Feeding 1 adult and 2 children off barely nothing?

K9sandFelines

If you buy a bag of lentils you can add this to any mince dish in your slow cooker to bulk out meals. Anything can go in the SC, even soup. Do it when you have the time, then you can bulk freeze or refridgerate it and take it out when needed, then you are only using one lot of fuel for the one batch. Also on the Girl called Jack site there is a lentil bolognese recipe which is fab and cheap if you use an onion , one of your carrots, lentils, tinned tomatoes and value mixed herbs with smart price spaghetti. If you have a HomeBargains or any discounter, you could also buy three for a £1 on butterbeans , kidney beans, and chick peas, which you could add to your meals or use the chick peas for houmous. Value carrots are about 69p, would your children be up for carrot batons as a snack?

I hope you manage to get through until your money is all sorted.

joedenise

Very useful post from Quintwins. I'm absolutely amazed at the week's menu you have come up with and have thanked you for it.

I second K9's advice re lentils and also the website recommended. I also thanked you for your post.

Denise

quintwins

joedenise wrote: »

Very useful post from Quintwins. I'm absolutely amazed at the week's menu you have come up with and have thanked you for it.

I second K9's advice re lentils and also the website recommended. I also thanked you for your post.

Denise

Thank you i make alot of the dinners myself but in bigger amounts as there is 5 of us.

Theres a thread on here about feeding a couple for £7 it's very interesting reaing and myself and a few people have posted meal plans, they are slightly out of date but still an interesting read.

joedenise

quintwins wrote: »

Thank you i make alot of the dinners myself but in bigger amounts as there is 5 of us.

Theres a thread on here about feeding a couple for £7 it's very interesting reaing and myself and a few people have posted meal plans, they are slightly out of date but still an interesting read.

I'm glad I don't have to live on such small amounts of money myself but I've read some of the £7 a week thread. I think it would be very useful for the OP to have a read of that one as well.

Denise

Justamum

SunshineButterfly wrote: »

Justamum you'd think right? But no one can FORCE him to do that and seeing as the whole reason he applied to court for residency of the children was so he could get benefits and not work.. well.. not a chance hes going to hand over money.

He wont even sell me my sons uniform that he bought for cheaper (as he is no longer involved with education). He would instead rather throw it away than allow me to use it when the children are in my care.

Wow what a . . . . . (insert appropriate rude word here). As for selling you your son's uniform! Is he expecting you to buy all their clothes and sending them to you naked?!

I don't know if you have a freezer, but using pulses you can make cheap meals (cook a whole bag and freeze - 8oz of cooked beans equals a drained tin).

Boodle

I agree there are ways to spend a great deal less if you want to cahnge the way you might usually eat and those threads mentioned by others will be helpful in that case.

Otherwise, glancing atyour list, I noticed a few places for possible savings – there are a few swapsthat are straight and some which would give you larger quantity for less moneytoo. Looking at a possible revised list,the saving is 11.85 without having to do without any of your usual meals/foodsand drinks.

4 x babywipes £2.04 use cut up towels + warm water
4 x skimmed uht milk £2.12 53p each
10 x whole milk uht £7.40 depending on age – if not young tots andhealthy weight I would use the skimmed so only £5.30 + the 4 above totallingonly 7.42for all milk
4 x beans and sausages £1.40 – do youneed the sausages? Beans are good protein alone and only £1 here for 4
2 x bolognese sauce 78p – use passata 29p each so 58p
5 x chicken flav noodles 55p spaghetti 19p per 500g – so pack covers way more than the equivalent weightof noodles for 19p
2 x ravioli 70p
4 x rice pudding 60p
2 x chicken pasta 64p – not sure what these are – can they be replaced with spaghetti and tin of chicken in whitesauce? (i.e. 19p 500g pasta + 90p tinchicken make loads for future use)
2 x beef pasta 64p – (as above, youcould do the same with mince + passata and make loads to freeze for 19p spag mince1.25 for 454g 29p passata 1.73)
2 x chopped toms 62p – what are they for? Passata you get more (400g toms/500g passata)for 58p
4 x sweetcorn 1.28 - 98p per kilo for frozen
2 x princes chick n mush pie 2.00 – a tinof chicken as above: 90p, mushrooms,41p plus flour and marg to make pastry 45p,60p = £1.31 just filling for 2 pies, each serving 6. £1.05 pastry for both lots of pies
2 x princes steak n kidney pie 2.00 - pastry from above items, plus 1.40 steak bulkout with kidney or more mushrooms at 41p so around 1.81 just filling 2 pies(each serving 6) pastry as for above
2 x beef n onion pie 2.00 - as above pies, filled with 78p mince andonion.
whitworths sunny raisons 8pk 1.00 – 98pfor 500g sultanas
5 x princes fruit cocktail 3.75 I wouldget a mixture of 3xpeaches 1233, 1 mandarin 312g, 1 pineapple 565g, all smartprice so 1.35 – 2110g together (420g Princes fruit cocktail x 5 2100.)
1 x frozen breaded chicken nuggets 72p
1 x frozen fish fingers 60p
2 x frozen mixed veg 1.50
1 x concentrate laundry conditioner 66p
big pack toilet roll 1.96
3 x macaroni cheese 1.20
orange cordial 42p
blackcurrant cordial 42p

