To ask you how to make £30 last

[tearsandtiaras]

I have £30 to last until Wednesday
Im ok for petrol for work
My DD needs £8-10 on Monday
I have £22 to make meals from tomorrow - Tuesday night and one packed lunch Wednesday

Please help. I have porridge, brown rice , eggs, and a little bit of pasta

And why does this country even have food banks when they could just reopen the Poor Houses.

Hello everyone
We've had reports from people concerned about this thread so, as we usually do in these circs, we're putting our heads round the door with some important reminders.

Right now we can't see any evidence to indicate that the OP isn't above board - if we did, we'd remove the thread straight away. But the truth is that, sadly, we at MNHQ can't know with 100% certainty that any poster is genuine, no matter who they are or how long they have been here. As frustrating as it is, we're not able to vouch for anyone here.

So we always ask users to remember that not everyone on the internet is who they say they are – and remind folk not to give more to another poster, either financially (in cash or gifts) or emotionally (in time or care and support) than they'd be prepared to lose if things went wrong. Though, we strongly advise against parting with any cash or giving away your personal details, and if you receive a PM which makes you uneasy - report it to us and we’ll take a look.

We've compiled some useful links posted by Mumsnetters into a financial issues webguide, so that people experiencing difficulties can find all the relevant information in one place.

Sorry to hijack your thread briefly there, OP – we really hope you get it all sorted soon.

I wouldn't panic too much on the healthy eating for a couple of days.

For your DD I would get a loaf of cheap bread, some cheese spread and basics crisps for her lunches. Maybe a pack of cheap biscuits.

A couple of tins of beans, onion, tinned tomatoes and some frozen mixed veg (the finely chopped basics kind) - make up a vegetable casserole and/or bean chili to have with rice.

You could have a portion of this for your lunch too.

A bag of potatoes gives the option to have your casserole /chilli with potatoes and you could also do egg and chips or tortilla.

Your DD could have the pasta with tinned tomatoes and cheese for one of her dinners.

You will need milk - is your DD OK with porridge for breakfast?

Really I would just concentrate on cheap carbs to fill you both up. There will be fibre and vitamins in frozen veg, tomato and beans so no need to worry about expensive salad stuff.

I missed that you are GF. In that case I'd go a Chinese route and do a lot of stir-fries - can use any cheap veg - and fried rice dishes. Chicken thighs and omelette strips are good for these. Soy sauce is cheaper in the world food section usually.
I also keep little bits of leftover veg from chopping in a bowl in the fridge then when I've enough, make a soup with sauteed onion and potato and a tin of chick peas.

@tearsandtiaras

It might also be a good idea to look over on the cost of living board (think it comes under the Money board) as there are general tips on there around budgeting, frugal living, getting out of debt etc which go back a few years. Possibly some tips for general help if you are often a bit short. It can't be easy on you as a single parent when your rent is so high.

Sign up to Olio.

People will list free food every evening from around 2030 onwards. Generally stuff donated by supermarkets that is on its use by or best before date.

You just need to request and collect.

I

We have found a slow cooker a handy way to cook cheap meals like casseroles/chilli/bolognese. You might find one on Freecycle or maybe a friend has one you can borrow to see if it's useful.

We try to cook meals that also have an associated leftover meal to minimise food waste. Some ideas that we have:

• Roast chicken/gammon on Sundays (cooked in the slow cooker), leftovers go into a pie (just flour, milk, butter, stock cube for the sauce and ready roll pastry for the top). If we put leftover gammon and chicken into the pie, it's big enough to last two meals. https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/chicken-ham-pie (we leave out the stuff we don't have/like, it's delicious even with just the basics).
• Casserole in the slow cooker. Leftovers can be frozen in portions for re-heating, smaller portions are nice on a jacket potato or blended to make a portion of soup. We often make sausage casserole (cheap).
• Same as above for chilli and bolognese although not really for soup, but little leftovers are good on a jacket potato.

EDIT, forgot you're gluten free and that will add a little to the cost of things like the ready roll pastry.

There's lots of recipies on line. We like the BBC Good Food recipies.

Longer term, I'd sign up for job alerts via websites that cover your role/skills. Are there private sector roles that use your skills? Where are people leaving your role moving on to do? Might not be for now, but definitely worth keeping an eye on if your rent and bills aren't being covered by your salary.

I totally agree with the £10 for your daughter to have childcare for her inset day. I'd do exactly the same especially as you're at work for 12hours and travelling around.

You’ve had some helpful tips already but here’s some sites that have great budget recipes, depending on your preferences:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/collections/1_dinners

https://www.asda.com/good-living/article/cheap-budget-meals-under-o

https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/articles/what_you_need_in_your_store_cupboard

Just a few things that I’ve done to manage money when shopping - I always like to use the scan and shop (not sure what it’s called at Morrisons though) so I don’t have any unexpected surprises at the checkout. Also you can do your shopping list in the website/app as if you’re doing an online shop so you can look for deals and work budget a bit easier than when you’re in the supermarket. For after payday…Ocado (and I’m sure others) often have deals where you get £25 off your first shop - maybe this could help build up store cupboard/freezer ingredients/non perishables. I did this once and now usually just buy things when they are on offer instead of when I run out/get low, and I’ve found that I save quite a bit and don’t usually run out. Have a look at getting gluten free products on prescription too because I know sometimes that can be done, and they are more expensive than the standard options.

