How to feed a family of 5 on a budget

magicmaria

Hi

Please can anyone offer any help my son and I have been on our own for quite a few years (i'm a widow) and I have had to budget very tightly with regards to food ( I am also a rubbish cook which dosent help) anyway I am now embarking on a new relationship but my partner has 2 children, every other weekend we are all together for both Sat & Sun and I am running out of ideas on what to feed them all, it needs to be cheap but cheerful I have done all the usual ones,

Spaggetti Bolognaise
Chilli
Meat & Potato Pie

Need to feed them Saturday lunch, Saturday night, Fry up Sunday morning then Sunday lunch (its costing me a fortune) - also I don't want to be spening all day in the kitchen.

Please has anyone one got any good ideas and a few easy receipes I could use

Feeding me, partner, kids aged 6, 12, 13

Thank you in advance for any help

callansdad

Hi there, take a look at Moneysaving Old Style board, there are quite a few recipes a tips over their perfect for budgeting.

Here are 2 links that you may find useful but scour the board as there are lots of suggestions.

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=20967&highlight=storecupboard+challenge

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=6865&highlight=feed+6+for


Hope this helps

magicmaria

Thank you I will go and have a look

elona

Have you considered using a slow cooker as it uses hardly any electricity and can be left all day or overnight and will make even the cheapest meat tender and falling off the bone.

rchddap1

Old style is certainly the place to look for ideas. But, why do you have to have a fry up for Sunday morning breakfast? Seems a very expensive thing to be doing every other sunday.

sammyy

How about asking for a contribution towards the shopping from your partner?

Lillibet_2

What about doing a roast on the Saturday & having the leftovers with salad/bubble & squeek/sarnies/pasta bake/jacket spuds etc on Sunday? Roasts are very easy (throw in oven in baking dish;) Honest!) & don't have to be expensive if you buy cheap cuts of good meat or look out for deals, and you can chuck potatoes & veg in the oven with it for the last hour so you don't spend all day in the kitchen. Eek the meat out with pleanty of spuds & veg and make a easy pudding or one that can be made in advance : rice pudding/mousse/fruit & yoghurt etc. And make sure everyone picthes in with the clearing up afterwards:D

magicmaria

Hi

Thank you all for your advice and help


Sammyy - my partner is currently doing the house up for me and he won't let me pay for anything ie., paint etc., and also when he takes me out he won't let me pay so I suppose I think the least I can do is feed us all - we havent really got round to talking finances yet, but maybe I should drop a few hints

rchddap - Every since I was a kid we always had a traditional fry up on a sunday I think its just something i have always followed on with - but saying that I think i will go for breaking tradition so cereal and toast this weekend

Magentasue

Or have your fry up but pad it out with lots of fried bread.

callansdad

yum yum yum yum yum

Sarahsaver

a weekly fry up is an unnecessary indulgence. The less often you have it the more special it becomes. You could alternate with pancakes which are dirt cheap, and porridge, or fruit and yoghurt. Bit better for the waistline too;)