Saving Money...

[Fae]

How do you like to save money in the kitchen?

We love growing our own fruit, veg and herbs. Grow Your Own magazine's forum has a wealth of info on the subject from beginner advice right the way up to advanced horticulture.

We love this thread on getting your herbs started.

[juker]

Growing your own if you can (dont need a huge garden - even window boxes can grow some things!) not only saves money it tastes amazing!!!

Freezer - I try to buy when frozen things are on offer and keep my freezer stocked only with things bought when on offer

Fresh things - I buy whats on offer and work my menu around that. Also, make sure stuff gets used and you are not throwing food out (basically throwing money away!!!)

Shopping - Try to make a list before you go, work out what meals you are going to need to make, dont shop when you are hungry as you are more likely to buy unhealthy food and more than you need

Cooking - Beans and pulses are great for bulking meals out at a really low cost. Can be used for soups, curries, stews, pies, salads, pasta - anything really

[Rachel_murray]

Markets are great for saving the pennies. The fruit and veg stalls are so much cheaper than when you buy from a supermarket. FInd your local market and ask them what days they bring in the new stock. Ours is on a Sat, Tues and Thurs, but they sell almost everyday so the Mons, Weds and are the left overs.

I can buy enough to feed us for about £10 but in the supermarket it's double that!

I'm attempting to grow chillies and tommys...........

Also buying stuff from the reduced shelf is good as I will go home, make something and freeze it until I need it etc

[simplyfood]

Buy ripe tomatoes that are cheap in the summer. Blanch them in hot water to remove skins and puree them. You can freeze the tomato puree for soups and pasta sauce

[smith009]

Instead of buying fruits and vegetables in big store, try buying in the streets, because it is much cheaper.

[Pipsqueak]

First off the bat, I found cutting out meat saved us a significant amount on the weekly food budget!
Second, cooking home-made stuff (in bulk to freeze in portions) instead of buying ready made foods, can significantly reduce outgoings. Take a few hours at the weekend to load up on one or two dishes, get kids / partner on board to do the chopping if you can!
Third, buy whole-food staples in bulk online. I do a 'big shop' at GoodnessDirect once every few months and load up on lentils, rice, pulses, seeds and so-on, organic where possible.
Fourth, Lidl is your friend.. Onions, pickles, cheese.
Fifth, if you've got an Indian and/or Oriental grocer nearby (we don't unfortunately) then source your spices, herbs, soy sauce, pulses and Basmati rice there.
Sixth, Grocers or Farm Shops for veggies. Never buy from the supermarket. And if you can, growing your own is even better. Even if you've got a windowsill, grow herbs - fresh herbs cost a bomb to buy.
Seventh, make a menu, and stick to it..

[KissMyNutLoaf]

I'm kind of fortunate as I live in a town surrounded by a lot of smallholdings that supply many of the supermarket chains (at least in the local area); I often (especially during the summer months) take advantage of the honesty boxes and stalls they have outside each and every one. Not only is the produce fresher and of a much higher quality, but also much cheaper than the supermarkets. I also like the thought of them getting a fair price for their work as opposed to being squeezed by the buyers at the chains.

There's also some people who grow some really interesting heirloom runner beans on an allotment near to me, they sell whatever they don't eat themselves at great prices.

Am I in a relatively unique position here or are there places like this around the country?

[juker]

I'm kind of fortunate as I live in a town surrounded by a lot of smallholdings that supply many of the supermarket chains (at least in the local area); I often (especially during the summer months) take advantage of the honesty boxes and stalls they have outside each and every one. Not only is the produce fresher and of a much higher quality, but also much cheaper than the supermarkets. I also like the thought of them getting a fair price for their work as opposed to being squeezed by the buyers at the chains.

There's also some people who grow some really interesting heirloom runner beans on an allotment near to me, they sell whatever they don't eat themselves at great prices.

Am I in a relatively unique position here or are there places like this around the country?

Sounds great, nothing like that here