I wrote this when I was doing my 30-30 challenge which was £30 for 30 days. Some people told me it was helpful so I thought I'd re-post it.
There's another half to it which I'll re-post another day.
My Top Tips for eating on a pound a day - things that have really helped me since I started the first 30-30 challenge. I hope they help you as much as they've helped me.
Plan, plan, plan, plan, plan, plan, plan, plan, plan, plan, plan, plan, plan, plan, plan, plan, plan, plan, plan, plan, plan, plan, plan, plan, plan, plan, plan, plan, plan, plan, plan . . . Got it? Plan!
OK - what I mean is, know what you are going to cook for, say, the next seven days. Write it down. I use a table in Word, some use a wipe-able board, some use printable templates, some use a notebook. They all work. Don't just plan dinners, plan the other meals too plus snacks, if you are into snacking. If that's too restrictive for you, plan seven breakfasts, lunches and dinners, then you can choose what you want each day from those lists, knowing you have all the necessary ingredients.
Focus on what you can have rather than what you can't have. I love salmon but does it fit into a pound a day budget? No, it doesn't. So I don't brood over that, I think that I can have sardines, cheaper white fish, maybe a very few prawns to liven up my fish pies . . . all delicious.
Know what you've already got. Make a list of contents of cupboards, fridge and freezer. Keep it up to date. Then USE it. Find or create recipes that include things you already have rather than recipes that require you to go out and buy stuff you might never use again. Substitute (look on Google for ideas - type in 'what can I use instead of xyz') or just leave it out.
Never go food shopping without a list. Never, ever. Just - don't!
Plan your meals, go through what you need and make your shopping list from that.
And then stick to it!
Avoid top up shopping - who goes in for a pint of milk and comes out with a bagful? Most of us, I suspect. Plan the weekly (or whatever) shop and then make do.
Don't fall for 'specials' that you don't normally use, just because they are cheap. BOGOFs can be a right pain, although I haven't seen so many recently since they were identified as a big cause of food waste. If you end up throwing those specials away, it may not be (much) money down the drain but it is a wicked waste of the earth's resources.
Go for the savers/value ranges. They're OK, really they are. I am prepared to bet that in a blind tasting situation, most of us wouldn't know which was which, even if they tasted different and they can represent a HUGE saving. The first few times I deliberately chose savers stuff I felt everyone was looking at my trolley (they weren't) but now I couldn't care less!
Don't be too shop loyal either. Use My Supermarket to determine where the real savings are but remember, if you have to travel too far, the cost could wipe out any savings so be sensible.
Regarding Yellow Sticker/end of life reduction type things, I would say be discriminating. You can get some great buys but you can waste your money if you don't plan how to use them. I always look and sometimes buy but I don't go out of my way. On the other hand, others buy as much YS as they can and then plan meals around what they have found. It works for them; it wouldn't for me because I have already planned my meals and based my shopping list on those meals.
Linked with the above, take food dates with a pinch of salt. Obviously, be very careful with fish and poultry, but most stuff can go a few days beyond use by dates if stored properly. If it is frozen, the dates become immaterial. Freezing presses the pause button. Sure, the texture and flavour might change (it might even improve) but the food will remain safe and stable until it is defrosted.
These are what works for me. If you're serious about reducing what you spend of food and want to do it properly, find what works for you and use it!
Good luck.
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