To think it’s actually hard to live off this for the rest of the month?!

[munnyya]

I have 350 to last me and dd (2) until 29th of august. This is for food and household essentials like washing tablets, dishwater tablets, shampoo etc only. I think this is incredibly difficult to do? Am I going wrong somewhere? I can’t understand how this is meant to last us until then.

Er, RTFT. The OP has said what she (mostly) spent the £70 on, although even the duck breasts and £3 toddler ready meals that many of us went at didn't explain the whole cost, but I think the OP realises that she's been shopping like a millionaire when she presumably isn't so needs to do something about it.

Hi, you don’t need to spend alot to have nice meals, but you have to learn to cook! Buy chicken thighs, usually comes in 1kg packs. Separate into two bags and freeze. When you cook take one bag out make a nice chicken curry or put on some marinade and put it in the oven/air fryer. Tons of recipes online, pick as per what suits you. Buy a big bag of rice, also a big bag of pasta and spaghetti. So you have carbs. Then buy some healthy veg depending on what you like. Buy from frozen section as this lasts longer. For example - I make rice, green beans, chicken curry for dinner. Last’s me two meals atleast if it is 1/2 kg chicken. So your meals are balanced and healthy. You are spending a lot on ultra processed food which is neither healthy or nutritious. It will make you overweight and also you will be out of pocket.

There’s lots of online websites with recipes and videos. Some pages have 30 min meals that are really 30 min to cook.
you would save a lot of money by not buying pre prepared.. also why pre prepped potatoes?? Also a waste. I have a toddler too and I feed him a plain version of what I’m making, so if I’m doing lemon butter chicken with pasta, his will be without sauce …

Can’t believe all the ‘that’s loads’ of money comments when it clearly isn’t!

I did rtft.

And she hasn't answered. As you point out yourself duck and kids ready meals don't explain the whole cost.

I don't get the "I can't cook because no one has shown me" nonsense either. You go on BBC good food. Pick easy rated recipes and follow the step by step instructions. As an adult, claiming you can't cook now because you weren't taught as an infant is ridiculous. If you can read, you can cook. OP needs to start acting like a grown up. Toddler ready meals, washing tablets, it's all the lazy version of everything.

As an example, did a shop for 2 adults and 1 toddler for 5 days of meals including slightly more expensive items as they were on nectar offer ( wild salmon and wild tuna) and spent 30 quid….when trying to save money I go for the 1kg chicken breast from Sainsbury’s and use over the week…stir fries bulked up with lots of veg are healthier and budget friendly and just need a few base cupboard ingredients ( tomato paste, garlic , or Asian style so soy sauce sesame oil sugar)

You have added on the water but ignored the energy to heat the water.

Mine and most people I know heat their hot water from the taps by gas the dishwasher heats by electricity. Heating water with gas is cheaper.

In addition I plus many other people I know have knives, pots, pans, chopping boards, etc that aren't dishwasher safe, so have we have to wash some stuff by hand anyway. (For example I have a set of German pans that claimed to be dishwasher safe, they aren't because I ruined the smallest one by putting it in the dishwasher.)

So if I'm alone all day and cooking for myself it isn't cheaper or more efficient.

Oh and I don't wash up with a washing up bowl.

People spend so much more on toiletries and washing powder, you can definitely cut back on this for a few weeks and buy the very cheapest options.

Are you other expenses high that you are left with that amount per month? From your take home salary, how much goes on nursery fees, other bills etc? It's a decent amount but you feel its not enough, so its looking at where you can save money elsewhere, or can you do some overtime/any promotions worth going for?

Well to me, it is 🤷‍♀️. £350 over 24 days. Plenty!

I don't think it's loads, but it's enough to have decent meals and the toiletries needed.

The average shopping bill for a family of 4 is probably around £5-600 pm. The OP is a single parent of a toddler and has £350 to last for 3.5 weeks, so it's an above average amount for a half sized family that doesn't have to feed the larger appetites of older children or an adult man.

Most people would feel perfectly comfortable with that budget, probably because they'd look at a Little Dish meal and think 'fuck me, you're having a laugh' rather than filling their trolley with them.

Hi op! A few things:

If you can’t cook, I kid you not, Dorling Kindersley illustrated step by step “how to cook” books for dc are bloody brilliant. I hand them out to uni students!

They cover all the basic dishes, and all the proper techniques, and every step of each recipe is described and photographed in a really clear, easy way to follow.

The recipes are really good as well, it’s not just nursery food. Thoroughly recommend.

And Nancy Birtwhistle on Instagram is great to follow for tips. She is very practical and thrifty and a great cook. She has published a couple of books on green house-keeping and has a good recipe for home made dishwasher tablets which are far cheaper than the supermarket variety. She makes all of her cleaning products out of simple ingreds like bicarb, vinegar and washing up liquid.

Finally, dried red lentils are ace to pad out any dish using mince and veg. Full of protein and healthy.

Good luck!

That would be plenty for me, dp and 2 dc to get us through to the end of the month without a doubt.

Buy the shops own brands. I find Tesco and Sainsbury's are the most reasonably priced.
And Iceland if you want a £1-£2 ready meal each
Butchers for the meat too
Local farm shop for our fruit and veg (but we do buy more in Tesco too)
Amazon or pound stretcher for toiletries

And you say you can't cook? Can you watch any YouTube videos for ideas? Or local colleges sometimes have cooking classes? If you get UC, sometimes these are free or very cheap. Our church recently did a cooking course for those who use their food pantry to help with healthy cheap meal ideas.

the bbc good food website has budget meals

boots has good price shampoo
do you have any points for any shop coming in?

It’s really not that bad for one adult and one toddler. It’s not even for 4 weeks.

It’s not rocket science though. All of Delia Smith’s recipes are on line. She has many learn to cook ones with step by step instructions. There are you tube videos showing how to cook. It just takes a little effort. Even the most basic cook can make a jacket potato.

Agreed.

Little Dish meals are basic meals in small portions e.g. pasta, sauce and veg. Very easy to make, freeze in portions, defrost and reheat in a microwave.

They actually taste and smell disgusting. I did buy them when my DD was a toddler when there was a risk she wouldn't eat food at other people's houses. ,(I think she actually only did it once.)

sounds like you may also have to change your habits. Do you shop some items for convenience? They always cost more. What sort of dish are you buying for dd that is £3. Can you not make her a meal or both have the same meal.
edited to add I realise now what the little dish meals are, cut them out and you’ve saved £27!

OP if you buy a decent ready made pasta sauce, eg Loyd Grossman or these Heinz ones, a pack of mince and some pasta, that will cost about £6 and it will make 2 meals for both of you, so you're effectively feeding yourself for free compared with buying the Little Dish meals.

This is a really quick and easy start to very basic cooking and you'd have most of the pasta left over for a few more meals. You could then freeze half of the sauce for later on or eat it in the next day or two.

O come on, you are not seriously buying Little dish on a regular basis and then wondering where you money is going!

4 simple home prepared meals are the same price as one little dish meal, at a pinch, 5 or 6. And you don't want to me feeding your child ready meals anyway. Massively unhealthy, likely to lead to obesity, and all those related issues.

And ready prepared potatoes!?

Tesco do zip lock bags, I use them to freeze things. 10p each.
Well £2 for 20. The medium are huge.

You lost my sympathy at Duck Breasts