it. Make sure you mix it up a bit though so its healthy, you don't want to end up as one of those nutritional horror stories.


  • #39
    xzanti
    Moderators, Entertainment Moderators Posts: 10,464 Mod ✭✭✭✭xzanti


    Boiled rice, tuna, cherry tomatoes and chopped cucumber, well seasoned is a feast fit for a broke ass king imho. very filling.

    Koka noodles on buttery bread, cheapo pasta and Dolmeo stir in Sauces, scrambled eggs on toast, baked potato and beans/tuna/sweet corn etc..

    Go to Aldi/Lidl for your basic stuff (bread, milk, butter, all toiletries etc) and then make a visit to a 'Tesco Extra, they have specials on all the big brands every week... just grab whatever good stuff you can on the cheap..


  • #40
    Witchie
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,597 ✭✭✭Witchie


    xzanti wrote: »
    Boiled rice, tuna, cherry tomatoes and chopped cucumber, well seasoned is a feast fit for a broke ass king imhoo. very filling.

    Koka noodles on buttery bread, cheapo pasta and Dolmeo stir in Sauces, scrambled eggs on toast, baked potato and beans/tuna/sweet corn etc..

    Go to Aldi/Lidl for your basic stuff (bread, milk, butter, all toiletries etc) and then make a visit to a 'Tesco Extra, they have specials on all the big brands every week... just grab whatever good stuff you can on the cheap..

    don't waste money on pasta sauces. Buy cheap tinned tomatoes, sauteed an onion add some cheap mixed herbs and chili, mix in tomatoes and if you want some peppers, frozen corn and kidney beans. Either mix some cheese through just before u serve or make a cheese sauce and mix all together. Gorgeous and even my meat eating sons love it.


  • #41
    Amhran Nua
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,124 ✭✭✭Amhran Nua


    I'm going to go against the grain here and say Aldi/Lidl are muck, I wouldn't feed that to my dog. You'll have a hard enough time keeping body and soul together on a budget these days without those two trying to pry them apart. Spuds are great, you can live on them along with some source of Vitamin A indefinetely. I know a guy that has only eaten eggs and potatoes for the last twenty years, and I wish I was as healthy as him.

    Dunnes hasn't gotten a mention here yet, but I generally find it cheaper than Tescos, especially for meats. And veg. And fruit. It's probably seasonal but Dunnes is doing ridiculously cheap fruit these days. Myself and the missus had a full roast chicken, gravy, mash and peas between us, all from Dunnes, for less than two euros apiece the last day. Don't overlook your small local shops either, I've picked up 30 eggs for €2 in some places.

    My recipe for pea soup: Take a can of peas, 58 cents from Dunnes, half a chicken stock cube, a couple of slices of butter, and half a chopped onion, fry that lot until mushy but not completely paste like, and serve with a few slices of brown bread. Don't add salt, it's salty enough. Very filling for under a euro.


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  • #42
    Morag
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 8,450 ✭✭✭Morag


    http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=610

    boards.ie > Rec > Food & Drink > Cooking & Recipes


  • #43
    crazypanda
    Closed Accounts Posts: 68 ✭✭crazypanda


    I spent like €30 between a deal in a butchers and some stuff in tesco during the week and it should do until the start of a new month. Just keep your eyes open. Cheap, bad quality doesn't necessarily mean better as it won't go as far.


  • #44
    StonedRaider
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 523 ✭✭✭StonedRaider


    Don't know if people realise that KoKa/instant noodles that come with that small satchet of flavouring is full of msg:D

    Not everything in Lidl/Aldi is cheap.
    We plan ahead and get the best out of tescos/dunnes/aldi/lidl..
    eg;aldi has best value for fresh veg most of the time,dunnes has best value free range whole chickens,tescos for dairy deals etc


  • #45
    dxhound2005
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 24,800 ✭✭✭✭dxhound2005


    Make sure you eat all the food you buy, you will be wasting money if you throw food away. On average every household in the country thows away 30% of the food they buy worth up to €1000 per year.

    http://www.ireland4kids.ie/news/article.aspx?listing_id=9d9c1de4-dfd6-4ad3-81ca-7c9dae6f9424


  • #46
    Lapin
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 18,183 ✭✭✭✭Lapin


    Do your shopping in Tottenham.

