slimming world on a budget?

my first week, joined class and got the books and am trying to go 'alone' along with this forum.

I am following red but finding it very expensive buying extra veg,fruit, salad

any tips? my nearest shop is waitrose and have spent a fortune on the above
 
Hi, I've got the books and am also going it alone at home, have only started though last Wednesday, have joined this site today, I bulk buy meat anyway and store it in freezer. The way I look at it is I was spending a fortune on take sways a week, at least £30 for me and my partner, so I will just swap it for healthy home cooking instead. How much u hoping to lose
 
Have u got an Aldi near u, they do cheap fruit and veg
 
Hi, I've got the books and am also going it alone at home, have only started though last Wednesday, have joined this site today, I bulk buy meat anyway and store it in freezer. The way I look at it is I was spending a fortune on take sways a week, at least £30 for me and my partner, so I will just swap it for healthy home cooking instead. How much u hoping to lose

Hi

good luck to you, hoping to loose 5 stone
 
Yep I've got the same to loose, getting married next year. Good luck to u 2
 
I've got just over 9 stone to lose!
I am spending more on fruit and veg and meat but when i think what i used to spend on takeaways, pizza, chocolate, crisps, ice cream, fizzy drinks, cake and biscuits, it probably evens out. I would do your shopping online, i couldn't afford to do my weekly shop at Waitrose either! Best of luck :)
 
Tbh, you'd be better off getting a veg box - cheaper by far than waitrose. I stopped shopping there due to cost. If you can do online, do Asda, its cheap, and whilst stuff does not last long it doesn't matter cos it never gets the chance to go off! I buy basics everything now as you get far more for your money there.
 
Best thing I've been doing is plan your meals in advance, try use all the foods one after the other for example.

I bought a small pack of 2 chicken breasts, so I'll have that for dinner today and tomorrow. I freeze any other meat I have til I need it. So I have 2 salmon steaks which are frozen and will be my dinner on Monday and Tues.

As for veg etc.. I try and buy frozen where possible i.e. peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, peas and chopped garlic. I bought frozen strawberries aswell.These packets normally last me 3 weeks whereas when I bought them fresh they had to be used in 4 days or so. The only veg I buy fresh now is salad leaves, leeks and spring onions. And normally buy them from Aldi or Lidl as it's cheaper.

Aldi do a super six saver every week on different fruit and veg. For example I bought a 4 pack of lemons for 49c (about 35p) plus bought 6 kiwis for 49c too.

Also look in supermarket's reduced to clear section, I always get my foods there, they have it on bread, veg, fruit, etc...
 
I am considering buying a chest freezer cos at present i have a small tabletop one & can't fit more than a weeks worth of meat in it. That way i can have far more frozen veg & fruit available, and can buy meat in bulk, and also batch cook. I just need to figure out where i'd put it in my 1 bed flat!
 
I was made redundant back in March and as yet haven't found new employment and managing - just about - to stick to plan (though it helps being a target member so I don't have to find £5 a week).

My saviours have been:

Green days - pasta, veg, and such forth.
Multibuy packs - £1 for 4 tins baked beans or mushy peas, and such forth.
Only buying what i know i need, if i have a red day coming up and want to have steamed new potatos - i only buy 198/200grams worth (i'm single so no-one else to cook for). If i'm doing a recipe that calls for 150g of carrot - then i try to get only about 160g of carrot (got to top/tail them so loose a little there)
Batch cooking - get the big big value packs of everything and do it all in one sitting and stick in the freezer
Always look at the price/unit measures - and get a calculator out (on phone?) if in doubt. I brought a 800gr bag of new potatoes working out at about £1/Kg over £1.25/Kg for a 1Kg bag of a slightly different spud - bigger is not always better/cheaper
Supermarket own brands are often cheaper and of comparable quality - buy them
Never buy full price meat/Fish - wait till near the end of the day if possible and see whats in the reduced cabinet. (same can be said on a Saturday market - the latter you go (about 20mins before they shut up is best) the better type of bargains you can get. but it is hit&miss
Always check the reduced sections - even for veg. And some grocers will have a reduced section under the counter with fantastic bargins in - i've picked up pineapples from between 40 and 50p each, large bags of grapes for 50p and so on. Yes - typically they're very much on the turn and you've got only a day or two to eat it - but bag it up and freeze it and you've got a bargin and always have fruit on hand.
 
I would echo much of what Ian has to say. You'll find a post on my diary about this too after a conversation with several Minis friends about this, that has a couple of extra ideas.
SW on a Budget
1. Bulk a spag bol out with carrot 80g mince to 40g grated carrot can't even be noticed and it makes it a green day meal too.
2. Big hearty veg soups for lunch - made with the cheaper veggies bought at the end of the day in the supermarket or the local market.
3. Casseroles - cheaper cuts of meat are just as tasty when done in a slow cooker or pressure cooker. Saves the pennies and add loads of cheap veg.
4. Do you like kidneys, liver etc? These should be really cheap if bought from a butchers and there are some fantastic casserole recipes for them. PM if you need some for kidney or liver - I have a good supply.

If your only option is Waitrose then shop online from somewhere else - Waitrose despite all their advertising of cheaper items are probably the most expensive still.

I have to live on a tight budget and love things like hearty soup and offal (I'm retired with a pension of £5k per year and that has to pay for everything - and no Spain isn't any cheaper than the UK for food - just booze).

Good luck hun
 
Last edited:
thanks for all the fab advice, have done a massive tesco online shop to get all the staple stuff.

have also switched to frozen fruit & veg which has saved a fortune, and have been buying my daily fruit in the reduced section

thanks again
 
thanks for all the fab advice, have done a massive tesco online shop to get all the staple stuff.

have also switched to frozen fruit & veg which has saved a fortune, and have been buying my daily fruit in the reduced section

thanks again
Glad we were all of help. Good luck this week and keep us posted how you get on.
 
I always shop online - and only visit a 'real' store when i need something FAST!

Good luck - you have some excellent advice on here already x
 
The best way to save money on SW is to get rid of your car!!! I did this in Feb and now I walk alot more, so get my body magic in, buy nearly all my food online so can make sure I don't spend too much, and by using public transport I am saving the planet.

Of course I live right by a bus stop, and work in Central london, so even when I had the car I barely used it anyway - but still something to think about.
 
I'd love to get rid of my car, that is a great idea... unfortunately 35 miles to work with no public transport doesn't work in my favour..... lol
I find the cheapest way is to get whatever veg is on offer - 2 for £1, big bags of stirfry mix,etc. Frozen peppers work out cheaper than fresh, and making ahead & freezing helps too.
 
The best way to save money on SW is to get rid of your car!!! I did this in Feb and now I walk alot more, so get my body magic in, buy nearly all my food online so can make sure I don't spend too much, and by using public transport I am saving the planet.

Of course I live right by a bus stop, and work in Central london, so even when I had the car I barely used it anyway - but still something to think about.

i don't have a car!! and walk everywhere or use the bus and saving the planet & money and keeping fit at the same time
 
i don't have a car!! and walk everywhere or use the bus and saving the planet & money and keeping fit at the same time

I don't have a car either and walk and use the buses all day long and it use to drive me nuts when the Consultant at my old class kept going on about how much she goes down the gym when she is in her car the rest of the time!:(
 
Back
Top