Is this possible???

xx_Jo_xx

I made a pot of vegetable soup the other day using up bits and bobs from the fridge and it was yummy... and cheap

Im not very good at the costing so youll have to bear with me:

Soup and broth mix (soaked overnight first) approx 1/3 of 500g bag = 20p
4/5 decent sized potatoes = 24p ?
3/4 carrots = 20p ?
2 leeks = £1 ?
3 ham stock cubes = 60p?

Salt and Pepper and a bay leaf??

I chopped up all the veg in the food processor so it was tiny and just covered the veg and the soup mix with water and no more....

As it cooked I topped up with a little bit more water as it was needed... I like my soup quite thick though, so you could add more water to suit which would stretch it out further.

This pot made a fairly big pot and will do me and DS for four or five meals. It would depend on how big you like your portions I suppose, but the whole pot of soup cost £2.24 + salt & pepper! Equating to less than 50p a meal for both DS and I!

HTH... Ill have a think for what else Ive cooked recently which was mega cheap

TylersMummy

This is 100% possible. I feed me, my other half (who is a 6 foot 6 eating machine) and a baby of 11 months old on around £25 per week and we've done it on far less. Like another poster said, we don't really have a choice and it's amazing what you can get by on spending.

Throw nothing away. Even if you make too much pasta and have a silly portion left over. Stick it in the fridge, jaz it up (there are tonnes of ways) and have it for lunch the next day. I think a lot of it is just down to getting in the right mind frame.

Bulk up things with veg - cheaper and better for you. Make sure you 'portion' up mince. I would once upon a time use a whole 400g/500g mince packet for a meal for us three but there really is no need. I now portion mince up in 125g (roughly, I don't have the time to measure ) portions.

The threads posted by other posters above are very useful. If you're not already buying the brand 'lower' than what you usually buy, try it. Most Value/Smart Price things are great.

If you buy a joint of meat, try to make it stretch over at least two meals. For example, if we have roast chicken for a roast dinner, after we've had dinner, we then strip the bones of all the meat (and don't scrimp, grab everrrry bit of meat off it!) and half it. Half goes in a chicken casserole/stew and we use the bones to boil for a stock, and another half will go in a pasta bake which we add lots of veggies like mushrooms and broccoli too, or a curry, stir fry, etc.
Same goes for a joint of beef/pork/lamb etc.

I feel like I'm rambling now but it is certainly do-able with a bit of planning and thought. Definitely try meal planning. Do a quick run down of what you already have and meal plan for the week - it's amazing what you can make out of the goods you already have knocking about in your freezer/cupboard.

Hope at least one of those tips helps! And good luck

nuttybabe

I have done this BUT only because I do try to keep stocked up on store cupboard stuff and do a butchers shop once a month (which I always get too much) so generally have food to fall back on. Athough it is becoming more common that I am running out of money for food before the month end due to unexpected bills (holes in the floor, car breaks, etc) I am getting a bit better at it. when we really have no money, I will go to shops at 7pm to find whoopsies. and i do love aldi super 6 and lidl half price weekend offers

Bonniew86

Anything I find in my fridge that has seen better days usually gets thrown into something or other. Veg always gets chucked into a spag bol or a casserole, helps bulk it out to get more portions out of it! My OH and I always make a list for the coming week or so and plan each meal. I then only have to buy the exact ingredients that we need. Nothing ever gets binned that way.