Store Cupboard Must haves

Katt · Post by **Katt** » 28 Dec 2008, 17:58

Please help, I am facing financial uncertanty and could realy do with some advice. I try to grown and store a lot of food, but chould do better, however do you have a list of store cupboard "must haves ",things that will keep me comfortabley fed. I did have a list along time ago but have lost it.

Katt

Babycakes · Post by **Babycakes** » 28 Dec 2008, 18:00

I dont know if this is of any help but I alsways make sure I have some plain old cheddar cheese in. It always comes in useful and adds to so many things.

Effie · Post by **Effie** » 28 Dec 2008, 19:00

We stock up on tins of beans and pulses ( not just baked beans) If we are making a dish with meat - anything with mince or sausages, for example, we use little meat - 250g for 5 of us, and bulk up with pulses which are usually less than 40p per tin.

That and dry pasta which we serve with pureed leftovers and tinned tomato - it can often look llike real food )t'

Nellie · Post by **Nellie** » 28 Dec 2008, 19:20

I always try to buy store-cupboard items when they are on offer, and buy sufficient to last about a year, or longer. A 50% saving (same as buy one get one free) is very worthwhile, as interest rates on my money in a building society is very low at the moment.

I am fortunate to have the space to store, so I am stocked up with:

Rice (Tilda - it really is the best in my opinion, and seems to be on offer only once every couple of years)

Heinz tomato soup (I make all my soups, but just can't resist having this one, although I do water it down). Usually on offer once a year in late October.

Sultanas, raisins, dried fruit and jars of mincemeat - usually on offer after Christmas (still using mincemeat I bought last year at 10p a jar, and I add dried fruit to pad it out, and use throughout the year) (bought 1kg of sultanas for 42p, as T*sco were changing their packaging)

Sugar (earlier this year it was being sold at 22p a 500g pack for Tate & Lyle light brown soft, and dark brown soft)

Dried onions (was being sold for 8p a packet)

Tins and jars (everything from custard, peach slices, baked beans, pulses, tomatoes)

Paper products (tissues, kitchen roll and loo rolls)

Washing powder

So I can 'make do' by adding fresh fruit and vegetables to the above to make frugal and tasty meals.

mellonia · Post by **mellonia** » 28 Dec 2008, 19:47

wow nellie i am impressed, the only thing i find is when something is on buy one get one free or really marked down, there is never much of it. I do buy in bulk though where ever possible, i have found that for the last two years now where does felix cat food on offer, very strange it always used to be on offer.

I do look on mysupermarket to see if iams is on offer anywhere or my persil small and mighty.

Regards

Mellonia

Will look in my student cookbook to see the storecupboard essentials and hopefully type them for you

Meanqueen · Post by **Meanqueen** » 28 Dec 2008, 20:01

Looks like you already have it sorted, Nellie, I agree with all the items you have. However, there is a danger you can become addicted to storing food which never gets used. It also depends on how many you cook for. I live by myself and have a modest store cupboard because I like to have a clear out every so often, use it all up and start again. If you don't, and keep buying, things will get hidden at the back. I write the prices on some of my items so I can compare the next time I shop.

Ilona

hfbinnie · Post by **hfbinnie** » 28 Dec 2008, 20:59

My basic food store cupboard consists of

flour, bread, self raising and plain....you can them make anything out of that combination.

Yeast for the above

tins of tomatoes....good basic for all things including tomato soup

dried pulses (beans, soya bean, lentils)...spend 40p out on a tin when you can spend 60p have make several tins?

Sugar

salt

I buy meat once a month, in fact do all my shopping once a month. I have access to a very cheap farm shop down the road for veggies...Â£5 will buy me a sack of potatoes along with a carrier bag full of carrot, onions, leeks etc. The months where things are tight I add soya beans to mince and plenty of veg and serve with a slice of home made bread, naan bread or dumplings.

Washing powder? Don't buy very often as I invested in these

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Powered-Laundry-Washer-Washing-Machine/dp/B0013LIIWM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=kitchen&qid=1230493856&sr=8-1

Of course I have fresh eggs every day to use and I buy milk, long life once, a month....30 ltrs

My monthly food bill for 3 of us? Around Â£120-Â£130 per month and we eat well on that!