If you're lucky you'll find you have a regular collector from supermarkets who lives near you, so you can watch out for their posts.

I realise that the thread has moved on a bit but the supermarket cooking bacon packs are great value. The Asda one is £1 for 500g of misshapen slices and joint ends. Perfect for Spanish tortilla, frittata, carbonara, soup etc.
I had worked out a meal plan for you but I've only just noticed your wheat intolerance which makes many of the cheapest meals unsuitable for you, but here are some which will work:
Cowboy pie: baked beans with cooked bacon/sausage/stew (anything tasty) and fried onions topped with mash and grilled to brown it off.
Frittata: eggs as the main protein but use up any odd vegetable bits in the fridge and add cooked potatoes to make it substantial. Flavour with some of that cooking bacon chopped up if you like.
Lentil and bacon soup
Lentil soup
Daal ( only if you have the right spices in your cupboard).
Eggs florentine, but on a rosti rather than a half muffin.
Home made carbonara (if you have enough of the wheat free pasta left) with chopped cooking bacon, a beaten egg per person and a handful of the value grated hard cheese from whichever shop you choose.
If you aren't coeliac so your daughter can have wheat, the cheapest lunch option is value sliced bread sandwiches with sliced egg and spinach or a slice of Korean style omelette or spinach leaves with a sliced tomato and a sprinkle of dried basil: by lunchtime the dried herb will have taken on some of the moisture from the tomato and be flavourful.
At this time of year your best value fresh vegetable is probably cabbage: shredded in a slaw or garnish or just chopped and steamed/boiled/stir fried(with more of that cooking bacon) it is very versatile. It makes a good base for pasta sauce if you don't have any pasta left, for example.
Carrots are probably next, value wise. Great to sweeten up dishes and lovely in soup, daal, lentil bolognese etc.

At this time of year your best value fresh vegetable is probably cabbage: shredded in a slaw or garnish or just chopped and steamed/boiled/stir fried(with more of that cooking bacon) it is very versatile. It makes a good base for pasta sauce if you don't have any pasta left, for example.

Cabbage soup is also surprisingly nice.

Every sympathy, but of course you walk. Unless in middle of countryside? I don’t have luxury of a car or petrol and walk everywhere.

On just seen you are in London, like me. Come on mate. You WALK!!!! What is this madness about a car. There are loads of olio references near me.

And walking is of course good for your health, given you are on a diet, this is clearly a concern of yours. Win win. And yes, I also work full time. But I still walk everywhere, or bike.

Pasta carbonara
Crack eggs into cooked pasta,.add a alittle.cheese and milk if you have it. Add a bit of cheap ham, tuna, bacon whatever if you can. A fried onion or some mushrooms are nice too. Cheap and filling

And I’m in my 50s. OK, sorry about my rant about driving. But that;s an expense I would cut pronto. It’s a pain not having a car with kids, but you cut your cloth.

See if there is a Foodcycle near you...3 course veggie meal for no cost, no referral needed and if there is surplus food it will be given away.
There are several in London running at different times/days- I know of 2 in SE London tonight.
You might not be able to eat it all (e.g if pasta bake or cake for dessert) but unless unlucky 2 courses should be ok for dietary requirements. Many people go as the sessions are designated warm spaces and go for company as it's communal eating. Some guests work, some are lonely, all ages...might provide a hot meal anyway.

On just seen you are in London, like me. Come on mate. You WALK!!!! What is this madness about a car. There are loads of olio references near me.

She’s a child protection social worker, we’re often travelling from one side of our patch to the other for essential visits and meetings. We might need to take a child to contact with family, for a medical or to pick them up from school for a planning meeting. Oddly enough court won’t plan their CP hearings to accommodate a walking social worker.

It’s nigh on impossible to do the job without a car.

Once again I agree wholeheartedly. I have lived on free food from them for two years. You don't have to pay for joining if you don't want to, it's not about being needy it's primarily about food waste prevention and it's for everyone.

"Attend a funeral and eat at the wake".

This is a joke, yeah, for OP (andDCs) to find a room funeral, descend and hoover up the food

@MobilityCat my supermarket bills have been slashed. We still buy meat, cheese and other bits and pieces but I get free vegetables, sandwiches, snacks, milk and bread and there's cakes and pastries going begging round here.

If you're cautious about UB dates then it's perhaps not for you but I honestly don't understand why it's not more popular.

I can't walk, I work in a different borough. Have to transport children to hospital, go to court, cp visits. Plus I look after
My own child on my own- she can't be left alone too long after school.

Gosh some people are unkind

It's effectively childcare, not for her to socialise.

Are
You a
Lone parent with no support and a
Child protection social worker in another borough?

Feel for you, OP.

I'm also in a single mum in a hard professional job with rarely enough money. Was much easier when I was married, except for how he was an abusive twunt, so we're happier now despite being skint.

It's totally ridiculous that you should work so hard in such an important role and be struggling. Ignore those PP who don't get it.

Are you eligible for Universal Credit? Hopefully you have tried. Your rent is crazy high and it might help.

I am a huge fan of Dave Ramsey's baby steps (google it or find his book Total Money Makeover on Audible or youtube). Basically I have been in some level of debt my entire adult life, and have only in the last six months taken back control of my money thanks to Dave Ramsey. I'm going to be debt free by about April, which is huge for me, though it sounds like you don't have credit cards which is brilliant in the first place.