mazi

Ditto...but I didn't like Woolworths either.

Lexylou

I didn't like any of them but I didnt feel depressed in Woolworths or New World. Pak n save was horrific. I had a better store in Ganta in the 1990's at the start of a civil war! At least it was rustic!!!

soulflour

That's a great idea - we can give hope to all those struggling (like I was!)

I'm in a run now, but I know that you can make crab apple jelly - so stick that into google (i just looked in an old recipe book but couldn't find it).

Lexyloo - we eat loads! don't worry that eating to a budget means eating less - we have 'pudding' every night, and i always do a 'filler' like bread or cornbread or potatoes etc..

i have to say that we find countdown much cheaper than any of the others, including p&s, but I do think that if you find a supermarket 'depressing' that there are other emotional things going on for you there, maybe with your whole experience of living in NZ. I mean, you go what 1-3 a month? for 15-20 mins? Being flippant here, but i don't recall a huge rush of endorphines upon entering sainsburys or safeways either! ha ha

It could be that you'd be better off ignoring supermarkets all together and just using your local fish mongers/butcher/grocers/farmshop etc... once you're meal planning and using a list you won't NEED that much anyway. It's a real eye opener. And once your family are used to homemade cakes and biscuits and goodies (if you eat them) they won't want bought ones full of modified starch and e-numbers (well, they will, but once eaten they'll conceed that yours are nicer, and that's the same thing in my book )

anyway, gotta run! would love to hear other's tips, and more slow cooker recipes... (specially for pulses and cheaper cuts of meat)

xxx

soulflour

Loads of brilliant tips there uk+kiwi and you made me too cause that's EXACCTLY what i did/and still do! I LOVE clothes and have tons, but they all came from ebay and now trademe - but at least learning to cook/shop on a budget means that there's some left over for that kind of stuff eh?

xxx

Avid

Possibly..but the simpler explanation would be that if you are shopping in a crappy supermarket it means that your 'problems' aren't emotional, they are economic. And Pak'nSav looks scary doesn't it? Not that I've been in one, but I've seen pictures.

Personally I do the bulky stuff using Woolworth's home delivery service and I get my servant to buy the little things (cheeses from individual farms, etc) at Kirkcaldie and Staines. Although shopping there is depressing in a different kind of way, it has to be said.

above comments may contain traces of irony

uk+kiwi

Oh you'd be proud of me tonight lady!

Chicken in (light) breadcrumbs with yummy cous cous. Half of chicken chopped and cooked ready for tomorrow's chicken risotto. Remainder of cous cous already in containers for tomorrow's packed lunches. Pudding was (not homemade) a blueberry muffin from a 6 pack that was reduced to 26p! (Slap wrist though - it was an impulse purchase not on the list .) This is also hubbie's lunch pudding and girls after school snack with fruit tomorrow. Yippee.

And darling youngest daughter, after stating that last night's tea was yuckie or disgusting (I can't quite recall the exact insult thrown from her very weary lips) thanked me for a lovely tea. Bless. Finely chopped nutrients in cous cous always goes down better than hugely obvious brocolli florets with her.

Off to rest now peeps. Have a good day you kiwis.

karonious

I learnt this one from my mother Maybe everyone already does it, I don't know.....
My kids never liked the broccoli stalk in among their broccoli, so I used to cut it up quite small, blanch it in the microwave then put it in the freezer until I needed it for soups and stews. Add bulk and vitamins, saves waste

rockape

Got a mate in Whangarei, and has never looked back he's been there 15years now. And his kids are into motocross and they love it. Mind you it took him 2 years to settle, but now he's a foreman for a company.
When we visit him 2 years ago we are always racing to pay the food bill as they would not let us pay for stuff. we could not belive how cheap stuff is, and they would not take anything for having us so we bought them a digital camera as they did not have one, and at the time it was only £70. but you think we had bought them ssomethingvery expensive, but like I say thing are rreasonable

Regards
rockape

currytiffin

Children never did like vegs until we hit on the idea of letting them choose the seed packets, plant, water, grow, pick and YES!!! EAT them. Now they have second helpings of everything veggy!! amazing!

happynz

soulflour

Well we got some good news yesterday that I'd thought i'd share because it's about budgets and it might be encouraging news for those looking to come and live here!

The rates for childcare allowance changed this financial year, so I applied, oooh around 4 days ago? (the benefits agencies do seem to work incredibly fast here ) and yesterday had a reply back about both my ds's. I work three days a week and need after school care for my 6 year old, and day care for my 3.5 year old. All in this costs $140 a week.... the good news is that the government are now going to subsidise this by $111 leaving us to pay $28.80 a week!!! from $140 to $28.80!!!!

Since i was paid up with ds2's daycare and the gov have backdated the payment for a few weeks, i'm now in credit and won't be paying anything at all for the next 4 weeks!

a very happy SF

x

uk+kiwi

Excellent news.

soulflour

It's great isn't it?

I think people will be surprised how much they can earn before these kick in too - we are on $70k combined (my job's only wee, for a charity )

good eh?

All of you paying childcare - get applying!!

Oh, we get family credit too! $121 a fortnight!

currytiffin

Don't forget the good Yorkshire answer - stodge first, meat after... Yorkshire pudding full of gravy, with vegetables, then after that came the meat - and variations in different places ... lots of people used to eat their pudding first [steamed pudding! very filling!!] or have a chunk of bread and cheese, etc maybe that is worth exploring?

uk+kiwi

Hello oh witty one,

Just a quick message to say 'thanks', if you can remember back a couple of weeks! Carmen x