Please help me with the first month in a new job.

WantToBeSE

I start work tomorrow :j :j

After the disappointment of my last 'almost job' (went for interview, got job, went for 1st day and they said they couldnt hire me as i cant work weekends!), i am really looking forward to starting it!

I am a self-employed cleaner, and was contacted by an agency who had seen my advert and want to give me regular hours. It's great because then i can find my own customers outside of that too. The hours they are giving me suits the childcare i have, and will be great for when the boys (13 and 9) go back to school as its within school hours.

But the first month is going to be really tough, as i only have CTC coming in, which will cover the bills with about £10 to spare per week.
I haven't managed to build up a big stock cupboard (was just about to start doing so!), but from memory this is what i have available:

Butter beans
Kidney beans
Black beans
Sweetcorn
Corn on the cob (frozen)
Selection of frozen vegetables (broccoli, peppers, carrots, peas)
Rice
Pasta
Cous Cous
Frozen chicken portions
Frozen smoked haddock
Various herbs and spices
Yorkshire puds
Stuffing
Passata
Mince (approx. 500g)
Flour (SR and Plain)
Granulated Sugar
Icing sugar
Eggs
Cocoa Powder
Frozen sausages
3x UHT milk

Can anyone give me some meal ideas (breakfasts, lunches and dinners) please?

I was thinking pancakes for breakfast.

Any advice would be great. Thanks in advance.

meritaten

I see you have rice pasta and couscous - all invaluable for stretching whatever protein you have.
Smoked haddock - even a small piece can go a long way - use with rice to make kedgeree - bit of onion peas and maybe some diced red pepper - I assume you have a bit of curry powder?
Yorkshire puds - now with potatoes and say one sausage (or less) chopped into bite size portions and served in the pud - per person - make a bit of onion gravy, a green veg and you have a hearty meal.
breakfast - hmmm stretch the eggs by not doing fried eggs - instead do scrambled and use one yolk to two whites - Use the yolks elsewhere by adding water or milk to them.
I assume you will also have bread - if so then cut out a small round with your small ring cutters (or tear it) - you can fry the bread and drop a yolk in the centre and fry until the bottom of the yolk is firm. for a lovely brekkie. so that's two breakfasts from one lot of eggs.
you get where I am going? if you normally serve one chicken portion per person - cook one for two persons! then take it off the bone and stretch it out with pasta or rice or couscous. keep chunks fairly big - you eat with your eyes and if you see a few big chunks of chicken its visually more satisfying than shredded bits of chicken.
look at your main ingredient for the meal - and think if it would do for two meals if you added some cheaper ingredients. for example - a roast chicken dinner may need one whole chicken - a chicken and mushroom pie may only need a third of the chicken. or even a quarter!

Spendless

Making spag bol using the passatta and stretching it with other veg you have should stretch it to several meals. Just freeze the surplus. Even a small amount left over once it'd done you for a main meals could become a jacket potato topping. Or you could do chilli, using the kidney beans- assumming you have chilli powder in.

Congrats on the job though. Wooooo hooooo. :j:T:beer:

meritaten

oh sorry - Yes congrats on the new job! I hope you enjoy it!

Snowy_Owl

Congrats & good luck for the job!

Good ideas for meals from the others.

My advice is that if you have any cash left over at the end of the week , try and buy a couple of things for your cupboard. Ideas might be
- tin of beans
- tins of chopped tomatoes
- tins of soup
- uht milk
- sausages for freezer ( can be chopped up and used in sauces instead of chicken)
- cooking oil of your preference
- stock cubes of your preference
- teabags (I am a tea jenny and therefore the mere thought of running out is unthinkable!!!)
- noodles
- spices of your choice

You could put your frozen veg in with rice or noodles and spice uop any meat you have

HTH

Snowy

WantToBeSE

Thanks guys, i really appreciate it

floss2

Congrats :j

Remember to think outside the normal supermarket for things like tinned toms, beans, kidney beans etc... Home Bargains, B&M, Poundland, Poundstretcher, Lidl, Aldi etc.

mummy2threeboys

aww huge congrats on the job xx Do you like porridge, that is really econmonical and filling, i suggest going veggie for 3 days a week (veg is cheaper) as its only for a month also you could do a few nights of something on toast beans/eggs etc if you use wholemeal bread baked beans and eggs (fibre and protien) Jacket potatoes, soup , if you drink tea ..id get a 2 cup tea pot (poundland do them or just half fill a larger one..and use one tea bag ..i get 2 cups that way ..i need tea first thing or else im like a purple minion !! (just make sure you have a cosy..unless you like cold tea) I hope you have a great and glittering career xx

KolaKube

So does this mean we'd have 40 quid to shop with (say doing a 30 big shop and 10 left for milk etc?) - allowing you to buy a bit more in bulk? I think its doable especialy if you go on a whoopsie hunt? Will think of how I would do it. Which shops do you have? X

WantToBeSE

Thanks for the ideas so far

KolaKube- I'll have about £10 a week (every Friday). I only have a co-op and tesco in my town, but Asda does deliver here.
Occasionally i'll be passing by Aldi and Lidl (depending on what area i am working in on any given week, so best not to bank on these being available).