budgeting for food

[mumtoblaire]

just wondered how you learn to meal plan and how you stay within budget. I just spent £16 in asda on not a lot if i am honest.

£1 for two corn on the cob
£1 for milk
£1 marshmallows
£1 hasselback potatoes - throw in the oven
half cucumber, some beetroot, rice, jar sweet and sour sauce, pizza for DD1,sausages for DD2 - and she never ate them.

Would love to meal plan and stick to it. I generally think about dinner 30mins before everyone needs to eat. I work full time, DH works full time, DD1 is 9yrs and DD2 is 2yrs.

Advice greatly received.

The whole when it's gone, it's gone thing can be quite hard to carry through, but eventually you (and the kids) get used to it. Or perhaps, I am just really harsh

I do one big online shop a month that gets delivered, to get the brands, wider choice etc.

The rest of the time I go to aldi twice a week. I was terrible for ending up in a supermarket every day.

I also take my 2 yr old DD with me, with her little shopping trolley, so that when I need to pop in to just buy milk and a pack of bacon, that is all I fit in the trolley .

I budget my money at the beginning of the week. I put the cash I want to spend in my purse. I put the weeks petrol in the car and go shopping early in the week and spend what I want (within reason - it's aldi after all). Then spend more money over the next couple of days, trips out with DD, a bit of lunch, etc

At the back end of the week I see what I have left, I go shopping again because I always need milk and a few bits, but this time I have to be careful as to what I'm buying to keep to budget.

It works for me, I haven't conquered properly meal planning, I'm too disorganised, but I have found that by sitting with my cash and watching it get lesser through the week I keep more control.

If I pay on my card I have no idea what I'm doing, not because I'm careless with money, but just as a busy mum I forget and lose track.

I don't do online shopping as I use the supermarkets which do not offer that service as they are cheaper. I make a list and stick to it. I also have an inventory on the inside of my pantry cupboards and also for my freezers.
Here is a link for a good one organizedhome.com/printable/household-notebook/freezer-inventory
organizedhome.com/printable/household-notebook/pantry-inventory
organizedhome.com/kitchen-tips/menu-planning-save-time-kitchen

I find this saves an enormous amount of time once you have done the first listing

www.goodtoknow.co.uk/recipes/cheap-quick-&-easy this is also a good site for new recipes, cheap recipes, time saving recipes.
HTH
My basic store cupboard ingredients consist of :
Tinned goods
Baked Beans
Soup
Tinned pulsed - chickpeas, kidney beans, lentils
Tinned sweetcorn
Tinned chopped and plum tomatoes
Tinned Tuna, salmon and mackeral
Tinned Corned Beef
Rice pudding
Evaporated Milk
Tinned Fruit

Bottles, Jars and Cartons
Mayonnaise
Vinegar
Olive/Vegetable oil
Tomato Ketchup
Tomato Puree
Garlic Puree
Passata
Long-life milk
Long-life fruit juice
Jam
Honey
Wholegrain mustard
Chutney

Dried goods and packets
Dried Pasta
Dried pulses
Vacuum packed/part baked bread or wraps
Rice - long grain, pilaf, basmati
Flour - Plain, Self Raising
Pizza base mix
Pastry mix
Porridge Oats
Dried Fruit
Sugar - Brown, white and icing
Jelly
Cocoa Powder
Baking Powder
Bicaronate of Soda
Stock cubes

Flavourings and Gourmet extras
Herbs and spices dried or grow your own - Basil, Chives, Coriander, Mint, Oregano, Parsley, Rosemary, Black pepper, Chilli, Paprika, Ginger, Coriander seeds, Fennel, Cumin
Coconut Milk
Curry paste - or I do have recipes to make your own
Worcestershire sauce
Soy sauce/Fish sauce
Balsamic vinegar
Pesto
Couscous
Noodles

Fresh
I always keep in the fridge :
Creme Fraiche
Eggs
Parmesan cheese
Milk

Obviously everyone has their own ideas about what they need or their own preferences so the items would be interchangeable.
If anyone wants any help I would be pleased to assist

I would love to know what meals you all cook. I meal plan bit its the same things everyweek and gets so dull:

Sunday - roast chicken
Monday - Curry made from left over chicken
Tuesday - Jacket potato with beans or tuna + sweetcorn
Wednesdy - Mince (spag bol or chilli)
Thursday - Turn Wednesdays leftovers into either lasagne or enchilidas (depending on what we had)
Froday - Frozen salmon fillet with veg and potatoes
Sat - Homemade veg pizza (I make the dough so cost of whole pizza is pennies)

I really do need more ideas.

