Food budget plan

[Deleted User]

I agree menu planning really does help and using up existing stuff if you can first.

Never, ever, go near a shop if you are hungry ,you will impulse buy and then be cross when you get home with stuff you don't need

and always take just enough cash to cover what you want to buy that way you won't overspend as you haven't got it on you .

Back in the 1960s wives used to have to eke their cash out, as we had no credit cards to cushion the blow of being broke by midweek.I can remember counting how many slices of bread I had in the bread bin until pay day and working out if there was enough for the children's packed lunch and my OHs pack ups as well.

In the 1970s when things really got tough and mortgage rates hit 15% our belts were so tightened they almost cut you in half :):) but we survived and I especially grew careful about how every penny was spent .Nothing was ever wasted and there were times I was glad my late Mum had taught me how to streeetch food to expand meals. :P)

I hope you got my PM yesterday ,let me know and I will do the deleting bit :):)

We all have to start somewhere and if possible give baking a go its all trial and error and no one expects you to be another Mary Berry. Back in the 1960s when I made my first fruit cake I accidently burnt it a bit and my late OH loved it slightly 'tarred ' for ever afterwards he always said can you make accident cake again and to this day fruit cake is still called 'accident cake' in our family :):) ( I don't burn it though now ,but my grandsons really think fruit cake is called accident cake :):)

JackieO xx

jackyann

I would definitely give flapjacks a try - we all love them on here as they are filling, tasty, cheap and not too bad for you! I stir in a handful of dried fruit & a pack of choc chips. They are very forgiving as well - I only once spoiled a batch - in a seriously dodgy oven that I later discovered burned everything on the bottom and left the top uncooked!

JackieO - you story reminded me of a tale I was told by the wife of a very successful man - he was top of his very difficult (and well paid) profession and by the time I knew them, they had a huge and beautiful house, and all the trappings of an expensive life style.
But he came from humble beginnings, and early in his career had decided that in order to do really well (which he never forgot) he needed to take 6 months off and do a full time course - his friend decided the same, and both families had to manage young children (wives not working as the course was full day time + assignments in the evening). So the men took packed lunches, and he would come home on Fridays and say "My friend had proper cake in his lunch box, not home made flapjacks" and his wife would say "well, we can't afford cake"!
They both passed the course, and when back in work had a celebratory dinner. The friend's wife revealed that she decided not to save the top tier of the wedding cake for the baby's christening (as was the custom) but to cheer up her husband's rather drab lunch box!
This would have been in the 50s, and I think of how differently that situation would have been managed today. I also have to say that it must have been quite a large cake!

RedCola

Today is payday. I've spent the day paying all bills / debts etc, or putting it to one side. Once we have done that, we have £150 for groceries. :eek:
£7 of that has already gone (My husband bought lunch for work from Supermarket early hours)

I haven't yet read all the replies, so will do that now. Then I need to get sorted on this.

angelpye

You can do this!

Islandmaid

Jackie O - I hope you have shared your misers cook book - its brill:j

Red Cola - For Hubby and DS2's lunches (when he is here) I make tuna pasta salad (basic cooked cooled pasta, drained tin of tuna, sliced spring onion, some Sweetcorn and a large tablespoon of mayonnaise- mix together and into storage boxes - they love it
Also make some ham and cheese sarnies, cut as usual, wrap and stick in the freezer - don't put salad in - then you have a stock of ready made sandwiches for then you have one of 'those' mornings - they defrost by lunchtime - chop or slice carrots, cucumber, celery etc bung in the fridge ready to add to lunch boxes and for kids to snack on - ditto by a bag of sultanas and split into small portions for lunch boxes and snacks - it goes a long way.

My son is at uni, and he buys frozen Veg including chopped onion as he can then use what he needs without waste.

