Bargain meal

[sherrardk]

Just fed the family (6 of them - I didn't fancy what they had) new potatoes, mixed vegetables (frozen) and chicken Kiev (with cheese and ham instead of the garlic butter) for the bargain price of £1.88!

[ummmm]

£1.88 each?

[sherrardk]

Hi SP, I'm taping it - not all my meals are so cheap though (unfortunately).

[Arksided]

cor blimey! were the portions served on saucers?

I take my hat off to you, that is astounding!

[sherrardk]

Bit of a cheat though as we have a Sun Valley Factory shop - chicken was 20p for 10 chicken breasts, potatoes 69p for 1kg from Aldi and a big bag of frozen veg 99p from Aldi - plenty for seconds too (and some went in the bin as I cooked too much).

[DTCwordfan]

you mean to say that you could have invited some of us for dinner, sherrard!

Just shows you what can be done if you shop around - I am also thinking of that awful AOG thread berating the diets of those who are struggling....many families do go out to eat as healthily as possible and on a very tight budget.

[sherrardk]

Hi DT, fortunately we are not struggling (anymore, but have done) and it has instilled a sense of frugality with me. Even if we become minted I am never going to be so thoughtless about money ever again. I hardly throw anything away, the kids eat loads of fruit and veg, drink fruit juice like it is going out of fashion and have desert. You can, with a bit of thought, eat a good meal without spending a fortune and it also gives you a sort of sen of pride (although the chicken factory shop does help a lot - you can sometimes get a large, free range chicken for £1.50).

[ummmm]

20p for 10 chicken breasts? What's the quality like?

[sherrardk]

It's Sun Valley - they supply Morrisons, Asda, Iceland, the Co-op - they take the labels off or it is in plastic bags. Sometimes you go and it's rubbish, other times you can buy stuff that costs £3 in Morrisons for 50p. If it was horrible I wouldn't buy it.

[sherrardk]

Hi SP - I even look for bargains in Aldi (1ltr of fruit juice is about 20p cheaper if you buy the one you have to cut the corner off the lid as opposed to the posh, flippy lidded one - and I buy at least 12 litres a week).

[Andyvon]

I used to buy cheap food but I came to realise it's better to pay extra for better quality. Quite a few cheap items are good value - condiments like salt and pepper, butter, stuffing mixes etc. Many items though like meat, fish, eggs, bread and vegetables are far better quality if you buy the best you can afford.

I also buy things like potatoes and onions by the 20 kilo and 25 kilo sack from the farm shop. Each portion then works out at a few pence and it doesn't matter if I throw some of the last ones away.

[sherrardk]

Hi Andy, I test out the cheaper stuff, if the kids don't like it I don't buy it. Some stuff they prefer to branded goods, like Aldi ketchup (too tomatoey for me). The chicken is just the same as I could buy in the supermarket although I do buy sausages, burgers and joints of meat I from the local butcher (well worth the extra money). It just a case of being more thoughtful about how I spend the money I have got.

[mazie]

Some of the best meat I've had for ages I bought from Lidl...It's all Scottish Beef and the English pork is really moist and very tasty

[Andyvon]

Hi Sherrardk,

I've found the frozen fish from Aldi and Lidl to be very good - certainly for the price. I've almost given up with bacon though as good quality bacon is so expensive now and the cheaper stuff has that strange white goo come out of it. There's only two of us though so it's a bit easier than feeding six! I take my hat off to you (if I had one!).

[mazie]

Hi Andy...I've tried several of the Lidl bacons and there is no water seepage at all...You really should try their meat

[sherrardk]

If only I could find reasonably priced strong cheddar I would be laughing - we go through so much of it. I'm with you on the bacon, can't get decent tasting, thick smoked bacon without having to take out a mortgage to pay for it - and bacon chops, don't get me started!

[chrissa1]

As there's just me now, I find the Morrisons Fresh Ideas meals at 2 for £6 are great. They last me for 4 meals so that's £1.50 per meal. A pack of VeeTee rice at £1 does me for 2 meals + some frozen peas.