I started this month with the delivery of my latest Approved Foods order (see the link on the sidebar if you want to nip over there yourself to see what goodies are available today). I was tempted over by the reduced price Pickled Onions, 3 jars for 99p saving me almost £5 on the shop price, unfortunately I only got the last three jars I really wanted more, and as you can see while I was there I bought a few other things too.
Balti Sauces - 50p - saving £7.14
Lloyd Grossman Madras Sauces - 50p saving £8.94.
Oxos - 10 for £1, saving £6.80
McCoys Crisps - 5 for £1, saving £1.95
Walkers Crisps - 36 for £5.94, saving £12.06
Cheese Sauce Mix 2kg - 2 for £1.50, saving £18.48
As I had credits in my Approved Foods account and just enough to cover the rest in my Paypal account after my recent charity donations ...
... I got my food for free :-)
To be honest I'm not totally sure what I intend to do with 4kg of Cheese Sauce Mix, but I guess lots of cheesey pasta bakes would be nice alongside our homegrown salads through the summer, I'll have to experiment with it, although any ideas would be gratefully received.
I have decided to photograph and put on here receipts for all the food I buy from now on, for my own records and so you can see that I am really sticking to this years tight budget. I just have to get out of the habit of throwing them away once I have checked them at the supermarket (or out of the Approved Foods box). I hate bits of paper in my purse so I stand and check the receipt and the coupons etc before I leave the shop and deposit all unwanted scraps of paper straight into their bin.
I must remember to tuck them in my bag instead!!
Somehow the larder cupboard has managed to hold most of the new purchases thank goodness as I like my now uncluttered worktops in the kitchen.
So the current £2 House Keeping Challenge money left in the tin now stands at £127 and all these new purchases should help it last even longer.
If you use them what was your best ever bargain from Approved Foods? Mine I would have to say was the mistaken purchase of 12.5kg of Chocolate Sponge Mix mentioned yesterday, as well as keeping Lovely Hubby supplied with chocolate cakes it has made us lots of money and paid for itself over and over.
Sue xx
I can't think of one particular thing that was absolutely the best bargain, but I am regularly amazed at how much money you can save by buying from them. I must admit that I especially like some of the toiletries. I did get six bars of Neutrogena soap for £1.49 which I thought a really good deal. I haven't used them yet I must admit, as I'm still using the 4 Dettol soaps I got in one of my very first £1 lucky boxes along with lots of other things.
ReplyDeleteActually, I think some of the best deals have had to be cases of breakfast bars for £2 and other similar deals on cereal bars and Soreen snack packs. They are great for my daughters packed lunches.
I've just thought of probably the best deal I got which was for black peppercorns. Two 880g jars for £1.20 which I am nowhere near getting through. I gave one away to a friend as I couldn't use them all and to illustrate the bargains that can be had from the site. They now shop there too.
Yes, we've had some of the breakfast bars too, that was a brilliant buy compared to the supermarket cost.
DeleteI've never been lucky enough to get a Lucky Box, they always seem to put them up just after I've ordered, most frustrating :-(
Yes, I got 2 buckets of cheese sauce mix, it isn't bad, but I thought it was 350 gr, not 3500 gr, we now have enough for several decades of cauliflower cheese, and plenty left over to experiment with.
ReplyDeleteMaybe in fishermans pie? Mix in to bashed potatoes? Bacon potato bake?
That's what I did with the Chocolate Sponge Mix, thought it was 2.5kg and it turned out to be 12.5kg, it seems to be a never ending bag. I've weighed it all out and I have enough to make 60 more chocolate muffins to sell at the next car boot sale.
DeleteCheese sauce on any veg transforms it into something special!
ReplyDeleteMy best bargain turned out to be vegetarian jelly crystals (in fact I've just blogged about using it!!) The 3500g size didn't really register when I ordered but I've since worked out that 3.5 KILOS of powder for £1.99 makes it work out at 1p per serving.
I've been experimenting with it and making new desserts :-)
I just nipped over and had a look, that's a LOT of Jelly :-)
DeleteNow you're on my sidebar too :-)
you could make a form of dauphinoise potatoes, my sister does this. And you could garnish with a small amount of crispy bacon for your OH.
ReplyDeleteOr what about vegetable crumble? use the sauce in a bag of frozen veg and then add a savoury crumble top with added cornflakes for something extra.
macaroni.
Sorry cant think of anymore, ive never eaten cheese/dairy, so I have no idea what this would taste like
Veggie crumble sounds like a really good idea, and I like the ideia of simple cheesy potatoes :-)
DeleteThere is something so comforting about a well stocked larder :) Great purchases, I would like to give Approved Foods a try.
ReplyDeleteBest wishes.
It's well worth it for a good stock up every now and then, there's been nothing that I've been disappointed with really.
DeleteIf you use the link on my sidebar to register and do your first order (doesn't have to be at the same time) I get a credit for recommending you. Once you have bought off them you can add a link to your own Blog and do the same :-)
My best bargain rom approved foods was naan breads- I thought I was ordering a pack of 2 large ones for 99p. I discovered when I opened that parcel I had in fact got 12 packs of 2 for 99p. I had ordered 2 lots, so 48 naan breads for £1.98!!
ReplyDeleteI know you don't eat meat but thought you could adapt this; I use a cheese sauce (actually a vegan cheese sauce as my DH can't eat cheese) to top pancakes stuffed with chicken or chicken and bacon pie filling. You could maybe do veg in cheese sauce, quorn bolognaise or chilli or a lentil/tomato mix to fill pancakes (I like to make buckwheat pancakes) then covered in cheese sauce and baked in the oven.
ReplyDeleteMy best ever AF bargains include gluten free pasta at about half price, TONS of it; naan bread for DH, 10 orange jellies for £1, still have one left...oh loads really. My trouble is that if I buy chocolate or crisps I will eat them far too quickly!