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

mark55man

Reporting back for Fri 5th February

Ohh - the walls are going up really quickly - I can't believe how hard they are all working.

Today's Summary - 18/18 meals 50p or under
Summary Total - 591/642 = 92.1% = Target 91.3%

Breakfast: 50p or under (6/6)

Lunch: 50p or under (6/6)
OP: 0p - provided at work
OH : Oatcakes & Fruit
DD1, DS1, DD2: Quorn Chicken slices - bread - apple = 45p
DS2: Ham sandwich, apple, crisps (8p) - 48p

Supper: 50p or under (6/6) -
OP, OH: Quiz night at School - so dinner provided
Kids : 3x Youngs Fish and chip supper woopsied to 50p + 2 hake portions woopsied to 50p (chips shared between 5) = 50p each

nopot2pin

weezl74 wrote: »

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.
Much love,
Weezl x

Weezl....
I would quite like to help you "test" some stuff too :j
I dont eat meat, so I would be steering clear of any recipes with that in... but I do eat fish.

Do you just want Asda products, or do you wish a cross section, of one recipe items from one store ??

I will give the borsch a go at the weekend...even if you still dont need testers ... but will be using veg stock instead of chicken, if thats ok

Lesley_Gaye wrote: »

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.

Lesley ....
I made THIS today .... it is lovely :drool:
I am not sure if you like that kind of thing... but maybe a yellow pepper/green chilli jam would be a nice variation of it ??

It worked out for me, as costing 30p per 100g, as oppossed to 48p per 100g, for the Blue Dragon sweet chilli dipping sauce.... which it really does taste like . And it is more of a saucey consistancy, rather than jammy.

If you do try it, I would love to know how it turns out :D
And of course, your bargain peppers, would bring the cost down (my guesstimate, for costings using 3 peppers would be 25p per 100g)

nicki_2

weezl74 wrote: »

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 try what I can for you (not the recipe you've posted this time though as DD goes :eek: whenever I mention getting something pickled except onions :rotfl: ). I've used many of your recipes before and since I mainly shop at Asda anyways it won't be a problem. I'm even compiling my own little cook book of <50p PP meals so I have ready access to them at all times

JayJay14

nopt2pin - thanks for the link to the chilli jam, my OH is going to love that, just wish I'd got more chillis in Bradford last week.

shaz_mum_of__2

weezl

happy to test recipes but i already have a beetroot soup i use though i think it was originally a WW one

anything else in the pipeline i could help with?

Shaz

vandanfc

Mark

Have you tried making "Twinks Hobnobs" for your snacks ? Just as good weetabix cake i reckon, but not too sure how the cost compares though.

TWINKS HOBNOBS:

8oz sr flour
8oz sugar
8oz porridge oats
8oz margarine
1tbsp golden syrup
1tbsp hot water
1/2 tsp bic soda
mix flour, oats and sugar, melt marg, syrup and water in a pan stir in bic soda and add to dry mix, mix well, make smallish balls and put on greased tray and flatten slightly with a fork, 180oc for 15 mins, cool on the tray, you just want them golden in oven not brown.

Be warned though, they are VERY moreish and need to kept under lock and key otherwise they will disappear as if by magic!!!

phizzimum

weezl - we'll give the Borsht a go in the week - I'll be getting the ingredients from Tesco (if that's ok, miss!)

lesley - whereabouts is your greengrocers? is it in Heathfield high st?

sexykellylovespink

hiya mark, i am loving this thread, i have been watching it from the beginning and check in on it everyday .
could someone please put the recipe up for the weetabix cake, thanks kelly x

weezl74

Hi all, especially Mark

Well I've found a little MSE space to try some recipe frugalisation and would very much love it if those who volunteered would have a lookie...

The first testing phase of my new project now has a home here

If all the lovely willing testers didn't mind posting on there what they fancy testing, I'll happily give further details.

But I am also going to stay glued to Mark's challenge and I don't feel that this in any way detracts from what you and your family are doing

maltesers_2

In theory I think this thread is an excellent idea but in practice it is a bit misleading. The majority of 'meals' seem to cost 50p each but it seems the family spend almost double (at least another £200 per month) on drinks and snacks. In fact, many of the meals cost quite a bit less than 50p so this money also needs to be accounted for.

Penny raised this as a possible issue earlier on:

Penelope_Penguin wrote: »

The reason that I ask, is that since this thread started, several people have been worried, elsewhere on the OS board, that they are "failing" because they can't stick to the low 50p per meal that the OP of this thread is aiming for.

When someone starts a thread where they challenge themselves to live on what is at first sight, very low budget, they must expect people to ask for clarification. I'm not being critical or nosey, just asking for a fuller picture so that I can assist others

And if anyone thinks it's none of anyone's business, they can decline to answer, or ignore the question This is an internet forum, after all, not a job interview, or select committee :rotfl:

Penny. x

So if people think that 50p a meal, £1.50 per person or £10.50 per week is the total food and drink budget when in fact it seems to be double this it can be a problem. Some people raised the issue of nutrition and I would agree that half a can of Heinz tomato soup, as an example, for two of three meals in a day is not a perfect diet. But if that person was filling up on healthy drinks and snacks outside meal times then perhaps the picture would be different.

I was going to suggest adding some cheap and healthy puddings like banana custard or rice pudding but it would appear no one is going hungry at all.




Mark said in thread 583

OK so having gone through my budgets for the month - here is a guesstimate of all my spends. Not done very precisely - but against a total spend of £497 (GC rules, OK)

* 490 meals 50p or under £220 - covers all cereal, main meals, vegetables
* 50 meals overbudget £45
* wastage £20 - not great but seemed to have more 1/2 packs around that went off especially lettuce, but also some blunders with mince _pale_ - will try harder
* fruit £40 - 30 bags of apples/oranges/bananas/pears - over an above that for lunch boxes
* store cupboard/freezer balance (ie incoming vs used)- £25 Was trying to run down storecupboard, but did keep it stocked up during the snows
* Alcohol £5 - bottle beer on saturday
* oj, aj & coke £30 - for the rest of the times 20litres OJ, 10 litres AJ, 40litres freeway cola
* non food £15 - washing, dishwasher, dishcloths ...
* crisps & biscuits & chocolate - £30
* baking £30 - OH did a lot of cake making with the kids in the big freeze- and went a bit OTT on chocolate and sprinkles

Unaccounted for £35 - so this is the snacking
... Thinks back
... veggie quorn got used up quickly £5 (points figure at DD1 and DS1)
- the smoked mackeral as well £2 (points finger at self)
- sliced ham goes but not too quickly but we do have a lot so £3
- tomatoes & cucumber go very quickly as well - £10 5 packs & 5 cucumbers snacked in a month (they love those Lidl Cherry tomatoes - points figure at DD1 and DS1)
- looking back through my posts as well some extra portions saved (and fridged not frozen) have gone awol - especially the veggie chilli - points figure at DS1 mainly) -

I think I can live with the above apart from the wastage, and maybe try and cut down on the chocolate - OH likes Giant Buttons - yummy but not cheapest way of doing it)

But if you check my GC challenge I previously had problems getting under £600, so to be under £500 is a result - a year of that would be great

I think there are quite a few people on GC who are actually feeding a similar sized family for less than this. So perhaps this needs making a bit more clear. I think it would be possible to eat healthily on a very low budget as 50p a meal per person but not quite the way it is being done in this particular challenge.

I know I will be shot down for this post but I felt it needed saying.

However, I would like to say well done to Mark for chopping the budget by £100 in a month that is a great achievement.