Desperate for advice on food shop.

HappyMJ

floss2 wrote: »

Most food banks will need a referral from either a GP, health visitor or social services so that may not be an option for the OP.

32 wks pregnant...it's an option.

VJsmum

Check pockets bags and purses for any stray coins - down the back of chairs or sofas
Have the kids got any spare money you can borrow for a couple of weeks?

Farm shops are cheaper than supermarkets - I bought a whole load of veg for under a tenner last week. Dried pulses for soup are a good buy also.

empressemma

If you're going down the lasagne path, bulk it out with baked beans!! I normally chuck a can in various things I make, the value ones are less than 20p tin and when mixed in with mince dishes, casseroles etc, it really fills you up.

empressemma

Oh, and have a chat with the market stall holders at the end of the day... You never know what you might come away with!

purpleheather2810

Ok, top of my list to buy would be:

Bread
milk
marg/spread
eggs
carrots
tinned tomatoes
cheese
red lentils/beans

...and use them + storecupboard to make:

veggie and/or tuna lasagne
veggie pizza
tray bake plain or choc for packed lunches and treats
stirfry
risotto (you can use normal rice, I have done this and it's fine)

Just a few ideas there. But I agree with the others, please speak to your MW or doc and ask about foodbanks. Also is there any friendly person or family member that might give you a can of beans or two? Also speak to school about your position - if they know about your position they might be able to sub you a school dinner or two until your free school meals claim comes in. xx

pennypusher

Hi, how about Risotto.

2 oz chopped cooked meat
Tin tomatoes
2 oz fat
3 oz chopped onion
6 ozs rice
1 pt hot stock
Salt and Pepper

Melt the fat in a saucepan and fry a chopped onion until tender and just changing colour. Add some unwashed rice and fry for 3 mins. Add 1/3rd of the stock, bring to the boil and cook for 20 mins or until the rice is tender, adding the remainder of the liquid slowly to the rice absorbs it. Add cooked meat/vegetables and tomatoes and heat thoroughly.

You can vary the recipe to use whatever you've got at the time. (2 generous portions).

RAS

Ok – you need
Porridge Oats – you should be able to get a large value pack at £1 ish. That is breakkie for all. Work out the portions and you may have some left over:? That goes towards flapjacks.

Bread – either whoopsie at less than 47p each or two value loaves at 47p. Freeze at least one and probably one and a half to start with so it does not go off. That is sarnies for the kids for kids for 14 lunches plus toast to go with soups. You will use some of the tuna to make sarnies.

Check out whoopsied vegetables or raid the local market at closing time. You may be able to get a stew pack for 40p. try and get two. That is spiced parsnip soup, carrot and coriander soup and possibly roast veggie soup with the swede? Lunches for you and the younger one plus weekends for the family. Make the garlic bread at the weekend to go with it.

You need oil and margarine – Stork is not great but it is 65p and can be used for cooking as well as to spread on bread. Also needed for flapjack.

Use the cooking chocolate in the flapjack or coat it. Cut into small pieces and use to add to the lunch boxes if allowed or use as a snack late afternoon.

Value kidney beans at 18p – two cans. Make a chilli and eat with rice, plus use some of the beans to make a bean paste for sarnies.

Tinned value tomatoes – 39p. I would buy three. Use to make a basic bolognaise sauce with a little (say 300g mince and some onion. Flavour highly. This is going to end up in various pasta and stew dishes.

Lasagne – white sauce (you will need milk) plus marg and flour with a nutmeg if you have it. You need to make this very solid, pasta, a decent bit of white sauce and little bit of red sauce, then pasta.

Stew – basically veggies (stewpack) in meat sauce with dumplings.

Tuna bake – half to two thirds of the tuna with white sauce and pasta. Use the lasagne sheet but slice and wrinkle.

Pasta bake – red sauce and some of the peppers.

The 99p store often do a 150g cheese portion. Half of that can be used to flavour white sauce for another bake with a few peppers.

Use the rest as sarnie filler and grated for the pizza; more of that wretched red sauce plus some peppers and a little cheese.

Value baked beans – a couple of tins. Bake some of the potatoes and use baked beans as a filling. plus beans on toast for lunch one day.

Stir fry Noodles – you have onion, peppers and peas plus flavourings so can do a basic one. If you find a whoopsied bacon pack or other meat, a little goes a long way – say 75 g for all of you.

If you add a cheap tin of frankfurters, you can get a pasta dish plus a hot potato “salad”

Plus those stovies

I suspect that is more than half you budget but should give you about 10 main meals, some brekkies and lunches

ljonski

You need to get a crisis loan asap-That's what there there for!
What town are you in ?

HappyMJ

ljonski wrote: »

You need to get a crisis loan asap-That's what there there for!
What town are you in ?

Quite a low chance of a loan being approved...and it still needs to be repaid. The crisis loan people would say don't pay the rent or the council tax and use that money for food instead. Council tax at this stage would most probably have been to court and a liability order obtained by council. The DWP will say don't pay the council tax arrears right now and request a deduction from earnings order from council to pay the arrears from wages. They will help liase with council to ensure it goes through properly to prevent having to grant a crisis loan. In regards to the rent it can be paid late from next months pay as long as 2 months rent is not outstanding (and the landlord kept informed) then it's unlikely the landlord will seek eviction if fully repaid in two weeks with next months rent....

....and anyway the crisis loan money isn't much...some money could be borrowed from friends and family with much less hassle.

ljonski

i do appreciate your point. however there are ways and means of obtaining them. Firstly - nothing ventured - nothing gained. 2) The OP is pregnant and says that she is in desparate need. If a refusal is given either the local media maybe interested or a visit do their local MP will definitely sway it -if the latter sends a letter/ You are allowed 2 Crisis loans per calendar year and i know someone who regular gets them inbetween being let out prison and being re-arrested. - He uses them for alcohol and other substances........ its very unlikely that he has paid them back unless taken out of his JSA directly.
Also when the OP gives us their location then i might be able to help further