© British Nutrition Foundation 2005 – BNF Food Life Skillswww.nutrition.org.uk Budgeting Module Number: 14

© British Nutrition Foundation 2005 – BNF Food Life Skillswww.nutrition.org.uk Plan ahead Work out how much you’ve got to spend on food in a week. Be realistic. Cooking your own food is cheaper than buying it ready prepared. Check what cooking equipment you’ve got. Plan your shopping before you go – make a shopping list.

© British Nutrition Foundation 2005 – BNF Food Life Skillswww.nutrition.org.uk Plan ahead Try to buy only what you need – or you might throw food away. Share the cost of large items with flatmates or friends. Cooking in larger quantities can help money to go further. Why not cook together, or cook a larger portion and freeze a batch of food.

© British Nutrition Foundation 2005 – BNF Food Life Skillswww.nutrition.org.uk Buy basics and be smart Look out for foods that have a long shelf-life, like pasta, rice and noodles. These can form the basis of lots of meals and are cheap to buy. Go for different cuts of meat, e.g. chicken legs are cheaper than breast.

© British Nutrition Foundation 2005 – BNF Food Life Skillswww.nutrition.org.uk Buy basics and be smart Get frozen vegetables so you can use what you want and store the rest. Long life 100% fruit juice is cheaper than freshly squeezed. It’s much cheaper to buy basic ingredients and make your own meals.

© British Nutrition Foundation 2005 – BNF Food Life Skillswww.nutrition.org.uk Price wise Compare prices. Your local greengrocer or market might have some special offers and bargains. Buy supermarkets own brands and economy ranges, e.g. canned tomatoes, sweetcorn. Shop seasonally – it is cheaper to buy fruit and vegetables grown in season around the UK.

© British Nutrition Foundation 2005 – BNF Food Life Skillswww.nutrition.org.uk 5p off, 50% free!!! Special offers are great, but don’t buy food just because it’s on offer – you might not use it. Look out for 3 for 2, money off or x% extra deals. Check that you can store these for when you need them. Keep your eyes peeled for offers late in the day, often supermarkets reduce their prices.

© British Nutrition Foundation 2005 – BNF Food Life Skillswww.nutrition.org.uk Cook, freeze, eat … Cook from scratch – it will save you money. Cook large quantities of some recipes and freeze batches for another time, e.g. chilli, stew, curry, lasagne, pasta dishes. Make recipes go further by adding beans, pulses or seasonal vegetables to your cooking, e.g. Sheppard's pie, spaghetti bolognese, stir-fry, pie fillings.

© British Nutrition Foundation 2005 – BNF Food Life Skillswww.nutrition.org.uk Cook, freeze, eat … Ensure that your meals are based on starchy foods, such as rice, pasta, potatoes and bread – these help you to have a balanced diet, plus are good value. Grate cheese to make it go further. Save leftovers for another meal – but make sure you store it properly.

© British Nutrition Foundation 2005 – BNF Food Life Skillswww.nutrition.org.uk © British Nutrition Foundation 2005