Single Money Saver living on my own

Penelope_Penguin

Take a look at these threads (thanks Pink ).

living on your own/cooking for one .......

Single moneysaver living on my own!

What can a single person use on this board?

Saving Money On Food For a SINGLE person

Help a Single Saver

I'll add your thread to the first one later to keep ideas together.

Penny. x

dronid

I will say, in terms of moving into self catering rooms they might find it helpful to pool some resources and allow bulk buying. Also, have any of them got any cooking experience? Do you have any facilities where people can learn. Showing people is often better.

ladymarmalade

Well I guess one of the main problems is lack of freezer space, which reduces the suitability of batch cooking.

When I lived on my own as a student, I faced similar problems, I had one fridge shelf and one freezer drawer....which for someone who likes to make everthing from scratch (or most things) is pretty annoying.

I also had the same problem when living in france on my own...no storage tiny fridge no freezer and no oven lol.

I would recommend some of the tins of beans or macaroni cheese served on toast. These are filling and not too unhealthy and pefect for those who have no idea how to cook.

Pasta is good as you can keep it uncooked for a long time so just cook as and when.

Eggs are great too, they can make omelettes, boiled eggs for salads or with soldiers, scrambled eggs etc. One of my fave budget meals is to bake a potato so the skin is crispy, scoop out the filling and mix in some chopped mushrooms, small pieces of broccoli and seasoning and a tiny bit of butter, then put back into the oven and crack an egg on top and continue cooking until the egg is cooked. Yummy and filling.

Using meats like bacon, which keep for longer is also good for people living on their own.

wssla00

I think it's important when you are compiling recipes to look at a whole weeks basket and what can be made out of that. It's all well and good to say add for example mushrooms when you will only use them for one meal and it will be a waste. It's going to be a mindset change so the people moving on will not be used to freezing leftovers or buying singular items.
I have done this before and found it much easier to write a simple list e.g. potatoes, carrots, onions pack of mince etc and then from that write four or five recipes that they can make from that.
You could perhaps look at working it towards monthly or weekly benefits, so for example working it towards a four weekly shopping list, and show some budgeting throughout that, slowly building on the week before, for example buying dry goods and then only buying fresh produce once a week.
The chaotic lifestyle of homelessness means this could be the first time that they may have had a large amount of money in their accounts that they are responsible for, so working to a four weekly budget may help them especially if you provide an example shopping list.
I would look at providing information on soups, egg dishes, potato based dishes, pasta, rice dishes including egg fried rice (using up leftovers) and start very slowly. Especially as there may be very limited cooking utensils in the house they are moving onto.
Good luck it's great fun and really rewarding!

RAS

murriams

It would help to know what sort of kit people will have?

Some sort of mini-cooker, microwave, a couple of electric rings or a share of a full cooker with oven?

Slow cooker, toasters, sandwich makers?

I suspect that levels od competence, skill and motivation will vary a lot. Some people may be happy with tinned soup and a sandwich, beans on toast and bacon sarnies? Others may want a planned menu that allows them to make three or four meals from one batch cooking with variants and even have a go a simple baking? Still others will want a budget ready meal and shop bought biscuits.

Finally I think to worth having a selection of what I call dire penury meals that can see people through when funds are really low at the end of a payment cycle.

Sunnyday

One of my favourite cheap meals is cheats paella, 1 pack of dried savoury rice (the Morrisons value one is 28p and dosen`t contain the hydrogenated stuff that the big named ones do) half an onion and some salami in place of chorizo. I also add some frozen prawns but tinned shrimps are available and will do just as well.

Fry the onion in a little butter, add the rice and water, bring to the boil and add the rest of the ingredients. Simmer until ready and serve with hot toast covered in garlic butter. (garlic granules mixed into room temperature butter and left for the flavour to develop. Lovely filling and very cheap.

The rest of the salami and the other half an onion can be used in omelettes another day or used as pizza topping.

HTH
SD

Stephen_Leak

As above, don't forget tinned stuff, and I am afaid that you just have to get used to eating the same thing two days running.

Despite this, there is still scope for some simple cookery. For example, I will be having this on a baked potato for two days later this week.

Please, have a search for any of my other recipes, which are specifically aimed at single people who haven't cooked before, and use any which are suitable. Even if one person in the above straits finds one useful, enjoyable and maybe even has a smile at my attempts at humour, I will be so pleased.

REFRIED BEANS

These are only fried once. The name is due to a mis-translation. In Castilian Spanish and English, the prefix re- indicates that something is done more than once. However, in Mexican Spanish, the prefix re- indicates that something is done very well. As this dish is Mexican, its name, frijoles refritos, is in Mexican Spanish and translates into English as "well-fried beans" and not "twice-fried beans".

