What's lowest you could live on food budget short term

[bronnibro]

Hello everybody, im in a bit of a pickle with my money, im not in debt through any means except my overdraft, which when I am paid im about about 0 again, I have a 2500 overdraft and always in it, I can't seem to cancel it out, I do live quite cheaply I don't own car etc, 2500 doesn't seem high and would make a lot of difference if I could break even so I want to do a 3 month severe spend on myself, obviously pay my bills, but I mean everything really bared back to see if I can make a dent, im not looking forward to it as I do love food and being out normally cost something, but should I tough it out for a 3 month trial period, I do need to lose weight too, so could combine 2 birds with one stone there, and I decide to do it now, because I've been saying for ages and I just need to start plus also it's nicer in summer I think, being outside is cheap :) what do you think and what would your single budget be or any other ideas on overdraft, I do get charged around 2 pounds a day which does add up

Ocean finance recently did a food / meal plan budget breakdown.
here’s the £20 and £25 one.
There are higher priced ones too

‘ £20 a week on food. It sounds like a challenge — and right now, it genuinely is one.

But it is still doable. With a bit of planning, you can eat well on £20 a week. This guide shows you how, with a shopping list and a full week of meals at three different budget levels — £20, £25 and £30 — so you can find the right starting point for you.
All prices are based on Aldi, which was named the UK's cheapest supermarket by Which? for the fifth consecutive year and was cheapest in January and February 2026.

Is a £20 a week food budget still realistic?
Yes — but only just, and only for one person. The average weekly grocery shop for a single person in the UK is around £32, so £20 sits well below what most people spend.
It is achievable if you cook from scratch, plan your meals in advance, and make sure nothing goes to waste. For two people, the same budget simply will not stretch far enough.
It is also worth being honest about one thing: food prices keep moving. The lists in this guide were checked in March 2026, and we recommend a quick look at Aldi's website before you shop to make sure the numbers still add up. If a couple of prices have shifted, the tips at the bottom of this page will help you adjust.

Cheap weekly food shop: the £20 budget
At £20, the focus is on getting the most out of every item you buy. These are simple, filling meals built around good-value proteins — and the plan is designed so nothing goes to waste.
£20 budget shopping list
Prices checked at Aldi, March 2026. Check Aldi's website before you shop.

• 4 pints of semi-skimmed milk — £1.36
• 6 medium free range eggs — £1.45
• 200g mild cheddar slices — £1.39
• 1 loaf medium sliced wholemeal bread — £0.55
• 1kg porridge oats — £0.85
• 5 bananas — £0.85
• 1 tin of tuna — £0.59
• 600g chicken drum fillets — £2.95
• 500g beef mince — £3.09
• 12 beef stock cubes — £0.69
• 500g spaghetti — £0.35
• 4 baking potatoes — £1.00
• 1 swede — £0.62
• 250g basmati rice — £0.49
• 1 jar of curry sauce — £0.49
• 1kg onions — £0.99
• 1kg frozen mixed vegetables — £1.09
• 1 tin of baked beans — £0.32
• 1 tin of lentils — £0.45
• 1 tin of chopped tomatoes — £0.43

TOTAL: £19.60
£20 budget meal plan

Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner

Monday
Porridge with sliced banana
Jacket potato with baked beans
Chicken curry and rice

Tuesday
Porridge with sliced banana
Cheese on toast
Lentil and tomato spaghetti

Wednesday
Scrambled eggs on toast
Jacket potato with grated cheese
Chicken and vegetable stew

Thursday
Porridge
Tuna and cheese toastie
Cottage pie

Friday
Porridge with sliced banana
Jacket potato with remaining tuna
Spaghetti bolognese

Saturday
Eggs on toast
Cheese and onion omelette
Vegetable casserole

Sunday
Porridge
Cheesy beans on toast
Bangers and mash with mixed veg and gravy

Cheap weekly food shop: the £25 budget
Five pounds doesn’t sound like much — but at this level it genuinely changes the week. You get a full dozen eggs instead of six, chicken breast instead of drumsticks, sausages for the weekend, and enough variety that you are not eating the same thing on rotation. There is also a small buffer built in, which takes the stress out of slight price changes in store.

