Really cheap really filling snacks

[Waoop]

If you had to provide snacks in a rented home for 4 days for 30 people and wanted them to be really inexpensive what would you choose?

Context: family rental for 4 days in October the cost covered by the invitees.

We have been allocated snacks for 4 days as our contribution and we are trying to disguise that we have a very very small budget. Financially we are really struggling. The exact brief was a 'snack basket for each room'

There are three main meals a day, but from seeing what people are planning for these some are really light. Yogurt and fruits for breakfast and sandwiches for lunch. We are in charge of the snacks so expect people maybe hungry.

Looking for really cheap and filling snacks. We have more time than money so we can shop from multiple stores.

What sort of budget should we set aside and what would you recommend?

Bananas and apples, family packs of biscuits and long life cake bars. Check for allergies as you can get gluten free versions etc

Mini cheddars. Big bags of them

@ArtShow I would love that but unfortunately most people eat quite unhealthy

Traybakes, like flapjack made with golden syrup? Bananas, mini apples (the kids one are cheap). Bread sticks or basic crackers with soft cheese spread kept in the fridge (you could whip this with dried herbs at home, and put in nicer pots to hide the Savers soft cheese 😉)

I’d make a load of flapjacks, banana bread, cheese scones.
Buy offer fruit, hummus and veg sticks, crisps and dips.

You can make hummus yourself quite cheaply and serve breadaticks and carrot sticks with it. Carrots are dirt cheap and reasonably filling. You can even make your own crackers if one of you is up for it.

Buy popcorn kernels and make whilst you're there.

Little currant cakes or rock cakes?

Shortbread is cheap and easy to make

If they are unhealthy snackers, you can get 3kg of jelly sweets online and divide them maybe. And agree with PP, popcorn made at home is cheap as hell, add powdered sugar and a little butter or mild olive oil.

This isn’t the 3 day wedding again is it …….

crisps
Pringles
popcorn
bananas
apples
biscuits
chocolate bars
brioche /crossiant
cereal bars
yogurt bars

I really like popcorn idea.

I also probably won't have the opportunity for a fridge as this will be full to the brim with lunch and dinner so need things that I can put into a snack basket

@Waoop it's a memorial trip to celebrate the life of a loved one who has passed. They left some money for their kids to spend on this to bring everyone together.

I would shop in Lidl, aldi or Iceland. You can make it all look more expensive through presentation if you have the time for it, transferring popcorn/crisps/dried fruit/nuts into clear bags with twisty ties for resealability and ribbon for prettiness. You could even add silly labels to make it look more deliberate and themed to extra disguise that it’s actually a cost saving thing if you want. Also if you do this then you can buy the bigger bags which work out cheaper and then split it down.

Cheap fruit - Apples, bananas, whatever is in season and on offer
Popcorn sharing bag
Cake bars
cereal bars
Fruit & Nut mix
Tortilla chips

If you can bake and have time then flapjacks are cheap, easy to make in bulk and filling, apple sponge traybake is the same and should last a few days.

I think making your own flapjacks and popcorn would be economical. Honestly, I would just then raid home bargains, farmfoods or B&M to get some other cheap bits. There are some online sites where you can get boxes of biscuits etc in bulk. If you have any factory shops near you they are also worth a look nearer the time. I bake and actually cost of butter, etc, adds up vs buying cheap factory made snacks.

You’re asking in the wrong place. Straight away the houmous and carrot stick brigade are out.

She can’t but a basket of carrot sticks and whipped up cheese in each bedroom for 4 days ffs 🙄😂

OP - get to home bargains and see what is on offer, also check points apps like nectar and the new Lidl app.

If the breakfast folk are just bringing fruit and yoghurt then don’t worry too much.

Cellophane to wrap package and make it look like a hamper £1
30 fun size fruits (2 apples, 2 satsumas in each) £4
Big pack of “posh” sharing crisps each £8
Get whatever chocolate bags are on offer and put 1 in each £8
A popcorn pouch each £3
Couple of lollipops each £1

£25 👍

Any allergies to think about?

Popcorn
Pretzels
Crisps
Nuts and raisins
Flapjack bars
Brownie bars
Cereal bars
Cake bars
Funsize chocolate bars
Individual biscuit packs (like in hotels)

Maybe think about dried apple slices or dried apricots - just to give a bit of healthy variety?

If there is money being left to spend on this why are you paying for the snacks? If you have a local market I’d try there first for cheap end of line stuff and if you don’t I’d go to home bargains and do the same. I would pop in regularly and look for what’s cheap and fits the bill and then nearer the time look for some more specific or expensive stuff to be the cherry on top.

Malt loaf, cereal bars, Jamaica ginger cake, popcorn, biscuits, bags of cheese bites, get on Amazon you can buy branded in bulk quite cheaply

I bought a few of those chocolate covered flapjacks in B&M food shop the other day. They are 120g and 49p. So for £20 you could get 40.

Also B&M those little "fish and chips" salt snd vinegar biscuits 5 packs for £1. Open the large bags to put a couple of small ones in each room.

20 bags of Walkers crisps assorted flavours is £4 with a Tesco club card. So 80 bags for £16

Bags of squashes sweets are 89p at Tesco (or Aldi who they are pricematching). Perhaps just 1 or 2 bags each room.

Marland cookies 2 x 200g £1.95 with a club card. So less than £1 each pack. Pack in each room.

The people providing breakfast should be providing cereal and toast at least!

Keep an eye on Lidl and the different county weeks. They often have different kind of snacks. Like in Portugal week they do nice individually wrapped muffins. They also do things like cheese twists etc.

You could put in some satches of cup of soup. Some cheap cup noodles are also an option. There will be a kettle in the kitchen.

Larger catering packs, divided into smaller bags. Lidl biscuit aisle.
Malt bread buttered.
Costco:
Walkers Assorted Biscuits Mini Packs, 100 x 25g |Costco UK
Nestle Big Biscuit Box Kitkat & Friends, 69 Bars |Costco UK
Proper Chips BBQ and Salt & Vinegar Mixed Case, 32 x 14g ...

If you could do a tray bake as well.
It is not your job to feed everyone, I am assuming a basket per stay, so once its gone it is gone.

Flapjacks definitely! Cheap to make and homemade will look like you put lots of effort in.

Aldi do multipacks of mini biscuits for about £1 - you get 5 or 6 in each pack. Also their crisps/cheddars/hula hoop multipacks are good value for money. Mini raisin boxes. Kids' bananas and apples.

EDIT - Didn't mean to quote but can't delete it.

You can buy a box of 100 minipacks of borders biscuits for £25. That would be 3 per person.

Roughly how much do you think you have spend? Are we talking £20 all in or £100.

Iceland/ food warehouse etc are good for cheap snacks.

I would go for a fruit basket and a sweet basket for each room.

I also wouldn't worry to much about the filling bit. If people are left hungry by the other meals they can buy things to top up it. A snack basket for a room is treats.