A weeks food shopping for £20

dlusman

PennyForThem wrote: »

Lidl and Aldi are great for stuff - but do make sure you are actually spending less for same. Veg bought there may not last as ong as veg bought at another supermarket -

or it may last longer
You cannot give a single statement that covers all stores within a chain.

Savvy_sewing

Menu plan before you go out. Divide your money into sections for dairy, meat, groceries and miscellaneous.
I try to budget for 8 days meals (or more), so if I don't fancy something there is an alternative in the cupboard. Divide any packaged meats etc into portion sizes before you freeze. Pad out minced beef, pork or turkey mince, with red lentils, porridge oats or similar to make one portion of mince into two.
Make spaghetti bolognaise, divide into lasagne, add kidney beans and chilli powder and you have 3 meals made at the same time with little extra effort.
Freeze bread and only take out the slices you need at one time.
If you eat cereals try shops own brands or make your own musilie.
If you are trying to build up store cupboard items, you will eventually be able to expand your repertoire, but buying frozen cheap sausages at around £1 for 16-20 sausages, you can make them into meatballs, or patties by removing them from theskins. You can cut into 1" pieces and casserole, curry etc
Pad out meals with extra protein by using beans, peas and pulses.
Flavour with mixed herbs, onions, tinned tomatoes.
Make a soup that you can bung in wilting vegetables, chicken bones etc. Cook, remove bones, pick off the meat and blitz with a stick blender, or just eat as is.
Good luck

Savvy_sewing

It was a general idea not a weeks meals.
More info on how to think ahead, and plan.
I did a menu plan for our local food bank based on the food they typically supplied. It was used a lot by the young, single people. Then it expanded on to spending a little each week to build enough food not to need the food bank. Simple recipes, with few ingredients.
But it's just one of many ways to make the money go round, and of course only my opinion.
Wheezls budget is to feed a family of 4 or £20. So it should be possible for variety for one.

hamsterfan1

my adice would be 1) learn when you local supermarkets "yellow label" stuff & 2) cook from scratch - you can make far more pasta sauce from & tinned tomatoes & veg for the money than you can from a Jar & it will taste better

PennyForThem_2

Grow your own herbs if you can - depends on whether you have any other space but it is also possible to grow salad stuff too

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For £5 for the book - 5 star rating too

Doshwaster

I know you can find endless recipes online but you still can't beat a proper cook book for getting ideas. Charity shops are great places to pick them up for pennies. Don't go for anything too fancy, just something that has some basic meals in to get you started. A student cookbook is ideal.

Myusernamehasgone

Is really possible for one person to eat two loaves of bread, bread cakes and hot dog rolls in a week?
Find what time your local supermarket reduces its fresh food if you buy a joint you can cut it up in to different portions before freezing

Doshwaster

Myusernamehasgone wrote: »

Is really possible for one person to eat two loaves of bread, bread cakes and hot dog rolls in a week?

I could - but I've always had a weakness for bread.

I suppose for someone young and leaving home for the first time and without any cooking experience then sandwiches/hot dogs must look like the easiest way to eat. When I look back to when I was 18 and had to fend for myself for the first time I pretty much lived on sandwiches, tinned soup and pot noodles.

Not good for your health of course so the sooner you learn to cook for yourself the better. I soon worked out that being able to cook, even if was something basic, was a great way of making friends and getting some company when you are living alone.

LillyPop

I've posted before about having £20 a week to spend in food shopping and I'm also able to spend around £5 a week from my own money to spend on necessary non-edible items.

Last weeks food shop came up to £18.40 and I bought:
2 loaves of bread - £1.70
Breakfast waffles - 69p
2 cans of cannelloni beans - 70p
Carrot - 8p
Cheese - £1.20
Frozen chicken - £2.50
Chicken stock - 30p
Cupcakes - £1
Garlic - 30p
2 bottles of fizzy pop - 90p
Milk - £1
2 milkshakes - £1.30
Onions - 69p
2 packets of pasta - 60p
Peppers - 85p
2 packets of sand which meat - £1.20
Sausages - £1
Pasta sauce - £1
Tomatoes - 69p

I also spent £4.14 on necessary non-edible items:
Baby wipes - 65p
Razors - 50p
Toilet paper (18 rolls) - £2.99

This served 2 people for 19 meals as Sunday dinner was provided by my mum and takeaway money for one night by my dad. We did already have a couple of meals in but we bought and made a lot of it with the £20. Is this good?

Browntoa

your existing thread


https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/71027912#Comment_71027912


so people can avoid reposting advice from before