new start can you help and give advice

Tracey04

ok so its August the 1st and im going to get all this in order, as I put it off every month and its beginning to get me down.
firstly can someone help with a meal plan. ( for a fornight, month anything just to get me started!!!) I have most storecupboard items in and we eat mince, sausage, chicken, white and yellow fish, cornbeef,. Children eat veg but would like them to eat a few more veggie dinners any ideas?
Like all of you need them as cheap as possible as Im running out of money fast, so decided to do grocery challenge. We used to spend £50 a week on food (for me and 2 boys- well really got cleaning stuff and petrol out of that) so have no idea what I spend. On Friday going to put £50 in purse and see how it goes.
What list do I need for natural cleaning stuff as all my polishes are running low.
Please please someone help, otherwise another month will go by and Ill be deeper in this mess. Many Thanks Tracey

scuzz

Hi Tracey

I'm sure someone has created a meal planner somewhere on here, try a search for it.

Also there are usually weekly meal planner threads, so try checking them out.

If you want the kids to eat more veggis dinners, what about making a veggie lasagne or cauliflour cheese.

I think £50 a week for a family of four sounds pretty reasonable, but stocking up on bogofs and switching to a lower brand (tescos own instead of named for exampe) might help to lower the cost.

juliapenguin

Hello Tracey

Why not have a look at Gingham Ribbon's vegetarian meal planner? I was reading it yesterday and drooling over my keyboard - she has fantastic ideas and if I remember rightly is feeding a toddler so the meals should hopefully appeal to your small people.

There's also a 'main meal for 2 for 50p' thread which is quite inspiring - you could have a couple of ultra-cheap days a week where you go for these ideas.

Julia xx

MrsTinks

I found a great recipe tat would be fab for using some of the produce form the garden or allotment if you have one Otherwise the ingredients are still cheap!
Courgette and tomato bake:

3 to 4 courgettes
3-4 tomatos depending on size and preference... I don't like too many infact I prefer there to be equal amounts of courgette and tomato...
1 onion - finely chopped
potato's for mash - again do this to taste - I like there to be about half and half cougette/tomato and mash.
Seasoning and mixed herbs.

Slice the courgettes finely and ditto the tomatos. Fry off in a pan with a little oil: first the onions, season well, till they turn see through, then add the courgettes for a few seconds coating well and then the tomatos as you remove it from the heat...place in an ovenproof dish. Spoon mash on top (you can mix in spring oinions finely chopped if you want) and bake in the oven for 20 mins, you can add loads of variations depending on what you have in. Like peas in the courgette mix, a splash of lea and perrins or soy sauce, maybe add meat if you're not veggie (this ofcourse increases the cost...) Any cooked leftover veg can really go in. And I often add some tomato pure and a little red or white wine to the mix in the pan with the courgettes - so when the oinions have cooked. Just makes a bit of a sauce

You can ofcourse also add cheese to the potato mash to add interest for the more fussy eaters!

moanymoany

As you go through the month, make a note of what you prepare and eat each day. I read this tip on another thread and I've been doing it for a month now. It makes meal planning easy.

I've been putting what works well and what we weren't so keen on when I try new things. It is working really well.:D

Linda32

Tracey04 wrote: »

What list do I need for natural cleaning stuff as all my polishes are running low.
Please please someone help, otherwise another month will go by and Ill be deeper in this mess. Many Thanks Tracey

Not sure if its natural but it is good and cheap - Zoflora, its in the cleaning isle and is a little glass bottle of disinfectant, about 50-60p, you mix this one part to 40.

So what I do is pour about two teaspoons full into a an old trigger bottle (dettox ) and fill up with water and a few drops of tea-tree oil (thats natural) and use this for cleaning surfaces.

I went from Dettox to this with no ill effects.

After that, stardrops covers just about anything else, including washing up liquid. It states that on the bottle, its not just me

You can swap white vinegar for fabric softener if you want too, I never use fabric softener anyway. Always did think it a waste of money and certainly do now

Best of luck

Hardup_Hester

1 Weeks Meal Plan

Cottage pie served with carrots, add tin of tomatoes & any other vgg to the mince to make it go farther, make 2 & freeze one for another day.

Pasta & Veg Bake cook pasta & any veg, courgettes are good, or use frozen mixed veg, make a white or cheese sauce, mix it all together & serve.

Sausage & Mash with Onion Gravy serve with carrots & Broccoli.

Kedgeree INGREDIENTS:
6 oz (170g) Rice
1 Small Onion, finely chopped Butter
6 oz (170g) Smoked Haddock (or Cod or Salmon)
1-2 Hard Boiled Eggs
Salt & Pepper
1 tablespoon Chopped Parsley
METHOD:
Boil the rice in the usual way and thoroughly drain. Meanwhile, poach the fish in milk and allow to cool slightly. Flake the fish removing any bones and finely chop the boiled eggs (which could be boiled in the same pan as the rice). Finely chop the onion and saute in a large frying pan with the butter. They need to soften, but not brown. Add the rice, fish and eggs to the onions, mix well and heat thoroughly. Season, turn into a ht dish and sprinkle with the parsley.

Spanish Omlette with HM Wedges Any leftover veg, bacon, ham made into an omlette

Beans on Toast with a sprinkle of Cheese

Roast Chicken with all the trimmings, this will give you enough left overs for some meals for the following week