in thinking this very tight budget is doable for one week?

[Henrylj]

Name changed cause my previous posts are imaybe identifying and it’s a bit embarrassing!
not a begging thread, I’m just looking for advice!

I had to switch from income support to universal credit, I did take out the advance but it was mostly taken up by the rent so had £300 left for the 5 weeks.
I messed up by forgetting that my phone bill comes out this week so I’ve ended up with £7 left for the week (until Tuesday) it’s the last week so I think do-able. We are at my parents for dinner on Sunday so don’t need anything for that day and they will get Easter eggs etc from family so won’t miss out on that

It’s just me and two primary aged dc(one very fussy so going with the things he would at least eat)

I have a few things in but not a lot

Bread
Jam
Porridge oats
Butter
Grated cheese
Pasta
Pasta sauce

I’m thinking if I buy

More bread 60p
Couple tins of beans £1
Couple tins of soup £1
Milk £1.20
Cheap biscuits 50p
Cheap apples £1
Frozen mixed veg £1

I could do them

Tuesday- Pasta and sauce/cheese with mixed veg
Wednesday- pasta and sauce/cheese again (with the leftover sauce) with mixed veg
Thursday- beans on toast
Friday- soup and bread
Saturday- super noodles with mixed veg mixed in
Sunday- at parents
Monday- beans on toast

Breakfast would be porridge and lunch jam sandwhiches, biscuits and apples for snacks

I know it isn’t healthy, but is it ok as a plan?
I will buy them all the fruit and veg in the world next week to make up for it from a health point of view!

For just 1 week it would be fine. Obviously not sustainable longer term though.

I agree with pps that it is worth downloading the Olio app. How useful it will be varies depending on the area you are in.
Also do you have a Boots card?
Worth checking if there are any points saved up on there as you could use them to get the milk, make your cash go a bit further! If you do, I would spend the saved cash on either eggs or potatoes. Eggs are a useful, versatile cheap source of protein (but depends on if your kids will eat them reliably! I completely understand that how is not the week to try out new recipes on the kids, better to stick to "safe" meals they will definitely eat than have to waste food.)

I was in your position and yes it’s doable.

I used to buy full fat milk and water it down with a third water. Not ok if you’re kids are drinking as a main drink/source of nutrition.
Make porridge with mostly water.
Agree with the oats to make flapjack of you can.
You can make a better soup for the money if you think your kids will eat it.
Please ask for a food bank referral, but also I never did this as I was too proud but please ask a close friend or your parents to top up your budget/take you food shopping!

The other thing I used to do was get a bag of carrots. The kids ate carrot sticks instead of apples on hardly-any-money weeks.

Op knows what her kids like. She’s choosing that, along with a bit of veg that she knows they will eat and she can afford.

Yes, there are alternative ways to spend £7 and they could be healthier….but they might well be things the kids won’t want to aren’t used to….and now isn’t the time to be trying new things that then might get binned, when there won’t be an alternative. What kids might eat and what we as adults might choose to fill ourselves up and be more nutritious isn’t the same thing.

It’s just a week (hopefully) and living mostly on lasts and bread and jam will be fine.

Things which require limited cooking are good too. Anything requiring lots will hit the OP later with bigger fuel bills. I know this is all about getting through 1 week, but not building up further probs into future is a something to keep an eye on too.

Fed is best op. Do what you need to do to keep you all fed. Ignore the low salt low sugar beans suggestions, buy the most you can for the money you have.

And Iceland is allowing 1 pack of veg per customer for 1p. I don't know if they'd let you and your kids pay separately for 3 bags, depending on if your kids are old enough to go through the till.

Why don't you make soups from scratch ? A bag of misshapen carrots is 35p?

The church near us has free surplus food every week .I dont think its a food bank as such ,just a helping hand to those who need it . Surely you would qualify for this help anyway?

When we were little my parents used to bulk out spaghetti with baked beans instead of beef, it sounds really odd but it’s actually quite tasty!

Definitely look for your local community garden or fridge though, you can get good things from there that would otherwise be wasted. Olio is excellent too.

Is there a Foodshare anywhere nearby? Anyone can go - you don't need to be on a low income. They have surplus supermarket food and you pay what you can - which in your case is nothing.

Have a look at downloading the TooGoodToGo app too - similar to Olio, lots of it is from restaurants but they have grocery ones too.

Food Hub Op do you have anything like this local to you? We have the food hub set up locally that gives out food with no money needed.

