How do people feed families on £40 a week?

spiritwood

SandA wrote: »

He does usually. Unless were eating junk I will make him something else up. He will have risotto, roast, casserole, quiche, sausage casserole and sausage and pasta. Only thing he wont have this week is korma because to much salt and sugar in the jar, i'll do him some steamed veg with chicken or something instead.

I definitely want to cut down the meat. I may just not buy sausages and use the left over bacon in the dishes I was going to use sausages in?

xx



My other option is to just cook without meat and buy some frozen dippers for him. I can certainly go without meat everynight, I barely eat my meat anyway. x

make korma from scratch? is much nicer and easy
i don't know what to suggest about meat. as he doesn't contribute financially and moans i would do what was best for me and the baby and if he did not like it then <shrug>
i feel sorry for you actually, sounds like you deserve way more support and respect.

paulineb_2

How about, if your OH can have a night out once a month and spend £100, he can contribute the same to the shopping bills?

And maybe, he could have the wee one a night a month while you go and see some girlfriends.

As Ive said Im not married and dont have kids, but Ive been out with a few selfish !!!!!!s in my time, some people dont realise how selfish they are being, however, if hes contributing not a penny to the food budget, in my view, you have the right to shop where you like, be that aldi or approved foods, or any other low cost shop.

He cant complain at all if hes not contributing anything to the shopping bill. And if he has a strop then so be it, he'll come round and get over it.

I actually think aldi fruit and veg is really good quality, miles better than tesco but thats just my personal opinion.

maman

SandA wrote: »

Ok my meal plans for the week are:

Friday - Risotto (with mushrooms and chicken thigh, chicken stock (heinz veg stock for little one) onion and soy sauce)

Saturday - Early Sunday roast (With roasties, frozen veg, chicken, gravy, parsnips, yorkshires, cheese sauce)

Sunday - Chicken Casserole (Using frozen carrots left in frozen veg (there always seems to be loads of carrots in those?!), onion, left over chicken. Already have a packet of colmans sauce mix in)

Monday - Omelette (Eggs, some of the chicken thigh, onion, mushrooms if any left) served with chips probably)

Tuesday - Quiche, new potatoes and green beans

Wednesday - Sausage casserole (Sausages, baked beans, cannelini beans, tomato puree, paprika, onion)

Thursday - Curry (Using rest of chicken thigh, rice, some frozen bhajis I have, pashwiri naan)

Friday - Sausage and pasta (Sausages, onion, pasta and tomato soup)

Here is our list.

Mushrooms 350gA
3 Onions A
1Kg long grain riceA
Whole chicken (1.5kgish)A
chicken thigh (500g)A
gravy granules
cheese sauce (packet)
parsnips A
Potatoes (enough for roasties for 4 + baby, can I use the new potatoes from aldi, I home make roasties)A
Goose fat - Again, will sacrifice if can't get cheaper then £1.50
Yorkshire puddings frozen A/FF?
Garlic bread (2 baguettes)A/FF?
Pasta shells 1kgA
Pork Sausages (12)FF
Bacon (Enough for breakfast over the weekend)FF
12 eggs (breakfasts, omelette, scrambled egg for little one)A
12 bread rolls (for cobs)A/FF?
Bread 400g (toast for little one)A/FF?
Curry sauce (Usually korma, usually get it for a £1 on offer)
Pashwiri naan (Usually find these for pennies, but will sacrifice if can't get cheap)
Tomato soup (sausage and pasta)
Cannelni beans
Soy sauce (for serving with risotto)FF?
Kitchen rollFF
Multisurface cleanerA
Quiche
Tinned new potatoes
green beans (frozen)FF
stuffing mix / frozen stuffing
baby milk (7.99)
squash (2 bottles of, usually on offer for 2, only reason why I get 2)A
tea bagsFF
fruit pots for little one (usually cow and gate ones, I dont think there to expensive)
Pasta 'n' Sauce / noodles for lunch for me during the weekA/FF

xx

All the things I've highlighted are things I buy/have bought in either Aldi or Farmfoods. Aldi do their own pasta n sauce (not tried it) but Farmfoods usually have the branded one. I choose to buy my chicken and eggs at Aldi as it's free range but you may decide Farmfoods or Tesco is cheaper. I wouldn't buy gravy granules in Aldi as if you don't like them you're stuck with a big box. I'd stick with Bisto.

