Bo-Jangles

Had an idea, with all the recent threads about money or shortages thereof, it's been a while since we had any threads on living within tight budget constraints and how people manage to eke out the dollars.

They do say you can tell a lot about people and how they live by the contents of their shopping trolley.

About us: We're two adults (and a cat) on a strict budget and we aim to spend less than $140 per week on all food, cleaning products and toiletries, so if you've had something especially cheap and yummy, it would be great to hear about it.

So here goes, my dinner tonight:

Leftover roast lamb from yesterday (very small fillet end was $14.50)
Mashed potatoes
Roasted Asparagus (exceptionally cheap at present 2 bunches $3)
Gravy and mint sauce

BEVS

Good one I'm going to move this into the main NZ forum .

There is me, husband, two cats, two ducks and one hen. We also aim to spend less than $150 per week on average for all food, cleaning products, animal stuff etc.

Last night ...before the power cut.

Half a chicken roasted with roast potatoes,carrots, parsnips, bit of silverbeet , peas & gravy.

I buy a whole chicken and chop the thing up. I know a place where I can get good value organic , free range chicken so try for this .

Pud for husband. A homemade apple pie and custard.

Scraps of cooked veg to the hen plus a silverbeet leaf which she loves.

Scraps of chicken to our old cats as a treat.

shirl

We had the very same last night except for the asparagus - we had carrotts and cauli - I grow my own veggies and in the summer that really really helps and tastes so much better. I do try and stay in budget but when the OH comes with me it gets blown to over $200 with all the goodies he puts in LOL!! Generally with just the 2 of us I buy specials and if there is a joint of meat it usually lasts 2 to 3 meals depending on the size. If I make a big lasagne it lasts for 2 meals and you can always freeze in containers. Sometimes, I don't feel like eating a big meal especially in summer so we have salad and tuna or salmon or something similar with new potatoes yummy. I tend not to throw food out like I used to in the UK - I am more frugal here that I used to be.

nero

There are two adults in our house and our budget each week for shopping including alcohol, cleaning products etc is $150, if I spend less than this then I put it aside for a treat ;-)

Always try to buy in season and all of the specials. Tend to make large meals then freeze the excess for another day.

You may wish to check out this website for ideas (some are a bit odd) but on the whole they have some good ideas. For FREE you can sign up to their weekly email of saving ideas.

nero

Might help if I give you the website
http://www.simplesavings.co.nz/

Justcol

Last night was cottage pie and veggie's made by our eldest son.
Supprisingly nice although the kitchen looked like bomb site when he'd finished.

For tonight i've just taken some nice pork chops out of the freezer which will
be served with roast spuds and yet more veggies.

I have actually started to COOK since we arrived in nz because i needed to
as part of my job.
I can now knock up a stew or casserole out of thin air. I
have perfected my own meatloaf recipe and i'm now working on my cake baking skills.
Unfortunately my sponges end up looking like big flat biscuits but at least i'm trying
Not bad for a bloke aye ??

lardyl

Last night was Sunday lunch for us plus guests.....rehashed and re-heated

Pasta bake,
Some extra pasta,
Salad and home made dressing from Sunday
Leftover breads, garlic bread and 4 bean salad.

Pudding was homemade Marmalade Cake and Pam's (very cheap but tasty) vanilla icecream

Plus I had already ate plenty of the plain pasta and beans for my working lunch........tooot......tooot......



All that beer and curry on Saturday has rendered the office a bio-hazard zone! And the kids are calling me Johnny Fart-Pants.....

Steve1977

Good on ya Colandros, same here mate! Hardly ever used to cook back in England, often went for the easy option and bought the pre-packaged meals, but you just dont seem to get the same choice here..and they're overpriced!

So yeah, started to cook more now. My wife and I always buy our meat and veg from the Dahua chinese supermarket on Dominion Road in Auckland. They're meat is always great quality and nearly half the price of the main supermarkets.

bro69

We get our fruit and veg from the weekly market you can buy in season and cheaper and better choice rather than buying from the supermarket.

Two adults in my house and our bill is between $120 to $180 on average depending on how much alcohol we buy. We also save on lunches by cooking too much and having left overs. Great left over lunches are lasagne, pie and casserole especially in the winter.

Wiz'n'Ton

Last night was bolognaise mince (from Sunday's spag bol) on half a scoop of chips (from chippy up the road - $1.10) and a decent grating of cheese over the top.

Tonight is some thai stir fry thing that I'll invent as I go with a chicken breast, a cauli and a leek that I picked from the veggie patch.

bourbon-biscuit

Our budget for a family of four plus dog and cat all in is $200 per week. I menu plan and shop to the menu because we used to throw away loads of food and always had cupboards full of randoms. Tonight is cauliflower and brocolli cheese with roast spuds and peas.

Jan n Neil

I can nock a stir fry up in about 2 mins i dont know how much it cost but i isn,t expensive

Neil

BEVS

Can I hire you then?

Bo-Jangles

That sounds exactly the same us; it upsets me no end if I have to throw food away these days. In the UK it was 'out with the old and in with the new' and I would easily half fill the bin every week with all the out of date things, shrivelled fruit and bits I had saved meaning to do something with. I never organised myself well enough to use the stuff before it went out of date and just bought things willy nilly without much thought and absolutely zero planning or consideration for seasons.

Now everything goes in the freezer immediately if it doesn't get eaten or I will plan stuff into the weekly menu to make sure nothing goes to waste.

However, I came a bit unstuck today as I had planned that Sunday's joint was going to do for three days so had to go and buy dinner for tonight. As someone else said earlier, ready meals are out of the question so I got the next easiest thing I could find:

Packet of fresh chilled tortellini (on special $4.49)

With which I made tomato sauce from a tin of tomatoes, some onion, garlic and peppers (capsicum), then grilled with grated cheese on top and some homemade garlic bread.

Whilst it did come as a huge shock to my system to have to be so mean with our food and plan everything, I do now get a thrill from being more frugal and getting the best I can within the available budget and appreciate my food far more for it. It's wonderful to find yourself with a *free* dinner, because of something you managed to salvage or stashed away in the freezer, which in my previous life would undoubtedly have ended up in the rubbish.

Stoof

there's three of us (and a half i guess, cos i'm expanding!) and our weekly aim is $200 all in, including household, toiletries etc.. usually manage that or a bit less... we also shop to a menu which includes packed lunches (more accurately, usually leftovers!)

tonight was a treat - artichokes, then homemade mushroom pie with carrots, spuds and asparagus, and la'l ones iced buns for pud! three courses mid week?! not usually, but there was loads of lovely veg cheap today when shopping!

rest of the week is spag bol, baked risotto, roast greek salad... (and last night was spicy lentil and chickpea soup - who needs central heating!?!)