[Zutto]

Originally Posted by Caz42

I'm surprised there still seems to be so many smokers on BB this year as so many people have given up now that they so expensive and health implications are much better understood.

I buy all ready made frozen type of food and pre packed salads, for me life is too short to cook from scratch

life is even shorter if you don't eat healthy food and live on frozen ready meals

[Paace]

Originally Posted by Penny Crayon

Hmmmmmmmmm - rex was a chef - when he was in charge of the food budget he blew the lot on BB surprises. That was classic!

Rex was a completely different character . He was definitely assertive and from what I remember a bit of a stirrer, similar to Caroline.

[Caz42]

Originally Posted by Zutto

life is even shorter if you don't eat healthy food and live on frozen ready meals

Maybe, but it will still seem longer as I won't know how much I've missed by dying early as I'll be dead

[Caz42]

Originally Posted by Enidan

Sounds delicious. (I am finally able to use the licking the lips smiley)

It's the 'just joking' smiley is it not.

[WhatJoeThinks]

Originally Posted by Caz42

I buy all ready made frozen type of food and pre packed salads, for me life is too short to cook from scratch

The problem with those salads is that they are sold in Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP) where the air inside the bag has been replaced with other gases. Basically the oxygen has been removed and replaced with CO2 or nitrogen. Whilst this increases the shelf life and stops the salad wilting it doesn't actually stop the breakdown of vitamins. The practical upshot is that you're eating old salad devoid of nutritional value that's artificially crisp. If you could see how limp and lifeless it really is you wouldn't eat it. And the really sad thing is that these gases are not considered as ingredients/additives at all, so the manufacturers get away with it.

[Anthony_Burns]

Originally Posted by wonkeydonkey

Why they didn't put basic foods at the top and treats lower down I can't imagine. I would have been cross to see that mountain of biscuits and half the dinner ingredients crossed off.

I would have thought it was fairly basic logic myself, but maybe they have been selected on the basis of person or persons most likely to get themselves hilariously malnourished on national TV ... Were I in there, I think I would have had no option but to be a right old tyrant with that shopping list.

[stargazer61]

Originally Posted by Anthony_Burns

I would have thought it was fairly basic logic myself, but maybe they have been selected on the basis of person or persons most likely to get themselves hilariously malnourished on national TV ... Were I in there, I think I would have had no option but to be a right old tyrant with that shopping list.

Hello Carole! How ya doing?

[Enidan]

Originally Posted by WhatJoeThinks

The problem with those salads is that they are sold in Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP) where the air inside the bag has been replaced with other gases. Basically the oxygen has been removed and replaced with CO2 or nitrogen. Whilst this increases the shelf life and stops the salad wilting it doesn't actually stop the breakdown of vitamins. The practical upshot is that you're eating old salad devoid of nutritional value that's artificially crisp. If you could see how limp and lifeless it really is you wouldn't eat it. And the really sad thing is that these gases are not considered as ingredients/additives at all, so the manufacturers get away with it.

Also ready washed salads are washed in highly chlorinated water so the consumer is basically eating bleech.

[Anthony_Burns]

Originally Posted by stargazer61

Hello Carole! How ya doing?

Pretty good, apart from the unexpected sex change since my last message ... I gather that shopping list-based autocracy has already been attempted, then?

[ligloo]

What would BB do if they spent ALL their budget on alcohol and 15 baked potatoes and a lump of cheese? They let Harry order how many bananas last year, could they really say no?

[Teddybear99]

Originally Posted by Enidan

Sounds delicious. (I am finally able to use the licking the lips smiley)

I always thought it was a poking tongue aka na na na na na smiley.

[Teddybear99]

Originally Posted by ligloo

What would BB do if they spent ALL their budget on alcohol and 15 baked potatoes and a lump of cheese? They let Harry order how many bananas last year, could they really say no?

There used to be a rule that they could only spend a certain percentage on alcohol. I remember the days of BB1 and 2 where they were so careful with the budget and always made sure there was enough for a few cheap bottles of cider on eviction night.

[Phil O'Sopher]

It's only £33.33/person. There are 15 people left in the house. I spend more than that per week and I live alone and don't eat that much and only weigh 56 Kg. So £500 is not that lavish. I imagine Becky eats more than £33 worth of food in a day!

[Rose*~*]

Originally Posted by bex78

I don't understand why they don't meal plan, there's a chef in there for christs sake!

It's almost as if the shopping list comes as a complete surprise. Surely they've all watched the show before and know how it's done? You can't not meal plan when you're on a budget and have more-than-the-average-family to feed.

