Feed a family of four for £20 a week challenge

threemuttleys · 3 September 2012 at 11:57AM

right...here goes

Dry store 1

Various herbs, spices, stocks, gravies etc
various oils, vinegars and soya sauces
Various dry pulses (split pea, green and red lentils, kidney, cannellini)
Various seeds (linseed, pumpkin and sunflower)
Pastas - Penne, Twists, Spaghetti and Lasagne
Rice - LG and Risotto
Various packs of biscuits, crackers and breadsticks (with good dates)
Cereals - Bran flakes, Porridge oats, Weetabix, Puffed oats
2 bags tortillas
Lemon curd x 2
Jam x 2
Peanut butter x 2
Marmite
various squashes (and loads of HM cordial)

Fridge
Loads of potatoes (new, old, and huge bakers)
9 x eggs
yogurts some HM and some greek, and some Yeo Valley
Baking fat x 2
mozzerella ball
various salady bits - radishes, toms, peashoots, lettuce, spinach
cheeses - Cheddar, Brie, and cream cheese
Loads of Fresh fruit - Pears, peaches, plums, apples (cooking and eating) grapes, Bananas, satsumas and lemons.
Veg Celeriac, carrots, onions, garlic, and cabbage
Two Packs of Butter and one on the go

Freezer

1/2 bag prawns
ice cream (vanilla)
Mackerel fillet
Garlic bread
sweetcorn
broc and cauli mix
lamb neck
Lamb chops
1/2 bag chips
Made up gnocchi
Plums (some cooked as compote, some made into sorbet)#
Blackberries (open frozen)

2nd Dry Store

Baked beans x 4
Peach halves x 4
Pineapple x 4
Mandarins x 4
tinned toms x 4
mushy peas x 12

Tuna x 4
Mackerel x 2
sugar x 3
Stuffing mix x 2
Chick peas x 1
Sardines x 2

Baking Drawer

Plain and SR Flour
Raisins and Sultanas
Various colours, Flavours etc
Nuts (various)

Loads

:o

BUT these stores, are the result of watching, learning and reading threads on this board for goodness knows how long...I never ever though I would need to have this much food in the house for just the three of us (well two of us and a toddler!)

But, now the Brown stuff has hit the fan (broken car, replacement needed and bought) and we have around £300 to last the month (Oh needs petrol, I need train fares, and new car needs taxing :mad:)

So I am going to try and only spend another £15 this month on food, and if I can get through Sept and October by only spending £60 (to make up for all the expense of this month) I am a bit fussy about the meat I buy ( I only buy FR/org poultry/pork products) and British Beef/Lamb. I do try to get fish into my son at least 2 x per week.

Will need, Breakfast, Lunches and Dinners

....sooooo any help much appreciated

vickiem30 · 3 September 2012 at 2:22PM

I'm going to have a bash at a 2 weeks' menu and see how I get on; Again feel free to make any changes. I'm finding this exercise really useful, as I'm on a strict budget this month (and the next!) My dog has to have an operation and while I can claim it back on insurance, I have to pay upfront, ouch.

Breakfasts
Cornflakes and Milk
Toast + spread and Cheese

Dinner options:
Mushy pea soup made with tinned peas, stock cube and some frozen veg. bread and spread
Mixed bean stew with, 2 tins beans, 2 tins kidney beans, one tin toms, stock, bit of TVP, frozen veg, curry powder to taste,
beans on toast
pitta bread with chilli made from bean stew, but less stewy and more firm (if that makes sense!)
pitta bread and tuna (no veg in this, so not a preferred option)
Baked potato and chilli

Tea options:
Dhal and rice made with split peas, curry powder and some frozen veg, rice
chilli and rice, some TVP, 2 tins beans, 2 tins kidney beans, one tin toms stock, , frozen veg, curry powder to taste
Vegie shephard's pie, tvp, gravy granules, some frozen veg, mash potatoes
Tuna spaghetti tuna, pasta sauce, herbs, spaghetti
Spaghetti bolognaise, TVP, pasta sauce, herbs, stock cube, spaghetti and garlic bread

Week two:

2
Tesco Everyday Value Plum Tomatoes 400G
£0.62

1
Tesco Everyday Value Vegetable Stock Cubes 100G 10Pk
£0.10
2
Tesco Everyday Value Mixed Vegetables 1Kg
£1.50

1
Tesco Semi- Skimmed Milk 3.408Ltr/6 Pints
£1.74

2
Tesco Everyday Value Cornflakes 500G
£0.62

6
Tesco Everyday Value Mushy Peas 300G
£0.24
2
Tesco Yellow Split Peas 500G
£0.98

1 box, Value fish in batter/ 4 portions
85p

1 jar sweet and sour sauce
26p

2 packs of four yogurts
66p

one tin mushroom soup
42p

packet digestives
30p

2 value mozzerella cheeses
88p

100g value chocolate 30p

total 20.

