It's the beginning of January and everything is gradually returning to normal after the festive period.
If you are wanting to pull in the purse strings and keep to a budget, a good place to start is your food bills as, unlike many bills, this is not fixed. Spending on food is possibly your biggest expenditure after rent or mortgage, so it is well worth reviewing.
Here are a few ideas:-
1. Make the most of any leftover food you have - for example cooked chicken, turkey or ham makes a great risotto
2. Buy vegetables and fruit that are in season - potatoes, cauliflowers and parsnips, to mention a few - are all good value. Wait until July for strawberries.
3. Buy your vegetables from green grocers or markets, rather than the supermarkets as they are usually much cheaper
4. Look out for bargains on festive food - I just bought a large piece of stilton reduced from £6 to £1.80 in Sainsburys. Great for Cauliflower and Blue Cheese Soup
5. Many goods with festive packaging are being sold at a large discount - look out for them
6. Plan to cook some meatless meals 2-3 times a week or even more. Lentils, beans and pasta with sauces are so much cheaper than meat dishes
7. Plan your meals, write a shopping list - and check roughly how much it will cost. If it is too much, revise it
8. Simple meals such as Jacket potatoes, omlette or pasta with peas and cheese and can help you stay within budget. (Find all these on Penny's Recipes)
9. Buy free range eggs from local shops - they at least 50p cheaper for half a dozen, than at the supermarket
10. Get the Free Meal Planner from Pennys Recipes - a free 7 day main meal plan for four on a budget of £30
Over the next few weeks, I will be suggesting some frugal recipes, and giving you some good budgeting tips.
Happy Cooking!