I have to confess I make very little meals from scratch - very unsure of cooking.

I am 38years old and have never cooked a chicken.

Cooking from scratch is the cheapest way to make meals. Making a spag bol or chilli from scratch doesn't take much more time than using a jar once you've done it a few times but it does make twice as much meaning you can either freeze the excess or use it to make dinner the next day (saving on the cooking). It also means you use a lot less meat. One pack of mince goes a lot further if your cooking from scratch.

I would really recomend buying Jamie Olivers ministry of food cookbook. It has very basic recipes (including how to roast a chicken) and its how I learned to cook.

If you want to start, the easiest thing to do would start making things in the slow cooker. No cooking involves, just measure out the ingredients (roughly, its not baking so no exact science involved), and bung it all in the pot in the morning and eat it at tea time.

I suppose it's easy to say once you are used to cooking, but things that you think are hard usually aren't.

I make a roast chicken by chopping and onion and a lemon into large chunks and stuffing them inside with a couple of cloves of garlic. I rub butter on the skin and sprinkle pepper on. I stand the chicken on a rack in the roasing tin and put some water and a stock cube under it. I roast on a high heat 200 - 220 c for an hour with the lid on, and then take the lid off and put it back in for another 10 -20 mins, basically untill the skin has crisped.

It is always moist beacuse it has steamed, the juces make the gravy, while the chicken rests I add more water, another stock cube and some cornflour to the pan and thats the grave made.

The lemon and garlic add a depth of flavour rather than a lemon and garlic flavour. Its fool proof, and quick - well it takes time to cook, but I would make this on a week night, I just put it in when I get home, the prep only takes a couple of mins, and then get myself sorted in the time it is in the oven.

You don't have to do all of the trimmings with it either, I often do a mini roast, in that I don't do yorkshire pudding, or roast veg, just the chicken, gravy and 'regular' veg like boiled pots, carrots and broccoli, the type I would serve with any other week day tea.

They you have the rest of the meat left to do as you want with.

I never waste a carcus though, I strip the meat off and any skin that is left and the bones I boil in a pan of water for a few hours and I have stock to use as a base for soup or stews.

They in turn become easy because it it just a case of chopping up a pile of veg and meat and whacking it in a pan or a slow cooker.

Right, I'll post my last few weeks meal lists- i cook 99% of things from scratch (and am quite lazy so they are generally easy dishes!) so if you want recipes for any of these then list what you want and i'll post it.

Ok- so this weeks recipes

Cherry tomato chicken with broccoli and mash
Spaghetti bolognese (made double sauce so we can have over baked potatoes or with pasta again)
Oven baked risotto (no stirring!)
Sirloin steak with salad and baked spaghetti squash/veg/feta thing (not a great success this- was to use up the spaghetti squash we got in the veg box and i just googled for a recipe.
Mediterranean baked fish stew (this is a good standby one as i have the fish fillets in the freezer and use them from frozen in it- fairly cheap in Aldi)
Prawn risotto
Veg curry and rice (ends of veg box mop up!)
Baking- beetroot and chocolate cake

Last weeks-
Homemade pizzas with merguez chips and beans (merguez chips are spicy home made oven chips- really easy and yum)
Macaroni cheese with pancetta and roasted veg
Mexican Sausage Pie (only used four sausages for whole thing so fairly easy on the pocket)
Corned beef Hash (blame it on the thread on here)
Shepherds pie (this incorporated the veg leftovers from the roast chicken dinner the day before, and i made two, big enough for three of us, from one 500g pack of lamb mince. one is in the freezer ready to bake from frozen)
Mincemeat pie/green beans/carrots/potatoes
Baking- lemon and poppyseed muffins
Banana bread (because i had a load of reduced ripe bananas)
Jam tarts (because i made too much pastry for the mincemeat pie)

