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.

It’s not a lot No, however, for those weeks, could you maybe just wash the dishes by hand instead of buying expensive dishwasher tablets and buy a Tesco own /asda own brand washing powder. Way cheaper than named brands and basically the same stuff - way cheaper than pods.

£350 for an adult and a toddler for groceries is NOT the breadline

What dishes do you like? Which ones does your DD like? I'm sure if you give 3 or 4, we can help you find reliable recipes or online videos for them.

Generally home-cooked food with fewer ingrediants will be healthier for both of you, so don't worry about it not being "as good". Cooked through and good enough is good enough.

Everyone has to start somewhere, and maybe this is the motivated point for you.

And yes, one box of dishwasher tablets is all that's needed, don't skimp on that if things are hard atm.

I think you need to go back to basics OP. Simple food, which is easily made. I do like Lidl and Aldi but find I spend more when I go there, as everything is cheap. Whereas if I go to my local small Sainsbury's, I just buy what I need and there's also less waste.

Frozen food is always cheaper.

Why are so many people telling you to drop the dishwasher tablets. They can be cheaply purchased and last for ages.

Years and years ago Delia Smith did a TV & book series on how to cook. She literally took you through everything from how to boil an egg to preparing a full blown meal. That might be a great place for you to start and build your skills and confidence.

Once you know how to do the basics your food bills should start coming down a bit.

Alternatively do you have a friend who can show you the way round a kitchen, I know I have certainly taught a few of my friends how to cook, I enjoyed passing the skills along and they have enjoyed learning.

Delia's Complete How To Cook: Both a guide for beginners and a tried & tested recipe collection for life https://amzn.eu/d/5e0tnGt

Give yourself a target of £75 for a week. It’s doable. You will need to focus on more dishes like pasta / rice / beans and less meat. It’s boring but tomato pasta with some veg and garlic bread then a cheese pasta a few times a week. Limit meat to once or twice a week and pick cheaper by good quality. Even just having beans on toast or eggs on toast are good options. Buy bread but some wraps and fill out sandwiches with lettuce and cheese.

I'd personally look into cookery classes that you can do with your child. It is such an important life skill for you both to know and will help reduce grocery bills when you're learning to cook from scratch. The initial outlay may be higher but you've got a healthy budget for a single adult and toddler. I know you're run ragged but we all are and it's about prioritising the important things.

You've also got access to the internet where you can find robus information on food preparation and storage.

It's just for food and other supermarket bits, not socialising etc.

I agree. We've started using Co Op own brand tablets which are very cheap and just as good as the brands.

@Dentalflossie

It's not your fault that nobody taught you how to cook.

No, but people can't rely on schools teaching them everything. At least today we have the internet, with unlimited resources for people to teach themselves all kinds of things, whether cooking, DIY, car maintenance, exercise, etc. The OP will be able to Google for cooking hints/tips etc that would suit her, whether Youtube videos, factsheets, recipe cards, or just general hints and tips, not to mention all manner of Facebook groups re cooking and meal planning for all kinds of eating, including special groups for diabetics etc. All the information is out there. You can't expect to be taught it by someone on a 1-2-1 basis. Sorry to say it, but it's a bit lame to say you can't cook because you weren't taught it properly at school.

I think it's plenty, but I do know the stress of having a strict budget at times and can sympathise with the anxiety it can cause.
Definitely learn some very basic recipes and also think of maximum healthy calories per pound spent. Everyone's definition of "healthy" is slightly different but if you are not vegetarian or vegan then desserts like yoghurt and fruit are good and meals such as spaghetti/ fusilli bolognaise - bulked out with lentils and/or beans (and even oats if you get down to a little amount of money) made with tinned tomatoes, fried mince, onions, garlic, any other veggies you can get in (carrots, celery, leeks etc) are good ways of getting in a mix of carbs, veg, and protein. Don't buy soft drinks or juice as they are expensive and experiment with buying Own Brands.
Also go through your cupboards and see if there is anything you could use up.
Take snacks from home when you go out (homemade sandwich, fruit, dried fruit etc) instead of purchasing.
If you have time on weekend and live near bramble bushes - they are now in season as are some early apples and plums - could pick some for 10- 15 minutes with toddler to have for fruit snacks and dessert.

I think it was the fact they were listed as an essential, as though there was no alternative. Everyone buys them at Lidl or other cheap source.

I don't understand this either. It's far more economical to use the dishwasher eco cycle as well than to wash dishes by hand. Dishwasher tablets are cheap. I'm on a far, far lower budget than OP and I have no problem buying them. As other pp have said I just buy the biggest pack I can afford and rotate these large one off items (dishwasher tablets, laundry items, Toiletries, toilet roll) or buy them all in one go when I'm flush

That should be plenty. I budget £100 per week for me and two DDs (14 and 11).

