Tight Month - Help

edinburghlad

Folks,

I need your help... I have made a bit of a mistake this month with money and the long and short of it is I don't really have any spare till I get paid on 20th Oct. I am hoping to get through the next 22 days without the need to add to my credit card bill. I have a few things in and listed them below. I appreciate your views on how I can make this last ?

Cupboard
2 x carton of Passata
4 x Tins Chopped tomato
1 x Tin chopped tomato with Garlic & Onion
1 x Tin chopped tomato with Basil
2 x Tin chopped tomato with chilli
2 x Tin red kidney beans
250g Black Turtle beans
2 x Tin sweetcorn
1 x Tin carrot
1 x Tin coconut milk
1 x Tin baked beans
2 x Microwave Rice
600g dried pasta
1 pack lasagne sheets
2x 150g soft straight to wok noodles
1 pack (250g) egg noodles
2 packs of cous cous (each pack serves 2)
2 x jars of pasta sauce
1 x jar red pesto
1 x jar curry sauce
1 x tin pineapple slices
1 x tin tuna in water
½ box muesli
6 x potions of microwave porridge
1 x pack corn flour
Bicarb of soda & baking powder
Self Raising flour (1.5kg)
Plain flour 500g
Wholemeal flour 1kg
Caster sugar 500g
1 pack icing sugar

Freezer
1 x turkey burger
1 x veg burger
2 x portion of meatballs
1 x portion mince
1 x portion of curry
1 x portion scampi
2 x portion of chilli con carne
3 x portion of carrot soup
2 x portions pork thai curry
1 x salmon
4 x Yorkshire puddings
2 x Chinese pork steak
2 x pork burgers
1 x beef burger
8 x pork sausages
2 x beef steaks
2 x pork sizzle steaks

Fridge
Ketchup, brown sauce, chilli sauce, mayo, salad cream, tomato puree
Garlic
2 x chilli
Celery
1 x baking potato
3 x carrots
turnip
beetroot (jar)
margarine
milk
grapes
honey
mustard
lemon juice

Spices
Chinese five spice
Bay leaves
Chilli
Cayenne pepper
Oregano
Garam masala
Cumin
Coriander
Mace
Curry powder
Paprika
Bisto
Olive oil
Teriyaki sauce

merzal

How many are you cooking for?

edinburghlad

Sorry I should have said. Just me myself and I ��

merzal

Oh and what facilities do you have at lunch time? Do you have access to a microwave / kettle / toaster at work or wherever?

merzal

I'd say with the portions of meat / fish you have in the freezer you def have enough for 22 dinners at least and by the looks of it enough carbs in your cupboards to go with them!
Can you go to a supermarket in the eves to get reduced bread / veg / fruit? Our local Mr T does great reductions between about 7 and 9 and can quite often pick up bread / veg / fruit reduced to 1p! If not do you have an Aldi nearby as their super 6 offers on fruit and veg are usually quite good!

edinburghlad

We only really have access to microwaves in the office. We don't have kettles (just they horrible machines) for tea and coffee. I only work 4 days in the office per week as I tend to do they 5th day from home (saves on fuel). I need to be in the office the other 4 days tho :-(

edinburghlad

I will pop along to Mr Ts tonight about 8 to see what they have on yellow sticker. I'm lucky enought to have a aldi, lidl, b and m, Homebargins, Morrisons and tesco all within a 20 min walk of the house. I know that I won't starve as I have the credit card there if I need it but want to do my best not to add to my debt.

merzal

You could make some pasta sauce with the chillis, garlic and passata then take this into work for lunches. Can be eaten either hot or cold. Value pasta is 29p a bag and you have ingredients to make a lot of pasta sauce. Packs of rice are around 40p and could be the basis of some lunches, you could maybe make a chilli with the beans and passata…
What do you usually take for lunch?
I'd write a meal plan for the next 3 weeks, I can't see you having to really buy much as long as you are not too fussed about things maybe getting repetitive but it's only for weeks!

merzal

It's trial and error finding out what time is best for your store reducing items. I now avoid Sunday's as everyone crowds round at 3pm and it's a bit of a nightmare!

DawnW

I agree, plenty here to keep you going for the 22 days. Well done for keeping a good stock in and being prepared

You seem short of bread, pasta (except lasagne), fresh fruit and veg and not many potatoes. I suggest you plan your meals, to include left overs to heat up in the micro at work for lunches. You also have some ready made portion meals that you can use for lunches or dinner.

Use the fresh stuff you have first to avoid it going off, or freeze (potatoes carrots and turnip). Your garlic and chillis can be frozen too, if they look like going off (chop or crush the garlic but chillis are fine whole and you can chop them from frozen - I grow them, and freeze loads of them).

Sainsburys have a food saver (I think that is what it is called) on their web site, where you type in what you have and the site suggests what you can make. I am not sure of the URL, but am sure you could find it pretty easily by googling.

Busy_Mee

You could try making some bread rolls at the weekends to freeze to go with your soup, burgers and to make sandwiches. If this is a step too far Mr Ts cheapest loaf is 45p or 12 pack of bread rolls also 45p.
Have you checked your club card/nectars points to see if you have any spare points to buy bits and pieces to supplement what you have.