Help - Need to eat, but have no money!!

flis21

Hi All,

Sorry haven't really visited the old style boards much, but think I need some help.

Hubby has wasted all our money this month (don't ask!!), so we have about £5 and what is in the cupboard to survive on until 31st when I get paid.

What's in cupboard - Tinned Tomatos, Tinned baked Beans, Tinned Red Kidney Beans, Tinned Fruit and Tinned Rice Pudding, Jars of Tomato Pasta Sauce, Pasta Base Mix, Rice, Pasta, Risotto Rice, noodles, lasagne, spaghetti, Jar of Sweetner, Some herbs and spices, vegetable stock cubes.

In Fridge - UHT milk (thank goodness, enough to keep us going), half a tub of margarine, some peppers, mustard, mayonnaise, sandwich spread and ham.

In freezer - chicken breasts, chicken portions, mince, prawns, peas and 2 loaves of bread.

Also have some onions, potatos (but not many and they are a bit old), swede, carrots, parsnips and some garlic.

Acutally looks quite a bit now I have written it out!!

Can anyone give me some things I can make for lunch / dinner without buying anything or much else?

Think I will need to buy some cheese so I can make a pizza and a lasagne.

ashli_2

Chilli chicken....

Fry an onion and brown some chicken portions, add a tin of toms, tin of kidney beans and your green peppers if you like, some chilli powder, cumin, paprika and a stock cube and bubble away for half an hour or so...serve with rice or a baked potato.

Shepherds pie and peas

Spaghetti bolognaise

Chicken breast and peppers stir fried in soy with noodles


I am in the same boat this week, we will be living on tinned things and frozen leftovers until payday!

hilstep2000

Spag bol, or chilli comes to mind! Chicken casserole, Rissotto with the breast.

sophiesmum_2

Hi flis21
First don't panic, looks like you have plenty there to get you through to 31st.
why not have a day tomorrow batch cooking and freezing meals then you will know for sure that you have the evening meals covered at least.
MAIN MEALS
have you got any chilli powder?
How about making chilli, or chicken casserole using some chicken portions and some of your veg, maybe use up the manky potatoes to top a shepherds pie.
Pasta dishes with tomatoes/mince/onions/herbs
Fried rice with chicken pieces/peas/onions etc
Tomato pasta bake,(top with a little bought cheese)
Pizza./topped with rest of cheese/peppers/onion
Lasagne
LUNCHES
jacket potatoes topped with prawn mayonnaise or beans for lunch.
ham sandwiches/sandwich spread sandwiches maybe with some home made soup (veggies/tinned tomatoes/stock cubes/herbs)
Beans on toast
Noodles with a few prawns and peas added
SWEETS
rice pudding
tinned fruit

You will be able to manage fine.
sophiesmum:D

trigger2

Our local Asda had 3kg bags of pasta for £1 - dunno if they're still on offer today ? I have 2 bags squirrelled away in the garage. We're fairly similar this month, we're onto the tesco stripey bread (as well as numerous other things) ! I'd rather do this than put anymore on credit cards

flis21

Hi,

Thanks for the replies. I do have some chilli powder, so chilli chicken and chilli con carne are great ideas. Also the prawn mayonnaise to go in sandwiches / on jacket potatos. Hadn't thought of those ideas. Also will do the tomato pasta bake, that sounds nice.

I will buy some cheese and some cheap bread (for hubby's lunches). Make shepherds pie with rest of old potatos. Do a pizza and lasagne with the cheese. Can top with a little ham, some peppers and onions. I can have soup for lunches as I am at home (have been raiding cupboards and found some tins of soup at the back that are still in date!).

Also might be able to stew up some of the chicken portions with the root vegetables for a good winter meal. (will have to dig out my slow cooker, which hasn't been used in a while!)

Luckily I am eating at my sister's tonight and at my Mum's on Monday.

Forgot to say I have 6 eggs as well, so will do omlettes one night.

Thanks for all your help, I feel a little less panicky now! It just feels wierd not doing a weekly shop this week.

troll35

Do you have any dried lentils or porridge oats in your cupboard? They are both good for eeking out mince. After you dry fry the mince add a good handful of porridge oats to soak up any juices then add the other ingredients for bolognese, shepherds pie etc. Lentils I add at the same time as other ingredients. I find that 1lb mince will easily feed 6 (or more) adults with good appetites (so would give 3 meals for you and DH

skintchick

If the potatoes are too manky to be used for much, you can make an Iranian curry:

cut chicken into strips (makes it go further), finely cube poatatoes, chop an onion (if you have one) cook chicken and onion in spices and herbs, add potato and water in the frying pan to cover, and simmer for ten minutes or so.

Serve with rice for a hearty and tasty meal.

nearlyrich

skintchick wrote:

If the potatoes are too manky to be used for much, you can make an Iranian curry:

cut chicken into strips (makes it go further), finely cube poatatoes, chop an onion (if you have one) cook chicken and onion in spices and herbs, add potato and water in the frying pan to cover, and simmer for ten minutes or so.

Serve with rice for a hearty and tasty meal.

That sounds lovely I might try making it one night next week:beer:

sophiesmum_2

flis21 wrote:

Thanks for all your help, I feel a little less panicky now! It just feels wierd not doing a weekly shop this week.

Hi flis21
If you manage this okay this time maybe you could have a regular storecupboard challenge the last week of each month. think of the money you could save on your shopping bill that you could use for something more exciting.:D
sophiesmum

skintchick

nearlyrich wrote:

That sounds lovely I might try making it one night next week:beer:

It IS lovely - much more so than you might imagine, and so easy! The potatoes mush up a little so a sauce develops, and it's really tasty. Geat for using up manky pots