Help! £40 to feed family for the month

moggylover

Note that you do not like liver Mbaz - but have you tried chicken livers? A pot of those, frozen, is about 35p in Tesco, and if you fry them in a little butter with mushrooms, peppers and whatever other veg you like, and then add a vegetable stock cube and just enough water to cover, simmer gently until cooked (when budget not so strained you can add a little white wine) and then add either cream or yoghurt. It is delicious, not very "livery" at all, and pretty cheap. I serve it on a bed of brown rice - and did not tell the kids what it was until after they had eaten it - only mentioned the chicken word, not the liver word;) . They loved it as well!

jacky_horn

mbaz wrote: »

Just typed shopping list into Tesco.com and it looks good!!

Tesco Value Long Grain Rice 1kg £0.79 going to need more rice for all my bulked out sauces etc
2 x Tesco Value Spaghetti 500g £0.46ditto
Tesco Sage & Onion Stuffing Mix 170g £0.58
Tesco Value Whole Chicken 1.30kg £2.79
thought can do a sunday lunch and use leftovers in curry or with rice
2 x Tesco Value Chopped Tomatoes 400g £0.42
Tesco Value Toilet Tissue 4pk 800 Sheet £0.38<
Tesco Strong Brown Bread Flour 1.5kg £0.89
have got yeast and butter
2 x Tesco Whole Milk 3.408ltr/6 Pints £4.24 going to freeze one and this will hopefully last us
2 x Tesco Value Baked Beans In Tomt/Sauce 420g £0.40
Tesco Value Dark Red Kidney Beans 400g £0.14
Tesco Value Oats 1kg £0.59
2 x Onions Loose Class 2 £0.36
Miscellaneous Granulated Sugar2kg Parcels £1.61
Colmans Traditional Chicken Casserole Mix 40g £0.47
Tesco Value Pasta Sauce 440g £0.25<
Tesco Value Red Leicester Medium £2.93 for sarnies/lasagne etc
Tesco Wholefoodsred Split Lentils 1kg £1.52

Total £18.81!!!!

You are stars!!!! Any suggestions for cutbacks/replacements?

ps. not going to buy online obviously!! will go to my local store tomorrow

If I was on the hard cards, I would never use a whole chicken for a meal. I cut it up and use 1 chicken breast cut up with added stuff to bulk it out for a meal. Same with one leg for a meal. The 2 chicken wings will roast with potato wedges (home made) and a glass of wine or whatever , with DH, when kids have gone to bed, and the carcass will make soup for at least 2 or 3 meals when lentils and veg are added. So aim to get 7 meals and a treat sneaky supper out of a chicken.

mbaz

jacky_horn wrote: »

If I was on the hard cards, I would never use a whole chicken for a meal. I cut it up and use 1 chicken breast cut up with added stuff to bulk it out for a meal. Same with one leg for a meal. The 2 chicken wings will roast with potato wedges (home made) and a glass of wine or whatever , with DH, when kids have gone to bed, and the carcass will make soup for at least 2 or 3 meals when lentils and veg are added. So aim to get 7 meals and a treat sneaky supper out of a chicken.

Wow well I'm doing the first meal tonignt so I'll give it my best shot! thought I'd bulk it out with some Yorkshires and I'll finally get round to making that crumble so I can hopefully get away without using up too much of the meat!

mbaz

moggylover wrote: »

Note that you do not like liver Mbaz - but have you tried chicken livers? A pot of those, frozen, is about 35p in Tesco, and if you fry them in a little butter with mushrooms, peppers and whatever other veg you like, and then add a vegetable stock cube and just enough water to cover, simmer gently until cooked (when budget not so strained you can add a little white wine) and then add either cream or yoghurt. It is delicious, not very "livery" at all, and pretty cheap. I serve it on a bed of brown rice - and did not tell the kids what it was until after they had eaten it - only mentioned the chicken word, not the liver word;) . They loved it as well!

I may well give that a try as liver is very good for you my mum always tell me!!!

mbaz

mother_of_the_world wrote: »

just a quick tip if you live near a Greggs shop that has a bread slicer, ask them for bread crumbs to make your stuffing with.

They are free and only get thrown at the end of the day,

HTH

Thanks there's one near me. I'll pop in today.

nickynoo08

Hi mbaz loving this thread. I've just posted on value things you like board n found yet more tips and inspiration over here too. I currenly spend between £100 and £140 a month for 3 of us but next month is gonna be quite tough. My OH has just had his hrs slashed right back down to 16 a wk (hopefully just for a wk or 2 but will still have huge impact on wage) and i'm currently a full time mum!! Got about a wk to prepare myself, have just written shopping list and it comes to £55 should hopefully last us 3 wks. Only thing is my OH eats loads n i mean loads! He doesnt quite realise that i'm trying to make food last as long as possible. Made a huge pan of curry for him last wk. Managed to make 6 MAN sized portions and there all gone!!!!!!!!!!:mad: How can i make him eat less??? (without starving him or being horrible) Ive started stashing certain foods in another cupboard so he cant find it but its only a matter of time.
Anyway will be watching with intrest. Good luck for rest of the month

freyasmum

nickynoo08 wrote: »

Hi mbaz loving this thread. I've just posted on value things you like board n found yet more tips and inspiration over here too. I currenly spend between £100 and £140 a month for 3 of us but next month is gonna be quite tough. My OH has just had his hrs slashed right back down to 16 a wk (hopefully just for a wk or 2 but will still have huge impact on wage) and i'm currently a full time mum!! Got about a wk to prepare myself, have just written shopping list and it comes to £55 should hopefully last us 3 wks. Only thing is my OH eats loads n i mean loads! He doesnt quite realise that i'm trying to make food last as long as possible. Made a huge pan of curry for him last wk. Managed to make 6 MAN sized portions and there all gone!!!!!!!!!!:mad: How can i make him eat less??? (without starving him or being horrible) Ive started stashing certain foods in another cupboard so he cant find it but its only a matter of time.
Anyway will be watching with intrest. Good luck for rest of the month

My ex was like that :rolleyes:

My only advice is to hide it (:o how mean does that sound!) and get it into the freezer as soon as possible.

steve40

Nicky - off topic, but tell tax credits.Not up to date on the hours, but I think if you drop below 16 hours there might be part time working and perhaps less benefits, so check this out first.

Teria

cady wrote: »

*cat food / litter (were gonna start her on wet food as she likes it better so any advice welcome on good food she is 7 and only likes seafood flavour)

any help is totally appreciated!!!!

Mine will only eat Morrisons' own fishy multipack, atm. So annoying, as my mum only buys Whiskas for her cat, and he won't eat the tuna flavour. She hands them onto me, but the little pests just flick their tails at it, and wander off.

raphanius

How can i make him eat less??? (without starving him or being horrible) Ive started stashing certain foods in another cupboard so he cant find it but its only a matter of time.

freeze it...men are foragers but they will think twice if they have to defrost stuff then have all the hastle of cooking it aswell. If you leave some cheap bread and cheese laying about they will think 'i'll have a sarnie instead'

loving the thread...i'm off work on sickpay at the moment so i'm taking notes.