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!

Although I've just seen it says selected restaurants, I missed that bit earlier, but asda is completely free after 3pm, m-f.

[quote C25kBecky]@JustLyra

mobile.twitter.com/MoneySavingCen/status/1510288342029590538?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Here's a link (hopefully) to the infopic, I can't upload pics at the moment I think[/quote]
It’s a really misleading infographic. In almost all cases you need to purchase an adult meal to get free children’s meals.

[quote C25kBecky]@JustLyra

mobile.twitter.com/MoneySavingCen/status/1510288342029590538?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Here's a link (hopefully) to the infopic, I can't upload pics at the moment I think[/quote]
I’d bet good money that site is wrong.

Neither website is advertising that they’ll feed kids for free without a paying adult.

In Asda kids eat free if you spend £4 in the cafe.
www.asda.com/baby-club/baby/free-baby-food-at-asda-cafes

OP where abouts are you located? I know you aren't asking for help but if you were nearby I have lots of treats I can no longer eat as me and my bf are now on a diet (much to his disappointment).

I would be more than happy to drop off if you're not too far xx

Check boots, Tesco & nectar points to see if any further budget there. Any free community centre events locally for Easter? (tea and buns on Friday at ours along with kids crafts etc).

If you are in England and nearby a Lidl they do a short dated veg box for £1.50 first thing in the morning but again, it depends what your DC would eat. They don't do that here in NI as far as I see but they do a free item in the app every day when you shop so if in NI and nearby you could go daily for your items and get a freebie back each time.

Honestly, I'd recommend a call to the food bank OP and save your £7 for emergencies if possible. Also echoing what pp have said in asking for support from family and friends. Even a few tins would make a difference. Good luck OP

Honestly, these ‘kids eat free’ meals are not aimed at feeding kids from families that are struggling to feed them at all. They are not a form of charity like a food bank or community kitchen is.

The free meal is a marketing ploy - they know it’s school holidays and eating out is expensive but families will be having days out and looking for things to do. They provide a free kids meal when the family buys adult meals. They still make a profit. The adult meal still costs.

Even if there was such a thing as a totally free kids meal, it’s likely an adult would buy a drink as a minimum. That drink is likely to be £2 and cost over 25% of the money the Op has for her family for the week.

Going out to eat is just not viable in any form like this for people in the OPs situation. I remain amazed how many people have come on here and suggested it.

I notice Morrison’s do a family meal thing for £10 - 2 adult meals and 2 child meals plus drinks. It’s great value, but for families suffering g hardship, £10 needs to provide far more than 1 meal and in OPs case, meals for a full week for 3 of them. Even a bargain eating out is substantially more than the price of feeding your family cheaply at home.

For OP to take her kids out to eat, even with a freebie kids meal would cost money.

There will be places which offer meals - but these will be charities. They might well be worth finding out about. Various churches and community projects offer a hot lunch totally for free once a week or sometimes every day. These could be worth finding out about.

However, OP hasn’t asked to know about these. She hasn’t asked for suggestions about accessing food banks or charities, or darting at her parents’ more or asking them for money. For whatever reasons, OP wants to try and feed her kids on the £7 she has and bits she already has in. She doesn’t want suggestions of better nutrition or new recipes to try. All she wants is to know if her plan which includes food she knows her kids will eat, will be possible for the money and fill their tums.

It will.

It’s probably not the moment for longer term planning or thinking about the wider issues. She just wants to get through this week with everyone fed. That doesn’t include trying new vegetable cook from scratch recipes which fussy eaters in any family might struggle with. Is she really likely to have the energy for these or to want to face her fussy eaters refusing new foods put in front of them which they don’t usually eat anything remotely like? Sorry, but although well-intentioned, so many people have no idea how many people live and eat or that the suggestions they make are not the simple solutions they think they are.

Check to see if your local authority has a HAF programme (holiday & food programme). It's a fully funded activity camp with food provided aimed at children from low income families and those with SEND.

WombatChocolate I understand your point but people suggesting Foodbanks etc are doing so because they want her £7 to stretch further. If the op got her kids into a funded Easter camp for eg then that's a day's worth of lunches that she saves. This will enable her £7 budget & food that she already has in to go further.

If the Op got a bag of food from the Foodbank then her kids can eat better than what she was planning on providing them with initially. Sandwiches and biscuits don't make a filling lunch so anything to supplement this would be a good thing.

There are churches by us doing a free breakfast club - might be worth having a check by you.

Hey OP, I've just been in my local Asda and they're doing broccoli, bags of carrots, bags of onions and bags of parsnips for 20p a bag. All fresh looking too.
Also I just went round Tesco frozen section and they've got loads for a quid or less including a pack of yorkshires for 50p and fish fingers for 70p. Your thread actually inspired me to look for the cheapest bits.

Hi @Henrylj how are you ? 💐