Help! £40 to feed family for the month

mbaz

ps. took boys into tesco and said they could choose any biscuits they liked....they chose value bourbons!!! that's my boys! :rotfl:

Sophie_Rabbit

Well done Mbaz. I've been reading since the start of the month you've done so well.

NoahsPennilessMummy

Well done Mbaz!!! its been really interesting reading this over the month

ambyuk

Thanks so much for this thread. I Googled for help budgeting this week as we've only got 30 pounds to spend on shopping till payday. Had no idea I'd find something like this... am tempted to see if I can make the 30 last the month! Well done!

rednose66

Mbaz, thank you so much for this thread. I very rarely post but this thread has been so inspirational - especially in the current economic climate!

jasmine_from_the_north

mbaz - you are doing great!!! I've been inspired by you a lot. Been feeling down as things are getting tougher but now I am going to fight this and get on as well as I can.

This might help too - if you can buy cheap offcuts of meat or supermarket cheap meat that's just before the use by date, buy that and freeze straight away. I bought a meat mincer - here is the cheapest one I found at £11.97 :

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Kitchen-Craft-Cast-Tinned-Mincer/dp/B0001IX1SE/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&s=kitchen&qid=1222362158&sr=1-14

I have got an identical one and it is great!!! Oh and you can get them cheaper if they are made of plastic but I am not keen on plastic (food then smells of it). So I mince these offcuts or defrost the odd bits and pieces and mince it all together, add spices, onion etc then have just mince for bolognese or sheperd's pie, or make meat balls, burgers, stuffed peppers etc...I also use the mincer for making my breadcrums, mince rosehips for rosehip tea and all sorts...
Hope this helps you too. Christmas is coming - maybe the meat mincer could be on your letter to Santa this year .... xxx

oystercatcher

Aww bless those boys with their value bourbons !!

I just thought I'd add , after complaining I couldn't find the Tesco's curry sauce. I've found one in Morrisons, in a jar with their yellow label on.
Shock Horror it's 25% more expensive :eek: :eek: ......but at 5p I reckoned it was worth a try !!
Lentil curry anyone ?

Oystercatcher
(Who managed to cook OS for the first time this week this evening ! I hate being busy!)

Mollymop5

Well done on making it to the end of the month.I've really enjoyed reading this thread and have some great tips to put into use now.If I could just do a "cheap month" every now and then it would help me so much.I'm trying to meal plan more now ans shop for bargains.Thanks

mbaz

Thanks everyone once again. You have all been so supportive and helpful I really enjoyed my thrifty month! I'll defiinitely be hanging around on these boards now and might even join in one of Weezl's challenges!

ManPants

Try the Paupers Cookbook by Jocasta Innes!

Loads of good old fashioned recipes! Of course it means you have an intitail outlay to buy it but it is papaerback and on play dot com is £5.99 with free postage and packing.

And I heartily agree with the usage of lentils. Plus a big favourite of mine is Butternut squash soup.

Get a butternut squash and peel it then chop into small cubes. (I find it easier if I slice it into wagon wheel type sections then peel that bit then do the next)

pop it into a bowl, I tend to add the onion and a few potatoes as well, mix in veg oil or olive oil and mix it all in.

Pop this tossed mass of vegetable into a large baking tin and bake in the oven until the chunks go soft - about 20 mins should do it, taking it out and tossing it a few times as it cooks.

Get the large soup pot out and shallow fry another onion in it. Add the cooked vegetable bits and add water and a few stock cubes. Let this all cook away nicely. I normally end up adding lentils as well for more healthy option.

Doesnt take long for all the flavours to fuse and for it to start looking and smelling delicious and healthy!

Lastly, blend it all together. This is particularly good as it gives a lovely bright creamy look and anyone that is averse to lentils (kids?) doesn't even know what is in there!

Sprigg of parsley in the centre of the deep soup bowls and some black pepper.

I know Butternut Squash can cost about £1.50 each - even more if you go organic but it is a lovely filling dish!

Good Luck anyone that does it!

Stupotstu