SO new listwould be
14 skimmedUHT milk £7.42
4Xsmartpricebaked beans £1.00
4x passata 96p(Bolognese swap, tin toms swap)
3x Smartpricespaghetti 57p (noodles swap, “chicken/beef”pasta swap)
2 x ravioli70p
4 x rice pudding 60p
2x chunkychicken 1.80 (for your pies,and one for you pasta dish)
Frozen mincedbeef 1.25 (for your pasta dish)
Frozensweetcorn 98p
2x tin ofmushrooms 41 (for yourchicken and a steak and mushroom pie)
Plain flour 45p
Marg 60p
Tin minceand onion 78p
Sultanas 98p
3x peaches 87p
tin pineapple 25p
Tin mandarins 23p
1 x frozenbreaded chicken nuggets 72p
1 x frozen fish fingers 60p
2 x frozen mixed veg 1.50
1 x concentrate laundry conditioner 66p
big pack toilet roll 1.96
3 x macaroni cheese 1.20
orange cordial 42p
blackcurrant cordial 42p
Total: 27.33

PS Sorry about all the typos! feeding baby as I type!

Butterfly_Brain

There is a £7 a week thread
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4084527

Butterfly_Brain

SunshineButterfly wrote: »

I need your help please. I have been given a living allowance for 1 week, but after that I am on my own. They have give me £6 per day for food (4 for me, 1 for each child).
Both children have their lunch at school / nursery in the week.

I have had a nosey at smart price items at asda and have so far got for £39.18 the following (I hope listing it alls ok) :
4 x baby wipes £2.04
4 x skimmed uht milk £2.12
10 x whole milk uht £7.40
4 x beans and sausages £1.40 20 frozen sausages are 91p and beans are 25p a tin
2 x bolognese sauce 78p 2 tins chopped toms 31p mixed herbs 19p (2p's worth) 2 cloves garlic 4p = 70p
5 x chicken flav noodles 55p
2 x ravioli 70p
4 x rice pudding 60p
2 x chicken pasta 64p
2 x beef pasta 64p
2 x chopped toms 62p
4 x sweetcorn 1.28 Bag frozen sweetcorn 98p
2 x princes chick n mush pie 2.00
2 x princes steak n kidney pie 2.00
2 x beef n onion pie 2.00
whitworths sunny raisons 8pk 1.00
5 x princes fruit cocktail 3.75
1 x frozen breaded chicken nuggets 72p
1 x frozen fish fingers 60p
2 x frozen mixed veg 1.50
1 x concentrate laundry conditioner 66p
big pack toilet roll 1.96
3 x macaroni cheese 1.20
orange cordial 42p
blackcurrant cordial 42p

Now I know this isnt the healthiest of foods, but I cannot currently afford healthy. I am hoping the less I can spend on cupboard and freezer the more free for buying fresh bread and fresh fruit when needed.

I am also hoping this list will last much longer than 1 week. But I am wondering if anyone has any other items I could add on there that I may not of thought of?

