What's the cheapest breakfast and lunch options?

[Karcheer]

That really...

I've got a very large unexpected bill to pay.
I need to cut back on everything. I think food is my greatest expense. But need to look at everything...

Thank you!

Porridge! If you have porridge, with full fat milk, it will fill you up for ages. If you're at home, beans on toast is a great cheap lunch. Good luck!

Porridge is very cheap and filling. Get a cheap pot of jam to liven it up a bit.

Scrambled eggs and beans will keep you full too. Vegetable soup with lentils or chickpeas thrown in is healthy and cheap. Houmous is easy to make and cheap.

I would buy a pack of mince. Make a basic bolagnaise ( family nickname) and spilt into 4.

1. Add mash to become Shepardish pie
2. Add chilli to become chilli ?
3. Spag Bol
4. Lasagna

Approx £10 for family of 4 for 4 days dinners Breakfast -make muffins use left over fruit and frozen berries Approx £4 family of 4 for 7 days This was our staple for years along with roast chicken made into soup, roast dinner, curry and chicken sandwiches £7 again hope this helps

Porridge for brekkie. If you're really strapped you could make with water rather than milk.

Make pasta with pesto for dinner, always leftovers for lunch. sometimes a bit of grated cheese if I've got some in.

Jacket potatoes if you're at home.

Eggs are £1.50 for 20 in Iceland just now and a sliced loaf is 50p which would give you options for both breakfast and lunch. I often cook eggs when I'm economising as they are filling and there are loads of different ways to serve them.

Lentils - make dahls, ragu, stew by adding in some frozen vegetables/beans - and rice or pasta (get big value packs) or jacket potatoes for lunches and dinners.

bulk buy bread on special offer and put in freezer if space - then just take out what you need for toast or sandwiches. Same can be done for milk

Eggs or porridge are cheapest breakfast options. Can make Spanish omelettes for lunch too.

Tesco everyday value weetabix and cornflakes go down well in our house

I second jacket potatoes - I'd add garlic butter. And porridge is a good-un too.

Also, lentil soup is surprisingly delicious and cheap to make:

Fry a mix (of some or all) of: a carrot, a stick of celery, an onion
Add red lentils to mix
Add some water or chicken or vegetable stock

Cook until soup-consistency.

Sometimes to liven it up I add a tin of tomatoes and a grate of fresh ginger (and less stock/water).

If you've got some left over then adding some chorizo or bacon works well.

For me the key is making a big batch in advance and then freezing it and tweaking it over the course of a week so as it doesn't get too boring.