Every Six months I buy half a pig or half a lamb.

chickenchaser · Post by **chickenchaser** » 28 Dec 2008, 23:25

I can't add much to what's been suggested but definitely go for the offers but only if they are on things you like and will use. Also, as hfb says, check out your local market for veg and meat. You can freeze both (check with the butcher/fishmonger when you buy) and you can buy 3 or 4 times the amount you get at the supermarket for the same price.

I always stock up with lots of soup, pasta, beans etc but also with the ready made sachets for spag bol, shepherds pie etc as they can be added to loads of things and can make leftovrs more interesting.

I also like to get tinned fruit, pudding rice,sugar etc. Just because money's tight doesn't mean you should miss out on a few treats.

I found that checking out shops like Wilcos saves lots of money on stuff like shampoo, toilet paper, washing powder etc.

Post by **p.penn** » 28 Dec 2008, 23:37

Oh Ilona! You are just SO organised! I am quite envious!

If you are ever in Sussex....... :-D

sharon the chauffeur · Post by **sharon the chauffeur** » 29 Dec 2008, 07:56

OK Ilona you can get out of my larder now! hahaha, no i got a celler thats got it all, needs tidying though as i put all items back in the wrong places :oops:

debbie · Post by **debbie** » 29 Dec 2008, 08:27

Hello, i have started not to spend as much as usual on my shopping. My husband is a builder and things have slowed down.... a lot.
I am vegetarian but the rest of my family are not, buy lots of rice pasta and you can make so many nice meals.
I have found a shop called farm food and they sell 10 pieces of salmon forÂ£4.95, haddock 8 pieces Â£3.95 and frozen fruit at very cheap prices 15p a portion and frozen vegetables are also very cheap.
Mix things with fresh food you see on offer, if you add a small amount of nicer things you don't feel that you are missing out and will become more inventive.

I usually make our meals for 6 for less then Â£3.00 in total a day.

Debbie

Meanqueen · Post by **Meanqueen** » 29 Dec 2008, 12:41

Good comments there, Debbie. A good idea to keep in mind the cost per meal per person, and aim for the lowest achievable cost. I always aim to make a meal for under Â£1, and often it is a lot less. As you can see I have pulses, pasta and rice, I also eat a lot of seeds and nuts and buy them when they are reduced price.

Ilona

lancashire lass · Post by **lancashire lass** » 29 Dec 2008, 14:28

I called in to my local Holland & Barretts just to see if they sold some oatmeal (not porridge oats) to make oatcakes and was quite surprised how cheap some of their big bags of seeds are ... I think I came away with a year's supply of pumpkin seeds LOL.

I've been trying the Â£1 a day food costs too, and I think it helps to keep on track knowing how much stuff is costing these days. My store cupboard is very similar to all of the suggestions (rice, pasta, flour, pulses etc) and I also bulk up on loo rolls, dishwasher tabs & washing powder/liquid when on offer, and COFFEE! I also bought in a lot of meat that were on special offer, divided up into meal portions and froze them. I have also started to make a note of what & how much I've got (as you say MQ - things can get lost at the back of the cupboard & freezer if not careful) and the price for each portion. My little notebook is already rapidly filling up but I can plan my meals in advance now )t'

)

If you have a freezer, remember you can freeze cheese and most spreads/butter etc so watch out for any bargains on the chilled dairy section too.

Also worth keeping an eye on the news ... earlier this year I heard there was a beef crisis in Argentina (beef = corned beef right?) so I started to stock up on those while still reasonably cheap but when nothing happened I stopped. Suddenly corned beef shot up double in price :shock:

and now I'm kicking myself. I had also bought in lots of tinned stewed steak (great for quick stewey dinners with veg over mashed potatoe) and again, these have shot up in price too.

Post by Mo » 29 Dec 2008, 14:42

I've tried freezing most things but I seem to remember that cheese changes texture when defrosted.

Nellie · Post by **Nellie** » 29 Dec 2008, 17:11

Ooooh, Meanqueen, thank you for letting us have a peep into your larder.

I notice you too have a packet of Whitworths Tapioca. Did you also manage to get yours for 6p from T*sco?

I plan on using mine cooked with coconut milk (well, coconut cream diluted down as it is cheaper than buying a tin of coconut milk).