Where do you shop OP?

If you don't already go to Lidl/Alsi, you'll be amazed how much cheaper they are.

so you cannot cook, do not budget and what else
Have you heard of boiling, stewing, frying and roasting? - take any food, put water and oil on them in a pan or in the oven and they will cook. No need of recipee. Just check when it is done

OP, ignore all the people having a go. MN is a terrible place for people who just can't comprehend that there are people who are different to them.

I would also recommend the Delia Smith How To Cook books, I bought them all when I had my first home. You can get them cheap second hand online. "Cooking for Blokes" is also a great book, my cousin bought it for me as a joke

Also, look for any cookery classes in your area, or if you have a local WI, see if there is anyone there who would be prepared to give you a few lessons on the basics. or a friend or family member? You could thank them by cooking them a lovely meal at the end of it. When DD was a baby the local Sure Start centre did a great 6 week course, but I think most of that stuff ended due to funding.

As PP have said, switch to Aldi or Lidl if you have one nearby.

If you could teach yourself the basics, you would save a fortune. There are also cheaper options to what you already buy.

You can research food hygiene online, or even do a food hygiene course online for free possibly. https://www.food.gov.uk/business-guidance/online-food-safety-training

Just start out trying to cook some simple meals and work your way up. Jacket potato with beans and cheese is easy. Chicken breasts with a jar of sauce, is easy. Buy some preprepped veg to go with it, 3 for 2 offers etc, until you work your way up to cooking the veg. One step at a time.

Good luck.

Don't know what organix foods are, is this baby cereal? Have you tried giving her with porridge oats sweetened with a little bit of sugar/syrup or you can mash a banana or pear with while it cooks, it's one of the cheapest breakfast foods and so filling. Cooks in a couple of minutes. She will get protein/calcium from the milk too.

Ignore all the haters op. Everything is easy when you know how! Cooking is a learned skill, not something we are born with. This is a great opportunity for you to learn and get your little one eating good food 😋. You've already received some great advice. I spend around £150 per week for 2 adults and 3 older teens, so your budget is fine. I do most of my shopping at Tesco online, and get some things from Lidl. That's worked out the cheapest way for what we buy. I always meal plan for the week, and buy lean meat in larger packs which I split and freeze in basic freezer bags.
Do you have a slow cooker or could you borrow one? It's a brilliant way to cook if you're a novice.
Watch videos online and have a go! Taming Twins online or insta is great for family meals and she does step by step videos.
You can definitely afford dishwasher tablets!

i budget £100 a week for food and essentials... thats for 3 adults, and 2 visitng babies

BUT

we are about to get an M&S food hall round the corner from the house! i know for a fact this budget then will not be enough

OP there are lots of very easy recipes on TikTok if you are on it, and it's really useful being able to follow the recipe by video.

Have a look at the taming twins website and pin of nom cook books are amazing too. Bbc good food website is pretty good too. Consider getting a slow cooker as they’re so much easier. Prepared frozen veg like onions and butternut squash are great time savers as is lazy garlic.

As a general rule cooked food are safe in the fridge for 3 days.

Passata is your friend OP.

I wasn't taught to cook anything useful at school but was taught how to scrub wooden draining boards very throughly for some reason! Not really helpful ,ever .
I've been cooking for 60 years and these are my thoughts.
Don't feel guilty .
Lots of help for budget meals/ learning to cook in library or Internet ( or charity book shops)
Learn a few basics first e.g,spag bol,chilli,cottage pie .
Soups/ basic salads are good.
I use frozen veg now as I was wasting a lot.
I buy enough fruit for the week . I used to buy too much and it would be wasted. I buy some frozen berries when they are reduced
I shop on line as i cant easily get out and always meal plan. I know it's not easy when you feel overwhelmed so perhaps read up on budget cooking and do a few sample meal plans when you are less busy.
I helped a neighbour briefly who ran a posh B&B . Her husband was a very skilled chef and produced wonderful meals. The fancy expensive type . In their own lives I noticed he wasted very little ,froze anything he could not immediately use. Their meals were basic but so good. Macaroni in a creamy cheese sauce, risotto, stews.
Freezer containers don't have to be fancy.
My cheap slow cooker is amazing. Bung the ingredients in and it always seems to work.
Even after all these years I sometimes on an off day produce a meal that is ,frankly, boring or not very nice. But most are fine. It's not a competition .
Don't feel like a failure . It's just another skill that can be learned. If you know anyone who could teach you a few basics that would be great. Good luck .