Im a few behind, so to catch up as a mum the best food tip I can offer is DISGUISE........ a am a container hoarder becuase I do a lot of freezing and botting and you always have that messley amount at the end of something and its just not quite enough for a smal or large preserving jar but it could go into a honey container or that little garic jar you saved. Well I have been known to keep bread bags Lol( if you looking kids I have shared this with you and I love you dearly) my lot love the natures fresh bread that keeps so fresh for at least 5 days (yer right) and why do we have to have this pams shit or budget crap cant we just have the NF once ,come on mum........have you figured it out yet. Oh yes we did have the NF bread when it was on special for 2 for $3 ( long time ago i know) but then for about 6 months after that incdient they had budget or pams shitty crap Lol but it was presented to them in a NF bread bag, (lol i love it) they were raving for months on end about how fresh their sandwiches were and how nice their sammies had become just with the bread change over......I let them go, they even were telling there friends how nice this natures fresh bread was, so I must of got a bit tipsy one night and revealled all, which can happen I agree, and you would of thoght they had been poisoned, all of a sudden i had help when I went to the supermarket and products were checked before putting away, I had never had more help , i loved it, but they were so supicious of me, lol i just love that story. We had a truth or dare session not so long ago( after way to many smirnoffs), and two of my questions in T&D were food stories that had never been found out, so I may endevour to tell you next time, happy budgeting folks till next time, same time same bat channel, just a little tip fellow budgeters in case you were wondering, wearing a bat cape does not make you fly lol

kob - 2011-10-18 07:48:00

its here, bump

kob - 2011-10-20 04:54:00

bumping for this fantastic thread... I have learnt and laughed lots through reading this thread.

32oscar - 2011-10-24 14:09:00

This message was deleted.

pretty-girl-roc - 2011-11-02 21:41:00

Yes I used to be able to 'top up' the weeks groceries with Xmas card purchase so i could get fuel savings like Kob mentioned. But they have a sign up saying that you can't do it anymore at PaknSave. Shame. Fair enough though. So if I'm close I buy extra non perishables. Thanks Kob and others for great ideas and inspiration!!

didi37 - 2011-11-08 16:59:00

well the top up system is still working for me, new world had 25c off fuel for $200 spent my shopping today came to $165 and I brought a $35 New world card for next week qualifying me for the 25 cent off voucher, so a happy shopper today. And usung my CC to pay for groceries has again paid off as I earnt enough points this year to get book vouchers for a xmas present which if I was paying for in cash prob would of thought na, but because its kind of free money thought why not......now using CC isnt for everyone I know but I do my shop on it, then transfer the money over so I get the hot points and it doesnt cost me anything for the bank transfer, so another free perk in my eyes. Have a great weekend everyone

kob - 2011-11-11 17:23:00

Just brought $30 worth of beautiful Lean mince from New World. (about 2.1Kgs) Have spent about an hour and have turned it into....

2 x Lasagne "style" Pasta Bakes for 4
3 x Single Lasagne style Dinners for Ms 19's Dinner while working
2 x Chilli Con Carne Meals for 4
2 x Lunch Chilli Con Carne Pottles (for over left over rice or Baked Potato)
2 x Beef Burger Meals (5 Patties each meal)

With the beef burgers I added 1 cup of dried breadcrumbs, 2 x eggs, the end of a jar of Farmstyle Pickle and the end of a jar of chow chow...( that the family were ignoring)... they look delish, will know soon as we are having beef burgers tonight, the other 5 meals plus 5 individual serves are going into the freezer once cooled.

Looking forward to some stress free meals mid week.

Edited by toadfish at 2:35 pm, Sat 12 Nov

toadfish - 2011-11-12 14:32:00

I love my credit card for Airpoints and everything goes on it (including my husbands business purchases). My daughters and I have booked 3 x return trips to the Gold Coast, all it cost was $480 on taxes plus accomodation.... yippeeee and we still have oodles left.

