Aibu to ask what you eat when you are broke?

[NCsobroke]

I don’t mean feed your family for £10, I mean dinners like baked potato and beans that cost a couple of quid. None of us are v picky and no dietary issues.

The kids mostly eat a v healthy balanced diet, lots of whole foods and tons of fruit and veg, maybe frozen pizza on a Saturday, don’t really have takeaways often etc. I hate the thought of them living off cheap freezer food not enough fruit snd veg.

Also needs to include lunches as we don’t qualify for FSM despite being on UC as husband works FT.

We are so broke. We usually receive universal credit which we live off as DH wages all go on bills and rent. We won’t receive any at all this month and can’t do anything about it.

2 adults, 2 children. £110 to last for the next 3 weeks (plus toiletries and cleaning stuff and petrol for DH 2 hour commute )

Just reading this thread yesterday made me but and extra £10 worth of food today when I shopped and put it in the food bank trolley. I know you wont get that but someone will. See if you can get a referral if its it's just a one off from the church or GP. That's what it's for.

Op re cleaning stuff automatic wash powder is a great cleaner for baths (& loos if you have nothing else etc vinegar for windows & sodium bicarb in combination with vinegar - washing up liquid is preferable (I am assuming -perhaps incorrectly you don't have dishwasher)
Use soap bars for washing yourselves - they do go further (simple soap is usually OK for most children) I discovered this in lockdown when we all were washing like mad & I was reliant on online & obviously you will need loo rolls
I am probably telling grandma to suck eggs here op! (sorry about that!) Just thinking the minimum you can get by for cleaning - hopefully you have some in stock
I have memories of years ago when we were single income & dc were v young & our mortgage interest went up like a rocket to 17% ie double what it was - tuna was definitely a saving grace for us - Ifound another old recipe for - drum beat -tuna bolognaise ie tuna in oil - drain use oil to fry onions add toms than flake in tuna & add peas & cook add herbs & Worcester Sauce & serve with pasta - its an acquired taste - my sister had an old recipe for sweet & sour tuna in rice sauce I think was a mix of vinegar sugar & corn flour & again it was a mix of tuna & peas - (recipe must be over 50 years old! not the tuna cans!)

Another vote for the olio app but it works best if you live in a town centre

Pasta...Can be cold with mayo and tuna for lunches, hot with chicken for dinners add Frozen veg.
Rice, again with tuna or chicken. I also make it with minced beef and frozen veg.
Cowboy pie (beans, sausages covered in mash and cheese on top.)
Corned beef hash.
Sainsbury's used to do feed a family for £50 a week meal planner but it can last longer.

Another vote for dhal and rice - make a big pan of it then water down leftovers for soup with bread for lunches. A big pot of mince and onions - add carrots and lentils to make it go further then turn some of it into chilli with kidney beans (I sometimes use baked beans instead - cheap ones will do) m, some can be used as Bolognese and some with gravy and made into a shepherds pie.

Use the Olio App, if it's available where you are, to get free food from your local community.

Kippers! Highly nutritious and cheap.
Good with rice

One person did post it OP, but not sure if you saw, to check any supermarket points. When I was skint at the end of the month I used to use my boots advantage points to get a meal deal for lunch as a treat when dinner wasn't going to be much fun later. If you have anything saved on supermarket cards it might come in handy.
Also if you're in Manchester I've a couple of (not mega, but decent) bottles of wine you're welcome to.

Bacon, eggs and chips
Egg, chips and beans
Bacon sandwich
Pasta with bacon, peas and cheese
Creamy tomato and bacon pasta bake
Lentil and bacon soup
Lentil and bacon stew
Soup topped with bacon crumbles
Bacon risotto, cheese risotto, cheesy bacon risotto

Either cheese or bacon (or both!) really flavour food up even when it's quite bland otherwise. If I can't afford bacon or cheese that would make me feel properly poor. I also have to have something sweet to eat if I get a sweet craving. Nothing more miserable than having a really bad PMT craving for chocolate and having none.

I used to make a lot of rice and daal. Do you have a company store near you? They have incredibly good buys if you work for government ot for carers etc

I like frozen veg as it seems to last longer and keep it's nutrients better than fresh.
Blackberry and apple crumble with fruit picked from hedgerows always a winner, baked apples (cored with dried fruit and cinnamon down the centre). You can use porridge oats instead to make the crumble.
Toasties- cheese with tomato puree and herbs or baked beans.
Pasta with tomatoes, herbs and grated cheese
French bread pizza (works well if you get a dry baguette at the end of the day, spread with tomato puree, herbs and cheese(and can add tomatoes, bits of chopped ham (from the cheap ends of meat in Aldi or peppers etc), good for those times when you'd really like a takeaway.
Eggy bread

I don't know if you have a community fridge near you, they are great for the odds and ends of stuff that would get chucked out at the end of the day. Also very good are the discount food shops (eg. Roger's discount warehouse) that sell in bulk, if you are savvy you can pick up noodles, pasta sauce, lunch box snacks, drinks and all sorts of other things quite cheaply. Good if you are able to buy in bulk monthly and you are strict with rationing them out, they are usually near end or past BB date of items that are fairly long life so don't really matter. Go with friends and split boxes and costs to make it more viable.

