Cheapest recipies.

YumPumpkinPie

Remember to look at what you already have and see if you can build meals based on whats already in your cupboards. Making a meal plan is the way to go and try and do two meals for one. By that I mean, when you cook up some mince bulk it out with lentils or oats ( you wont taste them) then split the portion so you have another mince meal to make cottage pie, spag bog..etc

A chicken can do at least 2 meals and if you are dedicated...(I am not so dedicated lol!) you can get a gorgeous soup out of the bones to! The chicken could do a cheap roast and left overs for a pie or a curry or both...that along with your mince is 4 meals right then and there

Have a look around your home, lost of us have bottles of old creams, potions and gels that may have been gifted to us at Xmas...how many toiletries do you really need to buy? This can be done, the Old style board has some inspirational people that will help you out to

Penelope_Penguin

mrs_skint wrote: »

I'm looking for a few tips and cheap meal ideas.

there are lots of threads, collated by Pink-winged:

Cheapest recipes???

Meal for two for 50p. Suggestions?

The Cheapest Healthy Meal Ever!

Feed 6 for £1.62

Cheapest meal

Your Cheapest Evening Meal.

cheap, easy family meals

I'll add this to the firts thread later

RAS

Hi

We were 1 adult and three teenagers and 1 roast chicken did 4 dishes;

1. 1 breast, 2 drumsticks and 2 wings - those with wings got slightly more breast meat for their roast chicken dinner.
2. 1 breast sliced cold with baked potatoes and salads (coleslaw etc) or veggies
3. 2 thighs plus any easy meat in curry, pasta sauce, white sauce (sometimes under mashed potato or pastry as a pie, other times as a fricasse over rice.
4. On the third night, the carcass was boiled up and used to make stock. This was strained and the carcass picked over for little bits of meat added to the soup made the fourth night, with something light as the "main" course.

mrs-stressed

OrkneyStar wrote: »

£50/week = £2600/yr = £216.67 per calendar month.
A 4 week month would be £200, a five week month would be £250.
We are a family of 3 (2 adults, 1 3yr old, 1 cat) and spend £45-50 per week, this is making most things from scratch, not buying fancy brands (exept Cravendale/Pure milk)- we only have Tesco (recently got a bigger one but not an extra by any stretch!), Coop, Lidl and local shops.

Thank you for pointing out the calender mistake I made in response to KimYeovils post. I sort of stand corrected! I am not going to split hairs though. Nit picker I am not!!!!LOL

mrs-stressed

Woops - spelt calendar wrong. Soz.

mrs-stressed

Whoops - spelt whoops wrong. Soz. I will go now.....LOL

rosieben

mrs skint, take a look at the monthly Grocery challenge too (sticky at the top of the OS forum index); you don't have to join in but I'm sure you'll pick up some ideas

Butterfly_Brain

Have you got an Aldi near to you? They have some good deals especially on fruit and veg.

Porridge, Museli, boiled eggs, scrambled eggs or pancakes for breakfasts see this it is great
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/river-cottage/4od#3129880

There are plenty of other cheap recipes there too

I agree with RAS about a whole chicken it will do quite a few meals. (£2.99 in Aldi)

Poundland currently have branston beans 4 pack = 25p a tin

Aldi do Sausages 12 for 72p and you could get three meals, maybe more of that with ease Slice the sausages first and they go a long way. (Sausage Toad, sausage pasta, sausage and mash etc, if you take off the skin you have enough sausage meat to make a sausage plait or sausage meatballs.

Eggs are full of protein and cheap (10 large Aldi 99p)

Aldi super 6 this week .......apples, oranges, lemons, fine beans, baking potatoes and leeks all for 59p a pack

I buy Asda smart price washing powder (£3.28 for a big box) and white vinegar for softener.

Stardrops sorts most of the cleaning

Asda 12 pack toilet rolls are brilliant at £4

Asda/Wilkinson/Tesco own brand shampoo and conditioner and their own deoderants are all good.

Wilkinsons have good prices on pet food or tins of pilchards or sardines are quite cheap

Farmfoods are cheapest for milk and bread

Hope this helps x

mrs_skint

Thanks B.B.! Yes, I have an Aldi near me so will defo be shopping there tonite xxx

Butterfly_Brain

More Ideas for you

If you have a butcher near to you try getting hold of a few ham hocks they are meaty and tasty and you can make a lovely pudding, stew or pea and ham soup from the left over bones.

Offal is still cheap such as lambs liver, kidneys and hearts all make tasty meals

Try shopping at the local market near to closing time on a Saturday you can sometimes pick up some bargains as the stalls are closing.

If you buy the aldi apples buy 2 packs and you could make an apple crumble or apple sponge as a dessert.

asda sp instant custard is 6p a pkt at the moment

What about old fashioned rice pudding, treacle or jam pudding or sultana pudding with custard - cheap, filling and so tasty.

Pancakes can be served sweet or savoury or how about a savoury bread and butter pudding using bacon or sausages.

I buy sp streaky bacon or cooking bacon and snip into bits with a pair of scissors and use to top pizzas (HM of Course), make a bacon pudding or sprinkle on soup.

you could make a veggie crumble or chicken and veggie crumble (my lot love the chicken one)

Tuna can be used in fishcakes or pasta or try a kedgeree using tuna, rice, boiled eggs etc

Risottos can be made using SG rice and veggies of choice (mushroom is a favourite here)

corned beef hash, or corned beef toad (like sausage toad but using corned beef with a sliced onion instead)

Soya protein such as TVP or soya mince from Holland and Barratts can be used instead of meat and are only £1.09 a pkt (great in a curry sauce with a handful of sultanas) Asda do a good range of meat free pkt meals for about 80p each.

Batch bake cakes and biscuits at the weekend - I make enough to last the week out (freeze cakes in bags and just get out as many as you need )

This site might help you with ideas too

http://www.goodtoknow.co.uk/recipes/Cheap-family

Fingers crossed for you - I have been in your position many times x