Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Meal planning (finances)

25 replies

TheUglyFive · 20/01/2018 14:32

I am trying to meal plan for financial reasons, and I was wondering if it's possible to eat three meals a day, with one snack, on a shoestring budget where things are made from scratch (rather than using the expensive sauces etc.).

If so how much would it cost per week and what type of meals would you make please?

OP posts:
spiderbabymum · 20/01/2018 14:37

Id make this kind of food

eatnotspend.wordpress.com

calzone · 20/01/2018 14:39

Breakfast- porridge with water and sugar/ banana

Lunch - soup.....vegetables and stock. Blend.

Dinner- jacket potato and beans
Lentil curry with rice

That’s probably the cheapest menu ever.

TheUglyFive · 20/01/2018 14:43

I meant to put in my original post that I need to eat five portions of fruit and vegetables each day (this has not happened for a while and I want to rectify it).

Thank you for the link and suggestions.

OP posts:
hidinginthenightgarden · 20/01/2018 14:43

Definitley possible -depends how long your shoelace is.
Breakfast - porridge is cheap. Eggs are cheap if you are willing to go free range for a bit or pick up the mixed sizes which are much cheaper (85p for 6). Use eggs to make omelette with a sprinkle of cheese and any leftovers in the fridge that need using at weekends or the days before next shop.
Lunch- homemade soup with a slice of bread. Lentil soup is cheap and filling plus one of your five a day at least.
Evening meals would be pasta, Jacket potatoes and maybe batch cook Bolognese, chilli, cottage pie, bulking meat with more lentils for bigger meals where budgets allow.
Snacks would be fruit to help where meals are lacking.

hidinginthenightgarden · 20/01/2018 14:44

How many people and what is your budget per day or week?

TheUglyFive · 20/01/2018 14:46

One person and 20 pounds. I can't cook but can google. I do have a freezer.

With lentils is it cheaper to buy them dry?

OP posts:
TheUglyFive · 20/01/2018 14:47

I have a sainsburys (mega store), iceland and a local tesco near me (I think the latter is really expensive though).

OP posts:
TheUglyFive · 20/01/2018 14:49

And are wonky veg boxes good for finances?

OP posts:
MeadowHay · 20/01/2018 14:51

Hi OP, if you come along to the 'Frugaleers' thread in 'Credit Crunch', there are some great cooks there who are very frugal, cooking from scratch on a budget. People share recipes a lot too.

Spam88 · 20/01/2018 14:53

Lentils and beans count towards your 5 a day, and yes dried definitely work out cheaper. Frozen fruit is cheaper than fresh as well, and you probably wouldn't notice the difference if it's stirred through some porridge or something like that.

wowfudge · 20/01/2018 14:55

Dried lentils, beans, etc are always cheaper than tinned because you'll get far more of them. But you have to cook them and a lot of them need to be soaked first.

With fruit and veg I think the temptation is to buy far more than you need and it can end up getting thrown out. One tip is to lightly cook things when you have bought them. This means they keep better and you just heat them up and finish the cooking process. Frozen veg has all the nutrients of freshly picked veg and you can cook as much as you need. With a veg box, you may have no choice as to the contents which won't fit with your meal.planning necessarily.

meredintofpandiculation · 20/01/2018 14:57

All lentils and dried beans are cheaper dry. Red lentils don't need any soaking and cook in about 20 mins - a good standby for days when you're lacking inspiration. Other lentils I don't use. All other beans need soaking overnight, then ten minutes rapid boiling followed by an hour or so cooking till tender.

Tinned beans are a lot more expensive that dried, but are pre-cooked, so you can just tip them in whatever else you're cooking, when they're really useful to bulk out or even replace meat.

Start thinking about what you're cooking, even when following a recipe. When you gain confidence in your own skills, and can substitute one ingredient for another, it cuts waste enormously, because you will always have a use for leftovers.

Crumbs1 · 20/01/2018 15:00

Breakfast toast with mashed banana - fruit from market - or porridge.

Lunch vegetable soup. Cheap and easy to make. Bulk it out with tinned beans or pulses. Buy a nice unsliced loaf. Cut into very thick slices and freeze individually so you have one fresh each day. Root vegetables from market are cheap and go a long way.

Then evening meals
Pasta with tomato sauce and cheese. Bulk make the tomato sauce. Tesco do spaghetti for 20p for 500g.

An omelette made by frying onion and potatoes (peppers, mushrooms or whatever) then adding eggs and a sprinkling of cheese. Serve with baked tomato.

Baked potatoes with tinned sweet corn, baked beans or cottage cheese and pineapple.

Tomato risotto with tinned tomatoes, peas, onion and if budget allows serve with a piece of fish or chicken.

Fishcakes made with potatoes and a cheap, white fish or even tinned salmon. Serve with peas.

