Help! Emergency budget menu plan

[ClayDavis]

Due to decrease in hours at work and subsequent tax credit cock up, I have no money til I get paid on 24th. There's no more bills to go out this month, there's some money on the electric meter and travel to work is already paid for so I just need to cover food. There's only me to feed.

Have checked cupboards and have:
1kg bag of oats
pasta
rice
egg noodles
red lentils
2 tins kidney beans
3 small tins baked beans
3 tins mixed veg
1 tin peas
3 tins salmon
2 small tins chopped toms
2 cartons passata
loaf of bread
Also have variety of dried herbs/spices, curry powder, soy sauce etc.

Actually that doesn't look too bad written down. Might also have about £6 to spend.

[Amilliondifferentpeople]

Do you have any advantage card/nectar points or club card vouchers you can use?

[nkf]

Do you have to take food to work? I'd say you've got several pasta meals there. The bread will go off so eat that first. Or freeze what's there and use slices in the toaster. Potatoes are cheap and would give you a change from pasta.

[ivykaty44]

Buy onions and a 45p of basic yogurt and milk




www.recipebinder.co.uk/recipe.aspx?rid=7156 use the passata instead of the tomato and use the tinned salmon rather than fresh - hopefully this can do two meals and serve with pasta salmon bolognaise


allrecipes.co.uk/recipe/1892/dal.aspx just use whatever spices you have and serve the dahl with rice


beans on toast


www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/aarti-sequeira/lebanese-lentils-rice-and-caramelized-onions-mujadara-recipe/index.html this will use more lentils and rice - again use whatever spices you do have - but mostly spicey spices iyswim I generally use turmeric and cumin a bit of garlic and lemon if i have some

[rubyslippers]

make a soup from the mixed veg and lentils
really filling

do you have any eggs? You can make fish cakes with the tinned salmon, herbs and an egg/flour to bind

serve with noodles and soya sauce

[nkf]

I'd make that lentil and rice dish even if it wasn't an emergency. It looks lush.

[ClayDavis]

Thank you all. Waiting for new set of clubcard vouchers/coupons to come through, but don't have any to spend yet. Have just sorted a BACS payment for the £5 I have on topcashback. Am going to buy eggs and flour with the bit of money I have in my purse at the moment.

I do have to take lunch to work, but can just cook extra pasta etc and take that. Can do toast or porridge for breakfast, so that's sorted too.

You've all made me feel a bit calmer and given me some more ideas. I panicked this morning and just ended up looking at the cupboard thinking 'how do I make something out of this'. Thank god for mumsnet and trying to keep the cupboard stocked with staples.

[Amilliondifferentpeople]

Check for lost club card vouchers online. You can print them out too.

[Fluffycloudland77]

agirlcalledjack.com/category/below-the-line-budget-recipes/ these recipes are super cheap.