Week before-
Roast chicken dinner
Lentil and tomato soup with swiss chard
Lamb biryani
pasta with chicken/courgettes/peas in a lemon and basil cream sauce
Fishfingers, beans and waffles (so shoot me )
Chilli con carne, rice and empanadas (we ate the empanadas cold for lunch for two days too)
Baking: chocolate brownies

Shopping wise i always have in as well as the ingredients for these things:
A full store cupboard including spices, lentils, rice, etc stock cubes, baking stuff and things like worcestershire sauce, tomato puree, olives, etc etc. We have gluten free prescriptions so get pasta and things monthly also. This may take a while to build up if you don't already have it but it can be done gradually and then you only have to buy the odd thing when you run out and it makes it more likely that you will be able to knock up an impromptu meal without having to resort to the shops when you've forgotten to do your meal plans/ can't be arsed/dont fancy anything on your list that night.
Eggs
Milk (we have delivered by milkman)
Cereal
Juice
Cheese/ham etc for sandwiches
Crisps
Bread
Large tub of natural yoghurt- can always add honey, fruit or jam if you want flavour and makes a quick pudding or breakfast. I also often use in cooking.
Baked beans
Tinned chickpeas
Kidney beans
Tinned sweetcorn
Fizzy water
Blackcurrant squash
In the freezer i try and keep fish fingers and waffles etc so i can have a night off occasionally.
We also have a veg box delivery on a Monday and i also add celery and butter to our basic box.

There are loads of other things i have in most of the time but i CBA going to look in the cupboard (sorry!)
If i use the last of any of the above ingredients i write it on the shopping list which is kept on the fridge and i tend to shop on a Monday as thats when the veg box arrives, so i look at what's in there, and what i have left over from the week before, and plan the weeks meals before i go to the shops.
I use Aldi a lot for food but also go to Tesco and Sainsburys, mainly because DP and I are both coeliac so things like gluten free worcestershire sauce etc cant always be got from Aldi. So really depends what I've run out of generally. I like Aldi most though.

I'm also fairly anal in that I have a big project book (the sort with dividers, like Pukka Pads type thing) and I have this sectioned off into: starters/side dishes, pizza/pasta/vegetarian, meat, fish, baking/desserts.
If i get a recipe off the internet, or make something up, or get the recipe from someone else, i give it a go and if we like it, it goes in the book. It only makes it in after we have tried it though
I find this very useful especially as i often have to adapt recipes to make them gluten free, so i can note down what works and what doesn't.

Ooh that's a great list. Could you give me the recipe for the mediterranian baked fish stew please?

Of course- here you go

Mediterranean baked fish stew. Serves 3 of us- v hungry DP, me and DD (9)

1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 red pepper, chopped
1 yellow pepper, chopped
1 tin chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp capers
Handful of pitted olives if you've got them
Juice 1/2 lemon (or use Jif as i do on occasion!)
Cod fillet pieces/other white fish
Olive oil
Salt & pepper

1. Preheat oven to gas 6 (200 celsius)

1. Saute onions, add garlic and peppers. Add tomatoes, capers, olives and lemon juice.
2. Season and place in ovenproof dish unless you used an ovenproof casserole in step 2.
3. Place fish on top of stew, drizzle with olive oil.
4. Bake in oven for 15-20 minutes if fish was chilled, 30 mins if frozen.

Serve with crusty bread or new potatoes.

I add basil to this if i have some leaves on the plant too

I love the book Economy Gastronomy, you may still be able to get the episodes up online.

I batch cook once a month,
shepherds pie,
fish pie,
chicken curry,
spag bol,
chilli
vegetable chilli
Grandmas hotpot

Other meals we have are
sausages and mash with veg
chips, fried egg and baked beans,
turkey burgers, cheesy mash and baked beans
sweet and sour pork/chicken with noodles and veg
Soy, ginger and honey pork/chicken with noodles and veg
baked potatoes with cheese and baked beans
" tuna
" chilli or spag bol

" chilli or whatever other fillings you like
chicken with cream cheese/blue cheese in wrapped in bacon
Pork in a wholegrain mustard sauce with potatoes and veg
Any meat that I can get reduced in the supermarket roasted with veg and potatoes.

