£350 till end of the month. family of 4 + dog

[AnxietyLevelMax]

How do we survive? Needs to include formula for the baby. Other ds is almost 5 yrs old. Fuel to be included. We are sorted for this week and have few lunches in the freezer for the next week, but otherwise have to manage within the budget and just dont know how! Each grocery shopping is about £200 for a week with careful planning, we just cant afford it

12 months you can do that. Cow milk can used in food from 6 months.

What have you got in your cupboards? I have stuff I wouldn't normally eat but would 'make do' with if something happened and I couldn't get other food.

DH needs to eat an adult portion with you and then if he is still hungry porridge is filling and cheap.

OK I make 'stem soup' with the stems of cauliflower and broccoli. It tastes the same as the florets. Just put in a pan with boiling water and a stock cube.You can add any other veg you want. I actually do this in the slow cooker and I then use a stick blender on it.

Things on toast, beans, cheese, eggs, bacon, tinned spaghetti hoops, sardines or mackerel or a combination or things. If you buy cooking bacon that will bring the cost down and I find getting a stronger flavour cheese I don't need as much.

Pasta is cheap and can be cooked in different ways with different sauces. An easy sauce I do is to fry some mushrooms in a frying pan while the pasta is cooking, once the mushrooms are done add a generous dollop of cream cheese (supermarket own brand is fine) and a couple of spoonfuls of the water the pasta is cooking in.

Drain the pasta and add to the frying pan, stir together and serve.

Hotdogs are fairly cheap.

I think you’ve answered your own question there. Husband needs to start eating for one for a start.

Ok 🤔 here you go .
As one poster mentioned earlier if you’re pretty much sorted for another week then that leaves about 2.5 weeks to go .
As far as I can gather that’s got to cover fuel and all toiletries , toothpaste, laundry detergent as well as groceries including pet food and baby milk formula.
So that is tight .
First things first top up fuel and limit car use for the rest of the month.
Then get baby formula and pet food .
If your dog is on a special diet that could be tricky, but I have found Amazon deals for that sort of thing are very good .

The other thing is sometimes you’re better to head into Boots ( believe it or not ) for their lowest price range for toothpaste and toiletries, I was really surprised at their prices + can use or collect points .
Once sorted for those necessities I’d see what’s left , search through fridge , freezer and pantry to see what’s there and make shopping list accordingly.
Big tubs of plain or Greek yogurt with frozen fruit for breakfast or desserts.
Porridge oats or overnight oats with frozen fruit .
Loaves are available in several supermarkets for about 75p so have things on toast too for meals .
Get mixed size eggs ( less pricey ) too so you can do scrambled or tortilla , bag of potatoes and onions are cheap .
I wouldn’t cut out fruit , I’d search for the least expensive bananas 🍌 apples 🍎 pears 🍐 and buy berries 🍓 etc frozen .
Don't drink soft drinks as the price mounts up , just water if you’d like a cold drink and your usual tea / coffee if you like hot drinks

Not true 😂
Children = humans. Humans are essential part of life. Without them the world wouldn’t go on.

dog = extra. It was bred to please humans. It can’t talk , pay taxes and all the stuff most humans do to keep are world going. World would still go on without dogs 💯👍

Of course they are extras! People make a choice to have them. I made a choice not to have them and the world is still turning. And if you can’t afford them, or a pet, then don’t have them. Pretty straightforward.

The world existed before humans did and will go on existing once humans have died out.

No one needs children, they just choose to have them

Is that your best response back? 😂😂😂

have your poor children worked it out that you prefer or equalize the pet dog to them?

Better than your piss poor responses 🤷🏻‍♀️

I agree with a PP who says large appetite is often due to a distended stomach capacity where it takes more food to make a person feel satiated.

When I look back on how we ate 10/15 years ago the quantities were huge. 3 course dinners every night (pasta, meat, veg, fruit and/or dessert), 3 pizzas between 2, fixating on “where will we eat?’ if we were going on days out. Fresh bread every day, a well stocked freezer and an overflowing fruit bowl. All healthy, good quality but TOO MUCH of everything. I’m a foodie, love trying new recipes, DH is Italian so there is a bit of a feeder vibe in the family.
Mangia, mangia!

I then had a health breakdown, discovered I was pre-diabetic so went low carb and did intermittent fasting. It reset me (- 15kg and maintaining), my pre diabetes and my stomach’s capacity. DH and DC joined me in smaller portions and expectations. We now have 3 courses over 2 meals and often say “I don’t feel like dessert, let’s have it tomorrow.” Today we had gnocchi/ spiralized courgettes with blue cheese (plus 2 apricots) and were groaning before the end…

Covid and rising prices meant I learned to cook more variety and cheaper than restaurants. We’re down to meals out only on special occasions compared to every 3 weeks. I even offered to cook at home for a significant anniversary (not really in the spirit)! Cutting out alcohol has reduced our budget too. The after effects just aren’t worth it any longer.