remaining 0p

Breakfasts
Cornflakes and Milk
Toast + spread and soft heese

Dinner options:
Mushy pea soup made with tinned peas, stock cube and some frozen veg. bread and spread
Mixed bean stew with, 2 tins beans, 2 tins kidney beans, one tin toms, stock, bit of TVP, frozen veg, curry powder to taste,
beans on toast
pitta bread with chilli made from bean stew, but less stewy and more firm (if that makes sense!)
pitta bread and tuna, with some melted mozzeralla
Baked potato and chilli
hot pot with tvp, veg, potatoes, stock gravy and anything else lying around! served with bread
baked potato with beans

snacks
yoghurt
digestives (wooh,exciting, don't go mad now!)
cornflake cakes made with cornflakes and chocolate

Tea options:
Dhal and rice made with split peas, curry powder and some frozen veg, rice
chilli and rice, some TVP, 2 tins beans, 2 tins kidney beans, one tin toms stock, , frozen veg, curry powder to taste
Vegie shepherd's pie, tvp, gravy granules, some frozen veg, mash potatoes
Tuna spaghetti tuna, pasta sauce, herbs, spaghetti
Spaghetti bolognaise, TVP, pasta sauce, herbs, stock cube, spaghetti and garlic bread
fish and oven cooked potatoes, made with potatoes and a little spread, mixed veg.
mushroom pasta; pasta, mushroom soup, tuna (if there's any left) any available veg, topped with mozzeralla and crumbled up breadcrumbs
sweet and sour, with jar of sweet and sour, TVP, or split peas, any remaining veg and rice.

After week two, do a stock take. I think there should be some pasta, rice, peas and sauces available. The plan is to try to build up a stock cupboard and start to include some treats.

lollyfin · 3 September 2012 at 3:12PM

Hi all, just a suggestion, when we have chilli I mix it with the rice before it goes near the table and everyone has a couple of wraps and they fill the wraps with the chilli and rice mix, some veg and cheese. It means I can get away with using a lot less meat and everyone is still full from the rice and wraps and it also means the kids get to build their own dinner which they seem to like

quintwins · 3 September 2012 at 3:41PM

lollyfin wrote: »

Hi all, just a suggestion, when we have chilli I mix it with the rice before it goes near the table and everyone has a couple of wraps and they fill the wraps with the chilli and rice mix, some veg and cheese. It means I can get away with using a lot less meat and everyone is still full from the rice and wraps and it also means the kids get to build their own dinner which they seem to like

I do this with spag bol, well i use pasta shapes and mix it threw and sprinkle abit of cheese on top, means we can use alot less.

Soworried · 3 September 2012 at 4:05PM

Threemutleys, that is a great store cupboard. Your choices are endless really.
I'll think of some ideas.

Well done vicky. :j

Butterfly_Brain · 4 September 2012 at 2:51AM

Haven't forgotten you threemuttleys...will post week 1 tomorrow. What does worry me is, even though I applaud you sticking to your principles of free range, it is an unaffordable luxury when you are living on the edge.

iris · 4 September 2012 at 10:50AM

In case anyone has missed this offer, Morrisons have pork shoulder for £1.50 a kilo at the moment:D

culpepper · 4 September 2012 at 11:09AM

When we were very pushed for cash and the kids were toddlers, I used to by tins of evap and reconstitute it .
The tins are concentrated full cream milk and if you pour one into a large jug and then fill the tin up with water and add that, it is the same as full cream.
(we got that tip from a book by Dr Magnus Pyke).
At the time it worked out cheaper than buying whole milk.

I would evaluate our stores by main ingredient to keep a tally on amount of meals left till needing to buy.

So we would have say sardines and tuna and mince and that was 3 main meals (tuna with pasta,sardine pizza, bolognaise ).

You can stretch a tin of sardines or small tin of tuna to do 4 peoples sandwiches by mixing it with breadcrumbs and water or if you have marg type spread, use that as the 'liquid' part of the spread. This makes a very 'shiphams paste' style sandwich filling.

Butterfly_Brain · 4 September 2012 at 11:24PM

Threemuttleys

I would chop up as many of the veggies as I could and freeze them, this way they will last longer and you will be able to stretch them out between more meals than if you were cutting them for each meal.
Do you have any bread flour and yeast? These are invaluable staples for making pizza dough, bread, rolls and buns.
You could use the tortillas as wraps for lunches filled with boiled eggs and mayo or make Quesilladas with a chopped onion, some diced pre cooked potato (I always cook a few more and save some for the next day) a little mozzarella cheese and pepperoni which is only 79p a pack in Aldi and comes in mild or hot. I use what is left for on top of a pizza. Another use for tortillas is as a base for quiches or pies.
If you had any buttermilk you could make soda bread. Mind you if you make your own butter then the butter milk is free, it really is easy to do.
Make a mackerel pate by mashing a tin of mackerel with some cream cheese and a little lemon juice and black pepper for a nice pate to go on crackers which would serve as a lunch and if you take some salad and a pear with a handful of walnuts that should keep you going all afternoon.
Make your own muesli by toasting some oats and adding sultanas, nuts and seeds of choice to serve with yoghurt.
Make a batch of flapjacks with the muesli if you have some honey or treacle and use as breakfast bars.

prophecy_grrl · 5 September 2012 at 3:18PM

Long term lurker popping in with what is probably a daft question - Butterfly Brain you suggest chopping and freezing veg, do you cook it first or just freeze raw? Sorry if the answer is obvious

Thnaks to all the posters who've come up with such brilliant menu and meal plans

p_grrl xxx

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Feed a family of four for £20 a week challenge

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