Homemade soups - my local veg shop sells off the veg towards the end of the day for £1 just add herbs, veg stock cube and any veg, simmer til tender and puree, freeze.

Homemade smoothies - again local shop sells off the fruit and I puree it and put into icecube trays, just use to add to anything really, yoghurt, juices, milk etc

I have also started chopping up garlic and onions, adding to an ice cube tray, adding water and freezing. You can just take out and add to dishes, so many start with a base of onions and garlic. Or do the same with garlic and peppers and garlic and chilli. Or just do the same with fresh herbs if you feel that you won't use them before they go off. Aldi and Lidl sell pots of herbs for about 50-60p each i think.

Freeze your meat with the fresh herb of your choice or traditionally - Chicken/Thyme, Lamb/Mint, Pork/Sage, Salmon/Lemon or lime and chilli etc

Once you get into a routine it takes hardly any time at all, I spend one day once a month and it saves sooooo much time on deciding what to cook etc.

oops don't forget to add water to your soup

Thank you TWT, that sounds lovely, will give that a go next week when I've been shopping!

terry could I have your mexican sausage pie recipe please? Always on the lookout for new cheap recipes :)

Mexican sausage Pie:
Sausages- left over or fresh, 4-8 depending on what you have.
1 onion, sliced
1 clove garlic
1 tbsp plain flour
1 red chilli, minced ( I have a little plant on my windowsill)
1 can tinned toms
1 tin kidney beans
1sliced pepper, red or green (or half and half)
Grated cheese
Tortilla chips (Sainsburys value or Aldi basic ones are great)
Mushrooms, any other veg etc. Whatever is at the bottom of the fridge!

1. Grill sausages, cut into chunks.
2. Fry onions, garlic peppers etc. add flour to pan to coat all.

1. Add tomatoes, kidney beans and chillies. Simmer for a few mins.
2. When thickened, turn into an ovenproof dish (or i use a casserole to begin with)
3. Sprinkle a layer of crushed tortilla chips and grated cheese on top, Oven or grill until browned.

Oreo- its an ever popular one and most of the ingredients are things I have in anyway so it's a good one! Very healthy too. I sometimes buy fresh fish from the fishmonger for it but Aldi do some
very reasonable frozen cod fillets. Any white fish will do though.

This is great, so many dinner ideas. I am also coeliac and find it a big struggle. The bread/pasta is so expensive.

Having spaghetti with chicken (bought 3 thigh & 3 drumsticks for £1.50)have cooked the drumsticks and will pick off bone and put through pasta for DD1 and myself with some garlic and soy sauce.

Thanks, sounds great! Will add it to next months planner :)

Does anyone make their own Sweet and Sour sauce? I buys loads of it but would love to be able to whip up a fresh one.

oreocrumbs - thanks. Had a look at whole chickens today and could not believe they were only £4.00, no wonder so many people buy them instead of just a couple of breasts.

Must go a buy a roasting tin with rack

Mumtoblaire- any of my recipes which state 'flour' work fine with gluten free. If you want any of the other recipes let me know, I've tinkered with them enough! X

mumtoblaire - you can cook a chicken in anything oven proof that is deep enough to catch the juices. You really don't need to spend any money on something new! Even a lasagne dish. Or a pyrex type glass dish.

I made the hairy bikers diet version on saturday night and although it isn't the vibrant red of the jar version, it was absolutely delicious and I have been asked when we are having it again.

The sauce was 150ml of pineapple juice from the large can of pineapple, mix a small amount with 2 tbspn of cornflour and then mix in the rest of the juice along with 150ml of cold water.
Then it was 2 tblspn of white wine vinegar, 2 tblspn of dark soy sauce, 2 tblspn of tomato ketchup and 2 tbspn of light brown soft sugar. mix it all together and set aside whilst you cook the veg/meat etc and then add to the pan and cook until glossy and as thick as you like it.