But its official, you can't top up with Countdown to get petrol coupons... still musn't complain.

toadfish - 2011-11-12 14:34:00

bumping a great thread

kexport - 2011-11-20 20:13:00

Xmas SHopping on the net, well my weekends tip is lists lists lists......I have just been to the genesis website and I had enough brownie points for $20 warehouse vouchers ( 1 nephew down) then I went to westpacs hotpoints page and had enough for another $20 warehouse vouchers ( another nephew down) new world had favourites choclates for $6 so both them are sweet, flybuys I had redeemed all my points I thought a couple of months ago for all the wedding booze but I still had 230 points left and that was enought to get a dvd/cd combination of the life and times of Billy T James so dad guess what, then I went through the 1 day website and man did they have some cheap books I got my niece the 4 ingredients cook book for $4 they are $24 dolars at the bookshop, a set of measuring cups and mesuring spoons and some 100/1000s and the coloured non perishables and 1 niece down, I have a huge family so scored a few xmas auctions on trade me for christmas themed tea towels and funny enought wine stoppers with santa and raindeers as theme so DIL's & 2 older nieces thats your lots with a lux body wash and loofa, hope they dont read this, kids well ones overseas so his went ages ago, and the one thats coming home, santa has a funny gift for him and then mum has practical gifts as they are setting up house, so apart from my boys gifts thats $52 bucks and , and for the MIL 1 day had a whole range of nives products now in the shops they are over $10 each on their website they were $2.99 so. SO im even impresed with myself, I love this time of year but do believe its the thought that counts........It all started when i thought favourites and warehouse vouchers all round then when i went to the bookshop and new world they didnt have any preloaded warehouse cards, bummer oh well ill have a look on the web and see if i can get anything......so shop around folks and save a bundle, ok you pay for postage but in some cases its worth it

kob - 2011-12-10 15:42:00

Bumping for the New Year.

Keep an eye out in the butchery section, the markdowns have been quite outstanding. The best and I wish I had brought more than 2 (There were about 8) was a size 24 (feeds 9) cranberry and orange stuffed chicken reduced from $20.99 to $8.40. And they also had skinless chicken thigh cutlets. I brought up large and managed to feed 15 people at a boxing day BBQ for about $20 for ALL the meat. I marinated it in Pateks Tandoori & yoghurt... there was enough for 2 per person and also I had brought 3 trays of 9 sausages.... all for the $20... Everyone raved about the chicken.
Got to love that. Plus the freezer is chocca with other markdowns.... Angus Beef stirfry, trim pork cubes, more chicken thighs, frankfurters, Topside Roast...and the best probably.....diced skinless boneless chicken breast.. about $2.50 for 350gms.... I will use 2 packs per meal and freeze a 5th meal each time as thats more weight than I normally would use.... Bargains Bargains Bargains.....
Has to help the budget.....

Edited by toadfish at 6:15 am, Sat 31 Dec

toadfish - 2011-12-31 06:14:00

I need to bump this thread to start reading from the start again

whiskey13 - 2012-01-04 15:25:00

Hi toadfish, just a quick question if I may, which supermarkets do you find best for reducing down their meat. I have a countdown near me and they never seem to reduce down anything in the meat department. Any suggestions as to which supermarkets and or time of day etc. I would ask them but it is probably a bit cheeky to do that do you think. Thanks.

microman33 - 2012-01-06 12:57:00

microman33 wrote:

Hi toadfish, just a quick question if I may, which supermarkets do you find best for reducing down their meat. I have a countdown near me and they never seem to reduce down anything in the meat department. Any suggestions as to which supermarkets and or time of day etc. I would ask them but it is probably a bit cheeky to do that do you think. Thanks.

