£7.00 per week - menu ideas

GinaG3

Butterfly_Brain wrote: »

You could carry the sausages and potatoes over from the first week's menu to make another meal.

Thats true. I forgot about that. First time I've ever sat down and done a meal plan to that strict a budget. I'm inclined to get my shopping bills down now just because I know I can. Definitely coming to contribute more in OS board. Partner thought I was crazy spending my sunday evening challenging myself to a £7 a grocery shop, but were total opposites..

Butterfly_Brain

You have done really well, it is great to have so many different menu plans from everyone :T

Savvy_sewing

I like to challenge myself to reduce bills etc but can never keep it up. this month i aimed to live on £100' now i am wondering if i am not trying enough. i am going to go back through the thread and make some notes and re visit my challenge. currently i get fruit and veg box at £12 each week. that will have to be rethought

Butterfly_Brain

Moolo start by making meal plans, we have had to survive on £100 pm before now and will probably have to in the near future, it isn't easy and you do have to shop around, we just eat less meat, and have completely vegetarian meals 2 to 3 times a week or have soup and pudding nights, which helps and we grow as much of our own fruit and veg as we can

Savvy_sewing

yes i do make meal plans and start well but nobody seems to want what i plan and then i end up with going off plan and having wasted fresh fruit and veg because we didn't use it in time. i am getting a little better but still have a very long way to go. my son has just moved back home and currently he doesn't have much of an income which means i have the same money and an extra mouth to feed. This month i will follow more ideas from here to include in the budget to eek the bills out.

Butterfly_Brain

Mooloo, I am afraid that in this house it is eat what is put in front of you or go without, if they want anything different then they have to buy it and cook it themselves

FairyPrincessk

Mooloo, I had this problem a bit when my OH and I were first setting up housekeeping. He didn't understand why I would put the effort into meal planning and always claimed he didn't know what he would want to eat. However, I have won him over--he finally realized that one shopping trip a week where we bought everything was much more efficient, and I think he is finally confident enough to realize that spending £35 in one go isn't as scary as it looks to someone who usually spends about £15--Now I think he even realizes how much money it saves us and I even have him totting it up when I put it in the trolly to make sure we know how much we're spending. It took time, and it took gentle effort, prodding and flexibility from me. It also helps that he likes cooking but doesn't have a very big repertoire and doesn't have the experience to come up with meals from random ingredients the way I can--which means if he wants to cook he has to plan for it!


I'd suggest the following---Every week when you start to make your meal plan, ask each person if there is anything they would like to request for the week. I try to do this when he isn't busy doing something. Most of the time, he says no. I then go ahead and make my meal plan. Now, he claims not to like knowing what he is eating, but I usually tell him what we're having for dinners for the week. He usually forgets, so I remind him on the morning of (or the night before) who is cooking and what we're eating that night. He usually hasn't gotten around to think about what he wants so by the time he gets around to eating it he has had plenty of time to warm up to it.

If he doesn't want to eat that, then he has his weekly spending money and he can sort himself out.

If I had kids, I think I would take much the same approach. They'll soon get used to it.

FemmeAuFoyer

I'm bit of a shy lurker, but I thought this thread was great and deserves a regular bumping up the list.

I haven't fulfilled the OP 7 pounds a week target, but then that was a while ago and I hope she has sorted out her financial problems a bit by now. Hope someone finds this useful!

I have used the Tesco website for the prices, you may be able to get other things cheaper by shopping around. My menu total is 14.29, but lots left over for other weeks, inc yeast, rice, lentils, curry powder, sugar, salt etc as I have assumed these were not in the house as per the OP. There is quite a lot of bacon that is left over, I would probably bulk make some tomato and bacon sauce for pasta as per below and freeze. This like some of the other menus does not cover the 5 a day fruit and veg, but does include some veg. For any extra money I would buy whatever fruit was cheap; with a preference for apples as they have a high ''fill you up'' property!

I have not included bread on the list, I assume you can make your own. If this is not the case then take the flour and yeast off the list and add as much bread as required. I do not have a BM, but make bread everyday by hand. During very lean times I have made successful bread using the cheapest flour available. It may not contain fibre and minerals like wholemeal flour but it makes edible bread. I will follow up this post with a couple of bread recipes.


450g Loose Broccoli at 2.50kg = 1.13
1.4kg Loose carrots at 0.90kg = 1.26
320g Loose brown onions at 0.90kg = 0.29
100g Loose mushrooms at 2.68kg = 0.27
400-500g Loose baking potatoes at 1.30kg = 0.65

Cooking bacon 0.81 for 500g
2 bags Value penne 0.39 for 500g = 0.78
Value long grain rice 0.40 for 1kg
Tesco wholefood Red split lentils 1.99 for 1kg
Tesco Value white flour 0.45 for 1.5kg
Allinson dried active baking yeast 0.64 for 125g
Tesco Value chopped tomatoes 400g for 0.31
3 * Value Baked Beans In Tomato Sauce 420G at 25p = 75p
Value soft cheese 200g 0.49
Value oats 0.75 for 1kg
Gran sugar 0.88 for 1kg
Tesco Hot Curry Powder 80g 1.10
Value sunflower spread 0.75 for 500g
Table salt 0.59 for 750g

