Bargain Spotting

In our survey earlier this year, one of the findings was that some of you have difficulties getting your children to eat tomatoes.  That’s a real shame as they are packed with vitamins A and C.  Yet, we can see the children’s point!  All too often the tomatoes we buy in the shops are under-ripe and lacking in taste.  So why not show your children how delicious, juicy and sweet tomatoes can be by getting them to help you grow some tomato plants this year?

Don’t bother with growing from seed, just buy a couple of nice plants from your local garden centre for £1 to £1.50 each.  Gardener’s Delight is a good variety to start with, producing loads of lovely sweet cherry tomatoes.  The plants may need putting into a medium size pot with more compost straight after purchase, then into a large pot when they’ve grown some more.  Some varieties can be planted outdoors after all risk of frost has gone, but you’ll probably find you get a better crop if you can keep them in a greenhouse or conservatory.  Other than that, just:

• Feed once per week with special tomato feed (from garden centres and DIY stores) once flowers have appeared;
• Tie in the main stems of vine-types of tomatoes, cutting off the side shoots that grow at a 45 degree angle between the main stem and side branches (otherwise, they sap the plants of energy).
• Give them plenty of water, often 1-2 times per day in hot weather – a good way to get your child involved.
• Harvest the tomatoes when lovely and red

And pretend you haven’t seen your children stuffing them in their mouths!

Here’s our latest list of some of the best family food special offers at UK supermarkets.  Hope they save you some money!  If you see any good bargains yourself, please post them on our Facebook page.

Morrison’s

• 150g asparagus half price at £1
• 2 bunches of salad onions for £1 (or 84p each)
• whole Galia melon half price at £1
• 3 x 410g cans Branston baked beans for £1 (68p each)
• 1kg Buitoni penne pasta half price at £1.14
• 500g Napolina extra-virgin olive oil half price at £1.89

The Co-op

• Danepak thick cut bacon half price at £1.59
• Gino D’Acampo pepperoni pizza at a special price of £2
• Hovis 12 soft white rolls down from £1.49 to £1
• 2 x 350g Lake District Cheddar cheese for £4.09 – delicious

Waitrose

• 300g medium Cheddar cheese down from £2.49 to £1.66
• 500g chicken breast down from £6.89 to £4.59
• 1l Kelly’s clotted cream ice cream half price at £1.99
• 900m Yeo Valley organic frozen strawberry yogurt half price at £1.74
• 340g Rowse light & mild honey down from £2.59 to £1.72
• 1l Ribena half price at £1.43
• 160 Typhoo round tea bags down half price at £1.89

Asda

• Mission 8 soft flour tortillas down from £1.56 to £1
• 500g Lurpak spreadable down from £2.98 to £2

Sainsbury’s – until 22 May

• 250g asparagus half price at £1.50
• 250g Normandy camembert down from £1.75 to £1
• 1kg Jersey Royal potatoes half price at £1.50
• Large crackling pork leg joint (approx 2kg) down from £13.38 to £8.90
• 120g Lyons smoked salmon half price at £2.99
• Weetabix Weetos on 2 for 1 at £2.50

Tesco

• Discovery tortillas down from £1.59 to 63p
• Large pack of Jersey Royals half price at £1.24 until 20 May
• 500g Clover half price at 97p
• 350g Pilgrims Choice Cheddar cheese half price at £2.24
• Pizza Express 8″ Margherita pizzas half price at £2
• 4 x Branston baked beans half price at £1.27
• 1kg Napolina spaghetti half price at £1.09

This week we welcome a guest post from James at Moneysavingzone, who’s come up with some great tips for cutting your food bill:

Shopping! Some of you love it some of you hate it. If you have a hectic lifestyle you can always have your shopping delivered for free. In fact, you can have it delivered if you’re just plain lazy or you hate shopping.

However you  view it, shopping is pretty much a necessity (unless you’re a monk living on some remote Scottish island that humanity hasn’t touched for two centuries).Personally, I like to get out to the shops to see what’s on offer. Sure, you can check it out on the web but where’s the fun in that.