Just thought I'd let you know that i have both a countdown and a New World close by and New World is the one i get my meat from. Sorry i know you were wanting toadfish to answer you.
The other week i got a family sized meat tray FULL of crumbed chicken tenderloins marked down from $42 to $21 and i counted over 16 pieces.They were quite thick pieces to not skinny. I got them home and packed them into smaller bags, there is only myself and mrwhickey (not to mention the dog lol)

whiskey13 - 2012-01-06 13:26:00

Hi whiskey many thanks for that. I appreciate any suggestions. I asked toadfish as she always seems to find the good deals. I had thought that maybe NW were the ones. There are not too many NW in west auckland though - I think only New Lynn in the west area. I know NW always used to be the one with the bread deals towards the end of the day. That was a good buy with the chicken tenderloins.

microman33 - 2012-01-06 14:02:00

microman33 wrote:

Hi toadfish, just a quick question if I may, which supermarkets do you find best for reducing down their meat. I have a countdown near me and they never seem to reduce down anything in the meat department. Any suggestions as to which supermarkets and or time of day etc. I would ask them but it is probably a bit cheeky to do that do you think. Thanks.

I reckon the best time is around 9.30am as the butcher at our NW seems to do the markdowns then once meat is fully stocked.

gardie - 2012-01-06 19:50:00

microman33 wrote:

Hi toadfish, just a quick question if I may, which supermarkets do you find best for reducing down their meat. I have a countdown near me and they never seem to reduce down anything in the meat department. Any suggestions as to which supermarkets and or time of day etc. I would ask them but it is probably a bit cheeky to do that do you think. Thanks.

I did some part time work at Countdown in the butchery department. Monday's were always a bit late for everything because they also had to do price changes for things on special that week but usually mark downs happened twice a day - one around9 - 10ish and then again around 3ish but it was always something that got done when everything else had been done and that could be dependant on meetings/short staffed etc etc. but it was certainly something that happened every day twice per day.

raewyn64 - 2012-01-06 20:02:00

microman33 wrote:

Hi toadfish, just a quick question if I may, which supermarkets do you find best for reducing down their meat. I have a countdown near me and they never seem to reduce down anything in the meat department. Any suggestions as to which supermarkets and or time of day etc. I would ask them but it is probably a bit cheeky to do that do you think. Thanks.

There seems to be no rhyme nor reason to when they reduce, I find if I call into pak'n'save on the way to work (about 8am) they often have RTC's (I think they do theres first thing), if i call in to New World at lunchtime... they often do... and whatever time of day I call in at Countdown I can strike it lucky. One thing i do know is that it doesn't seem to be last thing for meat, But if you visit the Bakery at Countdown after say 7.30pm you can stock up your freezer with rolls, specialty breads all at half price.

I have a Countdown just down the road and i make the point of cruising the meat aisle even if i go there for a 2 litre of milk..... just in case.
There is a certain thrill to striking it lucky just after they have been through marking it down... sad eh, but we must of saved $1000's over the years, my freezer is chocca at the moment.... not one thing full price.

toadfish - 2012-01-06 22:34:00

Thanks guys for your help. Toady I always seem to do the same thing as you with Countdown - cruise the meat aisle but their meat is normally so expensive and here if they reduce it down it is only by 50c - $1 when I seem to go and I think it is still way too expensive. I try to normally use the butchers for meat but live in hope of finding that illusive "bargain" in the meat aisle one day. Many thanks.

microman33 - 2012-01-07 11:17:00

toadfish wrote:

There seems to be no rhyme nor reason to when they reduce, I find if I call into pak'n'save on the way to work (about 8am) they often have RTC's (I think they do theres first thing), if i call in to New World at lunchtime... they often do... and whatever time of day I call in at Countdown I can strike it lucky. One thing i do know is that it doesn't seem to be last thing for meat, But if you visit the Bakery at Countdown after say 7.30pm you can stock up your freezer with rolls, specialty breads all at half price.

I have a Countdown just down the road and i make the point of cruising the meat aisle even if i go there for a 2 litre of milk..... just in case.
There is a certain thrill to striking it lucky just after they have been through marking it down... sad eh, but we must of saved $1000's over the years, my freezer is chocca at the moment.... not one thing full price.

I'm the same - love a RTC bargain!! I got a Lamb roast between xmas and new year that was $18 down from $40. Thought after I got home that I should have grabbed the other one that was also there. Got chicken tenderloins the other day at $4.70 down from $11.70.

