Friday 7 April 2023

Good Friday and The Results

This is how it started........... 

Out of curiosity I thought it would be interesting to see what Value/ Just Essential ranges were available in Supermarkets again after many disappeared during covid. I went to AL = Aldi. M = Morrisons. AS = Asda. My plan was to see what recipes I could come up with and what it would cost eating meals based on these things for a few weeks. Some items I've bought are not Value Range but the best value I could find.

But first I have to admit to making a mistake! 

I used Value Range Penne Pasta  (something I always have in the cupboard) which is 41p for 500g in 6 meals instead of spaghetti for 28p which is what I'd priced and  included in a photo and NOBODY NOTICED! So I've added 13p to the total. But I'm disappointed you weren't keeping a closer check on my experiment!!

What I ate.......... 
Breakfasts were toast and marmalade, or rice crispies or canned grapefruit 
Second small meal was sandwich using  1 round of the sliced bread and either egg/ cheese/ chicken/ sardines/corned beef/tomato. Or some fruit or crumpets.(or both depending how hungry I was feeling)
Then I made 2 lots of plain scones, a small sultana sponge and peanut biscuits  for snacks and also ate the rest of the peanuts as a snack.

My Main Meals

  1. Fish Curry and rice
  2. Pasta Salad with Feta
  3. Quiche
  4. Quiche
  5. Quiche
  6. Quiche
  7. Pasta salad with Feta
  8. Corned Beef Hash
  9. Tuna, Pasta and Broccoli Bake
  10. Roast Chicken Thigh Joint etc
  11. Ready made Beef Pasty
  12. Chicken Stir Fry
  13. Omelette
  14. Fish Curry and Rice
  15. Minced Pork Patties 
  16. Chicken stir fry with Fajita seasoning over Pasta
  17. Tuna, Pasta and Broccoli Bake
  18. Pizza
  19. Potato, onion, bacon and tomato layer bake
  20. Roast Chicken thigh joint etc
  21. Fish Pie with mash topping
  22. Toad in the Hole
  23. Fish Curry and Rice
  24. Sausage Rolls
  25. Leek and Bacon Pilaff
  26. Baked Potatoes
  27. Leek Fritters
  28. Tuna, Pasta and Broccoli Bake
  29. Roast Chicken Thigh and Roast Vegetables
  30. Pizza
  31. Vegetable and Cheese Pasty


What I bought



I also used 4 packs of 8 Nescafe decaf Cappuccino sachets for my evening coffees.

What I used from things already open in the cupboards - I guesstimated and added £4 for the odd bits of these things used.


Looking online I found the following figures quoted

The average grocery bill for 1 person in the UK sits at around £140-£150 per month. This means that on a weekly basis, the average grocery bill for one person in the UK should be around £35.

Figures in surveys dating to January 2023 say an 'average' person spends roughly £47 a week on food including £13 eating out
My total spend for the food eaten over 31 days was £74.23 + 13p = £74.36p. So around half the average. I didn't really go without anything and mainly things were made from scratch using fresh ingredients. 
I can think of a few ways that it would have been even cheaper and of course if the value of the remaining ingredients that I still have are deducted it does come in at less than that £74.

The only really bad thing was the Asda Value Range minced pork - never bought before and will never be bought again! (In normal life I usually buy local sausages and bacon that are produced about 15 miles from home and rarely buy any other pork products or lamb or beef) . Some products were rather bland or tasteless but not inedible.

I did have coffee and cheese scone out at the church a couple of times and a coffee at the Suffolk Wildlife Trust Booksale but I've put all those in the Charity part of the accounts!!

And I can cheerfully say that despite the comments that said............and I quote..............

"I would be so depressed if I had to eat like this". and "I too would be depressed if I had to eat so much processed rubbish. Life’s too short."

I didn't get depressed at all! 

Now I shall go back to normal and will probably treat myself to a Chinese Takeaway in celebration!

Back Tomorrow
Sue 


63 comments:

  1. You did very well, and really nothing about your meals was in the least depressing.

    God bless.

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    1. I'm still puzzled over the depressing comment!

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    2. To my mind there is nothing depressing about challenging yourself to spend less and eat well - quite the reverse.

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  2. You made many excellent meals all at a reasonable cost. I have noticed that many people, especially those working full time and often 2 jobs do not want to cook meals at home. They want to eat at restaurants a few times a week and meals at home are prepared meals that can be microwaved quickly. This is much more expensive than buying value range items and cooking at home. Your breakfast with your granddaughter sounds like fun. I bet it was a nice treat for her.