£25 budget shopping list
Prices checked at Aldi, March 2026. Check Aldi's website before you shop.

• 4 pints of semi-skimmed milk — £1.36
• 12 medium free range eggs — £2.89
• 250g crumbly Lancashire cheese — £1.99
• 1 loaf medium sliced wholemeal bread — £0.55
• 1kg porridge oats — £0.85
• 5 bananas — £0.85
• 1 tin of tuna — £0.59
• 2 chicken breast fillets — £2.19
• 500g beef mince — £3.09
• 8 pork sausages — £1.75
• 12 beef stock cubes — £0.69
• 500g spaghetti — £0.35
• 4 baking potatoes — £1.00
• 1 swede — £0.62
• 250g basmati rice — £0.49
• 1 jar of curry sauce — £0.49
• 1kg onions — £0.99
• 1kg frozen mixed vegetables — £1.09
• 1 tin of baked beans — £0.32
• 1 tin of chopped tomatoes — £0.43
• 1 tin of kidney beans — £0.42
• 1 tin of lentils — £0.45

TOTAL: £24.45
£25 budget meal plan

Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner

Monday
Porridge with sliced banana
Tuna and cheese toastie
Chicken curry and rice

Tuesday
Scrambled eggs on toast
Lentil soup with bread
Spaghetti bolognese

Wednesday
Porridge with sliced banana
Cheese and onion toastie
Chicken in tomato sauce with spaghetti

Thursday
Poached eggs on toast
Leftover bolognese on toast
Chilli con carne with rice

Friday
Porridge with sliced banana
Jacket potato with baked beans
Sausage and vegetable casserole

Saturday
Eggs and sausages on toast
Cheesy beans on toast
Cottage pie

Sunday
Porridge
Leftover cottage pie
Frittata with mixed veg and cheese

Is it just for you? I agree really cutting back and getting out of your overdraft as soon as you're able to is a good plan. What is your current spending on food?

I have done the £20 a week food spending challenge before. It was a few years ago so would probably be more like £30 nowadays. I wouldn't want to do it long term but for short term it's fine and you can still eat healthily if you stick to three meals a day, don't have alcohol and cut down on snacks. It was repetitive though!

Breakfast would be porridge made with half milk half water and frozen fruit.

Lunch would be tinned plum tomatoes, mushrooms or baked beans on toast. Sourdough will keep you fuller in my experience.

Snack would be a banana or an apple.

Dinners would be a rotation of cheap protein (eggs, tinned fish, lentils, tinned beans), cheap carbs (dried spaghetti, cous cous, potatoes, rice) and frozen veg or the cheaper options (carrots, onions, mushrooms, cabbage etc). It helps if you have a stock of herbs, spices etc to start with.

I think having mainly frozen fruit and vegetables means you can still have variety and they're just as nutritious as fresh.

That's for a week for one person?

Crikey, that's a lot

Mince

Tinned toms
Tinned mixed beans
Spaghetti
Rice
Garlic
Onion
Herbs

Spag bol x2 meals
Add mixed beans and chilli etc bulk out remaining for 3 meals.

Freeze half for next week if you're sick of mince.

Jacket potato and beans.

Tin of new potatoes, sliced and fried, 2 egg omelette and beans (peas? Spaghetti hoops?!)

Toast and aldi tomato packet soup.

I find that unless you're drinking the milk that a tub of milk powder goes much further than 4 pints.