So are we looking at £42 for one week, preferably to be stretched to two weeks? Do you have a farm foods, aldi or lidl nearby? It would help if you let us know what you already have, then maybe we could help you with some recipes x

It would help to know how old the children are. Have you looked into your local schools preschool arrangements if your youngest is three.
Also ask at your local council offices if they can give you any extra support.
You definitely would benefit from talking to someone at the CAB.

Fruball

I've come up with a meal plan for an adult and 2 children of what I think are nice meals and there are plenty of nice treats too. Not sure how old the kids are?

I have done the 'shop' on MrT online

There isn't milk on the list as MrT is expensive but I can get 4 pints for £1 easily so would get it elsewhere.

This comes to £36.14 but you could easily leave out a couple of the treats and bring it down to under £36 which would allow for 16 pints of milk or if you are getting £42 you could get the milk and have almost £2 to spare


Breakfasts:

Bacon sandwich
Egg sandwich
Egg on toast
Toast and jam
Banana on toast

Lunches

Chicken fried rice and mixed veg
Chicken sandwich with mayonnaise
Egg mayonnaise sandwich
Crackers with cheese spread
Crackers or toast with pate

Dinners

Sausages (2 each) with new potatoes, peas and baked beans
Sausage Spag bol with tinned tomatoes and bit of onion
Turkey escalopes made with 1 egg, hm breadcrumbs and fried in butterserved with mixed veg and rice
Turkey and mixed veg thai red curry withrice
Chicken casserole with new potatoes and peas
Spaghetti with chopped bacon, onion, peas and cream for sauce
Kidney bean chilli with rice and peas


Desserts and snacks

Jelly
Chocolate swiss roll
Strawberry whip or chocolate mousse
Tinned fruit and custard
Ice Lolly
Crisps
Biscuits
Roasted drumstick or chicken wing
Chocolate
Bananas
Raisins
Squash or apple juice to drink

Shopping list

Meat deal is 3 for £10 so I chose the following items:
Quick cook turkey steaks 418g
10 Finest pork sausages 756g
16 rashers bacon 600g
I also added a Value roasting chicken £2.60
Country store peas 1kg 99p
Casserole veg £1.00
Value mixed frozen veg 75p
Value milk chocolate 30p
Thai red curry sauce £1.19
Value chilli sauce 57p
Value kidney beans 21p
Value spaghetti 19p
Oaktree baked beans 33p
East End tinned tomatoes 39p
Value jam 29p
Value tomato ketchup 28p
Value gravy granules 20p
Value rice 40p
Hartleys jelly 40p
Tesco Everyday value 8 fruit flavoured lollies 73p
Value strawberry whip 15p
Value tinned custard x 2 34p
Value tinned peaches x 2 64p
Value tinned mandarins x 2 38p
1kg seedless raisins £2.87 (Expensive and I would buy lots of tins of cheap tinned fruit instead but saw them on your list)
Value crackers 69p
Value custard creams 35p
Value multipack of 12 crisps 68p
Value mayonnaise 40p
Chicken stock cubes 15p
Value chocolate swiss roll
Value wholemeal bread x 2 94p
Value chocolate mousse 4 pack 19p
Fresh double cream 60p
1 onion 19p
6 bananas 73p
Brussels pate 65p
value eggs 6 pack 95p (I am sure you can source these cheaper)
Value cheese spread 49p
Kerrygold irish butter £1.25 (I will never compromise on butter but would spend 15p more on Lurpak!)
Value small potatoes 1kilo 69p
Sunsip summer fruits high juice £1.09
1 litre value apple juice 65p

Total = £36.14

RAS

SunshineButterfly wrote: »

(as the kids have now gone to their dads for 2 nights for his fortnightly contact)

I appreciate that you are in a city but are you near any green spaces? With no kids this weekend could you go for a walk and forage.

Right now there is wild garlic/ransoms in the woods and dandelions and hairy bitter cress. Also nettle if you can get them where the dogs do not wee. All these would give you sources of vit C which could be made into soup or infiltrated into a pasta sauce

Also check out the local food banks. One operating under the Trussel Trust here http://www.trusselltrust.org/map

Are there any Sikh temples near you? They have a long tradition of sharing meals with those who need them - it is known as Langer. if you attend take a head scarf as your head needs to be covered and take off all schools at the door of the temple. It is polite to offer to help in some way in exchange - say washing up or cleairng up.