You can buy bread in both shops (including Hovis) but not sure about a 400g loaf. Personally I buy sausages with 80%+ meat (diet:() but there are lots of brands in Farmfoods. Do get their kitchen roll, it's great.

You may get tinned potatoes in Aldi, I just don't use them. You can roast new potatoes but won't be the same. I roast potatoes in oil or buy Auntie Bessie's, goose fat is best kept for Christmas IMO.

On another day perhaps we could persuade you to be a little more adventurous in your cooking. A HM quiche is so much nicer and I make one with a mashed potato base which is really filling and easier than pastry. But you're doing well for your first week!

paulineb_2

Yes, you get tinned potatoes in aldi, think they are about 13p a tin.

maman

SandA wrote: »

To be honest when I ask him to, he says he will, but then he just doesn't and tries to hide how much he spends. All I get is that he goes to work so deserves to enjoy himself now and again. I can't argue with that.

would be nice for me to be able to go out or buy myself some new clothes. Being on my own with little one all day is hard. Especially since I do all the night feeds (and currently dealing with teething) so he can get sleep for work.

I certainly would!!!:eek:

Sorry if we're straying a bit OT but it is hardto offer you mse support and keep quiet about those much closer to home who don't seem to be helping one bit!

quintwins

SandA wrote: »

He does usually. Unless were eating junk I will make him something else up. He will have risotto, roast, casserole, quiche, sausage casserole and sausage and pasta. Only thing he wont have this week is korma because to much salt and sugar in the jar, i'll do him some steamed veg with chicken or something instead.

I definitely want to cut down the meat. I may just not buy sausages and use the left over bacon in the dishes I was going to use sausages in?

xx


My other option is to just cook without meat and buy some frozen dippers for him. I can certainly go without meat everynight, I barely eat my meat anyway. x

Theres quite alot of salt in those packet mixes i would make your own cheese sauce (this is the easies way)
http://mortgagefreeinthree.com/2013/01/white-sauce-no-lumps-no-kidding/

buy low salt gravy and not use a packet mix for your chicken casarole, and you can make sausage casarole with tinned tomatoes but i personally love the packet mix and i would have just saved the kids some tea from another night when they were little.


My husband came from a well to do family who shop in m&s and would never eat anything that didn't come from the butchers and only eat branded food so imagine his shock when we got married had twins and i was really sick and in hospital but his pay only covered our rent, elec and desil, his mum and vouchers kept us in baby milk but for months and month i spent about £5 a week on food for us and it was mainly a loaf of bread some butter, a bag of spuds, value beans and maybe some iceland fishfingers. As i was so ill and spent 4 months in hospital on and off it took a long time for our tax credits and child benefit to be sorted, for a long time he was in denial and asking why we couldn't have chinese on payday ect but the simple fact was if we did that then we'd have no dinner the next week, i really think you need to sit him down and show him how much money you have coming in and the bills (you can find a SOA on the debt forum it lays this out really well) tell him how much money there is for food, how many meals is needed, that milk and nappies are needed first and then pop him on the tesco website and see how far he gets it will soon open his eyes.


Oh and if your in lidl there nappies are fab

Oh and i came back to add that yorkshire puddings are soooo easy to make and cheaper than frozen, if you don't have a muffin pan you can make a big one and cut it up (my parents always did this i like mine as wee cups cause there all crispy then) and your going to have the oven on anyway

http://mortgagefreeinthree.com/2012/06/yorkshire-puddings/

*this isn't my blog i just keep posting it because i think she talks threw things well and pictures help i think i'll make yorkshires with tonights dinner now.

