Help Required

edinburghlad

So I crashed my car a couple of weeks ago and the insurance are in the process of fixing it. What that means for me is the £250 a month I would normally spend on food and going out is now paying my excess.

I am looking for some help to feed myself (breakfast, lunch and dinner) for as little as possible. I do have the credit card there but really don't want to built up any more debt.

I have a morrisons, tesco, aldi, lidl, b&m, home bargains, Iceland and farmfoods all within a 5 min drive from the flat. The tricky thing is I am trying to loose weight at the same time.... I know you guys on MSE like a challenge, so really hope you can help.

I have the following things in the flat
Cupboard
Ready break x 11
Whole meal flour 1.3k
Plain flour 1.1kg
Caster sugar 900g
Pasta 600g
Baking powder
Bicarbonate soda
Egg noodles x 6 potions
Mini nan 4
3 x microwaveable rice
3 x boil in bag rice
4 x jelly crystals
4x can soup
2 x pasta sauce 500g
Red pesto
Tomato and mascarpone pasta sauce 190g
Lasagne kit (white sauce, red sauce and sheets)
2 x baked beans
Kidney beans
Chickpeas
Chopped tomatoes
3x tuna in brine
2 xPineapple slices
4 x small meringue nests

Fridge
2 x eggs
3 x chow mein stir in sauce
2 tubs flora
1/4 of garlic and herb philly
Onken blueberry 450g
4 x yogurts
3/4 tin of coconut milk
1/2 of tomato paste
2x onions
2 x red peppers
1/2 bulb garlic
Ginger
4 x chilli
Cherry tomatoes
Honey
Mustard
Salad cream and dressing
Ketchup
Brown sauce

Freezer
1 x portion scampi
1 x portion stewing beef
2 x ready meals
150g prawns
1 chicken breast
2 x pork sausages
6 x apple sausages
200g cooked chicken
8 rashers smoked bacon
1 x portion salmon
3 x homemade soup
1 x homemade chilli con carne
1 x homemade lasagne
750g stir fry veg
1 portions oven chips
1 bag of frozen mixed veg
500g summer fruits

Spice cupboard
Various spices and stock cubes

azzabazza

Lidl in our area (I am just outside Edinburgh) have 500 gms mince at £1 as one of their half price weekend offers. You would need to buy today to take advantage of the offer. Freeze some packs.

I can get 5 single portions from 500 gms. When I cook, we have a 2 person portion, I then freeze another 2-person portion and a single portion.

I normally buy the Lean Mince but my DH bought some of this for me yesterday. Proposing to make a lasagne today with one pack, eating one and freezing another. Will freeze the other packs he bought uncooked.

mandragora_2

the £250 a month I would normally spend on food and going out is now paying my excess.

I am looking for some help to feed myself (breakfast, lunch and dinner) for as little as possible. I do have the credit card there but really don't want to built up any more debt.
The tricky thing is I am trying to loose weight at the same time.... I know you guys on MSE like a challenge, so really hope you can help.

Spend as little as possible on food that's as healthy as possible; eat less than normal - problem's sorted, really!

pennypusher

How about the following:
Breakfasts
Ready Brek
Cornflakes

Lunch
Sandwiches - Ham, jam, paste, garlic and herb philly, bacon, tuna
Soup
Yoghurt
Jelly

Dinner
Scampi, Chips, Peas
2 Ready Meals
Sausage, Mash, Peas
Sausage, Beans, Chips
1/2 Chicken Breast, ginger, mixed veg, noodles
1/2 Chicken Breast, Stir Fry Vegetables
Lasagne
Chillii con carne with Toms/Kidney Beans. Make 4 portions and freeze 3
Bacon, egg and chips
Bacon, mash and baked beans
Casserole Beef, Mixed Veg, ordinary potato baked
Chicken Chow Mein
Lasagne
Curry - prawn maybe. You could use your mini nan breads with it.
Salmon with rice or potatoes
Tomato and mascarpone sauce with mince and rice or pasta

Puddings:
Yoghurt
Jelly
Pineapple and Meringue nests - leave out the cream!
Summer Fruits crumble

You would need to buy Bread, Milk, Froz Peas, Mince, Cornflakes but this would certainly get you started.

Hope you like some of these ideas and it goes well.

Sorry looking at it they don't seem very healthy but at least you won't have to spend much and if it's only for the month it will be ok. It would be good if you could get some fruit to go with it.

edinburghlad

Thanks pennypusher. I think I am going to allow myself £10 a week for staples such as bread, milk, fruit and veg. Hopefully I can do this!

lizziebabe

Hi

£250 a month for food is lot of money for one person. I am a member of the monthly grocery challenge and have given myself a monthly target of £160.
Have a look at the thread, there are lots of menu/recipe ideas as well. you have a lot of food in the freezer, so would probably just need some veg, bread and milk for the month.

Cutting down involves planning your meals/menus. There is a lot of help on here. Have a look at the forums.

If the shops are just a five minute drive, why don't you walk? That will keep you fitter and if you have to carry your shopping home you won't want to carry too much.

I really think you can save money and still eat well and healthily. Lots of us do. Have a look around the forums as there are lots of tips and ideas. Happy Money saving.

whiteguineapig

i was going to say why not walk as well!

edinburghlad

£250 a month is my budget to live, so that's food, clothing, going out ect.

I tend to go shopping when I am coming home from work, hence the reason I take the car.

I've been walking a lot since the new year and more than happy to take a wander to the shops at the weekends.

I will have a look at the ideas on here. Thanks :-) As I type, I have a pasta sauce on the hob made from the almost off tomatoes in the fridge. pasta for lunch for the next few days. .

edinburghlad

Was feeling peckish, so tried to make pancakes with the eggs, flour and milk.
Well they tasted ok, shame I am rubbish at flipping them.... Turned out looking like a dogs dinner!

pennypusher

You need to cook them a little longer before you try to flip them, that way they hold their shape better.

maman

edinburghlad wrote: »

Was feeling peckish, so tried to make pancakes with the eggs, flour and milk.
Well they tasted ok, shame I am rubbish at flipping them.... Turned out looking like a dogs dinner!

Flipping them is for TV cooks and pancake races! I'd suggest you just turn them over with a slice. The first one is always like dog's dinner though as the pan gets up to heat.