I don't know, I'm not a competitive eater - under eater, sorry!

for a short time I think you could go very very low

no tea, coffee, squash , alcohol - just drink water

breakfast - porridge with water , dried fruit & nuts is good value

sainsbury prices

1kg is 1.35 , handful = 40g is a portion that’s 3 weeks ok
500g prunes is £3.90 - you would need 2 packs in a month
mixed nuts are £15 a kilo which you would need for a month
thats 400 calories a day and £25 for the month

lunch - buttie and apple or carrot sticks - so cheap bread and push the boat out with fillings - a jar or peanut butter and marmite would easily last a month every other day, thin slices of cheese - again a large pack can last a long while cut thin.

bread - a loaf should give a weeks worth - 75p and 180 Cals per round
tin sardines 60p and 223 calories
or £8 per kg cheese and 125 cals per 30g portion / I’d use 60g
butter? £2 a pack and thin spread
30p a day for the apple

around 500 cals per day and £30 for the month

dinners - chickpea curry and rice ( tin or frozen veg , tin tomatoes, curry powder , onions and garlic ) , veggie shepherds pie ,
eggs and chips and coleslaw

eggs 24p each 150 cals for 2
bags or carrots and cabbage and onions - £3 per week
mayo 75p jar 100 cals per dollop
potatoes 90p a kilo - 5 portions a bag 200 cals
So egg and chips dinner is over 450 cals for less than 1.50 - another £45 for the month

add a couple of pints of milk if that’s calorie light for you
and throw in a packet of Rich tea busciits for a treat

£100 for the month or a bit over £3 a day with protein, fibre and calcium and calories

couldn’t do it long term as the boredom would be horrible

I love the word dollop

Daily jacket pots would lift your electric bill if not careful ! Watch cooking times

I cook a whole bag of jacket potatoes at the same time in the oven or air fryer, you can keep them in the fridge for five days and just microwave them or you can also freeze them.

With good planing, not having takeaway and ready meals, eating mainly vegetarian and freezing extra portions £25 a week (not including booze) as the average over a year is quite achievable, but it's a long term thing, initial startup costs will be high if you don't already have lentils, dried pulses etc in the larder, a multicooker like an "Instant pot" is good to have, but is capital outlay you may not be able to make.

The cheapest way to eat is probably vegetarian, cooked from scratch, but it depends on what you have available (slow cooker etc) and whether you can afford fuel, are a competent cook and not a fussy eater.

Cheapest vegetables are cabbage, carrots, potatoes, onions. Dried pulses can be cooked in a slow cooker for not very much.

£10 invested in Asian branded spices to make curries, chilli etc would be a good investment.

Make your own flatbreads.

Eggs, yogurt, beans on toast.

Pork mince is relatively cheap compared with other meats.

However, you'd probably do well to review your budget to make sure you are being truly frugal. Are your mobile phone and broadband costs as low as possible? Are there any subscriptions you could cancel?

If your credit rating is good, you could transfer the overdraft to a 0% credit card so you don't pay interest and charges. Once you've done that, you could also transfer your bank account to get the free money.

Moneysaving Expert has a good guide on how to get out of your overdraft.

Cut overdraft costs – 9 ways to save | MoneySavingExpert

If your debt isn't costing you anything, there's less of a rush to pay it off. Also, credit cards are a better way to manage cashflow as they're free as long as you pay them off in full every month, and banks see them as a good way to manage money, rather than poorly, using an overdraft.

Careful with this, reheated jacket potatoes aren't nice. I'm surprised how many people recommend doing this.

Most recently at university my DD was spending about £25 per week, cooking from scratch, repeating a few meals over the week.

these lists do not include tea or coffee, or butter for bread
the UK average spend on food is 35-45 a week per person ie around 150- 200 a month so at £20 a wwk is about £90 a month it will be tight and harder the last month as your store cupboard runs low
also make a list of what is currently in your fridge/freezer and store cupboards you probably have basic ingredients for severl meals as well as things like oil spices flour etc to make stuff go further and taste better

My list included butter but deliberately excluded tea and coffee - they are a cost with virtually no nutritional value

What do you typically spend on food for a week?