32oscar - 2012-01-11 20:36:00

Freezing fresh tomatoes? Having a good year for tomatoes in the vege garden, and only 2 of us at home at the moment to eat them... cant keep up! Do I just freeze them whole and use them as I would tinned tomatoes later on, TIA
hey Toady, havnt been in touch with any of the old crew (from weightloss thread) for ages, sounds like you're doing well. Me... OK, got made redundent 2 weeks before xmas,and the money is starting to run out. $144 a week is not a lot to try and live on, thats why I came snooping in here:-)

dibble35 - 2012-01-12 16:11:00

Oh yeah I forgot I was going to mention the RTC meat, countdown resonably often has their pre packaged short dated bacon reduced to 1/2 price, i'm a bit fussy with bacon, like the good quality stuff so am really happy when I can pick up beehive streaky or similar for around $10kg, tend to buy lots for me and then more for my sister. Also Pak n save has some microwave indian curry meals on special this week for $1.99. I tried the butter chicken one and its good for a microwave curry.

dibble35 - 2012-01-12 16:16:00

I've frozen tomatoes just whole. As is, into plastic bags or cut in half and free flowed. Used only in stews and casseroles or sauces where they can thicken up as they can go watery. And yes there has been some great reductions at the supermarket if you catch them in time.
Bad luck about redundancy tho :-(

asue - 2012-01-12 16:23:00

This message was deleted.

elliehen - 2012-01-12 19:15:00

wow, took ages to find this, looking through the recipes I saw someone mention budget pasta - I have discovered that down here Pak n Save sell it all the time for .85cents unless on special, yet New world where I live sell it this week for $1.25! Quite a difference, that's my useless bit of info!

monofoil - 2012-01-16 21:39:00

true story, I have 9 plum trees and they are all so laden that I cannot pick them fast enough to make a difference, so all last week I was taking grocery bags full to town and just rendommly giving them away with the comment if you would like some more come pick them, well everyone loved the plums but guess what no one came down to pick any.
Now I took 6 bags and 6 ice cream containers full into our local market on monday $2,80 a bag and $2 a full icecream container and guess what 1 bag left and 3 containers....I am bit bumed cause although i am making money I wanted to give them away, school starts again soon and people could be stewing them and making all kinds of pudds or just for the freezer, go figure FREE no one wants anymore

kob - 2012-01-18 12:32:00

Moved house in September & I so miss my neighbour asking me to help myself to their plums.

lindylambchops1 - 2012-01-18 12:36:00

Well if you lived closer Kob I would come and get some. Love plums but my trees havnt got much on them - only young trees, next year is going to be the year for fully laden trees..... better be anyway :-)

dibble35 - 2012-01-18 15:01:00

Got a few people coming down today to pick them, so all is good, BUT just rips my undies that no one wants to do it really really its like your begging them, I mean these are yummo tasting plums better than any grocery shop variety, but when I pick them and offer them to them its magic. I would offer to courier but i did that for oldest son and I sent on a thurs and he recieved them on tues and they had been in box for 5 days and altho were ok not the best so im iffiey about sending them now

kob - 2012-01-19 06:51:00

Pity you cant put a 'pick your own plums' sign and charge $5 a bag or something. You cant trust some people now adays though, once they know you have fruit trees and when the fruit will be ripe they pinch it... Lady i met who had a farm with lots of fruit trees, every year someone would come on a fruit raid and strip her apple trees bare in the middle of the night, she spends a lot of time overseas, but still... cheeky buggers.

dibble35 - 2012-01-19 12:01:00

yer thats the thing I want to be in charge of when people come and go and plus I have a big big dog and if they bring their kids I want to make sure he is behaved so I can tie him up if need be, we are a very public house anyway so would not want signs up as we would attract alot of waffs and strays im guessing, just want to move some plums, im getting there tho I have climbed the ladder and picked picked picked 3 trees so cant go any higher on those, so 6 trees to go

kob - 2012-01-19 12:53:00

kob at my old house we had one large plum tree.
I would throw many of them in the freezer as the ripened but I got to a stage where I was giving them to the neighbours and taking them to the foodbank and retirement villages just to move them on. But what I found funny was that the neighbours who had children, the children did not like the taste of the plum. But I loved them - massive large ones, red and juicy.

