Food budget and extra people to feed!

BrokeBrunette

Hi everyone

I read this thread on a daily basis and I never cease to be amazed by the amount of people on here who keep to a fantastic,really low food budget. I'm jealous because I've been following loads of tips on here but have never really managed to get to grips with the proper food budgeting side of things.

One of my problems is that I always seem to have extra kids/people appearing who need feeding! I've always encouraged my daughters to have friends round - on the basis that I would rather them be here than roaming the streets and as I grew up with a mum who did the same thing I would find it difficult to not do it. How do you OS with kids manage to keep within your budgets, do you make allowances for extra people or is it just me being an idiot somewhere along the line

I'd be really interested to hear your opinions about this, thanks

elona

I always make a lot of food at a time and any left over can be frozen.

If really stuck something like beans on toast, scrambled eggs or pancakes are cheap and quick to make.

r.mac_2

try and bulk things out - for example if it was curry for four and an extra turns up add a couple of handfuls of lentils to make it go further

if it is something like sausage and mash and a veg, add a standby veg like a mixture of tinned sweetcorn and frozen peas to make the other things go further.

Alternatively, divide the four portions to make five, but make a cheap pudding like black saturns cobbler - all made from storecupboard ingredients - to fill people up.

HTH

squeaky

There are lots of ways to pad meals out - but even so, those extras are going to cost you money.

So you need to modify your budget to include the padding or the extra meals, whichever way round you do it. I wouldn't expect my own budget to make 2-5(?) extra meals 1-2(?) times a week.

tr3mor

If it were me I'd just cook big batches and if you've got spare chuck them in the freezer for when you're out or fancy the night off.

Bogof_Babe

If it was me I'd try to get my daughters to understand that having friends around to play is one thing, but if they are going to be there over mealtimes then you need a bit of advance notice - i.e. before you plan and prepare the evening meal for the family.

If they are planned for, then a french stick to accompany the meal, plus a tin of beans mixed into it, should stretch it to another couple of servings at minimal cost. By "beans", I mean either baked or green sliced - depending on the meal.

mummysaver

I make things go further by chucking another tin of toms into bolognese, serving more pasta with the sauce, and giving extras like bread and salad, or more veggies. Home made soup is great as it can be stretched almost indefinitely! We always seem to have a lot of children here, especially during the hols! For treats/puds I usually make sure I have a supply of value lollies in the freezer, cost pennies but the children think that they are getting something great! Also for drinks I offer water, some may moan, but they generally drink it! It's just too expensive to give everyone fresh juice or whatever. My children are fine with whatever they get, and I expect others to behave in the same way, else they can wait until they get home to eat. I don't say it in a mean way, although typed out it looks a bit rotten, I just explain that this is what we are going to eat, and if they don't want to join us, fine!

BrokeBrunette

thanks to everyone for your replies. I think mummysaver probably has the right idea in saying (in a polite way of course) "eat this or else go without". I tend to bend over backwards to accomodate people and I literally can't afford to do this anymore, so it will definitely be "bulk out the food and eat it or else"

I do love this site so much, particularly OS and I wish I could contribute something useful, rather than keep pinching everyone elses ideas (to name a few - microfibre cloths, vinegar, food budgeting, menu planning, cheap meals to make - need I go on)

thanks again everyone, I really appreciate it.

hardpressed

You could be really posh and serve soup with bread as a first course, helps to fill them up so they don't want so much of the main course. Individual Yorkshire puds are good for making a meal go further, if you've got stew, mince or something similar you can put spoonfulls in the Yorkshires, makes the meat go a lot further and children like them. If you've planned things like sausages and haven't enough to go round cut them in slices and mix with beans or tinned spagetti. For pud sliced bananas and custard usually go down well.

jobbingmusician

One of my best childhood memories was of a charity fundraiser I did at a friend's house with about 6 or 7 other girls. The friend's mum served us baked beans with sausages in them and toast - I was so impressed as we never had this sort of food at home!!! (we had roasts and stuff)

It's about the cheapest food you can get, and although cheap sossidges are rubbish, bb are always a good standbye - maybe with eggs????

elona

Broke Brunette

Give yourself a few months and you will be an expert.

We all had to start somewere.

Less than a year ago - if anyone had said that I would be doing bread and rolls in the breadmaker and making jam - I would have been in hysterics!!!:j