So maybe DH’s stomach is crying out to be filled but sending false signals? When I started 16/8 intermittent fasting the hunger pangs were completely bearable and were gone IN A WEEK. It was as easy as skipping breakfast.

This is hilarious.

How on earth have you come to the conclusion that humans are essential to life on Earth? ‘Without them the world wouldn’t go on’?

You do realise how completely and utterly insignificant human beings are in the history of our planet, don’t you?

Me and DH chose not to have children but we have always had lovely dogs.

I think your husband needs to cut down on his food intake, 5 jacket potatoes is ridiculous. I realise that not everyone wants to and can breast feed and it is a bit late in the day now to do so but breast feeding would have saved you some money.

I think that the question of whether DH wants to lose weight or diet needs to be treated separately from the question of saving money. There's enough for him to eat cheaply and enforced rationing would put him under pressure at what sounds like a difficult period for the family. It's a stressful time with a small baby. Money's not that tight. Don't overdo it, OP.

Quite often fruit will be in the reduced section in supermarkets. I often get a big bag of bananas for 30p or a little more. I can rely on some fruit being reduced each time I go to Asda. Lidl and Aldi often have fruit in their little section of best buys section or Aldi equivalent.

I'm in Wolverhampton and there are community shops of some kind in every ward, so have a look on your local council website.

There are different types, my local one tries to feed a family of four for £40.

Another takes food that can't be sold but is perfectly edible e.g. jars where the label is upside down.

Your DH needs to eat less, if he is still hungry then bread and butter, (you can get a basic loaf for 50p-60p). Things like Bovril made in to a drink or cheap noodles can fill him up.

Is he doing anything like going to the gym and doing a lot of weight training and that's why hes eating a lot? Cos if so he has to stop for a bit.

Op you know the 30 hours won't cover all your childcare bill, the hours are funded but not free. Have you checked your budget for when you return to work?

Batch cook big meals, bulk out meat with lentils and beans.

If there are any local allotments, check if anyone there is offering surplus produce free or cheap - this time of year there can be people with courgettes, tomatoes & potatoes coming out of their ears.

It's not a sermon and you don't choose. I am poor though and I am pretty good at working out a semi normal existence in the face of In surmountable odds. If you wanted to learn a few real things and were able to listen you could have picked up some genuine insights. Yet again I meet the unfriendly and unwelcoming and wonder why infact you'd be here? Have a happy Friday.

Who says? You? Thanks for unfriendly and unwelcoming remark from yet another mumsnetter to a poor person offering real insights. Have a good Friday. Go on, I dare you.

Just read the mn updates. Real people on FB are asking money for their dogs operation in Dorking right now. What's not possible.

5 baked potatoes! That's enough for your entire family he needs to cut it down that's absolutely ridiculous.
My skint meals are based around getting a protein (usually chicken legs or thighs in big frozen bags from the supermarket) noone needs more than 1 or 2. A carb I bet huge 10kg bags from the Asian supermarket or Asda for not much. Some frozen veg (I get the value mixed) and add some seasoning like Italian mixed or a bit if paprika and garlic granules. This makes a nutritious, cheap and filling meal that will keep costs down. I also often do egg fried rice with a big box of cheap eggs, yesterday's rice and some frozen veg. For lunch I make soup often with cheap carrots and whatever else is in the cheap offers in aldinor lidl that week.
Your husband needs to suck it up and stop being the problem

Sorry lovey, but the Dad needs to reduce his food intake?? Being large / fat doesn't mean he has to eat more????
Sorry if that's harsh, but in the position you describe I would be living on water and some toast until things are sorted,
Priority is feed the dog, it has no choice. Kiddies absolutely of course also. Healthy start vouchers?? (depending on age). Husband can walk (forget the car - you are running and insuring a car?? ) to the local market, not supermarkets???? Food banks / free shops if available - no embarrassment, just go, register & do it. Google 'local council'( or maybe county council, rather than local council).'Household Help' for supermarket vouchers. Lots of charity help with proper meals on a regular basis. Sorry you are in this position, but there really is help out there. It will pass. Are you claiming all benefits you are entitled to?
Depending on where you live, there is so much work out there. Good luck, 🌹

An iconic moment in history that lives rent-free in my mind.

Great videos from this guy on YouTube re food ideas.
https://youtube.com/@wearywolfadventures?si=2FMOpiD8NJGCcIU6