Right, I need to cut food bill from £50/£60 a week to £30, can it be done ??

[nutcracker]

Needs to feed 1 adult, and 3 children, all of whom have free school meals, but also have a mother that thinks that giving them a sandwich for their tea is a bit wrong .

I shop online at Asda at the moment, very rarely pay for delivery, so bill is normally between £50 and £60 and includes all household stuff, washing powder cat food etc. Already only buy shops own brands so can't really cut back there.

As I said, the kids have free school meals, but I seem to have a mental block on what to give them for tea then as although their school meals are ok, ds in particular doesn't pick the healthy option if he can help it and so I end up cooking another big meal just to make sure they get some veg etc into them.

So realistically, can I do it ??

Wow have never seen that supermarket site before, it looks fab.

Here are my staples for cheap and healthy eating for simple dishes that dc should eat

macoroni cheese

www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/macaronicheese_83784.shtml

Spanish chicken casserole - although you need sherry you can bulk buy for this and freeze ahead. If you really don't want to buy sherry use cider - I have and it works just as well.

www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/spanishchickencasser_10863.shtml

Use more sherry in this, ditch the nuts (expensive and use any combination of veg that you like. I buy one packet of chicken thighs and use half in the casserole and half in this stir fry below

www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/healthychickenstirfr_77427.shtml

Making these two dishes each week it becomes cheaper and cheaper, as you already have the sherry and five spice.

beef casserole

www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/richbeefstewwithdump_8174.shtml

Ditch the dripping and use olive oil or just butter - it will still work. I also add sliced potato and parsnips with a few lentils and then it will last two days. Serve with crusty bread insted of dumplings - I hardly ever actually do the dumplings.

I will buy enough to make two meals of each and then freeze for the following week.

We also eat pasta and pesto, pasta with a homemade tomato sauce and add a tin of tuna, jkt potato for the days inbetween.

Nutcracker if you are back on money saving expert site go onto money saving old style you will get loads of ideas there HTH

Do you have any friends/acquaintances with a costco card ?

Someone i know goes regularly and kindly offers to get me stuff too; mostly household but there are some great offers on longlasting foodstuffs too, eg rice/tinned tuna. And if you have the space to store it, there are great bargains on loo roll etc; boring but essential kind of stuff iykwim !

Worth asking around to see if someone you know could take you, then you give them the money and it goes through on their card.