Milk is a good whole food, also baked beans. Tesco sell 4 large tins for £1. Fresh veg is also good. Carrots and cabbage are easy and healthy. I watch the NHK channel on Freesat and the Japanese chef does soups with very few ingredients. A few bits of veg, a few slices of carrot and a fermented bean paste called Miso (a bit pricey) and some rice or noodles. I enhance it with leftovers from the fridge and often a packet of powdered soup and some soy sauce. I have bunged in mushrooms from the lawn and even lettuce leaves. It all works!
It is thick and nutritious, and can be eaten with some bread. (I love long batons from supermarkets, often 21p from supermarkets late in the day, or discounted loaves.
However, a daily 2 hour commute by car is the killer. You cannot afford that sort of commute and feed your family. You DH needs to find a regular lift or move job. Perhaps a regular contribution from a relative is the answer, or help from the Social of food bank. How much does your husband earn? £110 less other expenses for 3 weeks with a family to feed is really far too tight. I do feel for you.

Are you eligible to use food banks? I don't know what the procedure is but I don't think anyone's mentioned it. Can you claim Universal Credit (even now they've taken off the £20 cushion). Could your DH look for a job nearer home that doesn't take two hours to get there? That would save time as well as petrol money. Apparently there are lots of jobs out there - if they're the right sort for him. Are you in a position to be able to work?
Hope things resolve themselves soon OP -it's a rotten position to be in. Chin up and good luck!

(Sorry, I see you do get UC. I should read posts properly before answering!)

Haven’t RTFT, sorry if I’m repeating suggestions.

Full fat milk and yoghurts. Frozen veg and fruit. Can you get a supermarket delivery? Or if you go to the supermarket look for yellow stickers.

I used to do a veg curry with frozen veg, add lentils or boiled eggs for protein.

Another app Too Good To Go, it’s for food places like Greg’s, coffee shops or whichever chains near you. It’s items not sold like pastries, sandwiches etc.

Mushroom soup, buy large punnet of wonky, use have blanch other half and freeze. Soup caramelized onion potatoes, carrots, mushroom, veg stock cube. Cook till carrots soft then blend add salt and pepper. Grate cheese on top, use extra strong cheese. You only need a little so it goes a long way. But it's fine without, cheese will freeze really well buy when on offer or cheap because of short date. Cut into quarters and pop in freezer.

I’m sorry lovely, but hope you manage to get through. If you want any recipes let me know.

Buy dried beans bit of a pain but go a very long way. If you have market near by, go at pack up time, traders sell anything left (veg) cheap bit battered but who cares once its cooked. Brambles almost finished but you may find some and apples too.

Mix breakfast cereal good with bad eg muesli with rice crispies

Also, drop cleaning products. For cleaning kitchen surfaces etc use a squirt of washing up liquid in warm water. Use a damp cloth for dusting, no need for things like furniture polish etc. I don’t use washing powder for dark clothes anymore, that has halved the amount of laundry detergent I buy. Use washing up liquid as a stain remover, much cheaper than things like Vanish. A drop on a stain, rub it in and leave a few minutes before washing.

@NCsobroke

Thank you so much to everyone for all the supportive, positive comments and recipe ideas.

I have found a local social supermarket which at first looks seems amazing value and offers lots of fresh fruit and veg for the £3 a week subscription.

Can’t find the post now but whoever suggested it - writing to MP isn’t a bad shout. The more visible these issues are the harder it is for them to ignore.

As a family we qualify for some UC which is what we live off after DH wage pays bills and rent. We fall through the net when it comes to any additional support though such as FSM/childcare etc. But that’s fine as usually we manage - just.

There is nothing to bridge the gap when something goes wrong though, so this month when husbands pay was early we had our income counted as double what it was and hence no UC whatsoever. There needs to be some real support for families to bridge this gap.

I am trying to ignore the guilt/shame of being in this position - although I can’t ignore the frustration. We both went to uni, made decent life choices and have high level, relevant degrees and experience etc but can’t survive on his wage alone and I can’t afford to work because of high childcare costs, I hope things will be better when we get the universal free childcare hours and I’m able to go back to work.

Thank you again for all the kindness and suggestions, I have taken a lot on board and feel a bit more able to tackle the next few weeks

@NCsobroke If your husband is paid monthly (not 4-weekly) and has received two sets of monthly earnings from the same employer within the assessment period, your UC payment can be recalculated to place one set of earnings in a different assessment period. Sorry if this info isn't applicable for you.

Buy fresh pasta - 2 bags of tagliatelle £2 in supermarkets. It’s so much better doesn’t need sauce. Easily 8 meals. Add a bit of oil or butter a few peas and broccoli. You can grate a tiny bit of cheese on but don’t need to. Or stir in Lidl pesto.

Noodles veg, peas, onions, pepper, broccoli (grate the stalks in), carrot, mushrooms whatever you have and soy sauce.

Both are hits with my fussy niece and nephew, filling, less than 50p a portion, perfectly healthy and 5 mins cooking time.

I also discovered making my own fried flat breads during lockdown - topped with leftover it’s a weird sort of pizza but again very kid friendly.

I haven’t read the full thread but I’ll add it anyway. Download the Olio app, where users give food away for free. You might have some local to you.

I would use chicken wings in tray bake , they are about £1.80 for about 1kg in Aldi half in a tray bake then the other half as chicken and chips another day.
Porridge made with water is nice and filling, but can also be a savory meal with veg and spices, there are lots of recipes online.
Brad and butter pudding (use cheap baking butter) would be warming and filling.

Vegetable soup

Sardine pasta www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/spaghetti-sardines