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    1. It would have been very difficult to have done all the home cooked meals if I'd been out at work - it certainly took time

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  3. I do not often comment on the blogs I read but I wanted to tell you I have been reading your blog since the small holding days. I only commented once before. I loved the value range challenge. I liked seeing the items and what you made. I am in Florida, USA and I buy value range/store brand items for many things every week. I thought you did wonderfully. Thank you for sharing.
    Jan

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    1. Thank you for your second comment! You would be welcome to comment more often if you like. I enjoyed trying things that I'd not used before

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  4. You made interesting meals within the limits you created. Good for you. I think often food frugality requires time to cook, which a lot of people, working long hours, don't have, so they're pushed into more prepared food, which is more expensive because you're paying for the processing.

    I eat very well, and I cook from scratch, and I too have the luxury of time and cooking experience, and frugal spending..

    I really enjoyed your experiment, and your keeping to it so faithfully. Thanks for doing it.

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    1. It took much more time and electricity for cooking I'm sure but difficult to work out exactly how much.

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    2. Take meter readings at the same time each day and measurement is easy. I note that when I turn on my cooker oven (electric) my use of electricity can triple for a day. I don't have a smart meter but taking daily meter readings with pen and paper is pretty easy.

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    3. I’m am now retired and always cook from scratch even when I was working, for the reason I am allergic to some additives and preservatives and also I don’t like ready meals. It is not a lot of work, when the family was young I would cook a meal to freeze, enough for four meals, while I was making a roast dinner on Sunday.

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  5. Wow. Those comments were brutal! I do have to say that what I found most impressive is the variety of your meals. You did well!

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    1. It would have been tedious eating too many of the same things so I tried hard to make a bit of variety - apart from the home made quiche which is something I make regularly and eat for 4 days in a row

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  6. Ps I thought of you today. I was in a store and saw cat food for $2.49 A CAN. I stood there calculating. That is about $75. A month. 60 pounds. Sue could feed herself for 3 weeks on that!

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    1. Only in a value range challenge - not in normal time!

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  7. Well done! I thought you went to a lot of trouble cooking for one. Everything looked really tasty.

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    1. It did take a bit of time but well worth it for the savings

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  8. That was an interesting experiment - I feel it goes to show that a lot of folk who moan continually about the "cost of living" could be doing a lot more to lower their expenses if they really wanted to.

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    1. There are ways and means for cheaper eating but it does take more time

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  9. The thing that strikes me is how well you ate and how much meat and fish you managed to incorporate into such a limited budget and range. Might not have been best quality meat/fish, but still good protein. Just shows what can be done with thought, effort and imagination. Well done Sue.

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    1. I didn't buy the cheapest chicken as that wasn't British but the fish was cheap and fine in a curry but probably not sustainably caught. It was just the pork mince that was too nasty to eat!

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  10. A really interesting experiment. Of course it involved a lot of time going to different stores and probably more planning and creativity with the recipes. The one thing I would not have enjoyed was the frozen mixed veg. Everytime I saw it on your plate it just reminded me of school dinners.

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    1. The cheap frozen mixed veg was very bland - wouldn't ever use it again

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  11. It involved a lot of cooking and energy. Beans on toast, eggs, and tins of sardines for me are my cheapo meals and porridge for breakfast. All quick and no fiddly preparation. I kept waiting for you to have beans on toast but it never happened. There are many ways to save money on food. You did well with your meals.

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    1. Not a fan of baked beans - probably had enough of them in the past.

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  12. You've more than earned your treat of the Takeaway. Enjoy.

    I was impressed - no chips at all in that month. Can't say the same here! I would have passed on the mixed veg - only use that in soups/stews/curries or in a pasty. Cooking from scratch removes a lot of the bad elements of "cheap" eating - the saturated fats etc.

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    1. Sweet and Sour prawn balls and a mushroom chow mien I think!

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  13. Thanks for doing a roundup of your challenge-you made many interesting meals during the 31 days. Enjoy your Chinese meal tonight. Catriona

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    1. It went well - I think the Chinese take away will be sometime over the weekend or next week for sure!

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  14. Interesting post, we do have the mind set that cheap is not good, but I think you have shown if you get ingredients rather than process meals, it's not so bad.

