to think £18 a week for food isn't that much of a "tiny" budget?

[Oakmaiden]

I just downloaded a free recipe book. It is actually a very good recipe book, and I am dead impressed by the author making a budgeting recipe book and then providing it free to people who need it. But.

It is subtitled "Eat well for £18 per week", and all the recipes are costed, and they have recently redone the costings etc, so I am quite impressed with the idea. But, as I say, there is a but. It is £18 a week per person. AIBU to think that is not actually a very tiny budget? For a family of 5 that is £90 a week. Sure, it is not a luxury budget by any stretch of the imagination, but it is not tiny, is it?

Also - I need to get through this month with a family of 5 on a genuinely tiny budget. I am aiming for around £50 a week if I possibly can (though I am not completely certain where I will find £50 a week, but I am sure something will come up. It generally does.) Anyone got any genuinely cheap recipe ideas please? I have a feeling we may be in for a lot of scrambled eggs and vegetable soup...

When I worked with a food bank/debt advice the rule of thumb was that an adult should spend £30 minimum to stay adequately fed and nourished, so I'd say £18 is very little, yes.

Also, the Jack Monroe recipes seem popular for budget cooking.

It's not that small, our weekly shop for 4 is around £75, and that includes non food items like toilet roll and hand soap etc.

@Wenttoseainasieve

So a family of five should spend £150 a week on food by your logic.

That is not possible when people are on benefits.

Or on a low wage.

OP

DH and I spend about £30 - £40 per week on food for the two of us.

It is possible. Make a lot of rice and pasta dishes and use lots of potatoes and bread as well.

£18 for an individual is not a lot at all.

As a family of 5 you will have economies of scale so even eating exactly the same things, you won't spend £18 per person.

Eg buying bigger packs of things works out cheaper than individual portions. You can do that on £50pw but not with only £18pw.

Homemade tomato sauce, add whatever you can afford, veg/ meat or just eat it plain over pasta. Feed 5 for less than a fiver.

Baked potatoes with cheese/tuna/beans?

Egg fried rice?

There's a nice recipe on BBC food for spicy root veg and lentil casserole. I love it, but my kids won't touch it, fussy beggars.

Try shopping around 6pm for reduced items, Waitrose is especially food cheap food at this time.
Invest in red lentils and use them to extend mince dishes,they cook down and don't affect the taste.

Will check out the Munroe recipes, thanks.

This is just a temporary "financial embarrassment" and things will go back to normal in a week or three.

I guess I see that it is "small", but don't think it is "tiny". But what do I know - I normally spend a fortune on food. Hence the need for budgeting ideas...

£18 a week would not buy me a good diet. I could eat on it, but not very well.

I agree, don’t people understand the economy of scale.
Piping up with, I spend X On a family of four doesn’t work versus one in this day and age.

£18 a week to feed one person is absolutely fine if you're a vegetarian, it's probably a lot tighter if you want to eat meat.

The recipes in the book are either for 2 or 4 people - so the "economies of scale" should be partially accounted for there...

proportionately, buying for one is more expensive than buying for more. For me, it would be easier to feed 4 people for 70 a week than one person for 18.

Hm I reckon it depends on whether the recipes can be scaled down for one person only? I love Miguel Barclay's £1 meals but you can only make them for £1 per person if you make 4-6 portions, which wouldn't work for a single person or couple. So it's all relative!!

£18 per person per week works out to £72 a week for a family of four.

I could feed my family easily on that.

I am very grateful for any ideas people have offered/are able to offer. I will go through tomorrow and Make A Plan.

Thank you all.

Miguel Barclays £1 meals sound ideal... off to google now...

£18 is very little! We typically spend £50 per person! No idea how people do it for less - a chicken breast or fish/meat is at least £1.50 per portion so there’s £10.50 a week before you even buy anything else.

@Jemima232

No, a family of five wouldn't spend £150, as it is £30 for one adult. It doesn't really work to just multiply anyway, as others have said. £18 per week to feed one adult is not a lot. Obviously people receiving benefits/in difficult circumstances can and do sadly have to try and get by on that little. Often they can't, hence me seeing them, at the food bank.

Bizzzy - he does seem to be a big believer in the MN infinite chicken...

Seems to be I chicken thigh per person, and he suggests stretching it by adding extra veg...

Basically you need to live off pasta for a week. It’s easily done.

£18 is tight I would say. Look how much butter/milk/bread is now. I mean I could feed myself on that with loads of cheap white bread, value noodles, value tins but long ten it wouldn't be great
I usually spend £50 a week on myself including all cleaning stuff and lunches for work

For ideas... bulky stuff/calorie rich to keep you full so porridge is a good one for breakfast and you can add cheap raisins/sultanas
Cheapest fruit and veg you can get, frozen or morrisons do wonky veg and fruit which is a lot less expensive
Value stuff as much as you can. Value biscuits/rice pudding/squash are all usually decent and rice pudding is filling too
Soups, eggs, pulse based dishes and small amounts of meat/strong cheese for flavouring

The biggest expense for food is meat, so try to reduce that spend first. Either by buying cheaper cuts and/bulk buying. Our local butcher does 5kg chicken breast, 12 chicken thighs and 2 whole chickens for £38.50 - amazing value considering that they are free range!

There's a Facebook page called Feed your Family for £25, they have lots of ways to maximise your budget. Like adding lentils for low cost protein.

Do you have a good factory near you? Some have a factory shop open to the public. Our local one is great value, 5 ready meals for a few quid.

Buy rice and pasta in bulk if you can.

Do you have a slow cooker? This can really help with cost cutting as it turns the cheap cuts of meat to something you'll look forward too.

If you have the time, visit your local supermarket around an hour before closing for reduced produce.

I find that meal planning helps me to only buy the items I need and thus limiting waste.

B&M is great for cheap store cupboard items.

If you have a good store cupboard it's easy to have cheap weeks, for example our food shop this week was £25 for two of us.

Good luck!

I would struggle to eat healthily on such a small budget. My weekly food shop is more than my rent and there are four of us. Fruit and salad doesn’t last long and meat is expensive. I cook everything from scratch and use a mix of store and known brands. I think it’s ridiculous how much food costs.

Sounds do able I’ve managed on £50 a week for 3
Lots of mince based meals, cheap veg and yellow sticker items
I do cook everything from scratch though (due to allergies and dieting)