Surviving on tight budget

A meal for under £5 and could feed 4 at a time or (in my case) it will help me to feel full for at least 2 days!

Spaghetti Bolognese (with a twist for right vitamins and better taste in my view)

Ingredients:

• pork mince (£2)

• x3 carrots, 1/2 onion (£0.60)

• Spaghetti (£1)

• single cream (£0.70)

• ketchup (£0.70)

• seasoning (pepper, salt or any other)

• a teaspoon of oil or butter

Instructions:

Cook Spaghettti (add a sprinkle of salt in water)

Dice 1/2 onion in small pieces, grate the carrots.

Put in frying pan with teaspoon of oil or butter and heat on low heat until they soften (don't burn!)

Add mince in while breaking it down in small pieces (remember mince will will let the juice out and it will already start looking like a sauce)

Add seasoning

Keep mixing it all until mince changes colour (I wouldn't leave frying pan for this time as it needs continued mixing)

Add ketchup to the mix...and after half minute add single cream (not too much, so it all soaks in sauce)

Heat for further 3-4 mins on light heat while mixing!

Dish out on cooked spaghetti!

I found this really filling dish and with few my own creative bits added on, it is extremely tasteful and brings lovely flavour out of vegetables ☺

Enjoy.. simple, cheap & easy. Can feed the whole family!

S&B xx

Nice one Sandra, an excellent idea.

I am Stephen the Strong, a vegetarian who has a bowl of porridge for breakfast, fruit and nuts during the day and some vegetables, quorn mince/burgers or rice in the evening. I figure my food/drink bill is about £25 a week max unless I throw a few dinner parties. However there is only me who turns up to my dinner parties so it's still £25 a week.

A few times in the past I have left myself with no money for food and lived on porridge for several days. No great hardship but I didn't particularly like it. Nowadays I always put money on my Asda Gift Card which means I can always get my groceries.

All the supermarkets have gift cards so easy to put money on it when pay day comes around.

Hi Sandra

Having had to take over the finances and budget v. stringently my top tip is probably to blitz the reduced shelf at the supermarket. I usually also had just enough wiggle room to stock up on special offers on washing powder and the like. Get best sellers from the library (be prepared for a wait list). Get to the local jumble or car boot sale for cut price DVD's, books and clothes (Mr L's work suits came from these sources for a good two or three years). Take up offers of extra home grown fruit and veg and turn it into chutney or jam. Supermarket gift cards and petrol vouchers mean you can always eat and travel.

Excellent feedback and thank you both for sharing these tips!

Few more I could add..if you live close to work - walk or cycle. If you work further out (it takes approx 25mins to drive to my work), share a car if possible. Ask around who lives near by and works with you to take in turns on journeys to work. Saves massively on petrol!

My electricity is on prepaid meter - switching the sockets off when youre not useing apliances does help & not only for safety! I don't think I top up a £10 for every 2 weeks.

Shopping supermarket vouchers are spot on! Every little helps! Get the Clubcard (I have for Tesco), even little extra saved up pays back in different ways.

Might sound silly but experience also proved that putting bread in the freezer not only keeps it fresh when you take it out but also extends it's shelf life. Try it, esp if family is big and you may have two loafs on a go.

Birthdays...make something creative by yourself. Not will it save a lot of money but also will be a lot more appreciated by loved ones!

Gym...now I know many who cannot live without one.

In my own experience - outdoors are not just doing the same good for you but is also a lot healthier..however not discounting the offers (for the family or friends) many gyms offers now.

I think it's been said before but try and do shopping later on evening. Many of the products are being reduced then. Plenty of bargains might be purchased.

Thank you again for the input ☺

God bless xx

Meal plan (if you can), for a cheap tea i will often make a large pot of soul that feed the family and then sponge and custard for pudding. There is always plenty soup left over to take to work for lunch.

