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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to serve homemade soup 3 nights a week

96 replies

Belini · 11/08/2011 22:41

I have five weeks to save a rent depost for a larger house. I have three DS and twins on the way would I BU to serve them homemade veg and lentil soup 3 nights a week and also not buy junk such as crisps biscuits and juice for the next five weeks to give them a better home. The reason I am asking is that my mother has reacted like I have suddenly decided to feed them on bread and water and has went to supermarket and bought some "essentials" these include puddings diluting juice polish and kitchen roll. The last two were in response to me saying that i was sure there was some cleaning stuff I could do with out. AIBU??

OP posts:

Salmotrutta · 11/08/2011 22:46

Absolutely nothing wrong with lovely homemade soup! That and some nice crusty bread is my idea of heaven And healthy too!

Can I cme round for supper?

squeakytoy · 11/08/2011 22:47

I think the kids will soon get bored with that, and you need to bulk it up a bit more with bread.. or maybe toasted cheese sandwiches too.

YAB abit U. I can understand your reasoning if you need to save money, but I would get pissed off with the same soup 3 nights a week, and it isnt exactly filling either on its own.

Could you not borrow a bit of money off your mum so that you can buy some chicken, or minced beef, and potatoes.

Salmotrutta · 11/08/2011 22:48

Plus, a big pot of soup lasts 3 days in this house. Soup is always better after the first day.
You can add pasta/rice etc. too to bulk it up.

starfishmummy · 11/08/2011 22:48

Whyever not??

honeymom · 11/08/2011 22:49

I don't really see soup as a main meal. But I would feed mine beans on toast. Either way it's only for a short time it's ultimately for there benefit so really isn't going to do any harm.

RabidRabbit · 11/08/2011 22:50

Well personally I wouldn't fancy the same soup 3 nights in one week, it's nice once with some nice warm crusty bread if I don't fancy something too heavy. I'd worry it wasn't filling enough for growing boys, but if you're adding some bread and offer one of those puddings up then I'm sure they won't be complaining much!

cat64 · 11/08/2011 22:51

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

mumeeee · 11/08/2011 22:56

I think you are being a Bit unreasonable, Soup is not really a very filling meal well not for a main meal perhaps once a week would be okay but not 3 times a week, They would get bored withit and also might be very hungry, But doing without crisps and biscuits is fine,

Salmotrutta · 11/08/2011 22:59

She can still make lots of different types of soup though and maybe freeze some of it into cartons.
Proper Italian Minestrone is very filling and with bread or rolls is like a meal in itself.
I'd happily live on hearty thick soups and lets face it, if you add lots of pulses/rice etc. they can be like stews.

herladyship · 11/08/2011 23:01

I think the fact that this would even merit discussion in AIBU is a sad indication of what a greedy & consuming society we have become..

It is a far more acceptable diet than much of the worlds population can enjoy

(sorry, but at homemade lentil & veg soup not bring a 'main meal' and beans on toast being preferable)

Good luck with the money saving

Salmotrutta · 11/08/2011 23:02

Agree though that you need a "second course" but you can do things like macaroni cheese/quiches/stovies etc.

izzywhizzyletsgetbusy · 11/08/2011 23:04

I love soup but the same soup as a main meal 3 nights a week for 5 weeks would have me running to the chippy.

There's a plethora of excellent frugal food recipes on this site and elsewhere on the net. If you want to cut down on the weekly food bill without turning your dc into Oliver Twists, cut out all junk food, scour the supermarkets for reduced items and buy from their various 'value' ranges, and get fruit and veg from street markets.

skybluepearl · 11/08/2011 23:07

if your soup is more like a veg stew than i would go for it! there are probably lots of other cheap meals you could do too - jacket potatos/beans/cheese, simple pasta bake, scrambled eggs, omlette. Get your head down and save that deposit! Be worth it in the long run.

Lonnie · 11/08/2011 23:11

I love soup but that is a long time and would get borring. can you do big portions and freeze down so you can serve it like veg curry then veg and lentil soup and potatoes and veg for 1 day each over the 5 weeks?

bringmesunshine2009 · 11/08/2011 23:12

YANBU in the least.

Original poster

Belini · 11/08/2011 23:13

Just a wee extra note my youngest two don't eat meat (their own choice they don't like it) and soup is served with plenty of homemade bread and fruit for dessert. Also would be different flavours as veg will be coming from grandads veg garden eg. carrot and turnip, potato and leek, tomato and courgette.

OP posts:

notlettingthefearshow · 11/08/2011 23:17

Sounds lovely. Good for you! I love homemade soup! You could add some cheese, as well as the bread, for protein if you think it's necessary.

You could also make a batch of flapjacks. These are really cheap to make (oats, butter, syrup - you can add dried fruit and nuts) and will last well.

harecare · 11/08/2011 23:18

Great idea. Not at all unreasonable. You just need to sell the idea to DSs. If it's alternate nights they may not even notice. Jacket potatoes with cheese and beans is a lovely cheap dinner.

InTheNightKitchen · 11/08/2011 23:20

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

squeakytoy · 11/08/2011 23:21

You could make a veg lasagne one night for a change from soup :)

JockTamsonsBairns · 11/08/2011 23:28

YANBU in the slightest! Homemade soup is a lovely, nutritious choice for a meal 3 times a week. Adding some grated cheese to each bowl is delicious too and, served with bread, is a complete meal in itself.

BTW, totally agree with the poster who says it's a sad indictment that modern greed has brought us to even have this discussion. I was raised on my mother's homemade soup - woe betide the one who turned their nose up at it, or complained of being 'bored' of it

Original poster

Belini · 11/08/2011 23:46

So typical weeks menu for dinners would be
Mon- soup bread and fruit
Tue- Baked potatoes with cheese & beans
Wed- stovies made with sausages (i tell the youngest two they are veg sausages) [bad mum emoticon]
Thurs- Soup bread and fruit
Fri- Macaroni cheese with salad and garlic bread
Sat- Soup brea and fruit

OP posts:

Original poster

Belini · 11/08/2011 23:52

Sun- Mince and tatties

OP posts:

littleducks · 11/08/2011 23:53

I think my dd would love soup 3 days a week but ds (and dh) would turn their noses up at it! I think food can be very personal, we have had rice every night for the past ten days and my kids are a million miles from bored but my mother detests rice and would only eat it once evry six months or so.......and couldnt see why anybody would eat it more frequently unless they were poor and starving

ProcrastinatorGeneral · 11/08/2011 23:58

Sometimes you do what you have to do.

My two would be perfectly happy with that, but they love soup and casseroles and anything plonked on top of pasta or baked spuds. It's a short term measure and for a good reason.

If your mum wants to really help, and feels that she has to buy things, could she not buy useful things? Cheese, breadmaking supplies, stuff that isn;t in the garden? Rather than trash like puddings and polish?

I wish you luck. I am saving up to move as well, and it is a pain in the bumcheeks.

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