I shouldn't feel skint ...

WinterWarrior

Buying ready chopped fruit and veg frozen can help as there is no waste and you just grab what you need. I’m into crimpets at the moment and that seems to give you a bigger meal with less filling needed. Bulk buying non perishables can be cheaper if you have the storage space. 

I think there is an old style cooking forum on here somewhere…that will be full of ideas.
Good luck. 

joedenise

There are lots of cheap meal ideas at the start of the Grocery Challenge in the Old Style section of the board.

Link to first page (you'll need to scroll through first couple of pages to get to the recipes):  https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6530427/june-2024-grocery-challenge/p1

chemteacher78

Ooh - whats a crimpit @WinterWarrior ? Am intrigued...,

I dont do a lot of batch cooking as I live on my own so a big chilli means eaither freezing a lot of it, or eating chilli for 4-5 nights on the bounce. However, I'll look at this again. I do try to use the same ingredients several different ways iyswim, and thankfully I am pretty well stocked for spices etc. 

Right - off to the Old Styles board to persue. I might challenge myself to eat up everyting in the freezer and sotre cupboards before I shop again. 

satchmo1

I batch cook mince with chopped veg, then freeze it in portions and on defrosting I jazz up the portion with either bolognese, chilli or top it with mash for a cottage pie.

I often use half a tin of kidney beans in the chilli and freeze the other half of the kidney beans for the next time. Top tip, add a square of dark chocolate to your chilli for richness.

WinterWarrior

a crimpit is a plastic hinged circle device, you put a big wrap on it, fill it with whatever you fancy (cooked filling) and then fold it in half. It seals the edges and then you can finish it off in the air fryer or oven. It’s just like a well filled wrap really, but works very well. You might need to google as I probably didn’t paint a great picture 😅

chemteacher78

@WinterWarrior - that sounds great. Am off to investigate. Likewise - I really like the idea of cooking 'base' mince @satchmo1. Some great ideas here - thank you.

On other fronts, I will be another £500 down this month. It feels tough at the moment, and I am worried about keeping up this level of repayment across the summer holidays. I have pretty much trimmed all of the fat from my budget at present I think.

However, if summer ever gets goings, my veg patch should start ramping up. I've already had some broad beans, and I've planted enough lettuce to keep me in salad veg across the next few months (if the slugs dont get to it before me). 

Secondly - I've been offered a modest pay rise. We are still working out the details, but it looks as if it will work out to an extra £210 a month, plus I'll be switched to a contract that means I can claim for some of the mileage I've been racking up. That might amount ot as much as another £140 per month. That feels like a lot of mileage claim. Does anyone have any experience of this as it's not something I've been accustomed to in the past. Any thoughts much appreciated on that one. 

Onwards and downwards (in terms of my debt).

CT

Chrystal

Great news on the job front... £350 extra a month is not to be sniffed at. 

MatyMoo

It’s just me to feed most of the time so I batch cook one thing a week through the colder months & freeze in 2 day portion's (margarine tubs are a perfect size) as I don’t mind eating the same thing for a couple of days. I usually get 8-10 portions each time. Things like chilli, curry, casserole, stew, spag Bol, mince & soups are great for this & I then only need to defrost & heat it and cook rice/pasta/potatoes bread to go with it. I tend to eat most of my fresh veg Friday's to Mondays as that works best with my shopping and the rest come from my home made batch cooked ready meals which I pack with as much veg as I can. I also keep things like sausages, scampi, mini Kiev’s and chips in the freezer as well as part bake bread, eggs, beans for those days when you want something quick or bad! In the summer I’m happy with salads or quick pasta dishes (these are also cooked so I have enough to heat and eat for 2-3 days). Once you get in to a routine it’s easy to feed one and get a varied diet.

satchmo1

I use yogurt pots for curry and a different container for mince, it saves me trying to figure out what the heck is this frozen thing... 

Oh, and I keep my bread in the freezer and just take out two slices at lunchtime to toast from frozen. 

When I was making several packed lunches a day, I would use frozen bread and butter it while it was still frozen, then put on the cheese or ham - no-one wanted salad. 

MatyMoo

satchmo1 said:

I use yogurt pots for curry and a different container for mince, it saves me trying to figure out what the heck is this frozen thing... 

Oh, and I keep my bread in the freezer and just take out two slices at lunchtime to toast from frozen. 

When I was making several packed lunches a day, I would use frozen bread and butter it while it was still frozen, then put on the cheese or ham - no-one wanted salad. 

I just use a sharpie to write on the lid!