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Food budget plan

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  • LameWolf
    LameWolf Posts: 11,234 Forumite
    Name Dropper First Anniversary Combo Breaker First Post
    Red Cola I do fruit crumbles all the time; you can use pretty much any fruit, doesn't have to be apple; the way I make the crumble top is just so easy - all it is:
    3 oz butter, melted (I zap it in the micro), add 3 oz sugar, and enough porage oats to "soak up" the butter and make a mix that will pack down and stay put when you put it on top of the fruit. Just mix that lot together - I sometimes add a little cinnamon or mixed spice for a change.

    Slice your apple or whatever - if you've got a few blackberries/raspberries/strawberries kicking around, you can add those, (I chucked a dozen frozen cherries in with a smallish apple the other day, as they were the only cherries left and I wanted the freezer space back) bung the crumble mix on top and smooth it down so that it stays put and looks tidy, and bake for 45 mins at 180 C.

    Fruit-wise, I've even made a pineapple and banana crumble before now, as I had some bananas that wanted using, and I always have pineapple to hand (I buy them when they're cheap on the market, get Mr LW to cut them up, then freeze the chunks for later use).

    HTH.:o
    If your dog thinks you're the best, don't seek a second opinion.;)
  • RedCola
    RedCola Posts: 113 Forumite
    Combo Breaker First Anniversary I've been Money Tipped!
    So many ideas - thank you all!

    I need to come up with a plan really. Maybe sit down and see what I can make from what I have, and then go from there?
    How about packed lunches? Should I plan those too?
  • caronc
    caronc Posts: 8,072 Forumite
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    RedCola wrote: »
    So many ideas - thank you all!

    I need to come up with a plan really. Maybe sit down and see what I can make from what I have, and then go from there?
    How about packed lunches? Should I plan those too?
    I'd definitely start with a plan to use up as much as possible from your stocks. I'd try and plan every meal/snack. I think you'll be surprised how little you might need for the next couple of weeks to feed your family which could save some of your budget for later in the month. I'd certainly say do as much batch cooking as you can - using the freed up freezer space from the stuff you use yes it might mean things are a wee bit repetitive for the next few weeks but full bellies are the goal. You'll know what you all like that will get eaten up - possibly not the time to be experimental in case the children won't eat it and it's not the time to risk wasting stuff. Good luck
  • angelpye
    angelpye Posts: 995 Forumite
    First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    edited 8 March 2017 at 10:15PM
    Hi, I have avery tight budget this month and feeding me and DD on £25 a week. I did my main shop online as meant money off for first time and could sit and work out cheapest deal without standing in supermarket. I believe Sainsburys has £18 off a £60 shop for first time online shop, I did Waitrose which was £20 off £80 plus cash back through Top Cashback of £5 which will clear in the future. Really helped me stretch my budget. I allocated smaller amounts for top up of fresh milk, fruit etc throughout the month.

    I guess I would look at what child with ASD will eat first. Are there any meals like cottage pie where you could make it stretch to 6 portions to feed children twice? Then look at cheap meals for you and OH that can be portioned off and frozen for rotation i.e. Jamie Olivers veggies chilli would use you tinned beans and sweet potatoes but makes enough for 4-6 portions if you add an extra tin of beans rather than the two he suggests. Pizza night is cheap and could be a nice family film night situation. Do the children eat a cooked meal at school? Could mon-fri evening meals for them be lighter/cheaper?
    Happiness is wanting what you have...
    Debt Jan 2017: £2589.22 DFD: [STRIKE]Sept 2022[/STRIKE] April 2022 but this Marching Minimalist can beat that!
    Use it or Loose it gym target: Feb'17 5/6 Mar 4/6 :j
    EF £0/£4200
  • angelpye
    angelpye Posts: 995 Forumite
    First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    Ps. Plan everything. I worked out exactly how many snacks etc DD will need for school and for the weekend. I wrote a full month out of dinners - when I make big dishes I then planned which nights the leftovers would be used later in the month. It took a lot of work but has totally taken the worry of not getting through the month away.

