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Food budget £12.50 a week - help please!

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Crisp_£_note
Crisp_£_note Posts: 1,525 Forumite
edited 15 July 2014 at 3:49PM in Old style MoneySaving
Hi after experiencing benefit cuts recently I have just £12.50 a week to feed myself and my husband.
I prefer whenever possible to avoid carbs due to it causing weightgain and agrovates other health issues.
My husband hates fruit and veg but loves carbs.

Help please can anyone suggest menus, meal plans, shopping lists or where and what the best places to bargain bulk buy are please as I going to struggle with this at first being used to having to spend out £50 or more a week for the 2 of us as we eat separate meals but now were going to have to share and eat the same so I guess its going to have to beme who compromises and eats carbs!

Thanks :)


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  • Floss
    Floss Posts: 8,286 Forumite
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    For how long? And do you have any sort of store cupboard, garden, allotment etc?
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  • good_advice
    good_advice Posts: 2,653 Forumite
    Combo Breaker First Post Mortgage-free Glee! Rampant Recycler
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    Ys shopping? that is Yellow sticker shopping.
    I go to Tesco once a week @ 4pm and trot around all the reduced foods first. All in diffrent area's.
    It makes a big difference with our shopping bill.

    We eat well. The family ( 3 adults) all comment on the variety of food I bring home.

    £12.50 is not a lot but I would buy milk, eggs, bread, potatoes. fruit and veg. Rice and pasta. Marg.
    The only meat I buy that is not YS is the mince. I buy the big 750g tray and split it in 2 at home.

    Tonight we are having Chilli and rice. I will put some peppers, onion, mushroom in with the rice. The peppers and mushrooms are from frozen bags in the freezer.

    Best wishes...
    The secret to success is making very small, yet constant changes.:)
  • Crisp_£_note
    Crisp_£_note Posts: 1,525 Forumite
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    For the foreseeable future I guess. No have already eaten everything we had left in cupboard, fridge and 2 small freezers. We only have small patio so would be growing in containers.
    Failure is only someone elses judgement.
     Without change there would be no butterflies.
     If its important to you, you'll find a way - if not, you'll find an excuse ! ~ Easy to say when you take money out of the equation!
  • Sky_
    Sky_ Posts: 605 Forumite
    First Anniversary First Post Name Dropper
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    Slightly off topic, but try using Swagbucks and InstaGC too for Amazon vouchers. I work full time, have a family etc. and still manage to get £5-10 worth of Amazon vouchers each week from them. Very useful for stretching my food and household budget.
    2022. 2% MF challenge. £730/3000
  • Soworried
    Soworried Posts: 2,369 Forumite
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    Crisp_£_note wrote: »
    For the foreseeable future I guess. No have already eaten everything we had left in cupboard, fridge and 2 small freezers. We only have small patio so would be growing in containers.

    Which stores do you have near you crisp?
    £36/£240
    £5522
    One step must start each journey
    One word must start each prayer
    One hope will raise our spirits
    One touch can show you care
  • gayle1
    gayle1 Posts: 242 Forumite
    First Anniversary Combo Breaker
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    farmfoods 15 eggs for a pound 1..00
    2 milk for 1.60
    bread 1.00
    mince 1.99 makes 2 meals
    potatoes probably best with tinned ones just now or chips ull get a bag for another pound
    beans
    sausages frozen links 2.00 for a big bag
    frittata egg mayo sandwichees eggs chips beans toad in the hole sausage hotpot
  • asparagus1968
    asparagus1968 Posts: 1,787 Forumite
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    gosh, bad luck. hope you get sorted soon.
    great idea to look for up-your-income bits and bobs.


    food wise, frozen fish and frozen fruit and veg are much cheaper, and I have read the nutrients are all still there.
    I never have the imagination for the random yellow sticker stuff, like to plan!
    I put the carbs such as bread/pasta or rice on my sons plate, and have extra salad or veg on mine.


    could you make bread for OH?