raewyn64 - 2012-01-19 15:22:00

what a shame
we have a great market on sat up north and look forward to people just like you who bring all there lovely produce
the market is packed every week!
mondays seem a strange day to do it
our local warehouse has it their carpark and there are always tonnes of people and produce
so nice!

pheebs1 - 2012-01-19 15:34:00

foodbank dont want them, I have tried, but if I made them into jam or bottles them that would be another story, many years ago the presbiterian church would come down and get a trailer load full and then they would have a jam day and donate all the jam to the foodbank, great thing I say BUT not any more. I rang the FB and said I was overloaded with plums and would they like some and their response was more like oh not really, cause they will go bad to quickly so ask your self whats a well endoured Plum woman to do lol

kob - 2012-01-19 15:35:00

put little bags out at the gate .. Write free plums on a bit of cardboard . they should go.
We do that now with everything rather than donate to the op shops who are charging even more for second used goods, than the shops that sell new. Everything has been taken, no returns. We do take the plug off electrical goods, to safeguard ourselves.

pickles7 - 2012-01-19 15:55:00

I've done that with a few things Pickles, house lot of quite grotty carpet and underlay, sign was out for 1/2 hr before some guy said hed take the lot for his garage, and a whole lot of empty clean 10L plastic paint pails with the lids, just put them out at the gate and gone few days later. Saved us time, petrol and dump fees so all good, and someone else is happy.

dibble35 - 2012-01-19 16:37:00

what about your local churches?
take them on a sunday leave in the foyer
when people did that at our church food dissapeared and people were so grateful
you must not live in an area of need? which i hard to fathom i would have thought anyone would love some!
i miss our plum tree
out kids use to climb up there and much away
i think its such a blessing to have that kind of thing

pheebs1 - 2012-01-19 20:02:00

I'm a bit over run with tomatoes at the moment, have frozen some but dont want to do to many, so took some into my sisters work today along with some new potatoes. Lady at the gym I go to took some as well, so hopefully none will go to waste. I should really gobuy some feta cheese and make a feta and tomato salad, nothing nicer.

dibble35 - 2012-01-19 20:27:00

yes I agree pheebs we are in a town of need, the food bank here is thriving, but I want people to come pick the plums, I wont charge them to do so, I work two jobs so if I pick the plums for the gate the superseeds the purpose, i picked a few and took them to the market and used the bases of picking for $15 a hour so if it took me one hour what ever I picked needed to make me $15, I just think its a waste when you buy that unt tasteing crap at the supermarket and for 5 mins drive out of town I have heaps of free plums and no one wants them, my project this year was to use them if I could in any way shape or form OR the trees might as well be cut down as it makes such a mess and attracts wasps which im allergic too. If im picking them and distributing them, I have better things to do with my time. Unless im accounted for and once you say sure ill pick you a bag for $4 they say no its ok well try and get down but pick a bag and no charge sweet.....dont get me wrong ive given away about 30 bags so far and when I have the free time will pick until my hearts content,it just upsets me when we were short of cash I scrounged the neighbourhood for free fruit or veges to make ends meet but no one else seem as keen

kob - 2012-01-20 07:52:00

if there is anyone in the Tauranga area with a glut of any produce I am more than happy to come and relieve you of some. We shifted properties a year ago and I really miss my old plum tree at the old place (we have put in a whole lot of fruit trees at our new place but they are going to take a few years to do anything exciting) and my vege garden just has not taken off at all this year with all the rain we have had.
Am happy to make a donation :)

raewyn64 - 2012-01-20 07:55:00

kob wrote:

