My food budget has halved! Need lots of help please, including veggie recipes!

Cheeselady · 16 August 2010 at 1:33PM

My DH lost his job a couple of months ago, and my monthly food budget has gone from £110 per week down to £45-50 per week and I'm really struggling!

I'm veggie and don't cook any meat, the rest of the family are not, but are generally happy to eat veggie stuff, the children were actually raised vegetarian, but now they are 16 and 20 they do eat some meat, but usually when they are out with friends, so really would prefer to not have to use meat, as it's pretty hard for me to deal with! :eek: Saying that, both of them are happy to cook their own food, so I guess easy chicken recipes would be OK, as long as I don't have to touch the raw meat!

I used to buy lots of ready meals, (please don't shoot me down for that) as we tend to eat different things but have had to stop all that now as my budget won't stretch to them, so I'm looking for some cheap filling meat free recipes. I am not mad on the taste of Quorn though, which doesn't help, I could take it in a cottage pie or similar with a gravy, but not in a stir fry type meal.

At the moment DH and I have two cheap meals a week ie Value Spaghetti on toast, beans on toast, baked potato etc just to keep the costs down, but I'm sure there are lots more things I could make for just as low a cost, I have plenty of time as I don't work due to my disability, so don't mind the planning/prep/cooking at all.

I shop at Tesco using cash now, and have to add it all up as I go around, so I don't go over budget, the thought of 'having to put something back' at the checkout terrifys me! I also have a Morrisons within walking distance, so have been making the most of the 30p bread and 50p milk the last couple of weeks, and my freezer is now very full!

Hope you guys can help, it's been a shock to have my food budget more than halved, but I'm hoping I can get myself sorted out with some recipes and a meal plan with your help!

jackieglasgow · 16 August 2010 at 1:39PM

Cheeselady that budget is more than do-able for four people, especially if it's veggie heavy. Rather than telling you what to buy, I'd suggest you look at the Gorcery Challenge, recipes are on page one, and also at Weezl's website (I will go find it and post the link in a second.) Plan your meals using both of these, and what's in your storecupboard, then work out your shopping list to fit them in. Can you back your own bread, chappatis, wraps etc.? Does the plan have to include lunches for work for everyone?

Don't panic, you'll be fine. I had to feed two adults and two kids on £22 a week last summer, and somehow managed it!

EDIT - Here's that link

Cheeselady · 16 August 2010 at 2:26PM

jackieglasgow wrote: »

Cheeselady that budget is more than do-able for four people, especially if it's veggie heavy. Rather than telling you what to buy, I'd suggest you look at the Gorcery Challenge, recipes are on page one, and also at Weezl's website (I will go find it and post the link in a second.) Plan your meals using both of these, and what's in your storecupboard, then work out your shopping list to fit them in. Can you back your own bread, chappatis, wraps etc.? Does the plan have to include lunches for work for everyone?

Don't panic, you'll be fine. I had to feed two adults and two kids on £22 a week last summer, and somehow managed it!

EDIT - Here's that link

Thanks for your reply! I should have said that that budge also includes household goods (loo rolls, washing powder etc and toiletries) apart from the 20 year old who buys her own toiletries. At the moment the only person working is the 20 year old, and she generally gets fed at work (free!) or sometimes takes a cheese sandwich, but once we get to mid September she's back at Uni full time but usually buys something there out of her own money if she's in for the full day. The 16 year old will be going to college in September so not sure whether he will want sandwiches or will buy something there, we will have to see what the set up is.

I have been buying the cheap 30p bread from Morrisons, it's all in the freezer so we are stocked up for a while, the youngest does like tortillas though, I generally try and buy him some from the supermarket, would not have a clue how to make them, but am willing to learn!

I will have a look at the grocery challenge, thanks for the tip and the link!

Farway · 16 August 2010 at 2:53PM

Now is the time for free foraging, blackberries of course, and depending where you live maybe apples / plums

You could use Value flour and make pies etc for freezing, or just cook the fruit and freeze it for use later

parsonswife8 · 16 August 2010 at 3:00PM

I often see tortilla wraps, pitta breads, bread etc marked down in the bakery section of Mr S and Mr T.
They can be frozen if not going to be used straight away
Also, the Value fruit and veg at Sainsburys, the cheap weekly fruit and veg offers at Lidl and Aldis, are normally quite good.