    long life milk is cheaper then fresh. Or buy full fat freash, then water down ,more milk,less money.


    eggs are great, 15 free range at aldi for just over £2- omelettes /frittata with any bits and bobs like veg/ meat from other meals.


    meat meals-usually mince or sausage based, cooked in a sauce, bulked out with grated carrot/oats/beans or pulses,freeze leftovers or have for lunch next day. or look up "rubber chicken" on this board. bacon and eggs and baked beans. cold meat salad (get the meat "pieces" the sell off cheap at deli counter.


    fish meals- frozen fillets from aldi, at least 4 for £2. piece of fish cooked in foil,veg or salad,carbs. fish pie.curry.
    tinned tuna with peas and sweetcorna with salad-with/without rice/pasta
    fish fingers are cheap, though I only get the 100% cod ones
    tin tuna to make fishcakes too.


    dried beans and pulses are cheaper than tinned. some butter beans/chick peas in red pesto is lovely.


    markets and ethnic shops sell potatoes/ rice in bulk which may help.


    loads of threads on here by fantastis frugal cookers such as, weezle, Jackie O. think there is a £7 a week thread too.


    wishing you lots of luck :)
    LIVE SIMPLY * GIVE MORE * EXPECT LESS * BE THANKFUL

  • Floss
    Floss Posts: 8,286 Forumite
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    OP consider going veggie - pulses are cheaper than meat for protein. Also, try Approved Food - they have out of date but eatable foodstuffs very cheaply, google them.
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  • Sky_
    Sky_ Posts: 605 Forumite
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    Look for the blog of "A Girl Called Jack". She fed herself and her son on a tiny budget as that was all she had.

    I'd also second going vegetarian, at least for some meals, it can be much cheaper.

    Beans: I batch cook dried ones (soak, fast boil for 10 mins, then pop them in the slow cooker until cooked), and freeze them in small amounts ready to use.

    I wish you lots of luck, it sounds like a tough situation!
    2022. 2% MF challenge. £730/3000
  • Soworried
    Soworried Posts: 2,369 Forumite
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    This is what I would buy, all from Tesco.
    Mixed veg £1
    Value spaghetti 20p
    Tea-bags 20p
    Milk £1
    Gravy granules 20p
    Lemon curd 22p
    Baked beans 24p
    Coleslaw 25p
    Tinned chicken soup 25p
    Tinned vegetable soup 25p
    Curry sauce 25p
    Kidney beans 30p
    Pasta sauce 39p
    Rice 40p
    Plain flour 45p
    Bread 47p
    Pizza 60p
    Spread 89p
    20 sausages £1.50
    Potatoes £1.75
    Rice pudding 15p
    Digestives 31p
    Grapefruit segments 35p
    90p left to build a store cupboard with
    20p on stock cubes
    45p on sr flour
    24p on an extra tin of beans.
    Breakfasts would be 2 slices of toast with lemon curd. That will leave you 2 slices of bread.

    Lunches.
    Make a pie with some of the vegetables and the tin of chicken soup, 2 lunches.
    Jacket potatoes with beans and a sausage 1 day.
    Jacket potatoes with coleslaw and a sausage 1 day.
    Vegetable soup with a slice of bread each 1 day.
    Stir fried rice with vegetables and sausage chunks 2 days.

    Evening meals.
    Pizza and chips 2 nights.
    Sausage, mash and vegetables with gravy 2 nights.
    Sausage and vegetable spaghetti with pasta sauce 2 nights.
    Sausage and Kidney bean curry and rice 1 night.

    Drink tea or water.
    Snacks.
    Rice pudding
    Digestives
    Grapefruit

    You won't starve but it won't be healthy for several weeks until you can build up a store cupboard. Then you will be able to use your £12.50 on more fruit and vegetables and better quality YS meat.
    £36/£240
    £5522
    One step must start each journey
    One word must start each prayer
    One hope will raise our spirits
    One touch can show you care
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