6000 meals under 50p in 2010; feeding your family on a low budget

mark55man
mark55man Posts: 7,889
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edited 9 March 2010 at 8:31PM in Old style MoneySaving
Hi - so this is a personal challenge, but anybody wants to join in I would be more than happy.

There are 6 in our household and than means 6 x 3meals a day x 30 days in a month x 12 months in a year = 6480 meals this year. I want to set myself a challenge of how many of those meals can be under 50p. Now my target is to get 90% of those meals under 50p ie around 6000

For breakfast (which is always cheap) - I don't see a problem as I have a nose for cheap cereal.
For lunch - weekdays will be lunch box challenge under 50p each and weekends tend to be cheese on toast or a baked potato
For supper: We have 3 veggies and 3 carnivores and we tend to have the same 3 or 4 times a week and different the rest.

Some basic thoughts.
* This is to help me for the GC challenge
* I am going to be reasonably strict in accounting the money
* For dishes lasting more than 1 day I will try and average the cost
* I will try and post recipes and meals (but not if they are from GC)
* will try and keep up daily

I know 50p will be a luxury for many but its quite a saving for me based on last year so fingers crossed

thanks for listening

EDIT 11/01/2010: UPDATE especially for new readers. This thread was merged with another by nikki, at about the same time there was a heated debate around nutrition and cheapness and 5-a-day. Thus it gets a bit confusing around post #50 and a bit heated until about page 6. After that its fine - and please feel free to comment critically if you think I need it. Main lessons:

* It is doable, and it is focussing my mind on shopping and meal planning
* It is really helping focus on portion control
* Some start up issues with more expensive things bought before the challenge
* If any of us is absent I claim the meal (0p is less than 50p)
* If friends come round I count the cost of feeding them as well and average over 6 people
* After 10 days I am running at 91.6% or a bit ahead of target namely 165 meals from 180
* Excluding fruit/other things taken as snacks does confuse the issue, but its not any more than pre challenge so I am leaving it out
* In first 10 days we have eaten 100 pieces of fruit 10litres fruit juice 2kg of peas and 1Kg sweetcorn

EDIT 24/01/2010 - Still going string - lots of recipes in the thread - and a bit of banter. Main lessons:
* Top Lesson: portion control - if you serve less it costs less
* Next Lesson: shopping - if you buy it cheap you can serve more or do more
* Reminder: Unless its just you - you do need to check if everyone is still happy
* 5 - a - day: Its easier than you think to get extra veg in - carrots are great for this
* Home Made Bread: My kids hated brown bread until they had HM bread - now they hate sliced
* Relax: Once in a while you can go over budget for a family meal but don't blow it and order caviar
* Preciseness: Most stuff gets used in whole packs, that's easy to cost, other stuff is done by look and feel not on the scales
* Support: Everyone on here has been great thanks to all, even those with whom heated debates have been had
* Snacking: Possibly more snacking going on (even before the challenge) than OH and I realised - will be looking at that more closely now we are the swing of things.

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I think I saw you in an ice cream parlour
Drinking milk shakes, cold and long
Smiling and waving and looking so fine
«13456782

Comments

  • mark55man
    mark55man Posts: 7,889
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    Progress : 18 / 6000

    Breakfast was cereal but 3 of us missed it - (late night)
    Lunch was cold leftover salmon sandwich and/or eggy bread
    Supper was leftover salmon (it was a big salmon) heated with Peas and pototoes (+ DS1 had curried peas and potatoes )
    I think I saw you in an ice cream parlour
    Drinking milk shakes, cold and long
    Smiling and waving and looking so fine
  • Beki
    Beki Posts: 917 Forumite
    what a brilliant thread! i'll be following this with interest - good luck! :) xx
  • lil_me
    lil_me Posts: 13,186
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    Are you putting up costings for each meal, with how you made the meals so cheaply? Or just listing what you had each day? I am guessing drinks etc are not included in the day?
    One day I might be more organised...........:confused:
    GC: £200
    Slinkies target 2018 - another 70lb off (half way to what the NHS says) so far 25lb
  • i think this is going to be a good thread and will be watching with intrest x
    :xmastree::xmassign::rudolf::xmastree:
  • HappyMJ
    HappyMJ Posts: 21,115
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    mark88man wrote: »
    Progress : 18 / 6000

    Breakfast was cereal but 3 of us missed it - (late night)
    Lunch was cold leftover salmon sandwich and/or eggy bread
    Supper was leftover salmon (it was a big salmon) heated with Peas and pototoes (+ DS1 had curried peas and potatoes )

    This is only 1 portion of the NHS's recommended "5 a day" of fruit and veg.

    I don't think your dinner could be had for under 50p. The cheapest salmon I found was Tesco's Value Salmon Fillets at 47grams for 38p after deducting 8p for a 75gram serving of Tesco Value peas and deducting 4p for a 100gram serving of Tesco Value potatoes. What did you pay for your salmon?
    :footie:
    :p Regular savers earn 6% interest (HSBC, First Direct, M&S) :p Loans cost 2.9% per year (Nationwide) = FREE money. :p
  • beemuzed
    beemuzed Posts: 2,188
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    I think this thread has real potential! Will be watching with interest!
    We have a glut of salmon here too - bought a whole one for £12ish on New Year's Eve, fed 10 that evening, 2 meals from it yesterday and still only used about half of it! Plan to make a sauce to have with salmon and pasta (4 adults plus toddler) this evening and probably sandwiches at lunch time. Very good value! Hope it lasts a couple more days!
    Resolution:
    Think twice before spending anything!
  • kippers
    kippers Posts: 2,053
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    I'm looking forward to this thread, thanks for posting
  • elf06
    elf06 Posts: 1,547
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    Wow I will be watching with interest!!
    Emma :dance:

    Aug GC - £88.17/£130
    NSD - target 18 days, so far 5!!
  • Ishtar
    Ishtar Posts: 1,042
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    Very interesting idea. Will be watching to see how you do and hopefully get some ideas!
  • bunny_too
    bunny_too Posts: 266 Forumite
    Could do with some new meal ideas, thanks for posting :A , will pop in often. All the best for your os New Year. This is my third, and it does get easier. xx
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