£20 is a tough ask but certainly buying from a market or using reduced foods section would help. Snacks would again be market apples or a cheap packet of biscuits.

ilovesooty · 20/01/2018 15:04

I think including tinned salmon in that budget to make fishcakes isn't a good use of money.

BuffysFavouriteStake · 20/01/2018 15:44

Potatoes (try looking for the large sacks, kept cool and dark they last for ages.)

Frozen veg rather than fresh, you can just use as much as you need, no wastage.

Its the wrong time of year now, but I get windfall apples and collect blackberries/ elderberries for free in season, if you're anywhere rural.

Eggs are wonderful, adding milk and water to omlettes or scrambled eggs will make them go further.

Cheap dried pasta, bag will last a couple of meals. Aldis 20p instant noodles with frozen veg. Dried lentils and cheap reduced veg to make soups and stews.

I know how tough it is, but it is possible. One year DH and I were living off the above all winter. Weirdest meal was fried apple and potato fritters. Strangely quite enjoyable, have had them often since!!

BuffysFavouriteStake · 20/01/2018 15:46

Aargh, forgot onions!

Also now cook in bulk where possible and freeze in meal size portions. Don't know if it saves much money, but certainly saves hassle of cooking after work.

hidinginthenightgarden · 20/01/2018 15:52

I have put a shop in the link below on mysupermarket.

To make the meals it does assume you have basic seasonings. It comes to £22 but some of the stuff like oats, cheese, onions, lentils and rice will last you more than a week.

Breakfast - Porridge four times. Cook in an apple for flavour and nutrients.
2 egg omelette once- add cheese and onion for extra flavour.
1 egg on toast once
ham and cheese toastie once.

Lunch- make butternut squash soup using the squash, an onion and stock plus seasoning. Should do 3 portions.
Ham or/and cheese sandwich 3 times for lunch and egg on toast one day.

Dinner - Split mince in two and make Bolognese with the carrots, an onion, lentils and tinned tomatoes. Add pasta. Should make at least two meals Probably 3 but I would freeze the third.
Other half of mince make chilli with onions, lentils, tinned toms (I haven't added kidney beans but it would help bulk.) serve with rice one day and jacket potato another. Freeze leftover.
Split chicken and do chicken rice and frozen veg one day (paprika is nice on chicken) and do chicken, veg and remaining jacket potato the other day.
Omlette one day with last of eggs and on the final day a sandwich.

Bananas and apples are for snack or add to porridge.

www.mysupermarket.co.uk/Checkout/ReviewCart.aspx?additionaldata=top_menu&shopbasket=False
Half chicken

QuiteLikely5 · 20/01/2018 15:54

Buy a wonkie veg box they are £3 or £4 and will last you a week and make some interesting soup.

Eggs
Milk
Bread (always reduced in most stores)
Cheese

Passata - so cheap

Pasta

Check out muscle food. You can spend £40 or so and get enough protein to last for two months.

Then you can make chilli, spaghetti Bol and freeze

The fruit - this can be tricky. It’s not that cheap. Asda isn’t too bad.

hidinginthenightgarden · 20/01/2018 15:54

Also, seems as you are close to Sainsburys, they do £18 off first £60 shop so you could get 3 weeks worth for £42 or just use the discount to be less ridged and add treats.
If you change your email then you can continuously be a new customer and get the discount.

starzig · 20/01/2018 16:01

Wonky vegetables are expensive as they are trendy. Go to the supermarket later on and get reduced veg. Even if slightly past best they are still good for soups and stews. Dried beans and pulses are cheap and go a long way and are a good source of protein.

ivykaty44 · 20/01/2018 16:03

I buy frozen black forest fruits from sainsbury or Tesco and split the bag over 5 portions of oats soaked in soya, almond or even milk if nothing else. I soak equal quantities of oats to fluid by measuring in a ramakin. Cost £2.30 fruit 2 portions, add a banana & you have three portions. I don’t eat this till after 10:30am only having black coffee on waking

Lunch is a small portion from last nights dinner.

Snack carrots and home made chickpea dip - whizz round chickpeas cumin garlic and sprinkle over paprika- add some harissa paste for a change

Dinner

I have about 3-4 store cupboard meals I can make during the week that I stock up on the ingredients and purchase only the fresh ingredients when needed

www.deliaonline.com/recipes/type-of-dish/pasta/spaghetti-with-anchovies-mushrooms-and-olives This dish without the bacon, anchovies in Aldi are ver cheap as are olives, therefore I stock up for a month to 6 weeks. Counts as your oily fish and mushrooms count as vegetables

www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2016/mar/03/how-to-make-the-perfect-shakshuka I like this recipe but there are many to choose from, I use tinned and fresh tomot, pepper and onion will also count towards vegetables so three in this meal. I stock up on Tesco boxed tomato with oil and garlic for this dish and you could use frozen peppers - it’s real comfort food. If I don’t have feta I make without.

