6000 meals under 50p in 2010; feeding your family on a low budget

hotcookie101

metalgal wrote: »

my favourite cheap meal is vegetable soup. Pack of soup veg is about 2 pounds and soup mix is about a 1.50 a bag, but you get loads out of it. Have it one night with fresh bread and the second night with boiled potatoes.

Actually can you get soup veg and soup mix the way im talking about in mainland uk? The veg is a mix of carrot leek celery and parsley and soup mix is barley peas lentils. Is it just an Irish thing?

That sort of soup veg is an irish thing (northern really-once we moved back to dublin my mother was lamenting the loss of the soup veg) and i miss it!! Can get soup mix but without that special fine soup celery its not the same. I tend to chop up regular celery including leaves when I make soup. Soup veg soup was featured on rick steins food heros years back and made me homesick!

mark55man

Reporting back for Thu 4th February

Not quite sure if there is more mud in the hallway or in what used to be the back garden - but progress is quick, and the builders are here everyday so very happy

Today's Summary - 18/18 meals 50p or under + ( was 14/18 yesterday)
Summary Total - 573/624 = 91.8% = Target 91.3%

Breakfast: 50p or under (6/6)

Lunch: 50p or under (6/6)
OP, OH : Pate (1/3 pack £1.00 woopsied) + apple = 48p
DD1, DS1, DD2, DS2 : Quorn escalopes - Sainsbury - woopsied £1.25 + 4 apples + bread 20p = £1.85 = 46p

Supper: 50p or under (6/6) -

OP, OH: 2 portions Liver Onions and Mash w/gravy
£0.79p Liver, 10p onion 14p gravy = £1.03 (used 2 potions = 67p) + 1 sachet Oak Lane mash = 22p = 89p = 45p each
Kids : Egg fried rice with peas = 500g rice 80p + 12p eggs + 25p peas = £1.17 = 29p each

Money_saving_Diva_2

Hi Mark and everyone

Am still reading and loving the thread. You are doing really well Mark, congratulations.

Ellas - I make something similar for sandwiches with grated onion, carrot and cheese mixed in mayo and a hint of mustard powder but hadn't thought of putting cabbage in. I shall do that to bulk it out more. It's a great way of stretching cheese!

Mark - as everyone said, I would factor in treats. My OH and I do something similar in that he pays for the groceries etc but any takeaways etc come out of my money for that week, and that way we can have a takeaway at least twice a month which we thoroughly enjoy!

Oh and the weetabix cake is really nice. A bit like malt loaf but not as malty :rotfl::rotfl:. It keeps for ages and should any actually survive long enough to go a tad stale, it toasts beautifully. If you make it with value weetabix you will need more of them as they are smaller. I also add a little more spice as we like it that way.

Weezl - always love reading your posts hon. Glad you are doing so well.

Keep up the good work Mark

Diva.x

misscousinitt

Just wanted to pop by and say well done for keeping it up Mark...Glad the extension is doing well.

boredofbeingathome

Money_saving_Diva wrote: »

Hi Mark and everyone

Am still reading and loving the thread. You are doing really well Mark, congratulations.

Ellas - I make something similar for sandwiches with grated onion, carrot and cheese mixed in mayo and a hint of mustard powder but hadn't thought of putting cabbage in. I shall do that to bulk it out more. It's a great way of stretching cheese!

Mark - as everyone said, I would factor in treats. My OH and I do something similar in that he pays for the groceries etc but any takeaways etc come out of my money for that week, and that way we can have a takeaway at least twice a month which we thoroughly enjoy!

Oh and the weetabix cake is really nice. A bit like malt loaf but not as malty :rotfl::rotfl:. It keeps for ages and should any actually survive long enough to go a tad stale, it toasts beautifully. If you make it with value weetabix you will need more of them as they are smaller. I also add a little more spice as we like it that way.

Weezl - always love reading your posts hon. Glad you are doing so well.

Keep up the good work Mark

Diva.x

I like the weetabix cake too- but it only lasts about a day if i am lucky:o

I use value Weetabix, the Morrisons one crumbles a lot- not bad for the cake and quite tasty. The Aldi one is also good to use, both great value for the money.

Lesley_Gaye

got some more lovely bargains today. The 'bashed box' at the greengrocers was piled high with cauliflower that needs using in the next day or so, and another box was heaped with yellow peppers. So got the equivalent of 2 cauliflowers for 15p and 6 yellow peppers for 5p each

Got to decide what I am going to do with them now. Cauli bhaji tonight I think to go with a couple of other Indian things I had planned, then maybe some good old cauli cheese, or maybe cauli cheese soup.

Had lovely fresh tom soup today with toms from the bashed box that I acquired on Monday

Not sure what I will do with the peppers. I could stuff a couple with butter beans, black olives and feta (they're big ones). Anyone got any ideas for the other 4? We had pepperonata quite recently so don't fancy having that again just yet.

Well done Mark., you are doing really well, must be difficult with everything else that is going on

weezl74

Money_saving_Diva wrote: »

Weezl - always love reading your posts hon. Glad you are doing so well.

Keep up the good work Mark

Diva.x

awww diva, thanks :kisses3:

Hello Mark et al!

I was wondering if I might be able to recruit a few of you as frugal recipe testers for my latest mad project, but I thought I could say it on here because the recipes will all fit into Mark's budget! Mark please feel free to tell me to buzz off:o:D, I'll compile the recipes etc elsewhere I just wanted to get a feel for if people would try out some recipes and rate them for cost, ease, taste etc.

Fire fox, I wondered too if you might be willing to cast an expert eye over the nutritional analysis? But I completely understand if you are too busy/don't fancy it

Much love,

Weezl x

Lesley_Gaye

weezl74 wrote: »

awww diva, thanks :kisses3:

Hello Mark et al!

I was wondering if I might be able to recruit a few of you as frugal recipe testers for my latest mad project, but I thought I could say it on here because the recipes will all fit into Mark's budget! Mark please feel free to tell me to buzz off:o:D, I'll compile the recipes etc elsewhere I just wanted to get a feel for if people would try out some recipes and rate them for cost, ease, taste etc.

Fire fox, I wondered too if you might be willing to cast an expert eye over the nutritional analysis? But I completely understand if you are too busy/don't fancy it

Much love,

Weezl x

I'll test for you Weezl if you like, are you compiling a book or something?

weezl74

Lesley_Gaye wrote: »

I'll test for you Weezl if you like, are you compiling a book or something?

thanks lesley

Probably not a book cos the market is a bit flooded! Maybe an online resource cos then I could update the prices more frequently IYSWIM?

SunnyGirl

I'll test too please I just hope that the recipes will feed the 5000 :rotfl: or can be easily doubled/tripled etc. Ooh I'm excited now!