My town has a community food hub which picks up yellow sticker food that hasn't sold from supermarkets. They get loads of fresh veg that's still good for a couple of days as well as some really nice stuff from M&S Food. The aim is to prevent food waste so there's no referral system and you don't need to justify why you're there, they just want this perfectly good food to get eaten. Could you google and see if there's one near you?

Failing that please do get in touch with your local Citizens Advice and get a food bank referral - this sort of temporary income gap is exactly what they're there for and it's why people donate to them. If you were my neighbour I'd help you out; you aren't but some of your own neighbours will be putting bits in the donation trolley at the supermarket because they don't like to think of families spending the holidays miserable on beans on toast. Please please let them do this for you, take the tins of soup and the nice biscuits and give yourself a break.

Again, why not ask parents for help to tide you over? All this food bank, Olio, Foodshare stuff is good for those struggling on an ongoing basis but in your circumstances ASK your parents.

Will they say no? I doubt it very much. Are you afraid or ashamed to ask? Don't be, call it an admin error that has left you short this week. It is Easter FGS, no parent would want their child or grandchildren to struggle when a few quid would help enormously on a once off basis.

Best of luck, and do ask them.

Sounds doable - and fine for a short while. Look in the yellow stocker area for some veg or fruit.

Everything on your list looks OK, except the grated cheese, you pay a premium for stuff that is prepared to that extent. So if you have a grater then buy it by block. If you don't have a grater then it will have to be pre grated stuff to fit your budget but buy one as soon as you can afford it. You can use it to make (for example) a bread crumb and cheese topping for tuna and pasta.

Absolutely fine op

I think your plan sounds fine for a week.

Don’t forget to check your bank account though as some benefits will be paid early due to the bank holiday - I know my child benefit is due Monday but is going in this Thursday.

Google kids 'eat free easter half term' and you should get a list come up from money saving central. I just screenshotree it but don't have the option to upload photos yet.

Kids eat free without an adult purchase after 3pm Monday to Friday.

Kids under 12 eat free all day at Gordon ramsay restaurants and at preto.

I've just seen the 1p veg at Iceland is online only unfortunately.

This is at asda: Kids eat free without an adult purchase after 3pm Monday to Friday.

It’s doable, but miserable for you and it’s so terrible we live in a world where this is happening.

Honestly call the food bank or tell your mum. The system is broken, your doing a great job.
I would be horrified to know my child (and imaginary grandchildren) were struggling like this when £30 of groceries would go a very long way.

@tkwal

Everything on your list looks OK, except the grated cheese, you pay a premium for stuff that is prepared to that extent. So if you have a grater then buy it by block. If you don't have a grater then it will have to be pre grated stuff to fit your budget but buy one as soon as you can afford it. You can use it to make (for example) a bread crumb and cheese topping for tuna and pasta.

OP isn't buying grated cheese. The grated cheese is listed as something OP already has.

OP, I think it is do-able for a week, and as you say, you're focusing on what your kids will eat which makes sense. Now is not the time to risk them turning their nose up, if there isn't an alternative available.

I would recommend checking any club cards or points cards you have, tesco, nectar, boots etc, as you can use these to get a bit extra. Also if your phone bill has not gone out yet, you could cancel the direct debit, call the company and ask to reset it for next week, or ask to pay part now and part next week. That would give you a bit of breathing space.

If you have anything you want to sell off, facebook marketplace will let you sell locally for cash. It might be worth having a look through your stuff, kids old toys or clothes, and seeing if you can make a few ££ that way.

Finally, sounds daft but have a rummage in bedside drawers, down the back of the sofa, in the bottom of handbags, centre console or the glove box in your car, for loose change. Anything you find will help. Hope your week goes well. It's tough at the moment, I hope it gets better.

I think it’s fine OP. You still have sone fruit and veg listed.
I would download one of the apps suggested just to supplement it a bit though. A jacket potato with the beans instead of bread might be more filling if the DC will eat them and if you could borrow sone eggs from your parents to do pancakes for breakfast or lunch one day, that could provide sone variety.

Yes doable. Kids love pasta and beans in toast. Quick cheap keeps filled up

But please do talk to you parents

Sure they would be horrified to know struggling so much

And esp on a school holiday

Do you get the fsm vouchers - if not then ask school about them once back

I used to love super noodle sarnies. All soaks into bread snd yummy