When (if) you find a quiet space, start writing a list of your families fav meals, cottage pie, sausage and mash, spag Bol, curries, stews casseroles etc then you can start to form a meal plan

Mungoteamwork12

Buy chicken thighs rather than breast, much tastier and cheaper...Have a look at recipes for pasta bake (chicken, pasta, tin tomatoes, puree, cheese)..Baked potatoes with a filling make a good cheap meal...Buy food that is in the reduced section of the supermarkets...Freeze what you can't use that day.

janb5

RedCola wrote: »

Today is payday. I've spent the day paying all bills / debts etc, or putting it to one side. Once we have done that, we have £150 for groceries. :eek:
£7 of that has already gone (My husband bought lunch for work from Supermarket early hours)

I haven't yet read all the replies, so will do that now. Then I need to get sorted on this.

I think this will only work if you get everyone on board. It isn`t fair if one family member spends £7 on lunch when it could have been provided from home ?

[Deleted User]

Islandmaid wrote: »

Jackie O - I hope you have shared your misers cook book - its brill:j

Yes, sent off yesterday, and received and glad to help out .:D:D:D

JackieO xx

kerrypn

RedCola wrote: »

I've been through my kitchen and written down what we have. I've tried to keep it in some kind of order. The cupboard stuff is mostly what we have left every month and I don't really know what to do with it, so it just carries over

Freezer:

Pitta bread x 2pk
Steak chips
Fries
Sliced kiwi
Bananas
Plums
Corn on the cobs
Sweetcorn
Sliced mushrooms
Green beans
Peas
Mixed peppers
Julienne Carrots
Potato cubes
Pigs in blankets x 1pk
Fishfingers
Heck Sausages 1/2 pk
Pork chops (8)
Chicken breasts (2)
Leg of lamb 1/2
Minted lamb shanks (4)
Lamb sausages (6-8)
Farmhouse sausages (3)

Cupboard:

Mackerel (1 tin in olive oil. 1 tin in hot & spicy sauce)
Baked beans x 6
Spaghetti loops
Beans (1 tin of each: Cannellini / Pinto / Refried)
Egg noodles x 3pk
Red lentils
Various pasta (small amounts of each)
Lasagne sheets
Macaroni (500g)
Ready made polenta
Couscous

Short crust pastry Mix
Pizza mix
Baking powder / Bicarbonate of soda / Easy dried yeast
Flour - Self raising / plain / corn
Sugar - muscavado / icing / granulated
Evaporated milk
Apple slices
Dried fruit & nuts - Apricots / Pecans /Cranberries /Almonds
Porridge oats
Jelly cubes & sachet
Choc sauce / sprinkles etc

Assorted oils, chilli, herbs, spices, stock, vinegars,
Rubs - Pulled pork / Beef BBQ / Pork rib

Potatoes - white & sweet


Plus we have a few apples, bananas and satsumas as well as milk, leeks, lettuce and a bit of cheese (stilton / Gloustershire / parmesan)

You've had some great food suggestions already, but just wanted to add, if you can buy some dried pearl barley from local market if possible, I absolutely swear by this to bulk out meals like spag bol cottage pie etc. If you're not keen rice works as well but tends to be more visible..it means I can afford good quality mince for a good portion (there's 5 of us too!) Would also highly recommend looking for eggs at the market, I've always found they are far cheaper than supermarkets and so versatile! The other thing I've always found stretches my budget is buying a joint (chicken is easiest imo) for three meals, one roast, one pasta/rice dish and then use the carcass for soup.


From the ingredients you have already, you could make some roast pepper/mushroom quiches , potato and leek soup, macaroni cheese, baked potatoes with beans, lamb hotpot/stew, pork stir fry (depending on quantities you have obviously)

For pudding bread and butter pud is a great way to use up stale bread and very easy to make. Basic brand custard comes is sachets very cheaply, baked bananas and custard, jellies with fruit bottoms (nice with peaches) if family have a real sweet tooth most supermarkets do angel delight basic brand very cheaply but personally I'd push fruit even if it means spending a bit less else where.

Sorry hope I've not bored you to tears with all that hope that helps x

katkin

How are your stocks of loo rolls, washing up liquid, laundry, toiletries etc?

It's worth doing a stock take and list of those too to ensure you can eek em out.

Keep on in there and you will get through X