Doing a food shop on Friday, have only £15/$24.14 HELP?!

SaucyPea

Doing a food shop on Friday, have only £15/$24.14 to spend on food for two weeks. HELP?!

^ Subject I wanted was too long :ohwell:

Sorry if its in the wrong section. Completely new to MFP.

I live alone and I'm only eighteen, currently trying to get myself a business admin apprenticeship. At the moment, I'm living of JSA (Job seekers allowance) but don't want to be stuck on it any more! Just having trouble finding somebody who'd take me on as a apprentice in the City of London. I want to get a NVQ Level 2 In Business Admin.

I'm clueless on what I should buy, this will be my first serious shop to link with my weight lost. Dragging the boyfriend along so I don't buy crap. Any suggestions on what to get and where from. This needs to last me two weeks!

Local shops:

Tesco, Iceland's, Asda and waitrose.

-

I'm asking for advise as I'm serious about loosing weight. I don't know what to eat for breakfast, dinner and lunch as it is! Now food shop on top of it is semi-stressing me out as I don't know what I'm doing on such a low budget.

Thanks for reading and I'll reply to the people who comment!

Much love, from Samantha ♥

shellbatronic

Some dried beans, like lentils maybe? If you can get a couple of big bags of frozen veg and some tinned tomatoes you can at least have some "emergency soups" with protein.

dnhardy

That'll be tough bud. Get as many in-season fruits and veggies as possible would be my best suggestion.

SaucyPea

Some dried beans, like lentils maybe? If you can get a couple of big bags of frozen veg and some tinned tomatoes you can at least have some "emergency soups" with protein.

Hmm, I'm going to try that and I'm hooked on soup at the moment due to the weather lol! Is frozen veg healthy? ♥

SaucyPea

That'll be tough bud. Get as many in-season fruits and veggies as possible would be my best suggestion.

Your telling me, lol! I sometimes go days without eating as it is. So this is going to be a mission until I'm sorted with this apprenticeship. But I'm going to do it! ♥

caterpillardreams

Ok here are some things you can get for a week.
Container of Oatmeal ( will last you a week or two)
Dozen eggs, 2 eggs a day, you can have for bkfst, lunch or dinner.
Get some vegetables, and if you eat meat and chicken buy one whole chicken, usually the cheapest by pound or chicken leg quarters. And Maybe a lb of beef and separate all that into a weeks worth of meals,
If you eat rice, buy a small bag and you can add veggies to it, have an egg over it.

good luck

Also, do they have food pantries where you live? Catholic charities? Do they have a Government equivalent to food stamps?. Maybe there is some help you can get till you get some more money.

SaucyPea

Ok here are some things you can get for a week.
Container of Oatmeal ( will last you a week or two)
Dozen eggs, 2 eggs a day, you can have for bkfst, lunch or dinner.
Get some vegetables, and if you eat meat and chicken buy one whole chicken, usually the cheapest by pound or chicken leg quarters. And Maybe a lb of beef and separate all that into a weeks worth of meals,
If you eat rice, buy a small bag and you can add veggies to it, have an egg over it.

good luck

Thats interesting, I'm not really into dairy and can't really afford meat. But I'll pop too my local supermarket and see how much it'll cost! I love my vegetables, haven't came across one I dislike yet! So thats good. Thanks for the advice though! ♥

shellbatronic

Some dried beans, like lentils maybe? If you can get a couple of big bags of frozen veg and some tinned tomatoes you can at least have some "emergency soups" with protein.

Hmm, I'm going to try that and I'm hooked on soup at the moment due to the weather lol! Is frozen veg healthy? ♥

As long as you get straight-up veggies and not one of those "seasoned/sauced" ones, it's often healthier than fresh because they're flash frozen right after they're picked so they haven't had time to lose vitamins from aging.

Canned chickpeas/garbanzo beans are really good, too, for a little blast of protein and fiber.

caterpillardreams

Ok here are some things you can get for a week.
Container of Oatmeal ( will last you a week or two)
Dozen eggs, 2 eggs a day, you can have for bkfst, lunch or dinner.
Get some vegetables, and if you eat meat and chicken buy one whole chicken, usually the cheapest by pound or chicken leg quarters. And Maybe a lb of beef and separate all that into a weeks worth of meals,
If you eat rice, buy a small bag and you can add veggies to it, have an egg over it.

good luck

Thats interesting, I'm not really into dairy and can't really afford meat. But I'll pop too my local supermarket and see how much it'll cost! I love my vegetables, haven't came across one I dislike yet! So thats good. Thanks for the advice though! ♥

Well that's great that you love veggies, Cabbage is usually cheap by the lb, you can buy a wole head of cabbage and sauté it with other veggies and make a stir fry.

Check out how much chicken cost per lb, it may be $5-$6 for 4-5 lbs. you just have to check the price per lb. or whatever measurement they price it at. And that can be used for 4-5 meals for one person.

Potatoes and sweet potatoes are usually a good price.
For bkfst bananas are great and a good price. I can get 4-5 bananas for a little over a $1 and a banana is very filling.

