I have hardly any money this week for food shopping...Please HELP me plan some meals

[dietqueen]

I really literally have £40 to buy food this week for me, hubby and ds. Any ideas on what I can buy to tide us over till next Tuesday?

Have you bits and pieces in your cupboard and freezer even if it's odds and ends? If this was me I would be trying to make a meal out of smoked mackerel, macaroni and tinned chinese vegetables but hey, it's a challenge. Then perhaps you can just buy the bare minimum to make it up to meals, say minced beef, pork portions (dare not suggest cheap chicken on MN!). Plus your bread, milk, fruit, cereal etc.

Is this a one off crisis or every week? Poor you!

Sausage casserole
corned beef hash
jacket potato and filling
beans on toast
pasta and cheese sauce (supermarket own soft cheese)
mince can make two meals bulked up with lentils

Cereal and bread for breakfast
(check reduced for damaged boxes cereals or special offers) bread always reduced first thing in morning or before closing.

no one off - yes checking my freezer now!

Pasta
rice do a rissotto with stock cubes, cheese, and what ever veg are cheap at the end of the night.
jacket pots with tuna/ beans
Cheap bread at end of day in local waitrose can get them for 10p aloaf use for sandwiches etc for lunch.
value cereal for breakfats
cheap fruit at end of day

lentil bolognese - lentils, tin tomatoes, tomato puree & any veg you have + pasta

tuna pie - tuna, condensed mushroom soup, topped with mash

veg curry - any veg & gravy, curry powder + rice or chips

lentil chilli - lentils, baked beans, tomato puree, any veg, spices + rice

Soup - any veg (potatoes are good to thicken) + stock + lentils.

Don't know if you like it, but liver is very cheap.

Omelette + home made potato wedges

Okay how about (1)one big lovely chicken to roast and have with pots and veg or salad (2) leave some meat and put to one side for a homemade pie with either leeks or mushrooms,make own pastry (3) boil bones with celery, veg etc use stock as base for a soup with a packet of soup mix and yummy bread. Thats three evening meals covered. I cheat with the pie and use a campbells condensed soup as the base with milk. A bit pot of homemade tomato sauce for pasta. Dauphinoise potaoes with salad. Any good?

Eat lots of vege meals.

potato/spinach/chickpea curry with rice
tomato/courgette/roasted pepper pasta
jacket pots
tuna fishcakes

what do you have in your cupboards/freeer to use up?

wow some fantastic ideas here - panic over and thank you for your help. In fact I dont think you have to be hard up to enjoy some of these lovely ideas