If you have kids, depending on their ages, getting old clothes on. And going on an ‘adventure’ in a wooded area, nature trail always goes down well. It also allows you to spend precious time with the family and realise that gambling just isnt worth it. Many museums are also free, if you go for a day out, take a packed lunch

Brilliant Emel! Thanks for the tips. Days out in wooded areas or beach is amazing tonic for body & soul. It brings family together and opens up creativity with the sources provided by mother Nature!

Few more suggestions 're shopping from me. Make a shopping list and follow it, this way you will not spend extra than you intend to. Never go shopping hungry (dear oh dear how many times my hungry eyes seen more than I could chew & my tummy could take!)

Dig deeper on the shelves. Part of the businesses strategy is to display product "in front" to sell it off. This obviously usually has shorter shelf life. More fresher products are always stacked behind the displayed ones and has at least two days of extended shelf life!

(I may get the sack lol, but food industry is my expertise and so I shall keep sharing the secrets). Don't be afraid of frozen food, even the most "fresh" stuff comes up from frozen ingredients! In this day and age, everyone is concentrating on saving going into some measures not known to the customers.

If you have garden, plant your own fresh veg! I didn't realise how easy it is until randomly planted baby tomatoes and peas few years ago! It was amazing to "reap the fruits" of my own creation and obviously they were very fresh!

Keep suggestions coming! ☺

Should have added charity shops to my list as that's where the work suits came from. They sometimes have branded goods at a snip - I have found several pairs of branded trainers at an average of £5 a pair but you will need to visit regularly.

Look for value versions of cereal and tinned goods - usually on the bottom shelf and just as tasty. We still prefer the value pasta to the more expensive brands.

Porridge for breakfast is not only a nutritional wonder but it is also much more economical than boxed cereals. Add any fruits, nuts/seeds or whatever takes your fancy to create your own culinary masterpiece.

I only use water in the mix and add a few nuts and some diced apple. After cooking I add a banana and a dash of extra virgin olive oil. I sprinkle on top equal amounts of compassion, love and hope. A delightful and magical way to start my day.

This is not to be confused with the porridge served by some compulsive gamblers. Poor souls who have stolen money to fund their gambling habit and ended up in the nick.

Another good thing about the diaries. Wherever we have come from we go forward arm in arm neither judging or condemning. We are united against a common enemy and show compassion and understanding for each other.

This is helpful. I'm having a super strict 6 months and want to half my monthly food spend. Hopefully not too difficult as I usually go for more expensive and organic food but just for 6 months I'm focusing on budget and sacrificing my other beliefs.

But one way I'm doing it is cutting down my meat intake. Only going to eat meat and fish one night each per week and also one large roast chicken which I will shred for salads etc. I've stocked up on grains, beans, pulses etc which are super cheap and can easily make chilli, curry, salads, fajitas etc with those. Luckily my work lunch is only £1 per day if i eat soup at work which is great.

I really love food, cooking and eating out. So I've decided if I stick to my plan and pay off what I intend to if debt then I'm going to book a lovely restaurant as a reward to myself. If I don't have things like that to look forward to I'll be less likely to stick to it

Thank you Lethe, Stephen & Lizzy for the input.

Packed lunches are definitely very helpful. I hardly eat at work and home made sandwich does me but now thinking I should prep more healthier stuff & use microwaves provided.

Charity shops is spot on also Lethe. I haven't bought a thing to myself in over a year and I think the first shop I will go to, Will be a charity shop.

Stephen your suggestions sounds delicious! I have a pack of porridge sat in my cupboard for probably over 6 months, I may make something with it ☺..thanks for the share!

For some reason with this sunny weekend I started to dream about summer! I just remembered an awesome, simple and cheap dish, esp when that sun is heating too much, so refreshments are needed!

• baby potatoes

• rashes of bacon (smoked value ones are for like £0.65 in my local tesco!..)

