Anyone want to join me on a cheap food month challenge?

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We are spending about £300 a month on groceries (including cleaning/toiletries etc). Want to keep it under £200 for the next 4 weeks if possible. Only 3 of us and I’ve just done a big bulk cook for DS (4) so mainly just me and DH. To cover all meals except we are invited to 2 BBQs in May so won’t need food for those.

With rice I just cook for that meal because it doesn't take long, 10-15 minutes.

Yep I almost always cook enough dinner for lunch the next day or day after that and so that includes the rice element, for heating up at work. Never been ill from it.

However I would never eat a rice salad at, for example, a bbq or party that had been out of the fridge for more than an hour or so. But then I’m a bit fussy in general about eating things that other people have prepared in that sort of environment.

Cook the rice drain It, Sun it in cold water & drain again...store in the fridge for 1-2 days or freeze in portions.
Dried rice can have a bacteria in it that's awaken by moisture so has to be reheated till well about 70°c. That's the basics anyway x

Run it in cold water x

Bacillus cereus is the toxin name x

I think I might be able to get through on what we have in (plus milk, fruit and dishwasher tablets) to the end of the month. If so we won’t go much over £200 which I’ll be well chuffed with.

www.hotukdeals.com/deals/asdas-smart-price-spaghetti-loops-in-tomato-sauce-395g-13p-3p-after-topcashback-2964247 3p spaghetti hoops.

Have you got butter and flour in? We're moving in a few weeks and I'm clearing out the cupboards and freezer. I found a little bit of chicken in the freezer and with a grated carrot & onion I made some mini pasty type things, they would be great with anything.

Hi sorry Diggerty I haven't logged in for a while. The Caribbean Jerk Stew was from website Pinch of Nom, its a Slimmingworld recipe. I am interested in how you make the Jamaican Patties - I love them.
I've got to add up how much I have spent this month but know it is lower than average. I normally shop in Tesco/Lidl but this month did one large shop in Aldi and got some reduced bits in M&S, I already had some bits in the freezer. I was impressed with Aldi and enjoyed all the food I bought as it was a bit of a change - they did charge me for 2 steaks instead of 1 but I emailed them and they came straight back and gave me a code to go to Customer Services with to get a refund (£3.35). Some of the normal deals in M&S are quite good for a bit of a treat at the weekend, also iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber and salad onions are all 50p.

The batch cooking has been brilliant, I still have some left in the freezer - its saved me money and time not having to cook every night. I really recommend it, every time you cook a freezable meal just cook 2 or 3 times as much and freeze - I prefer to freeze most in one person portions, this works very well with teenagers who never know what they are doing.

Thanks Munchkin08 I'll look it up.
The patties were easy, you can put anything in. I'm going to work on the fillings because were going to do one chicken and one beef for the summer cook off. It's way too hot for our current dishes. I put what I did here cheaptastyandeasy.wordpress.com/patties-mini-pasty-things/
If you try them and come up with any good fillings please let me know.

Thank you Diggerty I'll have a look.

Hi, I need to join this thread. Our food bill just keeps going up and up, probably because I’ve been really lazy at meal planning recently. I just got fed up of doing it, know what I mean?

Going to do a freezer inventory later and buy some plastic takeaway boxes to batch cook. We’ve got a second freezer in the garage with barely anything in it so it makes sense to get it used properly.

Off to read the whole thread now for some ideas...

Welcome curls.

I’ve taken a slightly different approach this week (and spent £67 instead of the planned £50 but it’s an experiment and I’ve got more than a week’s worth of stuff) and not meal planned but rather bought meat, carbs, veg and salad that we can mix and match, using the most likely to expire stuff first and making it up as we go along.

I was finding it just too hot to cook and didn’t want proper hot meals last week so giving this a whirl.

Yesterday I cooked a chicken, a gammon, some rice, made a potato salad type thing, and batch cooked 10 single portions of Bolognaise for the freezer.

Last night I had some chicken, pot salad, coleslaw, asparagus and rocket for dinner.

Tonight will be similar but with gammon and different salad/veg. Lunch today was chicken, rice, rocket and veg sticks.

It’s nice that DH and I can eat together or separate depending on what’s going on for the next couple of days, I feel free!!! Plus I’ve got MIL tonight unexpectedly and there is plenty for her to eat too.

Welcome Curls :)

The next couple of months are going to be crap for me cost wise. We're moving out of our current place and for a couple of months jumping around airbnbs while our house sale goes through. All our stuff will be in storage, including our fridge freezer. It's going to be interesting trying to keep costs down.

I'm not doing so well this week but it's on cat food & eggs. Dh has had the week off and I suspect the cat has been mugging him for pouches whereas I'd give biscuits. Also I have bought 36 eggs since Wednesday and I'm pretty sure I'll need more.

I need to start this

Delurking!

Love this - I’m thinking of batch cooking this week to see us through 3.5 weeks until we move house...

Hi All :-)

Has anyone got any ideas of cheap things we could make and keep in the fridge? I doubt we'll have freezer space in Airbnb's. The only thing I can think of is patties and then get salad fresh.

Welcome newbies!

Can’t think of anything that will keep more than a few days diggerty

This week’s shop was only £37, which makes up for last week’s £67 pretty much. And that included a few bits that I can’t get in Lidl so stocked up (I was in Aldi). In fact I think I might go back to Aldi, although my local one is closing for a month long (well needed) refurb at the end of the month.

This week’s menu is:
smoked salmon and pesto pasta
Beef stir fry and noodles
Chicken burgers
Lasagne
Falafel burgers
Haven’t bought any food for the weekend as we are at 2 BBQs.

Your menu sounds seriously tasty!

I might make quiche and some soups which will last a few day, with the patties also that make 3 things.

I just made a quiche. Made it up as I went along. Oh my it's good, DH & the DC said it was the star of the show at lunch. Definitely making it again and I'm going to experiment with flavours. We just had it with some salad, it's going to be great for the summer months.
cheaptastyandeasy.wordpress.com/quiche/

OMG. I can make pastry but never tried quiche because I'm allergic to cows milk and I thought they all had cheese in them. I could do it with soya milk and cream instead.

You could totally use soy cream. When I make things I use oat milk because that's the default in this house, I don't like the taste of cow milk.
We put some cheese in, but you could easily use any type (goats/soy) or even leave it out entirely.

It's so good though, try it.

I'll chop leeks for the filling, it gives a cheesy flavour.