£53 a week for the next 2 weeks....

continualdiamond

After some tips i guess.

I've just worked out what money we have left until i get paid again, which seems a very long time away, 22nd Jan. My OH usually gets paid on the 25th but the company pays everyone early in Dec, so he got paid on the 15th, which was nice and at all the time, mean't we could do Xmas shopping earlier etc. But now it's worked out a bit harder than we thought.

We usually do a food shop on the Sun, so looking ahead thats the 6th and 13th Jan and we'll have to wait until Tues 22nd to do another food shop.

How can i make the £53 a week stretch a bit?? Id like that some how to include food shop and maybe something nice.

Where both on holidays next week and the idea of staying in every day doesn't appeal, though if we have 2, we have 2. Or maybe ideas of stuff to do at home or anything that is free???

Unfortunately i got stung with a damn parking ticket, £30 :mad: that i had to pay by the 7th Jan. It gutted me, giving £30 away like that. I was so mad as i never park where i am not mean't to, but this day i was late for a dr appt, felt horrible and just saw all these other cars parked at the side of the rd, so parked as well, didn't even check if any signs were about and got done.

That £30 would of done so nicely for the next 2 weeks.....

So any tips, since i have gone on forever with this post, even saving on food, how i could get by the next 2 weeks on a cheap food shop??

Sola

What have you got in your cupboards/fridge/freezer?

Hardup_Hester

Is it just for the 2 of you?

PasturesNew

£53/week? Loadsamoney.

Vegetable stews, stew and dumplings, sausages, shepherds pie, mince/veg pie topped with dumpling mix and baked, chilli/rice, egg/chips, omelette, spanish omelette, vegetable curry, potato wedges, giant yorkshire puddings filled with roast potatoes/veggies/gravy. Bread & Butter pudding, rice pudding.

Should be able to feed 2 easily for £20 a week (£10 each) without really scrimping at all.

Crazychik

Try going out for a walk,(park,woods,canal,lake) does not cost anything, and will save your heating/energy supply at home also! My OH always use to moan, we cant do anything/go anywhere as it always involve money! Walking doesn't!!!!
Do you have any board games? As a family we regularly play these.
Are there any un-finished DIY jobs you could do!
Try to utilise this time and start your spring clean early

Ouch on the parking fine!!!

continualdiamond

I have a lot of stuff in my fridge, freezer and cupboards. I got the recipe off here for the muffins, so i have basic ingredients, i also have a bread maker, so always have that kind of ingredients in.

In my fridge (its under counter) is milk,butter,eggs,sandwich meat, fruit and veg, beer (OH's), bacon, fruit juice.

Freezer has got pizzas, frozen meals, ice cream, chicken, mince.


I guess when i type all this out, im ok for food. Guess i need ideas, or mostly recipes, im not one for putting ingredients together and coming up with something. Only the 2 of us in the house + pets, but pet food isn't that much really, i buy in bulk so it lasts a few weeks.

Pasturesnew - how do you do all that for £20 a week?? I always take a list when i go shopping and i might buy a few other things i see, but i can't even get it that low. Maybe £40, but if i get it down to £20 for the next 2 weeks, boy would i be happy.

No board games, sadly. Saw 2 on freecycle, battleships and guess who, i wanted them, OH said they were dumb. But my way of thinking was a great way to spend some time, rather than watching TV, plus were free...

Like the idea of spring cleaning. I sorted out my kitchen cupboards the other day and i actually enjoyed it (how sad), but i enjoyed the fact i sorted them out logically, finally.

FrenchMaid_2

To treat yourself make a nice fruit salad put in bowl in the fridge will last about 3 days and have that with your ice cream for dessert. yum

Get some veg and make curries with the mince, chicken you've already got - Lidl is very cheap on veg.

I would get some cabbage and potatoes - make bubble and squeak, stir fry, soup etc very cheap ( a cabbage is about 30p and you can make about 3 - 4 meals out of it.

Use all the ready meals up you've got before you do any shopping.... makes space in the freezer.

Make each meal for two meal times - i.e. one for now one for the freezer for next week. Means that you might have the exact same thing twice in 2 weeks but will save you a bundle.

dlb

I manage to feed 6 of us on £60 a week, so if that amount if for food it shouldnt be a problem, if its to cover gas, elec ect it still can be done but need to plan well.
£60 a week gives me a good meal plan but it depends what you have in already.
Let us know and im sure we will be able to help.
Donna

ecoelle

Hey there all, i have to shop cheaply for food and do alot of cooking to save money. Very rarely i buy pre prepared food but mostly cook frm scratch. There is a brill website to help with recipes where you can tick boxes of the foods you have and it will generate recipes you can cook. I have already messaged it to continual diamond but don't think i'm allowed to put the link on here so if anyone wants it then message me and i'll send it to you.

dlb

It s a good website ,know which one you mean!!

ecoelle

hey dlb just checked your profile, we don't live far apart, maybe this frugal cooking on a budget is in the midlands genes!
Only found the website recently when my bloke was made redundant without warning and we had to cope on one income, i use it in conjunction with a supermarket comparison site and swith shops to get what i want at the cheapest price. My only other sdvice is to do a meal plan or menu for the week so you know exactly what you have and what you need to buy.