Can you feed a family of 6 under £30 ??

Norfolk_Jim

Does your family like curry? Curry is one of my staples when I need to stretch the food budget. You can use curry paste, a jar makes 4-6 curries, dont buy curry in a jar (expensive and high in fats) but if you are anywhere close to a multicultural shopping area you can buy your own spices in bigger bags for very little compared to supermarkets. It does need some research as some spices will spoil sooner than others and you need to match up use to timeframe.
I buy the biggest bag of rice I can but check the price per 100g as there can be some pricing peculiarities.
I find that many things curry ok, but the bulk of the curry or even all of it can be vegetables. Even sad bin ends will curry well and I use potatoes, carrots, frozen value cauliflower. In the summer, grow 2 courgette plants in the garden or a grow bag.
Unless you like courgettes - let the fruits grow to half marrow size. Open them up end to end. Cut out the watery pithy middle where you can see the seeds forming. Cut the remaining flesh into cubes and these really add to any curry (pity you cant freeze them). I also like them with shallots lightly friend and with a little spice over the top as they are pretty bland.
Curry will stretch any meat a long way but I dont really care for Turkey curry. Roadkill curry is surprisingly good if your not squeemish. If you use rabbit, cook the bunny seperately, take the meat off and add it at the end or it will seperate into strands and look unappealingly like worms. Curried deer is also surprisingly good (But obviously ac rare fibnd in some parts) - MOst people will just buy some meat at the supermarket / butcher. As you can use slower cooking, you can choose the frozen lumps or cheaper cuts - I always have an eye open for meat reduced because it has lost a bit of colour (You know the redness is maintained by artificial means dont you?) but whatever your personal choices you dont need much.
I like to bulk out my curry using cheap porridge oats. Oats are really healthy and being very bland they take on the curry flavour, especially in fuller flavoured curries. Go easy on them if you are doing Korma or it does taste like curried porridge! Use less in Korma and maybe a little flour.

I have found that having a taste for spicey stuff really helps when doing a cheaper meal as you can liven up beans and pulses by going all ethnic - mexican meals with lots of tomatoe can be good if you find squashy tomatoes on sale, frozen peppers work pretty well.


The cheapest I ever lived was while in the bush in Malawi - No shops. It was all rice & beans and maize porridge. I was unable to spend more than 40p a week and did not feel deprived. The diet was a bit limited though, but we can learn so much on the internet from how other countries feed their families and adapt their ideas

Good Luck - Sorry if you dont like Curry - I could suggest my Pie or Slow cooker alternatives!

tracey_h_2

HI.
I make a big frittata which is really cheap and quite filling. Consists of potatoes and eggs and you can fill it with anything you like (or have left in the fridge!) - great on SW as its free food. I usually put corgettes and tomatoes in mine as i find its a good combo. Really easy to make too, boil poatoes and leave to cool. Slice up and put in dish. Add layers of whatever veg. Cover with wisked eggs - roughly 10 for my dish (with salt and black pepper added for taste). Bung it in the oven and cook - i usually make it when i have the oven on for something else too. I cook it in a 10" non stick cake tin and cut it up, does two adults and two kids for dinner with mash plus a bit left over for lunch next day. I have a local farm shop which sells their chickens eggs for £1 for a tray of 30, its great for cheap fresh veg too.
Hope this helps.
T xx

themull1

There's not enough fruit and veg.

Pitlanepiglet

tracey_h wrote: »

HI.
I have a local farm shop which sells their chickens eggs for £1 for a tray of 30

Seriously? £1 for 30? :eek: Where?

tracey_h_2

Pitlanepiglet wrote: »

Seriously? £1 for 30? :eek: Where?

I live in Croydon (Surrey) and the farm is just up the road. I couldnt believe how cheap they were either!! I didnt think Iceland was too badly priced till i saw them.
I ave everyone going up there now. They do big sacks of potatoes for £4 too and a carrier bag of cooking onions for £1, the veg is cheap too.
Always thought a farm shop would be expensive. How wrong i was.
Txx

larmy16

Hi,

Just posting so I can come back to read this thread in my subscription.

Very interesting.

Linda32

Rebelle wrote: »

Sounds like you've got it sussed in the main OP but when it comes to washing up liquid, you might find sticking with Fairy better value in the long run as a lot of cheaper versions can be very runny and you end up going through it much faster and buying more, which defeats the object really!

I agree with this, I've actually up-graded to Fairy from Own Brand, it does last alot longer as you really only need a little bit.

Its oftern on offer as well.

Someone mentioned High Juice as well, I used to have that in the summer, the grapefruit one is particularly nice I've since downgraded to Value Summer Fruits though.

lizzywig

Mince....

Cook mince, onions and carrots in bulk, make enough for 3 meals for all 6 of your family. Then freeze in freezer bags to have the base of your next meal for meals 2 and 3.

1) Mince and Macaroni
Cook macaroni (or any pasta really) and mix together with your mince mixture.

2) Mince and Mash
Make mash potato and serve with your mince mixture. Remember you can add anything to it to bulk it out, tinned tomatoes, celery etc.

3) Curried Mince and Rice
Use your mince mixture, add curry powder and serve with rice.

Sorry not so good with the costs but I normally manage to do it on the cheap. Good luck.