Quiche is also very easy to make, and keeps great for lunch the next day it even freezes well.

SandA

Thank you for all your kind words, I did have an outburst of tears yesterday due to the stress (particularly my gas and electricity, i'm currently -212) he seems to think I need to 'go to the doctors', but its just stress at times can get a bit much. I am perhaps a little uptight whereas he is more carefree, worry when it happens type of person. I am much more organised and realistic (imo of course). I have told him were we are going tonight and he hasn't had to much of a rumble over it. I am going to sit him down and show him my ingoings and outgoings, and he will see from that, that 'brands' and 'meat every night' is courtesy of my overdraft. He is always maxed out by the time the end of the month comes, so the last thing he will want is for me to be maxed out too, as I often bail him out when he runs out.

Thank you for pointing out whats good in aldi of my list, I will note those down on my list so I know what to look out for

As for potatoes, what type is acceptable for roast potatoes? I have vegetable oil I can use instead of duck fat. I know it won't taste as nice but I won't save money trying to eat luxury.

Thanks again all

quintwins

SandA wrote: »

Thank you for all your kind words, I did have an outburst of tears yesterday due to the stress (particularly my gas and electricity, i'm currently -212) he seems to think I need to 'go to the doctors', but its just stress at times can get a bit much. I am perhaps a little uptight whereas he is more carefree, worry when it happens type of person. I am much more organised and realistic (imo of course). I have told him were we are going tonight and he hasn't had to much of a rumble over it. I am going to sit him down and show him my ingoings and outgoings, and he will see from that, that 'brands' and 'meat every night' is courtesy of my overdraft. He is always maxed out by the time the end of the month comes, so the last thing he will want is for me to be maxed out too, as I often bail him out when he runs out.

Thank you for pointing out whats good in aldi of my list, I will note those down on my list so I know what to look out for

As for potatoes, what type is acceptable for roast potatoes? I have vegetable oil I can use instead of duck fat. I know it won't taste as nice but I won't save money trying to eat luxury.

Thanks again all

Really unhealthy but deep fat fried roasties are the best we don't have them often but there my hubbys fav we used to use veg oil, now we use sunflower oil but there is little difference is taste.

You can use any spuds at all, even value ones, we buy sacks of spuds here and we use them for everything it works out cheaper and we get better spuds (usually maris pipers) but we are a family of 5 now me and hubby are low carb i might have to rethink that as our last sack is nearly done.

I really feel for you, the first year after having my first kids was the hardest and it drove me insane when people would say oh your just tired or maybe you should go the the dr, err no maybe people should acually listen to what i'm saying instead of brushing me off as a hormonal woman.

Just for the record he's spending £100 a month on himself and your going into your overdraft for basics then also bailing him out :eek: so basicially he's putting you into debt :eek:

dandelionclock30

Any potato is o.k for roasts.
Why don't you try a vegetable bake with quorn sausages (big bag £2.00) from Iceland or a vegetable bolognaise made with quorn mince and lentils?
If you don't tell him its quorn then he probably wont know.

Why is he not contributing to the food bill? Have you considered kicking him out? Sounds like he taking you for a ride O.P especially with his £100 nights out. You need to be telling him how it is or its the highway.

maman

SandA wrote: »

Thank you for pointing out whats good in aldi of my list, I will note those down on my list so I know what to look out for

As for potatoes, what type is acceptable for roast potatoes? I have vegetable oil I can use instead of duck fat. I know it won't taste as nice but I won't save money trying to eat luxury.

Thanks again all

Get a bag of the white potatoes (2.5kg bag), they'll be fine. Don't worry about getting exactly the right amount for this week's meals. Potatoes will keep in a cool, dark cupboard. You can sprinkle a few herbs or put some garlic in if you want a bit more flavour but that's probably not best for LO. Another way would be to cook them round the chicken in the roasting pan then they'll get flavour from the meat juices and stuffing.

So much good advice about the HM food. You'll be able to make much larger portions for the same money and the leftovers will come for lunches. Just shout if you want some help.