The only problem is the ever increasing cost of living. It’s not just our fuel costs that continue to rise: the price of food creeps ever higher. What can you and I do about it? Well, there’s not a lot we can do about the prices but there are a few simple steps we can take to cut back on how much we spend. Let’s take a look.

Make A ShoppingList

A shopping list is a key ingredient that will help you keep you on track. Think of it like a plan; without one thing’s could go horribly wrong. True, Von Moltke did say that a plan never survives contact with the enemy (I’m not sure he was talking about Tesco but who knows?). But at least you refer back to it if things start to wrong and your shopping backs takes on the mass of the European food mountain!

Stop Lurking: Get In, Shop, Pay And Get Out

As you stroll through the abundantly aisles your senses are aroused by many aromas. The sweet scent of summer fruits, the delicious twang of fresh herbs…. don’t falter. It’s a trap! A supermarket is a business and what do businesses want? Your money!

Stores are laid out in such a way that they entice you ever deeper into the bowels of the money making machine. The cheapest goods are at the entrance and the more expensive items further into the store. The moment you stall you’re trapped. Buy what you need and get out (and don’t be tempted by the enticing smell of oranges…. mmm!)

The Mark Of The Beast

Ok, we’re not really going talk about Old Nick but there is a mark to beware of: the BRAND! Branded goods are more expensive. A lot of money has gone into marketing a product that you’ll instantly recognise. Marketing costs money and this investment needs to be clawed back. This results in higher prices.

Skip the big brand products and go for value labels or simply shop at low cost convenience stores. You never know, you might actually prefer “McTavish’s Fruity Highland Shortbread” over the overpriced, original brand.

Side Step The Supermarket Rip Offs

Next time you walk through a supermarket have a look at the layout. Can you see how the aisles are lain out in a way that draws you deeper into the store? Think of yourself as the hapless moth drawn towards the alluring scent of a mate. Wings beating, you drive yourself forward into your mates warm embrace…. wrong! You drive yourself into the heart of the spider’s web.

Once you’re in the trap the supermarket spider will… I’ll leave that to your imagination! Don’t be fooled by what retailers call “loss leaders”. Make your list, get in, shop and get out whilst restraining the urge to buy those ugly, unwanted mock-camel skin slippers!

Take The Bus To The Shops

This has nothing to do with saving money on your fuel bills. Ok, it has little bit to with fuel bills as you’ll save money by not driving but that’s not the point I’m trying to make. Shopping bags can get heavy and I mean heavy. Now imagine having a weighty plastic shopping bag handle cutting into you hand as you walk to the bus station. Not a nice thought, is it?

If you leave your car at home you’ll think twice before you try to buy the equivalent of you own bodyweight in food!

My name is James and, most of the time, I spend days writing about ways to save extra cash over at my blog, www.moneysavingzone.co.uk. Why not come over and pay me a visit some time? See you there.

Just a quick reminder that you only have until tomorrow to spend £60 in Sainsbury’s to be in with a chance of winning a family ticket for the fabulous Jubilee Family Festival on 2-3 June.

The festival sounds amazing, with Disney performing for the first time ever outside its theme parks.  Cant’t wait!  See you there!

For more details go to http://www.sainsburys-live-well-for-less.co.uk/occasions/queen’s-diamond-jubilee/

Now Easter is over, the Jubilee holiday is the next big thing on the horizon.  We at Menus4Mums can’t wait for the Jubilee Family Festival in Hyde Park, London, on 2-3 June.  For the first time in history, Disney will be performing live outside of its Parks.  Not only that but Strictly Come Dancing and WarHorse will be live on stage too!

The Festival promises to be truly spectacular, with loads of other family entertainment over the weekend.  Best of all, Sainsbury’s are giving away 500 family tickets every day until 17 April in a nationwide ballot.  All you have to do is spend £60 or more at Sainsbury’s and enter their online ballot.

Hurry though!  There’s just 10 days left to enter.  For more details, click through to Sainsbury’s website.