To think it’s actually hard to live off this for the rest of the month?!

I think most people don’t formally learn to cook, OP.

Most people just get to the stage where they cant afford or don’t want to eat ready meals any more.

I used to live off oven chips with baked beans or packet noodles in my student and young adult days.

Eventually you just have to bite the bullet and teach yourself to make better food. There will be plenty of fails but with Google, YouTube, tiktok, insta, etc etc at your disposal, there really is no excuse to not knowing how to make some basic, nutritious, tasty, economical meals for you and your child.

It's not a huge amount of money but should be more than enough for you and a toddler. Although I have a toddler myself and I know you can easily spend much in fresh berries, yogurt pouches, and their hygiene products if you want to use branded ones.

Reading your previous posts, it does seem you are relying a bit on prep food - chicken with sauces, prep potatoes etc - those items are significantly more expensive than preparing yourself at home. They will also likely be higher in sodium and fat, as those marinades have all sorts of oils.

If your toddler is not fussy, there are so many cheap meal options, use more beans, chickpeas, lentils (all super cheap if you buy canned and or dried). Vegetables you can buy frozen. Recipes with eggs, such as omelets and frittatas are so easy to put together and nutritional good.

Search for simple recipes online, there are amazing sources in youtube, tiktok, some many good accounts to follow and there are several focusing on recipes for toddlers too

I'm in awe of how people are feeding a family of four plus pets etc for 100 quid a week...are these the same people who manage to make 1 whole chicken feed 4 and make three other meals out of it in the same week?? I'm genuinely interested in what meals you make and portion sizes. I'd love to cut our shopping bill down. Ours is a light week if i can get it down to 190 for all 5 of us including the toilet paper, cleaning products etc. Please give me tips. I make all our meals from scratch never use jars or tin sauces etc and no ready meals apart from once in a very blue moon. How on earth is it done? I do buy ALOT of fresh fruit and veg...that alone is about 35 quid in the weekly shop but none of it is wasted I hardly ever throw fruit of veg out. my husband takes a massive salad everyday for lunch and my kids love fruit and veg for snacks, they eat peppers like apples for instance which I obviously don't want to discourage. I don't have to buy many chocolate biscuits/cakes etc because of this although I do buy one or two of whatever is on offer.

It’s hardly below the breadline to have a budget of £100 per week for food/toiletries/cleaning products for 1 toddler and 1 adult. That would be the equivalent of £400 per week for our family which includes 2 ravenous teens and we spend nothing like that much!

I don’t think signposting to food banks is relevant here.

The Aldi woman on YouTube I think who plans and cooks meals is great, plus Aldi stuff in general like washing stuff etc is much cheaper than other places if you have one nearby try it.

There are often organisations that can help support parents with young children who lack experience / confidence with cooking and food prep. Buying premade is less healthy and more expensive, so it would be worth your time to invest in yourself to learn some skills, and to pass on to your child. Cooking together can be fun!

Not sure if someone's mentioned it but I use Smol products for washing and they're really good and cheap compared to big brands.

I wasn't taught to cook anything useful at school but was taught how to scrub wooden draining boards very throughly for some reason! Not really helpful ,ever .
I've been cooking for 60 years and these are my thoughts.
Don't feel guilty .
Lots of help for budget meals/ learning to cook in library or Internet ( or charity book shops)
Learn a few basics first e.g,spag bol,chilli,cottage pie .
Soups/ basic salads are good.
I use frozen veg now as I was wasting a lot.
I buy enough fruit for the week . I used to buy too much and it would be wasted. I buy some frozen berries when they are reduced
I shop on line as i cant easily get out and always meal plan. I know it's not easy when you feel overwhelmed so perhaps read up on budget cooking and do a few sample meal plans when you are less busy.
I helped a neighbour briefly who ran a posh B&B . Her husband was a very skilled chef and produced wonderful meals. The fancy expensive type . In their own lives I noticed he wasted very little ,froze anything he could not immediately use. Their meals were basic but so good. Macaroni in a creamy cheese sauce, risotto, stews.
Freezer containers don't have to be fancy.
My cheap slow cooker is amazing. Bung the ingredients in and it always seems to work.
Even after all these years I sometimes on an off day produce a meal that is ,frankly, boring or not very nice. But most are fine. It's not a competition .
Don't feel like a failure . It's just another skill that can be learned. If you know anyone who could teach you a few basics that would be great. Good luck .

Passata is your friend OP.

Have a look at the taming twins website and pin of nom cook books are amazing too. Bbc good food website is pretty good too. Consider getting a slow cooker as they’re so much easier. Prepared frozen veg like onions and butternut squash are great time savers as is lazy garlic.

As a general rule cooked food are safe in the fridge for 3 days.

