Budget dinners! ( or tea for us normal people )

quintwins

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4084527

I'm not saying you should live off £7 as it was very light on fruit and veg for all the meal plans but hopefully it will give you a few ideas.

blueybug

quintwins wrote: »

I was thinking that, for £40 a week for 2 of us i could squeeze in a roast and some steaks :rotfl:

Anyhoo back on topic and it's worth remebering that some people aren't used to smaller budgets or live in more expensive areas i guess.

Tode in the hole
sheperds pie
stew
pasta bake

Sorry 40 a week inc cats food ( 2 cats ) and the normal cleaning stuff etc etc.

I was just interested if its indeed cheaper to make the food instead of buying pre made.

Oh and I dont have a freezer! which is killing me, trying to get a good 2nd hand under the counter type is becoming a pain

blueybug

quintwins wrote: »

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4084527

I'm not saying you should live off £7 as it was very light on fruit and veg for all the meal plans but hopefully it will give you a few ideas.

THAT! is a very good thread

quintwins

blueybug wrote: »

Sorry 40 a week inc cats food ( 2 cats ) and the normal cleaning stuff etc etc.

I was just interested if its indeed cheaper to make the food instead of buying pre made.

Oh and I dont have a freezer! which is killing me, trying to get a good 2nd hand under the counter type is becoming a pain

My budget is £50 a week for 5 of us plus 2 dogs, but i'd never manage even close without a freezer unless i had lots of spare time to go shopping.

It is nearly always better value to make your own food, since you have no freezer i'd say similar meals for example

mon- chicken dinner
tue- chicken casarole
wed- sweet and sour chicken
thur- spag bol
fri- chilli
sat- enchillates
sun- pork roast
mon- pulled pork and salad wraps
tue-pork casarole... you get the idea

Do you have a slowcooker? pork shoulder is really really nice done in the slowcooker with a taste of honey it makes the nicest gravy, i usually buy the value version which does us 2 meals (i usually do 1 roast and one pulled pork, but if i don't hide the pork hubby eats it he doesn't even like pork but he loves my slowcooker roasts and pulled pork) a £4 roast easily does us 2 meals, sometimes supermarkets do half price of vacumm packs which makes it the same price (tesco are at the mo) but it has less fat than value so i usually buy a £8ish one cut into 2 roasts then cut enough off for a casarole aswell so sneaking another meal out of it


My budget also includes cleaning stuff but all you really need is toilet roll, value bleach and some washing up liquid, i keep antibacterial for wiping over the tops after i've cleaned them with fairy and hot water, a bottle lasts me about a year) i use value cream cleaner on the hob and toilet, my cleaning supplies cost me max £2 a month.Toilet roll poundstrecther so 2 x18 packs for £5 which lasts ages or value toilet roll is ok, i don't liek flushing more money down the loo than i have to

blueybug

quintwins wrote: »

My budget is £50 a week for 5 of us plus 2 dogs, but i'd never manage even close without a freezer unless i had lots of spare time to go shopping.

It is nearly always better value to make your own food, since you have no freezer i'd say similar meals for example

mon- chicken dinner
tue- chicken casarole
wed- sweet and sour chicken
thur- spag bol
fri- chilli
sat- enchillates
sun- pork roast
mon- pulled pork and salad wraps
tue-pork casarole... you get the idea

Do you have a slowcooker? pork shoulder is really really nice done in the slowcooker with a taste of honey it makes the nicest gravy, i usually buy the value version which does us 2 meals (i usually do 1 roast and one pulled pork, but if i don't hide the pork hubby eats it he doesn't even like pork but he loves my slowcooker roasts and pulled pork) a £4 roast easily does us 2 meals, sometimes supermarkets do half price of vacumm packs which makes it the same price (tesco are at the mo) but it has less fat than value so i usually buy a £8ish one cut into 2 roasts then cut enough off for a casarole aswell so sneaking another meal out of it

I know the freezer thing is becoming a joke!
Ive never used a slow cooker I may well invest in one, Ive come from a no budget eat/buy what I like to a budget. But I'm at the moment in time doing a meal planner which is helping me with buying foods that I can re-use the following in another dish. But yeah Ive just gotta learn to be good with the $$

quintwins

blueybug wrote: »

I know the freezer thing is becoming a joke!
Ive never used a slow cooker I may well invest in one, Ive come from a no budget eat/buy what I like to a budget. But I'm at the moment in time doing a meal planner which is helping me with buying foods that I can re-use the following in another dish. But yeah Ive just gotta learn to be good with the $$

If you had a buy whatever i want whenever i want budget chances are you have loads of food in, make a list of everything and go post it in oldsytle chances are you have enough food to last you still the end of jan with a few extras.

blueybug

quintwins wrote: »

If you had a buy whatever i want whenever i want budget chances are you have loads of food in, make a list of everything and go post it in oldsytle chances are you have enough food to last you still the end of jan with a few extras.

Old life! Ive moved out from the husband so I'm rocking it without his money

pether2907

omelette:)

trolleyrun

Soups are quick, easy and can be very cheap. Potato and leek soup - you only need potatoes (I use baby ones to avoid peeling), leek, a stock cube and water. There are lots of recipes for soups on the Old Style forum.

I second getting a slow cooker. Then you can put a casserole (or similar) in the morning and dinner will be ready when you get home - just like magic

quintwins

blueybug wrote: »

Old life! Ive moved out from the husband so I'm rocking it without his money

Oh right, if your starting from scratch it's def worth trying to build a few bits up, adding a 29p carton on passata or 40p bag of rice to your shopping each week soon adds up.

I'm having potatoe and leek soup tomorrow, i find leeks expensive but i seem to get them reduced from time to time, i got 3 big ones for 34p yesterday, half went into chicken and ham pie filling and the other half will be going into tomorrows soup