Living out of my store cupboard & freezer, how little can I spend to feed my family?

Nargleblast

Your coconut oil can also act as a body moisturiser.

missymoo81

Nargleblast wrote: »

missymoo - you mentioned running out of hair mousse. In your cupboard you listed 3 jars of coconut oil - if you warm a little bit of this in your hands and run your hands through your hair, you will have tamed, beautifully-shiny hair that smells heavenly. Only use a little, though, say, about half a teaspoonful, otherwise you will look like you've had a shower in an oil slick.

Oh my goodness! Im lost for words!!! Am going to give this a go tomorrow!!!! Fingers crossed, it can tame my mane!

milasavesmoney

You could steam your spinach, chopped it, and freeze. It can then be use in a frittata with onion, and your mushroom and that old parma when you are feeling a bit better.

Anne_Marie_2

Happy to hear that your muffins came out fine with the bread flour Missymoo.

The scones I made was a recipe using lemonade of all things, from a friend. Apparently the recipe had been doing the rounds on Facebook.

3 cups SR flour, 1 cup lemonade (not diet), 1 cup double or whipping cream, mix altogether with a knife. Roll out on floured surface and use scone cutter or glass. Bake for around 15-20 mins at 200C.
I used 3 cups breadflour - 2 cups white, 1 cup wholemeal and 3 tsp baking powder.
Going to try some variations at some point such as sultanas or grated cheese. I have no idea of the original recipe cup size, so I just used the cup from my bread maker. I wouldn't think it would matter what you used.

Freezing vegetables, was always told you had to blanch them years ago, but it's not the case. Cauliflower, wash, pat dry and cut into florets, bag and freeze. Same with mushrooms, wipe, slice, freeze and bag. Sometimes I saute the mushrooms in butter and garlic and freeze in containers. Spinach, have never just frozen it straight, normally wilt it first and then freeze in portions.

lilbert

I'm really enjoying reading this! Using up my cupboards and freezer too. Dreaded MOT in a week

mummygems

I could have written this! My husbands job is also currently hanging by a thread and we have a LOT of debt so its scary times indeed. I need to curb my spending habits (mainly food as I dont tend to buy anything else!). I am going to do a cupboard and freezer inventory after getting the kids and meal plan for what we have while making a list of the bare minimum we need like bread and milk. DH gets paid Thursday and then not until the last day of April (his firm has just be taken over by someone else so different pay day).

I do slimming world which im finding an expense on the fruit and veg so need to re-think how I am doing that as well.

Theres me, OH and 3 kiddies to feed and sort (9, 7 and 5 years old).

Thank you for sharing its given me a good idea of what I can start doing other than panicking lol.
Excellent ideas and input from others too so thank you x

missymoo81

Thanks milasavesmoney and Anne Marie! Am going to freeze my mushrooms and spinach I think! Hi lilbert and mummygems. I'm sorry to hear you're in the same boat mummygems, rubbish isn't it, but I'm learning a lot as I go along. Ok I have spent some money on shopping. I have ended up spending £44..... Which I know is a lot but, that should last 3 weeks, and I suddenly remember my family exchange Easter eggs for children and i forgot to say not to this year!!!
I got 3 huge blocks of cheese as was half price and we use this
Lots of milk, apples, pears and bananas to store in the garage where it's cold. I had to buy calpol etc for poorly small ones, and potatoes as the garden didn't turn up any. Unlike normal, I didn't buy any meat, pasta, cakes, cereal or biscuits, I did for my sins buy some tonic..... A gin of a weekend is my one vice and I got 4 bottles for £1.50. So all of this should last me until the middle of April! Here's hoping! Meal Plan has gone a little out of the window, I have left over pasta bake for dinner!

missymoo81

Hmmm just come across my biggest hurdle yet, neither child will eat the pasta bake and to be honest I think they're going to refuse anything 'different'

Purple_kitten

Another coconut oil convert here, you can use it for both deep conditioning and I now also use it instead of serum on the ends. Less chemicals has to be good and it's fantastic.

pigpen

missymoo81 wrote: »

Hmmm just come across my biggest hurdle yet, neither child will eat the pasta bake and to be honest I think they're going to refuse anything 'different'

then when they are hungry, warm it up .. that is their dinner.. Our tastebuds needs to try something several times before accepting it isnt poison! Seeing you eat it will help.. and garlic bread helps If it is untouched, fridge it for tomorrow or freeze it for later. I add salady bits, garlic bread and grated cheese.. sliced sausages make it more appetising in here for some reason... they are carnivores my lot!

And it doesnt have to be 5 portions of fruit.. it is actually 10 portions of fruit or veg (the health council decided to say 5 because they reckon noone will eat any if they said to have 10).. so it all counts! 5 portions of fruit is very expensive.. try cutting that down to add dried fruit, carrot and cucumber batons, tomatoes.. mine love the baby plum tomatoes but eat the big ones like apples! celery sticks .. I think they are satan food but the small like them with hummus or some other gloopy dip.. I think it is the mess they prefer! baby sweetcorn is popular too for some reason. I do mine fruit salad too.. apple, pear, strawbs.. whatever we have in and add yoghurt or fruit juice.. that is scarfed in seconds and they get a big enough portion of each fruit for it to count without having a whole piece each.