Serves 2 - 3

INGREDIENTS

420g tin of baked beans
400g tin of red kidney beans
1 onion
1 tablespoon of oil
1 teaspoon of chilli powder

METHOD

Open the tins. Drain off the liquid from the kidney beans. Peel the onion and chop it into tiny pieces.

If you have a food processor, put the beans in it and blend them to the desired consistency. If you have a hand blender, put the beans into a bowl and blend them to the desired consistency. If you don’t have a food processor or hand blender, put the beans into a bowl and use a potato masher or fork to mash them to the desired consistency. The desired consistency is looking like porridge and the consistency of double cream. If required, add a little bit of water.

Put the oil into a frying pan on a medium heat. Fry the onion for about 5 minutes until it is soft.

Add the beans and chilli powder. Mix thoroughly. Fry for about 5 minutes. Stir frequently to stop it sticking.

ADDITIONS & ALTERNATIVES

Use dried beans, but these will need to be soaked and boiled first. Use other beans, especially pinto beans, which are the authentic Mexican cowboy bean.

Add 250g of bacon, chopped into 1cm (½ inch) pieces, or chorizo and fried with the onions.

Add a teaspoon of ground cumin. Cumin comes from Asia, but the Spanish brought it with them to the New World, where it is now widely used in Tex-Mex cuisine.

Garnish with 2 tablespoons of grated cheese. Monterey Jack would seem to be the most authentic.

TIPS

Let it cool and reheat it, as the flavour improves with reheating.

murriams

Thank you all for your help, its such helpful site!

Residents cooking skills vary from person to person but we always try to teach them the basics so that when we resettle people they have a good chance of maintaining their own tenancies.
self catering rooms have a hob, an oven, microwave, toaster, kettle etc and when we move into their own places we try to ensure they at least have a proper cooker (usually through the mighty freecycle!).

Thank you all again all your ideas, tips and recipes, I'm hoping that this resource will really benefit our residents. if it does this will be in large part thanks to you all.

RAS

murriams wrote: »

Residents cooking skills vary from person to person but we always try to teach them the basics so that when we resettle people they have a good chance of maintaining their own tenancies.

self catering rooms have a hob, an oven, microwave, toaster, kettle etc and when we move into their own places we try to ensure they at least have a proper cooker (usually through the mighty freecycle!).

Thanks for the information. That opens up a huge range of possibilities.

Do tenants in the self catering rooms pay for electricity on the basis of usage or is it an set amount per rental period?

Just some things like baked potatoes take a lot of power to cook, particularly for one, but setting to on planned meals and cooking multiple dishes might be hard at the beginning. It may be better to learn each one, then learn to use fuel more efficently by combining meals?

Stephen_Leak

I agree about oven baked potatoes being "energy costly", but the spuds themselves are a good, cheap meal. Currently, ASDA are doing 4 for 50p and I seem to be living on them. Try the combination microwave & oven method ...

BAKED POTATO

The oven method gives the best result, but it does take a long time and uses a lot of gas or electricity. The combined microwave & oven method gives a reasonable result in a shorter time and uses less gas and/or electricity.

Serves 1

INGREDIENTS

1 large potato
1 tablespoon of oil (if using the microwave & oven method)
1 tablespoon of butter
Ground pepper to taste

METHOD (OVEN)

Wash the potato, then remove any "eyes" and nasty bits. Wrap the potato in aluminium foil.

Cook in the top of a preheated oven at 230°C, 450°F, gas mark 8 for 1 hour.
If you like your potato crisp on the outside, remove the foil after 30 minutes.

The potato is ready when it gives when pressed. (Remember to use oven gloves!)

Split the potato and add the butter. Season with the pepper.

METHOD (MICROWAVE & OVEN)

Wash the potato, then remove any "eyes" and nasty bits. Stab the surface with a knife or fork. Wrap the potato in a sheet of kitchen paper.

Cook in a microwave oven at full power for 10 minutes per potato.

Transfer the potato to an ovenproof dish or roasting tray and remove the kitchen paper.
Coat the potato with the oil, using the kitchen paper you’ve just taken off of the potato.
Cook in the top of a preheated oven at 180°C, 350°F, gas mark 4 for 10 minutes, until the potato is crisp on the outside.

Split the potato and add the butter. Season with the pepper.

ADDITIONS & ALTERATIONS

Suggested fillings include baked beans, Chilli Con Carne, coleslaw, cottage cheese, cottage cheese & prawns, cream cheese, grated cheese, sour cream & chopped chives and tuna mayonnaise.

TIPS

In the oven, sticking a metal skewer through a baked potato helps it to cook in the middle.