SaucyPea

Some dried beans, like lentils maybe? If you can get a couple of big bags of frozen veg and some tinned tomatoes you can at least have some "emergency soups" with protein.

Hmm, I'm going to try that and I'm hooked on soup at the moment due to the weather lol! Is frozen veg healthy? ♥

As long as you get straight-up veggies and not one of those "seasoned/sauced" ones, it's often healthier than fresh because they're flash frozen right after they're picked so they haven't had time to lose vitamins from aging.

Canned chickpeas/garbanzo beans are really good, too, for a little blast of protein and fiber.

I think I have some flash frozen veg already in my freezer, mmm Brussels sprouts! I didn't know that though, so thanks.

Mmm, I like chickpea's. Just never know how to include them into a meal. But thanks, least I know something else to get protein and fiber off! ♥

ATester

A bag of frozen chicken breasts would be about $10. That, with some beans and brown rice (about $2 a bag) plus a few cans of veggies (about $.75 a can) should get you through two weeks.

caterpillardreams

Some dried beans, like lentils maybe? If you can get a couple of big bags of frozen veg and some tinned tomatoes you can at least have some "emergency soups" with protein.

Hmm, I'm going to try that and I'm hooked on soup at the moment due to the weather lol! Is frozen veg healthy? ♥

As long as you get straight-up veggies and not one of those "seasoned/sauced" ones, it's often healthier than fresh because they're flash frozen right after they're picked so they haven't had time to lose vitamins from aging.

Canned chickpeas/garbanzo beans are really good, too, for a little blast of protein and fiber.

I think I have some flash frozen veg already in my freezer, mmm Brussels sprouts! I didn't know that though, so thanks.

Mmm, I like chickpea's. Just never know how to include them into a meal. But thanks, least I know something else to get protein and fiber off! ♥

Chickpea Salad.
Hummus
Veggie dip

I love this topic because It has taken a while but I am getting really good at feeding a family of 4 on $50-$100 dollars a week. It all depends on bills and such but I have learned to eat healthy and cook some really amazing meals for my family.

amberdust

do you have access to a stove and oven? or just microwave?

i would buy, container of oatmeal, bag of dried beans, dozen eggs, rice, a whole chicken, carrots celery onion whatever large vegetables you can get cheap. bananas are cheap in the states (33 cents a pound, usually $1.50 for 8) or any other cheap fruit. green leavy vegetables are in season now too.

with stuff like this you can eat oatmeal and eggs for lunch and breakfast, and for dinner and lunch you can eat beans and make soups from the chicken. take the whole chicken and debone it and simmer the bones and skin and left over meat to make stock (and loose ends from vegetables) so you acn make alot of soup. soup is very filling, and if you avoid salt its very healthy too. you can add vegetables beans and rice to the soups to make a variety. even eggs.

SaucyPea

Ok here are some things you can get for a week.
Container of Oatmeal ( will last you a week or two)
Dozen eggs, 2 eggs a day, you can have for bkfst, lunch or dinner.
Get some vegetables, and if you eat meat and chicken buy one whole chicken, usually the cheapest by pound or chicken leg quarters. And Maybe a lb of beef and separate all that into a weeks worth of meals,
If you eat rice, buy a small bag and you can add veggies to it, have an egg over it.

good luck

Thats interesting, I'm not really into dairy and can't really afford meat. But I'll pop too my local supermarket and see how much it'll cost! I love my vegetables, haven't came across one I dislike yet! So thats good. Thanks for the advice though! ♥

Well that's great that you love veggies, Cabbage is usually cheap by the lb, you can buy a wole head of cabbage and sauté it with other veggies and make a stir fry.

Check out how much chicken cost per lb, it may be $5-$6 for 4-5 lbs. you just have to check the price per lb. or whatever measurement they price it at. And that can be used for 4-5 meals for one person.

Potatoes and sweet potatoes are usually a good price.
For bkfst bananas are great and a good price. I can get 4-5 bananas for a little over a $1 and a banana is very filling.

Ah, cabbage. I love the juice you get from when you cook it..lol. I drink it! But yeah, I need to look around and find out where these are cheap in my local supermarkets!

So you just split the chicken up? Can you freeze the chicken? Sorry, I'm seeming right dumb. :ohwell:

Ah, potoatos in the UK cost alot. They've gone up for some reason.. and same with bananas but I'll look about! ♥

SaucyPea

A bag of frozen chicken breasts would be about $10. That, with some beans and brown rice (about $2 a bag) plus a few cans of veggies (about $.75 a can) should get you through two weeks.

Ah, I may try that for a trial for these two weeks! ♥

SaucyPea

do you have access to a stove and oven? or just microwave?

i would buy, container of oatmeal, bag of dried beans, dozen eggs, rice, a whole chicken, carrots celery onion whatever large vegetables you can get cheap. bananas are cheap in the states (33 cents a pound, usually $1.50 for 8) or any other cheap fruit. green leavy vegetables are in season now too.

with stuff like this you can eat oatmeal and eggs for lunch and breakfast, and for dinner and lunch you can eat beans and make soups from the chicken. take the whole chicken and debone it and simmer the bones and skin and left over meat to make stock (and loose ends from vegetables) so you acn make alot of soup. soup is very filling, and if you avoid salt its very healthy too. you can add vegetables beans and rice to the soups to make a variety. even eggs.