    Lots of free stuff to be had there.


    According to the little scumbags interviewed on Sky News yesterday.


  • #47
    psycho-hope
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,245 ✭✭✭psycho-hope


    i find our local butcher and veg shop are great, especially the butcher always get fantastic advice off him when i ask. at least i can ask for exaclty the amount of meat/veg i want with no waste


  • #48
    DoneDL
    Closed Accounts Posts: 902 ✭✭✭DoneDL


    Library, cook books, plan a weekly menu based on what ingredients you can afford. Frozen foods and tinned foods are a fair supplement to fresh produce. Baking fresh bread is a great way of bulking up meals and is a lot healthier than what passes for bread in shops.


  • #49
    RhubarbCrumble
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,174 ✭✭✭RhubarbCrumble


    Amhran Nua wrote: »
    I'm going to go against the grain here and say Aldi/Lidl are muck, I wouldn't feed that to my dog.

    What, EVERYTHING in the whole shop is 'muck'? I've been feeding both myself and my dog from Aldi/Lidl for a few years now and it hasn't killed either of us yet.


  • #50
    looksee
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 31,717 ✭✭✭✭looksee


    Some good ideas here. How many people are you buying for? The suggestion of not buying cheap food like bargain fish fingers, processed cheese, pizzas etc is good. There is very little actual food in most of those products.

    Likewise the sauces - make them yourself based on a tin of chopped tomatoes or a little tin of concentrated tomato paste (69p in Tesco). Add a half teaspoon of sugar and a shake of dried basil to any tomato dish and it will taste great.

    Don't buy things like ready grated cheese, ready whipped cream, frozen chips etc, you are paying way over the odds. If you are on your own, bags of frozen peas and frozen spinach make an economical veg as you just use what you need and the rest isn't wasted.

    You can live without fizzy drinks, crisps and similar snacks, chocolate bars and biscuits - snack on fruit or toast and jam.

    Buy 'basic' cereals - cornflakes, weetabix, porridge oats. Otherwise you are paying for a load of sugar and processing. Have a banana with your cornflakes, nice and better for you.

    Look on the reduced shelf, meat, other than offal or mince is fine on its sell-by date. I have just made a casserole with a large (1 lb) piece of sirloin that was reduced to £6. With a load of veggies it will feed 4 no problem. (yes I know sirloin is a bit fancy for casserole!)

    The basic rule is, you are paying for processing. Keep it simple and do your own cooking and you can eat well for a reasonable cost.


  • #51
    BBDBB
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 26,899 ✭✭✭✭BBDBB


    some great advice given above

    Id just add that learning to cook meals, use leftovers and experiment a little with flavours is a great way to save money


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  • #52
    Paloma Handsome Rumba
    Posts: 81,308 CMod ✭✭✭✭ Paloma Handsome Rumba


    99c chicken fillets in the butchers is great
    dont buy meat outside a butcher!


  • #53
    Capt'n Midnight
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 99,690 Mod ✭✭✭✭Capt'n Midnight


    you can save 1/2 - 1/3 on long shelf life stuff by stocking up when it's on special offer

    things like coffee / weetabix / old el paso / bachelors beans


  • #54
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 24,773 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    bluewolf wrote: »
    99c chicken fillets in the butchers is great
    dont buy meat outside a butcher!

    I always find butchers more expensive and in general no better than supermarkets especially for simple things like mince, diced beef and chicken. Also if you do your shopping late in the evening like me they are always closed.


  • #55
    Toby Take a Bow
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,732 ✭✭✭Toby Take a Bow


    Chuck Stone wrote: »
    Koka noodles and soy sauce. Cheap and tasty.

    *shudder* I lived on this in college, and even the thought of it makes me gag. You can have too much Koka!

    OP: Aldi and Lidl are the only options, really. I think it's Aldi that sell cheap salmon (for example) which is actually lovely, and very versatile.

    Buy the Cheap Eats BBC book. There's an index in the back where you can check what you have in the fridge/freezer and make something with the ingredients, which means you won't be throwing out much stuff (someone was saying about defrosting their freezer: I did this too, and had to dump around 70% of what was in there, such a waste). Or it's free online.