Butterfly_Brain · 16 August 2010 at 4:21PM

Porridge for Breakfast or Smart price/basic cornflakes make your own granola try thriftlady's home page she has lots of recipes and ideas
Asda do a range of dried soya mixes such as burger, mince and sausage and they are on special this week get 2 for £1 I have stocked up for veggie DD I have used the mince in a Bolognaise, chilli and curry sauces and even DH carnivorus likes it. I used it a lot when DH was made redundant 2 years ago
Rissotto (You can use Short Grain Rice instead of the expensive rissotto rice - if you get the SG rice in the ethnic aisle it works out a lot cheaper)
Quiches
Make your own biscuits, cakes and bread
Home made soups are cheap and filling
Home Made pizza
Pasta with Tomatoes and veg sprinkled with cheese
Cauliflower Cheese
Curry
Egg and Chips
Macaroni Cheese

Put thrift or frugal living on google search and you will be surprised just how many sites there are

Most Sainsburys have an extensive range of basic priced goods and in the main they are very good but the museli in Asda is better

Most of all remember you are not alone and most of us have been there and will happily try to help x

glyn_s · 16 August 2010 at 4:24PM

Cheap cuts of meat in a slow cooker for the meat-eaters .... set it up in the morning and it's ready for an evening meal - they'll love you for it!

kittiej · 16 August 2010 at 4:25PM

Buy a sack of spuds as a starting point.

Make your own goodies like nice cakes etc.

Do you have a Home bargains or B&M close to you as they do stuff really cheap

jackieglasgow · 16 August 2010 at 4:25PM

Oh BB thanks for the hint about the mixes at Asda, I only go there for them, so will pop down seeing as they are on offer.

They are fab mixes, the sausage mix makes great sausagerolls, sausages for breakfast or lunch, and I also make a kind of veggie stuffing mix with onion, sweetcorn, chopped mixed nuts and some herbs and spices, My lot love it for Sunday Dinner. The burgermix makes really nice meatballs, and sometimes if I have made pizza and have some mozarella left over, I put a piece in the middle of a burger, which is delicious, I also make it into pastie fillings with whatever bottom of the fridge veg I have too.

SailorSam · 16 August 2010 at 4:26PM

I get loads of different dried lentils, haricot beans; butter beans; chick peas; black eye beans etc etc pick up a bag of each for less than a £1. They last for ages.

Gothicfairy · 16 August 2010 at 4:38PM

I am going to go against the grain somewhat and say that I don't think that most cakes are cheaper to make at home, the price of butter is shocking and the co-op do a good sponge for just over a pound and there is no way I can cook it cheaper.

Bread is also not always cheaper as you can often find it in the offer section and strong flour is at least 84p per bag and that is without the oil and yeast and gas/electric to cook it.
( although I do make flat bread if I have the cooker on already)
Home made pizza can be another one, I bought a reduced price one at the local co-op for £1.14 and that was 3 cheese stuffed crust, I can not make that at home for that price.

Think honestly about what you eat and make what is cheaper
Soup for sure and pumpkin and squash soup is really cheap and tasty and if you have extra money a bit of blue cheese can be added.
Pasta bake with any veggies ( peppers, onions etc)
Bean stew is a good one using dried beans and any odds and ends of veggies left over.
Veggie burgers made with dried beans as a filler
Meat loaf using split lentils
Lentil curry
Lentil soup
Veggie jumbalaya and gumbo
Mushroom stroganoff

I have a veg box once a week for £9.50 and that does 2 people for the whole week no problems so it might be worth checking around and seeing what you can get.
Do you have a local market ? Mine do a multi pack of toilet role for about £17.00 but it lasts at least 6 months
I get eggs locally and it does work out better on the pocket as they are not boxed
I also get pots by the sack which makes them much cheaper too.

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My food budget has halved! Need lots of help please, including veggie recipes!

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