Not everyone drinks tea or coffee to be fair, I have a box of tea bags in for visitors but that’s it.

Unless you're currently spending absolutely stupid amounts on food, you're not going to be able to pay off a £2500 overdraft just by cutting back on food in 3 months if your salary brings you back up to £0 on pay day as that would mean that food was currently taking the majority of your salary and the rest of your bills are virtually nothing, you'd need to reduce your food spend by over £800 pm to pay back £2500 in 3 months.

My long term £25/week does include tea, coffee, bread and butter. I do use a bread machine which does cost a bit more per loaf than cheap supermarket bread, but a lot cheaper than my local craft bakery. There's almost always homemade cake here, so no need to buy packs of doughnuts. The trick is plan, shop with a list and stick to it, don't chuck in extra packs of chocolate biscuits etc. It is, however, an awkward truth that it is easier to live cheaply if you have plenty of money, because you can utilise the discounts on bigger packets and stock up on special offers. The easiest way for most people to save money, is ditch the expensive coffee and pastry on the way to work, make lunch at home and take it with you, rather than having a "meal deal".

edited - missing a word

Can cut them into wedges and drizzle with oil and air fry for wedges?

It is easy to cut food bill, most plans don't necesarily help with losing weight though as fresh fruit and veg isn't that cheap. (It can be but it will be off before you get to it!).
I would go with a plan like this -
Breakfast everyday - overnight weekabix - Weeabix, broken down with a bit of milk, layer in the bottom of a dish and add greek yogurt on top. In the morning add chopped banana. Should be full until lunch. (350 cals ish)

Lunch - Chicken wrap with veg and houmous.

Dinners - chicken and rice mon- wed with sliced peppers and red onions
Thurs & Fri- Fry 250g of mince with onions and grated carrots. Turn into bolognese with pasta.
Sat&Sun - Egg fried rice with lots of veggies (add frozen prawns if the budget will stretch, £3 for 300g which will do both days).

On Sainsburys it comes to about £22.

In this case the OP could buy the bigger packets to get better value since the aim is to clear debt over time

the difficulty isn’t the odd packet of biscuits

in my case anyway

its more expensive fruit

then its nicer dinners - a tin of salmon rather than sardines for example or prawn pasta with sundried tomatoes rather than mac and cheese

everyone is different and doing a calorie per £ estimation of your own weekly shopping bill can highlight things to change

Jackets are only seven minutes in the microwave, which costs around 4p. Granted they’re nicer if you finish them off in a hot oven though.

A long time ago a friend wanted to shine a light on global poverty and lived off a food budget of a dollar a day for about a month. You basically just buy a bag of rice and some dried beans and lentils and eat the same meal on repeat. Maybe change it up with some morning porridge. Fairly nutritious but dirt cheap particularly if you buy in bulk.

It would be so good to pay off your overdraft - does it cost a lot in fees? Maybe find a way to safely use a credit card and pay it off each month.
It’s a really good idea to cut your costs where you can in order to set yourself up again. Ensure you buy food that you really do like to eat, can you also join Olio and see if you can get some freebies?

Thanks everyone, I think I can Do it quite low will obviously be a slog and quite boring but I just want make a dent in it, I have to pay it down somehow so cutting a few different places down for 3 months so will reassess after that period and see if I have managed to tighten my belts for 3 months and to what extent! I think simplifying things really helps me, so making a basic meal plan, bit like rationing, don't know why but it makes sense to me!

How much do you spend on food right now OP?

You might need a few measures combined to make a dent where you are feel you are making progress to being zero at the end if the month not the start.

Could you look at a couple of plans and compare. Like one where you are super frugal and only eats beans, and then one of the ideas below and one closer to your normal budget and then pick one that hits the right level. Im a bit concerned if you go really frugal it will be hard and youd give up, but actually with an extra few pounds your more likely to stick at it and get there in the end.