OP there are lots of very easy recipes on TikTok if you are on it, and it's really useful being able to follow the recipe by video.

i budget £100 a week for food and essentials... thats for 3 adults, and 2 visitng babies

BUT

we are about to get an M&S food hall round the corner from the house! i know for a fact this budget then will not be enough

Ignore all the haters op. Everything is easy when you know how! Cooking is a learned skill, not something we are born with. This is a great opportunity for you to learn and get your little one eating good food 😋. You've already received some great advice. I spend around £150 per week for 2 adults and 3 older teens, so your budget is fine. I do most of my shopping at Tesco online, and get some things from Lidl. That's worked out the cheapest way for what we buy. I always meal plan for the week, and buy lean meat in larger packs which I split and freeze in basic freezer bags.
Do you have a slow cooker or could you borrow one? It's a brilliant way to cook if you're a novice.
Watch videos online and have a go! Taming Twins online or insta is great for family meals and she does step by step videos.
You can definitely afford dishwasher tablets!

Don't know what organix foods are, is this baby cereal? Have you tried giving her with porridge oats sweetened with a little bit of sugar/syrup or you can mash a banana or pear with while it cooks, it's one of the cheapest breakfast foods and so filling. Cooks in a couple of minutes. She will get protein/calcium from the milk too.

OP, ignore all the people having a go. MN is a terrible place for people who just can't comprehend that there are people who are different to them.

I would also recommend the Delia Smith How To Cook books, I bought them all when I had my first home. You can get them cheap second hand online. "Cooking for Blokes" is also a great book, my cousin bought it for me as a joke

Also, look for any cookery classes in your area, or if you have a local WI, see if there is anyone there who would be prepared to give you a few lessons on the basics. or a friend or family member? You could thank them by cooking them a lovely meal at the end of it. When DD was a baby the local Sure Start centre did a great 6 week course, but I think most of that stuff ended due to funding.

As PP have said, switch to Aldi or Lidl if you have one nearby.

If you could teach yourself the basics, you would save a fortune. There are also cheaper options to what you already buy.

You can research food hygiene online, or even do a food hygiene course online for free possibly. https://www.food.gov.uk/business-guidance/online-food-safety-training

Just start out trying to cook some simple meals and work your way up. Jacket potato with beans and cheese is easy. Chicken breasts with a jar of sauce, is easy. Buy some preprepped veg to go with it, 3 for 2 offers etc, until you work your way up to cooking the veg. One step at a time.

Good luck.

so you cannot cook, do not budget and what else
Have you heard of boiling, stewing, frying and roasting? - take any food, put water and oil on them in a pan or in the oven and they will cook. No need of recipee. Just check when it is done

Where do you shop OP?

If you don't already go to Lidl/Alsi, you'll be amazed how much cheaper they are.

That should be plenty. I budget £100 per week for me and two DDs (14 and 11).

I don't understand this either. It's far more economical to use the dishwasher eco cycle as well than to wash dishes by hand. Dishwasher tablets are cheap. I'm on a far, far lower budget than OP and I have no problem buying them. As other pp have said I just buy the biggest pack I can afford and rotate these large one off items (dishwasher tablets, laundry items, Toiletries, toilet roll) or buy them all in one go when I'm flush

I think it was the fact they were listed as an essential, as though there was no alternative. Everyone buys them at Lidl or other cheap source.

I think it's plenty, but I do know the stress of having a strict budget at times and can sympathise with the anxiety it can cause.
Definitely learn some very basic recipes and also think of maximum healthy calories per pound spent. Everyone's definition of "healthy" is slightly different but if you are not vegetarian or vegan then desserts like yoghurt and fruit are good and meals such as spaghetti/ fusilli bolognaise - bulked out with lentils and/or beans (and even oats if you get down to a little amount of money) made with tinned tomatoes, fried mince, onions, garlic, any other veggies you can get in (carrots, celery, leeks etc) are good ways of getting in a mix of carbs, veg, and protein. Don't buy soft drinks or juice as they are expensive and experiment with buying Own Brands.
Also go through your cupboards and see if there is anything you could use up.
Take snacks from home when you go out (homemade sandwich, fruit, dried fruit etc) instead of purchasing.
If you have time on weekend and live near bramble bushes - they are now in season as are some early apples and plums - could pick some for 10- 15 minutes with toddler to have for fruit snacks and dessert.

@Dentalflossie

It's not your fault that nobody taught you how to cook.

No, but people can't rely on schools teaching them everything. At least today we have the internet, with unlimited resources for people to teach themselves all kinds of things, whether cooking, DIY, car maintenance, exercise, etc. The OP will be able to Google for cooking hints/tips etc that would suit her, whether Youtube videos, factsheets, recipe cards, or just general hints and tips, not to mention all manner of Facebook groups re cooking and meal planning for all kinds of eating, including special groups for diabetics etc. All the information is out there. You can't expect to be taught it by someone on a 1-2-1 basis. Sorry to say it, but it's a bit lame to say you can't cook because you weren't taught it properly at school.

I agree. We've started using Co Op own brand tablets which are very cheap and just as good as the brands.

It's just for food and other supermarket bits, not socialising etc.

I'd personally look into cookery classes that you can do with your child. It is such an important life skill for you both to know and will help reduce grocery bills when you're learning to cook from scratch. The initial outlay may be higher but you've got a healthy budget for a single adult and toddler. I know you're run ragged but we all are and it's about prioritising the important things.

You've also got access to the internet where you can find robus information on food preparation and storage.