• Salad leaves (I'm not expert here but I guess iceberg one we are talking about)

• Single or double cream & (maybe sprinkle of flour )

• fresh dill

Simply prepared & definitely delicious recipe! (I eat meat so apologies for vegetarians but I am also nearly sure this would go down lovely without bacon ☺)

Boil potatoes (with skin), cool them down, wrap bacon round and support with a stick (or even im positive we won't need those)

Heat up frying pan with a lil oil or butter, put potatoes in, sizzle well on both sides.

Prepare salad by slicing iceberg to your liking pieces

For the sauce: after sizzling potatoes wrapped in bacon transfer them to the pot, keep low heat, chop fresh dill, add single/ double cream, put seasoning in. Let it simmer for a while.

Dish out with salad - enjoy!

I say it's more summer food but because the salad is key ingredient here and it goes perfectly with warm potatoes wrapped in bacon!

I'm almost on a roll here lol...

On a serious note, I like this thread...mainly because this is the reality and no day dreaming. ..and to be fair, not only for us CG's & loved ones we put in such position, it's also every day life for the society now. ..its not cheap to live in this day and age, so simpler and cheaper ways to enjoy the creations or outings while saving those pennies, is my main goal here.

Keep the suggestions coming!

All the best

Xx

Yea i think this is a great topic Sandra. I love my food but i just don't know many good recipes! I'll take any advice on that front. Im trying to eat more veg now, i really am not a great fan of it even though i would like to be! Any ideas for hiding it but still having a nice meal?

sjwsjw wrote:

Yea i think this is a great topic Sandra. I love my food but i just don't know many good recipes! I'll take any advice on that front. Im trying to eat more veg now, i really am not a great fan of it even though i would like to be! Any ideas for hiding it but still having a nice meal?

Hi. I eat a huge amount of veg and you can make it really tasty! It depends what you like? I like to make veg curries and chilli, pies etc. I also use a lot of chic peas and beans (cheap!). Also good for making burritos/fajitas etc with the beans. By buying some basic spices and ingredients is an outlay initially but saves money overall from buying preprepped things and sauces.

I think as CGs we all obviously have some 'compulsive' trait, which I believe can also have benefits. What a good idea to put that trait to better use in money saving and cooking. I can become quite obsessed when cooking!

I don't like that much thats my problem. In fairness its been a long time since i tried a lot of it. I just never know what to do with it other than bowl it to death. Im trying to just keep eating it to make me like it but im thinking maybe i just need to try make it tastier? My problem is that a lot of it is very strong tasting and if i don't like it its hard to hide it, but like i say im not good at trying to cook it within other foods/dishes.

I have done the chilli thing and in fairness i did get a reasonable amount in but it was all "safe" stuff i liked on its own anyway.

Hi sjw. I read you want to eat more veg but also want to hide it...lol..dont we all! ☺. Am not sure about this but looked up one quite simple fish recipe with veg. Try it out (I know I will on a weekend!)

Stewed fish with carrots!

Ingredients:

• Fish 0.5 kilograms

•Onions , 2 units

•Carrots , 3 units

•Mayonnaise 4 tablespoons,

• Salt

• Oil , 2 tablespoons

Instruction:

Fish fillets (any kind you like) cut into pieces. Rub each piece of fish with salt. Heat the oil in the pan and fry each part of the fish for 1-2 minutes. Add cut onion (to your prefered size, i would do smaller pieces) and grated carrots onto the fish. Finally, add the mayonnaise and simmer on a little heat for about 20 minutes. instead of mayonnaise you can pour milk or water / fish bouillon and add 1-2 tablespoons of sour cream.

You can also look for recipes online. I did few times and if it's not always going by the book (I tend to add/ Take off some ingredients), in the end it works out quite tasteful and creative! ..rememeber practice makes it more eatable with each go!

I also think that soup should be on every day's menu. It's healthy and also filling...& easy and cheap to make. Biggest ingredient is water & then just adding veg, seasoning for the taste...it all comes together if keep creativity going!