Can I ask for your budget meal plan ideas please

[Monr0e]

My bank account is empty till next Friday when I get my bursary 😕
I need to shop on Monday for meals to last until then for me, DH and 2 DC'S. I have my visa but want to spend as little as possible.

Can anyone share their budget meals please that won't break the bank, thank you

Baked potatoes with beans or cheese or tinned Tesco value tuna
Pasta bake with cheese sauce and value pasta
Boiled eggs and soldiers - don't worry about having 'breakfast' things at lunch time etc. I often have porridge and banana for lunch.

Thank you, I have plenty of potatoes and pasta in so could definitely rustle up a few of those. I will still need to get the basics and packed lunches for the DC'S but really don't want to have to spend much more than that.

Do you have anything else in your cupboards/fridge/freezer?
Porridge for breakfast is the cheapest.
For evening meals, 7 of the cheapest
If you have pasta and potatoes
Jackets with toppings, beans, coleslaw, cheese are the cheapest.
Tuna pasta bake
Pasta with a tomato sauce or cream cheese could add frozen peas, smoked salmon trimmings or lardons if the budget stretches.
Lentil dhal with rice
Frittata with potatoes, onions, peppers
Jack Monroes carrot, kidney bean and cumin burgers with wedges and carrot sticks
Vegetable chilli with rice.
If you need a minimal effort meal a frozen pizza and garlic bread with salad is cheap.

Packed lunches, I'd buy a sliced loaf and pittas then freeze straight away to stop going off. Buy some value cheddar, cream cheese, could make egg mayo. Carrots and cucumbers are cheap.
If you have the bits in I'd bake a spong tray bake or flapjacks, maybe gets some corn to pop. A bag of apples, bananas and pears. A big tub of yoghurt. Maybe make some soup with bread at weekend.
If you feel you need to bulk out your meals rice pudding, or a crumble can be pretty cheap.

My dc favourite meal is dry pasta and grated cheese, both could be value.

Brilliant ideas, thank you so much.

Reading that list I realised I have a lot in I can use. Frozen veg, eggs, some pasta sauces in the cupboard. Topping up on a few bits and pieces should definitely get us through

If you have to buy milk or yogurt buy full fat: it's more filling.

Definitely discover tinned fish ( tuna (pasta bake or rice salad) salmon (fish cake) mackerel (on toast) Iceland is great for frozen veg. I usually reduce the meat in any recipie and add beans, chickpeas or lentils instead. Both healthy and cheap. Shepards pie (use green lentils) Chille con carne ( use chickpeas) Anything with chicken ( use butter beans)

The other week we had a pre payday week and I bought a chicken and a ham as my main meats - here's the meal plan - used very mean portions of meat though - think it could be meaner if bacon wasn't so yummy!

Sunday - roast chicken - potatoes , veg
Monday - chicken stir fry ( can use frozen veg mix here)
Tuesday - Monday night pie www.fabfood4all.co.uk/monday-pie/
Wednesday - bacon and cabbage and potatoes with a mustard sauce
Thursday - leftover casserole I used a pearl barley soup mix www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/pearl-barley-bacon-leek-casserole
Friday - Basic tomato sauce and pasta (like this only I throw in other veg www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/basictomatoandbasils_67840)
Saturday - Leftovers from Friday.

I also used the cabbage to make bubble and squeak cakes abs beans for lunch and the chicken carcass for soup. But I'm on (unpaid) maternity leave so have time for that.

Let us know what you do.

Pancakes

I make a really nice pasta just using an onion or leek and some broccoli. Cook them really slowly in a pan and then add your pasta. You can add herbs or garlic if you've got them. Chuck some frozen peas in if you have any but it's not essential.

Add drained cooked pasta to broccoli pan. Give it a good stir and leave it for 5 minutes. Then eat.

Really cheap!

Home made tomato soup. Tin of Tom's, onion, stock. Cook, blitz and enjoy. Again really cheap!

Jkts will be ok for a bit.

Cheap bread makes good toast.

Tinned mackerel in Tom sauce is really good on toast, in jkt, on pasta etc.

All these foods are really good for you as well!