£10 a week food budget

geckofabulous

I know it's possibly already been looked at, but as far as the rest of your budget goes, look for other areas to trim back. Like if you have a tv package, reign it in to the absolute minimum if you're under contract, or cancel it completely if you're out of contract

Lip_Stick

I made an easy lentil soupy thing in the slow cooker, but would be fine on the hob. Red lentils, a couple of carrots, half a large onion and a veg stock cube. I added some cooking bacon from Asda at just over a £1 for 500g. It tasted lush, and was very very filling. Would easy do a few meals too. I only used a bit of the bacon so the rest is in the freezer with enough to make a few meals out of, for me and my son. HTH

Bogof_Babe

I suggest getting a pack of Sainsbury's Basics (or other supermarket smart price) digestive biscuits - currently 35p for a big 400g pack. These are perfect for the occasional "snack attack", or if you feel you need something sweet after your main course but haven't got a pudding.

Also custard creams, rich tea (even cheaper) and choc chip cookies - all in Basics ranges and all really nice.

gemmacarolyn

If you haven't already seen it, there's a coupon for free Campbells soup on the freebies/shopping board - It's a good idea to sift through the vouchers on there every once in a while, as there are often some good freebies to have

TeenyBash

Kirri, for surveys, I use panelbase and mysurvey. Which sites do you use?

I do bake, yes. So pancakes and cheapy cookies for plain flour/sugar are going to be coming up!

I have a shared garden, but there's no grass. So if you know of any veggies that can be grown in pots?

I have frozen stewed apples in the freezer. So I'm going to make an apple pie tomorrow. I have a big bag of flour!

Wmf, interesting on the milk! I might give that a go!

Living proof, thank you.

Geckofabulous, no, no cable table etc. Everything is to the minimum. My mobile is contracted, I've lowered it to the minimum of £23 a month, that they will allow me too. I wish I could get out of it, but I can't.

Lip_Stick, I'm going to try that soup out!

gemmacarolyn, yes, thank you. I've printed off 3 to go around various shops... lol!

Thanks again, all. You're great!

flippin36

Isobelfleur wrote: »

ALso .. go to your local butchers (not supermarket)

Ask for Bones to make stock. Butchers get charged to take bones away .. so they love to give them for free. Take them home, roast them and make some seriously delicious stock. Google for how to make stock ...

Also Nettles as delicious in place of Spinach. Top restaurants would charge you your weekly budget for your nettle soup ( Foraged) made with your own stock.

Also make extra and freeze.

Hope this helps.

This is a great idea. When I was a kid our butcher had a soft spot for our dog and would save some bones for her - mum would pick them up and would be amazed at how much meat was left on the bone! Made lovely stews for us (the dog did eventually get the bone!)

pineapple

Just revisiting this thread. For those gardeners who sometimes end up with gluts of produce, there may be a nearby shop with an exchange system - where you can exchange your surplus for in store credit and your surplus is sold in the store. Win win all round!
Keelham Farm Shop near me does this.
If you don't have anywhere local, why not try and get it going?

Sallygirl

Veg in pots:

We've got carrots, leeks and parsnips in pots (for pot read empty scrounged water cooler bottles) and they are doing fine. Looking forward to them for this winter.

Right now, it is a bit late to start planting anything but you could try lettuce leaves on the windowsill and pea tops as well. Sainsburys charge 99p for a bag with a few grams of pea shoots in it. I love a few in with the lettuce leaves. For compost, I used the contents of a 99p growbag.

For peashoots get a packet (Asda 39p) of Batchelors standard Biggs peas. Soak about 20 peas overnight and push into a tray of compost and sprinkle a bit more compost over them. I use a small plastic pot that fruit/veg came in and bodge a few holes in the bottom for drainage. They take about 2 weeks to grow big enough to harvest. Snap off the top above the first leaves and they will grow a second smaller shoot so you get two harvests for your money. Plant a new pot with peas about twice a week to ensure you get some to eat every week. I also reuse the compost quite a few times to grow more shoots.

I use the same kind of plastic tubs for lettuce leaves. I get a packet of seeds from Lidl (29p but only in the spring) or Wilkinsons (you might get a packet reduced for end of season now if you are quick). Best to have the cut and come again type but really any lettuce seed will do. I plant just a sprinkle of seeds in a pot and when they are about 3 inches high I start harvesting. I take just one leaf from each plant and then they keep growing. Plant up a fresh pot every couple of weeks to ensure continuity of supply.

Two of us have had salad almost every day for the last 3 months from 2 x 29p packets of lettuce seeds and 1 x 39p packet of dried peas. Not bad! You'll manage lettuce on the windowsill probably until the end of this month. Maybe a bit longer. I believe that lambs lettuce can be kept growing for longer so that is my next thing to try.

I also recommend nettle soup but only pick the top couple of inches off a youngish plant as lower down the plant the stems are a bit woody. Wear gloves!!!

1 potato chopped up (scrubbed but no need to peel unlike you want to), 1 onion peeled and chopped, 1 chicken stock cube, 1 litre jug of washed young nettle tops, 1 1/2 to 2 pints water. Bring to boil, simmer 25 mins then whizz. Should be thick enough but use a teaspoon of cornflour if you want it thicker. Absolutely wonderful if you add a dollop of milk or a spoonful of milk powder at the end. The cooking takes away the ability to sting and it tastes wonderful if yu like spinach-y things. Plenty here for a couple of days meals.

Sallygirl

Edit about the lettuce:

I just sprinkle a few seeds over the tub so thy come up quite thickly. Ignore the spacings between plants stated on the packet and you are not growing adult lettuce, just babies.

When the plant has finished, my rabbit eats what is left and loves it. Nothing wasted!

speedfreek1000

Buy rice!

I pick up a 10kg bag of Thai Fragrant Jasmine rice for £15.

I prefer TFJ as it actually has flavour and is really versatile (you can even make rice pudding with it).

I use just under a tea cup full for a massive feed. There's a whole heap of tea cups in that bag it's ludicrously cheap per portion.

This is how you cook it properly http://www.templeofthai.com/recipes/jasmine-rice.php

I also buy black tiger king prawns £7 for 5 kg from one of those bargain asian fish shops. They're the expensive ones too!

Rice is just so versatile. You can add spices/stock/tomatoes to it whist it cooks for flavours. Rice n peas with Jerk pork/chicken. Cook twice the amount put half in the fridge for fried rice next day.

If I'm hungry and feeling lazy I'll mince a large cube of ginger and chuck that in the pan with the rice to cook. Chop finely some spring onions and pour boiling water on a mug of frozen sweetcorn n peas. Once the rice is ready drain the sweet/peas & chuck everything in the rice with a bit of soy sauce. You can add just about anything to it.