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    1. Asda have the Value Range frozen meals at 90p each - I dread to think what's in them!

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  15. There is no way living in Florida we can eat as cheaply with mainly fresh ingredients. However, I do not complain and buy only what I need. Good job for you. I am a vegetarian which helps. Brenda

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    1. If only I could eat pulses and chick peas it would be easier for me but there is some meat I still enjoy - but not everyday like in the past

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  16. < hangs head in shame > Ooops, I certainly didn't notice. Bad us! :-)

    The meals looked great - not at all boring and very varied. It's been such an interesting experiment, thanks.
    Enjoy the Chinese. xx

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    1. It was only when I was adding the photos to this update post that I realised I'd photographed spaghetti instead of penne pasta- whoops!

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  17. It was eye opening seeing the final figures - about half what is considered the ' norm' ! Loved the experiment.
    Alison in Wales x

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    1. It went well and quite a lot less than my normal spend too!

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  18. Congratulations and sucks boo to the complainers. Enjoy your treat.

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    1. There wasn't much ready made or over processed so I'm still not sure what the comments were talking about!!

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  19. you did very well for the month. it gave you reassurance that you have been able to spend wisely to feed yourself. i'm not doing much from scratch cooking at present as i recover from surgery on right hand. [excuse my one handed typing.]

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  20. You did really well, whereas we didn't. Fancy me not noticing spaghetti instead of penne in the shopping photo and the other way round in the meals. I must pay more attention. I bet you noticed a lot more prep needed than usual and a lot more washing up, I usually do during a challenge. I really don't get the negative and derogative comments that folk seem to like leaving during a challenge like this, I find myself deleting a lot of them.

    It will be a very well earned Chinese takeaway tonight, I hope you really enjoy it.

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    1. I have no idea why I put spaghetti in a photo and not the penne as I knew I was doing warm pasta salads and that would be very strange with spaghetti!
      The Chinese takeaway will be coming up sometime this week I think.
      People are strange that's for sure and Sarah in Sussex has vanished

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  21. I enjoyed this one. Interesting choice of meals.

    I love the way you just bat away the negative comments.

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    1. There were some odd comments at the beginning - some people take things way too seriously

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  22. And what are you doing with the 74 pounds that you did not spend? Roderick

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    1. then the money won't survive long! Roderick

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  23. I'll use your ideas to pare down costs, thanks! I missed a couple recipes that sound delicious--leek fritters, leek and bacon pilaf. I must go back and check. The pasty looked delicious too. I know this was not a weight loss project but portions seemed small? And b'fast and lunch quite meagre? Did you lose a pound or two?

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  24. I think you did really well! You proved that you can eat fairly well on a small budget. I don't think it's a skill taught enough. I know we all like to eat food that we enjoy but surely that's a fairly modern thing. Nothing wrong with some treats, and I think you ate fairly well.

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    1. It seemed quite varied and interesting to do at the time but was a bit limiting - it will be good to get back to normal

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  25. I loved this experiment. I think you did so well in coming up with healthy and interesting meals. You have inspired me :) Bye for now (I am also) Sue from Suffolk :) x

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  26. WintersEndRambler8 April 2023 at 11:51

    Well done Sue...time to loosen the strings a bit now?! x

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    1. Definitely! There are all sorts of things in the freezer that need eating

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  27. It has been really interesting reading this challenge well done.

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  28. I think your experiment was interesting even if I did not comment on all posts :-) I also think it is unkind for someone to leave a comment that your meals are depressing. If one doesn't have anything positve to say then just don't.
    Happy to read you don't take it to heart.

    We've had quiche a few more times than usual and I can think you for giving me the inspiration to make it again. I'd forgotten what a filling and easy meal it is.

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    1. I only deleted one comment that wondered why I was eating cheap rubbish when I had plenty of money!
      I shall be making another quiche this week - handy to have in the fridge for visitors.

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  29. I am in awe of how you have thrived Sue since Colin died
    I have often read your blog but seldom comment
    My husband Tony died on the 25th of March
    The world as I knew it has stopped and I cannot fathom how I will survive
    Reading your blog , and not for a moment doubting your pain and grief, gives me hope when I feel hopeless
    Siobhan

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    1. I'm so sorry for your very recent loss. You will survive even though it's so very hard at first and even after 5 years there are lots of difficult times. But the alternative to surviving is going under and that wasn't an option for me and I hope not for you either. Take Care of yourself.

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