How to survive on what’s in the store cupboard (plus a little money)

Bella79

ok ive got in

1 pacj of sizzle steak
1 pk mince
1pk breaded chicken
1 little roast chicken
4 pork chops
1 pk belly pork slices
1 rack ribs
1pkt bacon
1 small pork joint
2 loafs bread

Ive got loads of herbs and spices flour etc , i do all my own baking now and i can make bread too, eggs i get for 1.25 per 1/2 dozen freerange from woman down road, however can i get these cheaper ?, also potatoes i go through loads of them, where can i buy them the cheapest ?
and wheres the cheapest place for milk ?

My mum has also got some meat for me in her freezzer including burgers, mince, and a full chicken , bless her

also i buy tesco value porridge oats for breakfasts and biscuits (twinks)

I think i will be ok for a few weeks , and i wouldnt mind if this was going to be a one of, but its not im gonna have to live like this month after month :eek:

Ohh ive also got a local lidl aswell that is fantasic for veg/fruit

Penelope_Penguin

Bella79 wrote: »

I think i will be ok for a few weeks , and i wouldnt mind if this was going to be a one of, but its not im gonna have to live like this month after month :eek:

Have you been over to the Debt Free Wanna Be board and posted your Statement of Affairs (SOA)? You don;t need to be in debt to do this They'll then be able to look at your whole situation, and maybe give you suggestions on where else you can cut back.

Bella79

Thats a good idea, where not really in debt just rising living costs and not so rising wages !

rachbc

so after the dogs and petrol you are looking at £120 a month which is tight but not impossible.

If it were me my first priorty woudl be looking at reducing the dog food costs to bring up the human food budget - it sounds harsh but feeding myself and kids would have to come first. Can you move them to a cheaper brand? Buy in bulk online?

If you take packed lunches based on sarnies then making bread can cut your budget - and its nicer too.

Porridge for breakfast is cheap, filling and healthy - I coud and do eat it day in day out.

Stretching small amount of cheap cuts of meat works well for us - eg tonight is a tagine with 250g of reduced lamb shoulder, laods fo veg and a can of chik peas - should feed 4 of us plus enough for my lunch tomorrow - the same weight of lamb as chops would look feebel on the plate!

skintbint_2

Mr T's do 18 eggs for around £1.50. (remember your on a budget and some principles just have to go!) to make mince spin outcook as normal with bisto bulk out with veg for 1st night and for 2nd night add a tin of beans, cover with mash and throw in the microwave or oven -called po (as in tellytubbies) pie in our house as had to do this when not working and kids were little. or meatballs bulk out the mince with onion and breadccrumbs, spices and splurge of puree or sauce and serve with pasta - you'd be surprised how many you get and then if o/h takes sandwiches to work have the leftovers cold in a pitta bread with onion. (pork mince is cheaper and tastes great for these) . i would go to a local farm for potatoes if you buy too many cook, mash and season roll into little croquets and freeze that way you can just pull out what you need and zap in microwave, you can do this with turnip too. milk can vary but usually farmfoods is most consistant with their pricing at £1 a jug. burgers can be stewed with gravy and onion - a bit more filling than just a burger

auditbabe

Bella79 wrote: »

Hi all

Ive used these forums for a long time and had some great hints ans tips, now ive come for help, our monthly bills have increased and wages gone down

After all the bills are paid, we are left with £230.00 per 4 wks, this is for everything

2 large dogs (currently on dried food but this cost £50.00 pm for both

2 adults one toddler

This money needs to cover petrol at £15.00 per week and all food and anyhting else that crops up !

Ekkk dont know how im gonna make it stretch out and im starting to panic, and this situation isnt going to improve anytime soon so i have to make it work some how ?

Any help would be greatly appriciated, do u think its possible ?

Not only is it doable but has been tested by MSErs

http://www.cheap-family-recipes.org.uk/

Have a look you will be pleasantly surprised with what you can do to save lots of money. All the recipes have been tested and you really can feed a family of 4 for £100 per month. Some of the testers did the whole month and saved loads and with Christmas coming there is a Christmas meal planner. The whole week with Christmas dinner for just £25. HTHs

misscousinitt

Hi

Cheapest free range eggs I have seen are in Aldi - 85p per 1/2 doz. If you haven't got an Aldi, does Lidl do free range eggs?

The bulking out method is definately the way to go to make your food budget stretch. Mushrooms and onions go great with beef and can make a 1/2 a small pack of frying steak go a long way by making a stroganoff using sour cream.

Hope it all goes well.

I'm sure there will be more suggestions along soon.

Gigervamp

We currently use Wagg dog food for our lab. It costs about a tenner though it's often on special offer for less. A large (think it's about 20 kilos) bag lasts the whole month.

miffy257

I buy orlando or optidog complete dried food from Lidl. We have a Labrador he has quite a sensitive stomach but this suits him very well.
2.5kg is about £2.19 but you can get a bigger bag not sure of size but could be 7.5kg for £5.99.

Butterfly_Brain

First and foremost don't panic !
Second...Meal plan, list everything that you have in the cupboards and freezers and see how many meals you can come up with.

Third..... is to make a list and stick to it and only take cash with you when shopping so you are not tempted to go off of your list, then if you have any money left over pop it into a jar and keep adding to it so that it can be used to build a good stock cupboard up such as flour, yeast, sugar, canned food etc

Aldi have lots of great deals especially on fruit and veg they have a whole chicken for £2.99 which will easily stretch to three maybe four meals ie Roast, curry, risotto, stew or with pasta, so check them out. They also have 12 sausages for 72p and if you slice the sausages you will get three meals out of a pack - it is surprising how far four sliced sausages can go

Sainsbury have the biggest basics range of all the supermarkets.

Have a soup and pudding night once a week, HM soup, HM bread and a nice sponge based pudding or a crumble is really filling.

Plate pies are cheap and easy so is corned beef hash, HM pizza, quiches, sausage toad, savoury pancakes, savoury bread and butter puddings, meatballs can be served with pasta, in a stew or in a toad.

Risotto is cheap and easy and you can add whatever you want to it
Try making twinks hobnobs, cupcakes, scones, cheese straws all brilliant for lunch boxes
Growing your own fruit and veg is really fun and the produce is fresher and tastier plus the bonus of being free from chemicals etc.