I decided to get a bit of advice in this area due to my situation. I have been keeping a tally the last few months on my outgoings for food. It seems that I am spending an average of $1000 + this month,and still have another week to go.

Last month I spent $1409.

This is a combo of grocery store and take away food. The problem I have is that I get home at about 5:30 pm. My husband gets home at 7-7:30 from work. I have tons of chores to do when I get home,and I also have to help with homework,reading,bath,dog, and hopefully 10-15 minutes on my treadmill. When I cook, I also do all the washing up, and I actually get in bed at 9 pm,exhausted from all of this.

The one thing I can skimp on is the cooking now and then. Sometimes I'd rather outlay 60 dollars on takeaway or chinese, than do the cooking.


Unfortunately I am a one woman show as they say. I do ALL the chores and work a full day too. So I need ideas,recipes to make cooking easier,simpler etc. My husband is also a big eater unfortunately and gets rather cranky with me when there isn't a dinner for him. So I try really hard to make dinner or have dinner ready every night. If it were up to me I'd have a cup of noodle soup now and again with a piece of fruit and me tea, I would be sweet all night!

But with 2 men in my life, food...food...food.... is all they seem to want from me!!

SIZE="7"]HELP!![/SIZE]

What's a working mother to do these days?

The other issue we have in Australia is that there is a monopoly in the supermarket situation. Coles and Woolworths control everything here in Sydney. Not too long ago banannas had gone up to $15.00 a kilo. Food is getting real expensive. Just 2 or 3 years ago I was spending $130 at grocery store,now its like $170 for the same stuff.

We don't have "Costco" bulk buying places here, (as yet that is), everything from America is slowly making it's way to Sydney so I am sure it's only a matter of time.

Any advice on recepies or what to cook that's quick would be great.

Thank you