Chickpea, spinach and sweet potato curry with rice and pitta bread toasted and cut into strips - gets you three of your vegetables 4 if you add tomatoes and the pitta bread is cheaper and healthier than naan - many recipes on the web. I keep around 8 /10 tins if chickpeas in stock and curry paste, or sauce.

Chaosofcalm · 20/01/2018 16:12

www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1139652/lentil-rag

Pythonesque · 20/01/2018 16:13

My mother used to make coleslaw, both when she was living on her own on in her 20s, and later on when we were young. On her own, she would finely slice a cabbage, some celery and a pepper, and grate a carrot or two. Dress it with oil and vinegar (+ salt, pepper, tiny bit of sugar, and herbs if you have them) - it will keep a week in a box in the fridge no problem. If you prefer it with mayonaisse just add it as you want it. Then omelette + coleslaw makes a meal. Buy value potatoes, bake several together, reheat one at a time. (or, microwave most of the way and finish in the oven). Look in the supermarket for reduced veg but only choose something you know you will use or that is massively reduced enough to justify giving it a try.

Look at frozen fish and meat - you will have to manage your budget carefully but I think I have seen 1 kg chicken portions at around £3.50-£4, similarly you can get frozen fish portions. I often speed up the cooking of chicken by microwaving it and then finishing it in the oven, even though the packaging often says not suitable for microwave cooking. If you can gradually stock your freezer with cheaper meat and fish options, then you can vary your meals through the week quite easily even if the veg stay the same for a bit.

Another cheap meal trick my mother used a lot in my childhood was to pre-cook mince and then use it in a casserole or stir-fry. Brown the mince in a little oil then add a bit of water and simmer for ? 1 hour or so. Keep it in the fridge. For a meal, chop onion / carrot / cabbage or similar / anything else you feel like, fry in a pan, then add a spoon or two of the cooked mince along with any seasonings. Vary by adding a tin of chopped tomatoes. Serve with rice, potato, pasta - or as is if you are low-carbing :)

Good luck figuring out the right way for you to make the budget stretch.

BuffysFavouriteStake · 20/01/2018 16:44

Great ideas here, and much nicer sounding than mine Grin

JTA, I stretch mince out with kidney beans, tinned tomatoes, onions, frozen spinach, grated carrot, cooked lentils etc. Use it to make cottage pie and lasagna.

To get more veg in diet, I make large amounts of potato, sweet potato, carrot and swede mash, then freeze in portions. Mine is naughty tho and has far too much butter.

Rice (not the expensive microwave kind) can also be cooked with veggies and frozen in portions.

I do have a very cheap and filling fish cake 'recipe' (we were broke, there was stuff in the cupboard, I got inventive) but I can imagine all you more sophisticated MNers shuddering in horror!!

Frankly, couldn't blame you, but we're not dead yet Grin

Blackteadrinker77 · 20/01/2018 16:54

I've copied and pasted this from another thread I wrote it on but it may be handy for you.

Switch all utilities and insurances through one of the compare sites.
Heating at 18 ° then bath robes on.
Mobiles changed to sim only gif gaf deals
An empty oven is burning money. Any time it is on fill it. When making something for tea make a quiche for tomorrows lunch at the same time.
Full fridges scare me, empty freezers scare me. See all fresh foods as the perishables they are, have a meal plan set up of how to use them or freeze them.
The vegetables at the bottom of the fridge that you think need thrown out are just soup. Peel them, chop off any bad bits, throw them in the slow cooker with stock, season and blitz.
Buy meat as joints, gammon can stretch to so many meals, roast day one, left overs with egg and hash day two.
Left overs cubed in a quiche and carbonara for 3-4 meals. All for £4 at Aldi.
Base your meals around the Aldi super 6 and the Lidl weekend deals.
Bulk buy when super offers are on. My freezer is groaning under the weight of the 39p Christmas veg offers. I have mashed swede, mashed potatoes, diced carrots etc ready just to re heat during the week. Bulk everything out with veg.
Ironing costs money and do we really need to iron everything? I stopped ironing bedding, towels, PJs, even some out door clothing like skinny jeans and vest tops. They un crease as you put them on.
Showers instead of baths are a money saver and time saver.
My posh looking hand wash is in fact Aldi basic bubble bath in lovely pump containers. 30p a litre.
A use it up challenge! From your kitchen cupboards to your make up and body lotions. Who can come up with the best recipe to use that out of date pasta sauce in the back of the cupboard? Have fun with it, if the kids are old enough you can do it as a come dine with me special. Only rule is they must use food that is in.
Be as zero waste as possible it really is money in the bin.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Swipe left for the next trending thread