Breakfast
Porridge made from 60g oats, 2tsp sugar and water (leave to soak overnight, cook in the morning)
5.5p per portion

Lunches
Baked beans on toast (3 times in the week)
HM bread made from value white flour based on 200g flour, 0.5tsp yeast less than 10p
Tin baked beans 25p
Total 35p per portion 18p

Soft cheese spread sandwiches (4 times in the week)
HM bread made from value white flour based on 200g flour, 0.5tsp yeast less than 10p for both people
25g cheese each (guessing here) 6p
1 raw carrot each approx 100g 9p
40p total, 20p per portion

Pasta and broccoli (eat twice in the week, broccoli is good for you!)
160g pasta 12p
200g broccoli 50p
50g cooking bacon 8p
70p total, 35p per portion
Chop the broccoli. Gently fry the bacon, then chuck in the broccoli. Leave to cook for 10 mins. Mix into the cooked pasta.
I would normally mix with a bit of olive opil, but the spread is cheap and would stop the pasta sticking together just as well.
If you are feeling flush or already have some in the house, a small handful of sunflower seeds and raisins are lovely added to this dish

Lentils and rice
160g rice 6.5p
50g cooking bacon 8p
200g carrots 18p
1 onion approx 80g 7p
200g red lentils 40p
80p total, 40p per portion
Chop carrots. Put the bacon, carrots and lentils together in a saucepan of cold weter, bring to boil and cook till lentils cooked (not very long). Stir into the cooked rice, season with salt and serve. If you have herbs, so much the better!

Dhal and rice
200g red lentils 40p
Curry powder 10p ??
160g rice 6.5p
57p total, 28p per portion
Cook lentils. Season with salt and curry powder. Serve with the rice.

Carrot and lentil soup with bread
300g carrots 27p
80g red lentils 16p
1 onion approx 80g 7p
Curry powder 5p ??
HM bread made from value white flour based on 200g flour, 0.5tsp yeast less than 10p for both people
65p total, 33p per portion
Roughly chop the onion and carrots. Cook in roughly 600ml water. If you have a stock cube or herbs, add them too. Blitz with a stick blender or in a food processor to the texture that you like. Season with salt. If you have some milk or cream, add a bit before serving.

Pasta with tomato and veg sauce
160g pasta 12p
1 onion approx 80g 7p
1/2 Tin chopped tomatoes 0.16 (put the other half in the fridge for a couple of days later for pasta with bacon&tomato sauce)
1 carrot approx 100g 9p
50g broccoli 13p
100g mushrooms 27p
84p total, 42p per portion
Chop the onion, carrot, broccoli and mushrooms into small pieces. Fry gently in oil if you have some, if not then add the tomatoes and simmer slowly in the tomatoes until the texture you like. Even better with herbs, garlic etc. Serve with the pasta.

Pasta with bacon and tomato sauce
160g pasta 12p
1 onion approx 80g 7p
1/2 Tin chopped tomatoes 0.16
50g cooking bacon 8p
43p total, 22p per portion
Chop the onion. Gently fry the bacon, then add the onion and leave for a few more minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook until the desired consistency. Mix into the cooked pasta.


PS The menu also excludes dairy products. If money is not so tight, then the porridge can be made with half milk half water. For dessert we generally have fresh fruit, tinned fruit or HM compote with HM yoghurt. This would also boost calcium and fruit levels

FemmeAuFoyer

Here are a couple of bread recipes promised.

Ciabatta
680g white flour
430ml water
1 tsp yeast
1 tsp salt
4 tbsp olive oil
Total cost less than 45p if using cheapest flour/oil.

Mix 450g of the flour with the yeast. Add the water. Mix to a batter with your hand. Cover and leave for a few hours.
Add the oil and salt and mix again with your hand in the bowl. Add the rest of the flour, again mix by hand in the bowl. Cover and leave to rise for an hour or two until doubled.
Pour the dough out onto a floured baking tray, sprinkle with flour.
After about 30-60 minutes put it in the preheated (210 degerees) oven for about 20 minutes

Rosemary scented focaccia
500g white flour
280ml water
1 tsp yeast
1 tsp salt
3 tbsp olive oil
i tbsp dried rosemary
Cost probably similar as above

Mix all ingredienats together to a dough and knead for a few minutes. Cover the bowl and leave to rise for a couple of hours or until doubled.
Tip the dough out onto a floured worktop and shape into a flattish rectangle (maybe 3 or 4cms thick?)
Place onto a floured baking tray, cover and leave again to rise for a couple of hours
Using your fingers, press holes in the dough. Cover.
Preheat oven to 200 degrees. If you have a olive oil spray, the you can lightly spray the dough with some oil and sprinkle with salt. If not, it isn't essential. Cook for about 20 mins

LolaLemon

https://www.livebelowtheline.com/uk-guidance this page has a link to a cook book for living on £1 per day... i downloaded for the recipe ideas, but i will use what i have in the house rather than go and buy new stuff. (im posting this in a few places so others see the link) - i have no connection to this, other than i got an email from bzz agent about it... I liked the little 'how we started' blub and i printed the meal planner and cook book -thats 40 pages long!, but im using work printer) Thought it might come in handy for a few looking on this thread.. - i have posted it to the frugal living challenge to