New Year's Resolutions...

NOTE: The post is really a little rant about food, where I find bargains and how I keep spending on food and household items as low as possible. There is also a quick recipe that I use at least three times a week for a filling, balanced, pocket-friendly meal. Please feel free to share your money saving tips with me :)

We're not the New Year's resolutions making types in our household, but this year we have made an exception. We sat down at the kitchen table, note book and bank statements in hand and decided that we needed up our our game and start saving. With houses in our area averaging between £80,000 - £125,000 and mortgage lenders and banks asking for a 10% deposit, we need to really save hard if we want to be able to buy our first home in the next 12 - 18 months. And with our wedding planned for November this year, saving has to be a priority.

I'm sure many of you are in the same boat, things aren't getting any cheaper and with more and more families finding money tight, cut backs have to be made. The most significant cutback we have made is to our household supplies/food bill and our Friday night takeaway and wine.

Our total housekeeping budget is £60 per week... this may seem high, but it covers our weekly electric meter top-up (£10 per week), pet supplies (puppy pads, sawdust, hay, food and treats), Friday night takeaway (one order split between us with store bought prawn crackers and boiled rice made at home), any alcohol (usually a bottle of wine for me and some cider cans for J), general household and cleaning supplies, and food.

I do the shopping on my way home from work on a Friday night, I like to get it over and done with, then go home and enjoy my takeaway and a glass (sometimes two) of wine!

On average I spend £25 per week on food and household items - and this is all I'm willing to spend. I add everything up as I go around the shop and always get the more essential things first - and trust me it isn't easy sticking to this budget, but I know it will be worth it when our savings start adding up :)

I start at the pound shop... here I can get a pack of 14 puppy pads for £1.79 - compared to a pack of seven at pets at home for £3.49, that's a great saving. One pack of 14 puppy pads will last us about a month now as Turf is learning to go to the door to let us know when he needs to do his business (although when it's raining he simply refuses to go outside and will use the pads instead, cheeky boy).

I also stock up with a large jar of jalapenoes (89p for a large jar), marshmallows (£1 for a 50% free bag), curry noodles (25p per pack) and filters and rolling papers for J (approx £2 for both which last two weeks).

Turf's pet food costs £6 for a bag that will last us a month and Goose's costs £6.49 and will last for about 6 - 8 weeks. I buy Goose's hay and sawdust from Tescos (£1.49 for sawdust and £3.49 for hay) - these will both last two weeks.

I hate spending a lot of money on food, I find it a complete waste if I have something go off and I have to throw it out. I buy a lot of frozen veg and also freeze all my meat to defrost as I need.

Here are some of the things I buy on a weekly basis -
At Tesco I will buy a 4-pack of chicken breast fillets (£4), tub of goldfish brand curry paste (£2.89), 1 box of value stuffing mix (15p), 1 value loaf (79p), 1 bag of long grain rice (40p), jar of value cranberry sauce (50p), 1 bag of fresh rocket (£1), 1 pack of own brand 'mars' bars (£1.29), 1 bag of own brand pasta (80p), 1 bag of frozen value roast potatoes (£1.59), 2 litre skimmed milk (£1), Tescos own brand prawn crackers (89p), large pack of Value ham (£1.89) and a bag of grated cheese (approx. £2).
I then go to lidl and stock up on carrots (between 39p-89p), frozen roasting parsnips (£1.46) and potatoes (1.89).
Every two weeks I will buy 1 bag of onions (£1), 1 bag of frozen peas (89p) and 1 bag of frozen value broccoli from Tesco.
I only replace what I need to, for instance if we run out of butter, but have some mayo or salad cream we will use that instead until everything has run out.

This has seen the biggest saving increase for us - normally I would have spent between £60 - £80 on food and household items alone, buying lots of meat, ready-made potato gratin, pasta 'n' sauce, wine, various cleaning products, microwave snacks for J and other things that we really didn't need.

A really filling meal that I make quite a bit is chicken/veg curry with rice -

This makes enough for two people (and sometimes I get a lunch out of it too)

1 Chicken Breast (optional)
1 Carrot
Handful Frozen Peas
Handful Frozen Broccoli
1 Tin of Sweetcorn
4 Small Onions
Long Grain Rice (measured out for two portions as directed)
1/4 tub Goldfish Curry Paste

Cook long grain rice as per instructions on packet (for two portions).
Chop chicken breast (if using) into small pieces and fry in a wok on a low heat.
Cook broccoli and peas in a pot of boiling water and drain.
Add onions to wok with chicken breast.
Using a potato peeler, peel ribbons of carrot and add to wok
Add peas, broccoli and sweetcorn to wok.
In a separate pot cook curry as per instructions, add to wok

Dish out the rice and chicken/veg curry and enjoy!

You can also add any veg you have laying around into it... lentils, chickpeas, cauliflower, they can all go in.