    Things like Banana bread (doesn't require eggs if you run out) and lemon drizzle cake are pretty fool proof and can be down as loafs or small cakes etc Depends what you have in. I use the need to bake as an opportunity to bake with DD which she really enjoys. In the banana bread we always smash up some cheap lidl dark chocolate and she sees this as a real treat. Nigella had a tip to freeze the crumble topping in her fast food book (making a big batch in advance) so easier when time is tight.
    Happiness is wanting what you have...
    Debt Jan 2017: £2589.22 DFD: [STRIKE]Sept 2022[/STRIKE] April 2022 but this Marching Minimalist can beat that!
    Use it or Loose it gym target: Feb'17 5/6 Mar 4/6 :j
    EF £0/£4200
  • Yes, plan plan plan! Start your plan based on what you have in and your routines, DS has an after school club on a Thursday, so we do something quick that day etc. Then list exactly what you need that you don't have in and buy just that.
  • joedenise
    joedenise Posts: 16,533 Forumite
    First Post Name Dropper First Anniversary
    Don't forget simple things like egg & chips; jacket potato & beans or tuna mayo.

    Also try to plan veggie meals as much as possible as it will definitely be cheaper than meat meals.

    Denise
  • purpleybat
    purpleybat Posts: 477 Forumite
    First Anniversary First Post
    grandma247 wrote: »
    Make puddings with the fruits . Crumble, sponge on top of fruit and baked, pancakes with fruit filling, muffins with fruit in. As for your husband he could take soup or stew in a flask and have some left over pudding cold.


    i agree with the soup for lunch idea. with spuds, lentils or beans in it'll be nicely filling and will keep him going. someone on another thread was talking about 'peelings soup', I also saw it in a hugh fw book that I got for a (very late.... last week) crimble pressie. I'm collecting peelings and bunging them in the freezer til I have a goodly bag full.


    my other thought, and please don't take this wrongly, was that the meat you have is towards the more expensive end of the scale. tho if you're happy to stretch the portion size with beans and stuff then I can understand it. mine is very good value and very versatile (when you do re-stock) and can be padded out with lentils to no real change of taste.


    I also think on here lots of people like porridge for brekkie (cant face anything early myself), that's very filling too, and the kids may like a blob of jam or the frozen fruit stash in it.


    I wish you lots of luck, but once you get into it you'll smash it easily!
  • jackyann
    jackyann Posts: 3,433 Forumite
    Here's a link to the basic Jansson's temptation:
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/janssons_frestelse_24036

    most of us who like it wing it with whatever we have around! However, unless it's the kind of thing your family like, I wouldn't go off the wall with new stuff and risk them fussing.

    I agree with purpleybat about the meat, and hope that you know we wish to be helpful and not critical. A lot of us on this forum are older, were brought up when thriftiness was the norm, and have budgeted for our families over many years- things are second nature to us that are not so obvious to younger people. There were no supermarkets -you asked the butcher for what you wanted, and had fruit and veg weighed out at the greengrocers or market. Some of the best cooking tips I have had I got in the butcher's queue!

    For instance, I rarely use chicken breasts - thighs are tastier and as they take a bit longer to cook, flavour develops. I buy lamb shanks & pork belly cheaply from the butcher and slow cook (loads of recipes around for these). Pot roast brisket can be terrific, and as the left-overs shred easily they make great chilli or go into pasta sauce.
    I use 'bacon bits' a lot - exactly what they say, so you have to trim a bit,but a handful add flavour to all sorts of things, including the 'use up leftovers' meals of Spanish omelette, risotto and pasta sauce.

    Other posters have put links to some very good sites for economy recipes, but I would still look on the bbc food site for understanding basic recipes.
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 17,413 Forumite
    First Post I've been Money Tipped!
    Have sent to a reply to your PM hope you get it ok ,let me know :):)
    JackieO xx
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