    Pasta is your friend. Discover a recipe you like, and make enough for 4 (which is fairly standard with a tin of chopped tomatoes which costs 49c in Dunnes). Divide and put in fridge or freezer: you're feeding yourself for approximately 5 euro for 4/5 days.

    Also: chickpeas. That is all.


  • #56
    3ndahalfof6
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,184 ✭✭✭3ndahalfof6


    bluewolf wrote: »
    99c chicken fillets in the butchers is great
    dont buy meat outside a butchers!

    so your sayin to go inside?


  • #57
    Mr.Crinklewood
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13,038 ✭✭✭✭Mr.Crinklewood


    RhubarbCrumble wrote: »
    What, EVERYTHING in the whole shop is 'muck'? I've been feeding both myself and my dog from Aldi/Lidl for a few years now and it hasn't killed either of us yet.

    Makes your dog awfully frisky though.


  • #58
    wild_cat
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,291 ✭✭✭wild_cat


    Amhran Nua wrote: »
    I'm going to go against the grain here and say Aldi/Lidl are muck, I wouldn't feed that to my dog. You'll have a hard enough time keeping body and soul together on a budget these days without those two trying to pry them apart. Spuds are great, you can live on them along with some source of Vitamin A indefinetely. I know a guy that has only eaten eggs and potatoes for the last twenty years, and I wish I was as healthy as him.

    Dunnes hasn't gotten a mention here yet, but I generally find it cheaper than Tescos, especially for meats. And veg. And fruit. It's probably seasonal but Dunnes is doing ridiculously cheap fruit these days. Myself and the missus had a full roast chicken, gravy, mash and peas between us, all from Dunnes, for less than two euros apiece the last day. Don't overlook your small local shops either, I've picked up 30 eggs for €2 in some places.

    My recipe for pea soup: Take a can of peas, 58 cents from Dunnes, half a chicken stock cube, a couple of slices of butter, and half a chopped onion, fry that lot until mushy but not completely paste like, and serve with a few slices of brown bread. Don't add salt, it's salty enough. Very filling for under a euro.


    I find this really funny. Like really funny.

    As most of the people that supply lidl and aldi with Irish veg and fruit also supply Dunnes et al. So you just think its muck because of the name on the front of the shop when its actually the same product.

    My family are suppliers btw.


  • #59
    Toby Take a Bow
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,732 ✭✭✭Toby Take a Bow


    wild_cat wrote: »
    I find this really funny. Like really funny.

    As most of the people that supply lidl and aldi with Irish veg and fruit also supply Dunnes et al. So you just think its muck because of the name on the front of the shop when its actually the same product.

    My family are suppliers btw.

    It's mad the amount of people who are really against the very idea of shopping in Aldi/Lidl. Until they actually try the stuff.


  • #60
    Mike 1972
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,017 ✭✭✭Mike 1972


    TBH Anyone who recommends one supermarket or another in terms of prive/value/quality doesnt know what theyre talking about.

    Loyalty to any one shop = throwing money away.

    OP try and get into the habit of making a shopping list.
    as you buy items rather than ticking them off note down what you actually paid for each item.

    Keep the list and the following week do the same in another supermarket

    When youve done all the supermarkets in your area compare the prices (not just overall but for individual items)

    If certain items are substantially cheaper in one place but you dont have time to go there every week (remember to factor in transport costs) consider buying that item in bulk (assuming its not perishable)

    Dont always assume larger (or multi) packs are always cheaper. Sometimes smaller pack sizes are on special offer. Ive seen 2 litre bottles of fizzy drinks* on a shelf cheaper than the 1 litre bottle (or even 500mL) beside it.

    Dont be a slave to brands. While we all tend to be picky when it comes to some items. For the majority of items its worth experimenting with cheaper alternatives.

    Dont forget independent butchers/bakers/greengrocers are sometimes cheaper.

    * Yes I Know..............


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  • #61
    Raskolnikov
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,151 ✭✭✭✭Raskolnikov


    I hear Lidl and Aldi sell food quite cheaply.


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