[Heyyouoverthere]

Originally Posted by green855

I spend £60 twice a week on 5 people lol

I bet it is all freah cooking too. I don't over spend on shopping either. But I do think £500 for a weekly shop is quite a lot and very telling with the amount of biscuits and rubbish junk food they had.

[Rose*~*]

Originally Posted by Enidan

500g of pasta at ASDA is 30p, so 3kg is £1.80.

You'd think that. But you go and have a look in supermarkets today, most larger bags or bottles actually work out more expensive than buying smaller packaging. It makes absolutely no sense, and people will reach for the bigger jar or box automatically thinking they'll get a better deal, but very often if you have a look you'll see that buying small works out cheaper.

[Cornchips]

Originally Posted by WhatJoeThinks

Or is it just that you aren't in charge of the shopping? The price of food has climbed so much in the past 12 months that I now find myself retrospectively calculating how much I've spent/eaten per day and I've made a concerted effort to bring the price down. I now eat on average £5/day, eat very healthily and certainly never go hungry. I can now add to the pleasure of cooking for myself every day the pleasure of doing it on a budget. £4.76/day is just right, IMO.

I think the problem with this lot (and lots before them) is that they don't spend wisely. they all want to get in with their own preferences instead of thinking logically about what they can cook for everyone and what will be healthy and fill them at the same time. the best year for food was in BB5 when Shell basically took charge and ordered good healthy food for them all and cooked for them all and they all managed to eat quite well for their money pass or fail. Problem is this year (like other years before) everyone wants to be in charge and everyone wants their way. I am sure that they would fair much better if they allowed two or three of them who know what they are doing (possibly Luke A given he is a chef) to take charge and order for them all (maybe even giving so much per person for them to buy their own rubbish). when you get people whinging they have no fizzy pop and not enough crisps you know there are going to be problems.

If they shop properly and with thought then they can probably do quite well for their £500. As soon as you start adding biscuits, pop and crisps to the mix your money isn't going to go very far.

For me personally I do shop extravagantly but I could cut my bills radically if I wanted to and if I went back to basics like my mum used to have to do.

[Cornchips]

Originally Posted by Phil O'Sopher

It's only £33.33/person. There are 15 people left in the house. I spend more than that per week and I live alone and don't eat that much and only weigh 56 Kg. So £500 is not that lavish. I imagine Becky eats more than £33 worth of food in a day!

Also I don't think they benefit from being able to shop around or buy in bulk. the prices on the list sometimes seem somewhat inflated (or they have done in the past when we had live feed) and they used to have small bags of things as opposed to larger bags which are better value for money.

[Teddybear99]

Originally Posted by Rose*~*

You'd think that. But you go and have a look in supermarkets today, most larger bags or bottles actually work out more expensive than buying smaller packaging. It makes absolutely no sense, and people will reach for the bigger jar or box automatically thinking they'll get a better deal, but very often if you have a look you'll see that buying small works out cheaper.

Yes - it seems to be the new way to con shoppers - in our local Morrisons 12 cans of Diet Coke were £4 24 cans were £9.50. I have noticed it with other things as well.

The only way to deal with it is to spend time checking them all out, and walking around with a calculator! The Supermarkets bargain on the fact that most people don't have time to do that.

[Rose*~*]

Tesco does it too, on tons of products. Or, they up a price on something, only for it to be 'on sale' at the original price a few weeks later. Bastards!

[jojo the joyful]

If any of them had an ounce of maturity or common sense it would be easy.

I try to feed my family of 5 on @ £4 a day for the main meal. Some times it goes over, sometimes it is less.

Example, I buy a box of Marco Pierre Whites chicken stock pots but only use a couple at a time., add water, mixed herbs, chilli powder and pepper, add some frozen value mixed veg and some pasta & there is a tasty fillying nutricios cheep dinner.

I make my own bread and rolls.

Jacket potato scooped out and mixed with bacon and cheese is scrummy.

On that budget they could buy their food, toilet rolls, fags and alcohol. Cheep sugars eg biscuits and crisps are a waste of money and make them spotty.

[shimmyandashake]

I love this thread. Not great to read when you're starving though!

[Doug Lewis]

Originally Posted by Phil O'Sopher

It's only £33.33/person. There are 15 people left in the house. I spend more than that per week and I live alone and don't eat that much and only weigh 56 Kg. So £500 is not that lavish. I imagine Becky eats more than £33 worth of food in a day!

Lolol.

[ArwenEvenstar]

Originally Posted by hisdogspot

I spend about £200 on four of us every week ... and that's not extravagent, it's an ASDA shop, not Marks and Spencer

Their 'looxury' budget is shite !

Wow £200 a week?!?
I spend about £80 a week in Aldis for 4 of us (that also includes 2 dogs, cat, cleaning and laundry products etc.)