Help please

[nicniven]

Hi on really tight budget of £20 a week to feed two adults, 1 child and two dogs anyone got any cheap recipe ideas or ideas on how I can save money on shopping as I've lost a stone so far but the bills are getting too high but I don't want to give up I've another 6 stone to go

 

[lotty28]

Maybe try some green days as i have heard they are cheaper? X

 

[lotty28]

Hopefully you will get some good advise here as i am interested too x

 

[Smurfette1984]

Hey Asda do a massive tray of 20% less fat mince for £4.00. Also for pork loins, chicken and fish Farmfoods is a good place as I get to big bags of white fish for £5 Chicken is 2 for £8 i think. Pork loins are 3 bags for £10. I only just started back on it but once my freezer is empty Im gonna stock up at farmfoods Also asda do quorn sausages at moment for £1 for 8 I got some yesterday as Im doing a full english for tommorrow hehe Stock up on chopped toms, celery carrots, things like that and make a pasta dish. I used to chuck all sorts in, season with herbs or worchestershire sauce then serve with pasta Hope some of this helps as I know how it feels keeping a rein on my purse strings lol I have four of us to feed including me Wendy xx

 

[Maddysmum]

Go asda or tesco 8.30ish to get the bargains (fruit + veg 20p meat £1.00ish)

Add lentils (which are £1 max for decent size bag) to chicken curry. Makes it go a lot further yet u can't taste em. Carrot + lentil soup is yummy. As is lentil Dahl x

 

[missemma]

Frozen veg & fruit is much cheaper & lasts longer.

Value foods like beans/tinned toms.

Green days are better as pasta/rice fairly cheap.

 

[missy1978]

If you can - market shop. The veg is cheaper and nicer and you can freeze any that you don't use.

We don't really get the opportunity now as both me and husband work but when I was unemployed and skint I used to spend ages on my shopping looking for all the bargains and the market was always the winner.

 

[nicniven]

Thanks all I'm full time too so shops at 8:30 will be a problem but I'm sure my local market is open Saturdays so will have to have a nosey I already get loads of frozen veg in so bonus there. Thanks for the tips ladies much appreciate it

 

[Browsie]

I switched to frozen veg and it's saved us a fortune.

We get 3 meals out of a chicken between 2 adults and 2 kids (4 and 1 yrs).

Roast the chicken and use the breasts for a sunday lunch / salad. I find that with a meduim / large chicken the breasts are plenty big enough for us and the kids.

Strip all the remaining meat off the chicken and put to one side to make a chicken / veg pasta bake.
Then put the remaining chicken, skin bones etc along with the roasting juices in a pan, cover with boiling water. Add a chopped onion, 2 bay leaves 1 veg and 1 chicken stock cube. Bring to the boil then simmer for a couple of hours. Transfer to container with a lid and leave to cool. Cover then pop it in the fridge all the fat will rise to the top and go white so you can just scoop it off.

When your ready for your soup take the container and scoop all the fat off the top, put in a pan with any veg you fancy, I used carrots (saver ones), potatoes (saver ones), green beans (frozen), onions and spinach (frozen) in the one I made yesterday. Cook until the veg is soft take half the veg out blend the soup then add the veg back. It's yummy and really filling and made enough for 3 large (500ml) portions. You can use frozen veg or even a stew pack which are £1.25 in morrisons at the moment.

 

[nicniven]

Awesome I always tend to throw away leftovers from chicken never really thought of turning into a soup will deffo give that a try and thanks for the tip on morrisons

 

[cat yoyo greaves]

Hi on really tight budget of £20 a week to feed two adults, 1 child and two dogs anyone got any cheap recipe ideas or ideas on how I can save money on shopping as I've lost a stone so far but the bills are getting too high but I don't want to give up I've another 6 stone to go

Wow that is a very tight budget but totally doable .... I've been there xxx

I would suggest shopping at farmfoods and asda

Farmfoods is fab for frozen veg and at only a pound a bag you can't go wrong

Asda smart price products are also fantastic beans spaghetti pasta eggs and some of the value meat is ok too

Here are a few of my budget meals and food items

4 bags of diff frozen veg ....onions peppers carrots and green beans £4
Big bag of potatoes ( get value ones) around £2
A chicken £3 max
Tin of corned beef £1.50
4 tins of tomatoes £1.50 max
A pack of spaghetti 30p
A bag of quorn mince £2 max
A tin of kidney beans40p
Baked beans 60p

With that little lot you should be able to make

Roast dinner
Corned beef hash a mahoosive pan that will last at least 2 meals each
Bolognese
Chilli ( made with bolognese leftovers)
Chicken and green bean curry
Jacket spuds and beans
All for just over 15 quid providing you have basics like herbs garlic curry powder etc add a loaf of bread and a few extra tins of beans and there's another meal

Stews and casseroles and soups with added pasta are all good for saving the pennies xxx hope that helps and your not alone I've been there with a tight budget xxx

Porridge is a good cheap breakfast and really filling too

 

[Happy Holidays]

Awwwwwww that's really helpful Catherine.

I was going to suggest looking at the recipe section & also doing a search for cheap meals, this question does come up a lot.

I'd buy lots of pasta, potatoes, veg in season, frozen veg & bogof's.

 

[weemissnaughty]

Farmfoods are doing their frozen veg 3 bags for £2 atm, and 1kg frozen chicken fillets for 3.50, im sure quorn is on special but i only had a tenner with me lol, their tins of tomatoes are 3 for £1, mayflower curry sauce is £1 and does loads of dinners, ummm (trying to think what else i got) eggs are about 80p for 6, potatoes are 80pish too for a bag, and its not food but their loo rolls are £4 for two packs of 9 and its not bad quality xxx

 

[emmag3662]

My kind of thread! Lol markets for fruit and veg always looks dusty but if you've got a tap its fine haha I get loads of bargains from places that sell a small selection of groceries like home bargains, b&m, even wilkinsons and asda always have some offers on if ya using them as a sauce base cheap chopped tomatoes are fine as above(ish) spag bol then turn left overs into chilli ya could also take a big spoon of it out and slap it on a hex pitta topped wit hex cheese Bolognese pizza yum! Plus check Iceland they're cheap sometimes if ya just stick with the freezers and ya can get a block of cheddar for £1 I tend to buy a massive bag of pasta a month £3 but asda have pasta for 50p at th min Napolem

 

[emmag3662]

Stupid phone chopped tomatoes (decent ones) are 50p too throw a few chilli flakes in and serve wit pasta so simple but really tasty xx

 

[emmag3662]

Oh also used to do a pasta bake before slimmin world wit chopped tomatoes chilli flakes sweetcorn and lean bacon only difference wit sw would be I'd measure my cheese

 

[cat yoyo greaves]

Ooo i forgot another really cheap meal i love sw chips and mushy peas(smartprice peas are 9p) i douse in vinegar and pretend im having a chippy tea ....i had that for lunch today

 

[nicniven]

Wow you are all so awesome thanks so much for all the awesome tips and ideas I really appreciate all your support

 

[Happy Holidays]

I also go to Aldi a lot & buy their baked beans & their 'noodles in minutes' they are about 2.5 syns per packet but really cheap about 15p each I think, I chuck loads of veg with them, I sometimes add quorn mince & have a nice big meal really cheap.

What kind of things do you like eating?

 

[nicniven]

I'm a fry up and roast dinner kinda girl but got an actifry we and using fry light like an idiot lol

I've not properly tried the noodles will have to give them a go I like most things just can't eat real mince or liver or nuts apart from that if it moves its dinner lol