yes I agree pheebs we are in a town of need, the food bank here is thriving, but I want people to come pick the plums, I wont charge them to do so, I work two jobs so if I pick the plums for the gate the superseeds the purpose, i picked a few and took them to the market and used the bases of picking for $15 a hour so if it took me one hour what ever I picked needed to make me $15, I just think its a waste when you buy that unt tasteing crap at the supermarket and for 5 mins drive out of town I have heaps of free plums and no one wants them, my project this year was to use them if I could in any way shape or form OR the trees might as well be cut down as it makes such a mess and attracts wasps which im allergic too. If im picking them and distributing them, I have better things to do with my time. Unless im accounted for and once you say sure ill pick you a bag for $4 they say no its ok well try and get down but pick a bag and no charge sweet.....dont get me wrong ive given away about 30 bags so far and when I have the free time will pick until my hearts content,it just upsets me when we were short of cash I scrounged the neighbourhood for free fruit or veges to make ends meet but no one else seem as keen

Oh man!! I soooo wish I was in your area - I would LOVE to come and pick them. Love summer stone fruit :)

32oscar - 2012-01-20 13:36:00

.

gilligee - 2012-02-05 18:08:00

No one posting at the moment. Well now I am on a super budget, the money has run out....well nearly. At the moment I am living off the food in the freezer and pantry and the veg out of the garden. Just having to buy bread and milk. But I cant stop craving sweet things, so going thru the old Edmonds cook book cakes and biscuits section..... Looking at all the recipes till I find something new that I happen to have all the ingrediants for. Made something called caramel date slice.... was interesting, father and nephew both love it, but I prefer the peanut brownies.

dibble35 - 2012-02-06 09:39:00

I know how you feel. We are living out of our freezer, cupboards and garden at the moment as we are about to sign for 20 acres and we're paying for all the legal stuff for the person selling it (sister in law) and shes knocking those expenses off the asking price of the land. Once we sign, I'll be able to get all my fruit trees out of their pots and get them into the ground.I have plum, peach,nectarine, apricot, green gage, fig, apple, mandarin, tangelo, cherry. Then I'll have a berry patch, blueberry, raspberry, blackberry, gooseberry, cranberry, goji berry. and a grapevine. I'll also have chickens and a house cow that I'll share the milk with my sister in law. At the moment I'm going throu all my baking books looking for a weetbix slice. I nearly forgot the lemon tree that a cutting has been started from and that will go out to West Eyreton too :)

Edited by whiskey13 at 11:15 am, Mon 6 Feb

whiskey13 - 2012-02-06 11:14:00

Wish I owned a place like the one you are gonna buy whiskey. My dream really..... one day! Got made redundent just before xmas, have been living off my last few pays and the beneifit but finally getting very low on funds. Looking for work that'll fit round the P/Time course I want to do. Was looking at homecare/help work but the pay is so low and theres all the time/travel between jobs, might as go work in the local supermarket... thats if they are hireing.

dibble35 - 2012-02-06 11:27:00

Hi dibble35. You could do what a friend of mine does. She goes to the salvation army when they have "fill a bag for $1" clothes and gives them a wash then on sells them on TM. Or buy bulk auctions and sell the stuff separately.Can you knit and sell (maybe baby beanies) or buy a packet of seeds and sell seedlings.Dig up plants in the garden and divide and replant one and sell the others.All this can be for spare cash if you can only do part time work because of the course you want to do. Don't knock supermarket work, it maybe enough to get your foot in the door, so to speak

whiskey13 - 2012-02-06 11:38:00

Not knocking it :-)... worked at Woolies for a few years as a youngster, enjoyed it, great way to meet people. Already doing the selling thing on Trademe, been going thru my stuff and selling what I no longer need. Just need a kick up the bum to go out and get that job. Have had a nice long summer off but need to get serious now... bit hard to live on $145 a week

dibble35 - 2012-02-06 12:42:00

If anyone has lemons to sell I would be happy to buy about 3 kilos.if not too far to travel. Im in Christchurch east area.

joy1010 - 2012-02-06 13:23:00

sorry joy i can only do about 10 single lemons (not kilos) I'm in Belfast

whiskey13 - 2012-02-06 13:33:00

This message was deleted.

elliehen - 2012-02-12 20:58:00