Yeah, got a stove and oven. Plus a microwave and a grill.

Never tried oatmeal before, curious to know what it taste and feels like before I buy it in all honesty. Plus.. never made a soup before. I'm scared I'd fail with that you described :laugh: . ♥

MGSR

Ah, potoatos in the UK cost alot. They've gone up for some reason.. and same with bananas but I'll look about! ♥

Tescos have 2.5kg of white potatos for £1.95 which I thought was pretty good they also do tins of three bean salad for £1, I bought 3 and made bean soup, split into portions and froze it for a quick meal when I didn't have any time. Go onto the websites of the shops near you and compare proces before you go

SaucyPea

Ah, potoatos in the UK cost alot. They've gone up for some reason.. and same with bananas but I'll look about! ♥

Tescos have 2.5kg of white potatos for £1.95 which I thought was pretty good they also do tins of three bean salad for £1, I bought 3 and made bean soup, split into portions and froze it for a quick meal when I didn't have any time. Go onto the websites of the shops near you and compare proces before you go

Ah! Thank you. I hardly go Tesco's although there's 4 right near me! (Canary Wharf, London). Ah interesting bean soup.... :P.

Going to go on mymoneysupermarket.com or something like that that compares all the UK shops. ♥

Firefox7275

Doing a food shop on Friday, have only £15/$24.14 to spend on food for two weeks. HELP?!

^ Subject I wanted was too long :ohwell:

Sorry if its in the wrong section. Completely new to MFP.

I live alone and I'm only eighteen, currently trying to get myself a business admin apprenticeship. At the moment, I'm living of JSA (Job seekers allowance) but don't want to be stuck on it any more! Just having trouble finding somebody who'd take me on as a apprentice in the City of London. I want to get a NVQ Level 2 In Business Admin.

I'm clueless on what I should buy, this will be my first serious shop to link with my weight lost. Dragging the boyfriend along so I don't buy crap. Any suggestions on what to get and where from. This needs to last me two weeks!

Local shops: Tesco, Iceland's, Asda and waitrose.

I'm asking for advise as I'm serious about loosing weight. I don't know what to eat for breakfast, dinner and lunch as it is! Now food shop on top of it is semi-stressing me out as I don't know what I'm doing on such a low budget.

Thanks for reading and I'll reply to the people who comment!

Much love, from Samantha ♥

Head over to Moneysavingexpert forums, search for the many threads started by Weezl74 - last I heard she was doing feed a family of four healthily on £100 a month, previously she did 50p per day per person. Also read around the forums generally and learn how to save money on EVERYTHING, you might even consider cancelling your TV license and not watching live television (yes that is legal). Your weight loss will have to be down to calorie counting and basic healthy eating, getting all the vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids you need for basic health. Also head to the library and reserve this book
http://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Lived-Year-Just-Pound/dp/1906593124/ref=sr_1_1
IIRC the author got an awful lot of free food and free entertainment in London.

Forget Waitrose and don't use Tesco Express they are more expensive than a large store. Consider street markets at the end of the day, Asian grocery stores, supermarkets when they do reductions, free food banks, skip diving/ freegan, discount stores like Aldi, Lidl or Farmfoods even if you have to walk further. You will need to be buying stuff like dried red lentils, pearl barley, wheat flour (much cheaper than bread), porridge oats. Forget potatoes which may be pricey per serving - bear in mind they don't absorb water when cooking - also you need minerals from your carbs to get a balanced diet and potatoes don't really supply that.

Consider pork liver, £1 a kilo at Asda, and other organ meats, canned oily fish like pilchards or mackerel in the large 400g cans (<£1 a can). Some of the cheapest fruit and veg per serving is Smartprice mixed dried fruit, Farmfoods frozen rhubarb, Smartprice white onions, Smartprice carrots, Aldi whole red cabbage, Smartprice frozen sweetcorn, Value canned tomatoes, Smartprice frozen broccoli, Whitworths dried peas. Also check out Farmfoods they do three 750g bags of certain fruits and veggies for £2 so might work out cheaper than Asda.

In there is your full rainbow of colours (yellow/ orange, green, blue/ purple, red) and you can make dishes like lentil or vegetable soups, chunky coleslaw if you have mayo or vinegar, roasted or steamed veg, tomato and veg pasta sauce, stir fry if you have the ingredients for a sauce. Not sure which dairy is cheaper, probably milk so have porridge with dried fruit or stewed rhubarb for breakfast. Or make your own bread for toast and sandwiches, it's way cheaper.

caterpillardreams

Ok here are some things you can get for a week.
Container of Oatmeal ( will last you a week or two)
Dozen eggs, 2 eggs a day, you can have for bkfst, lunch or dinner.
Get some vegetables, and if you eat meat and chicken buy one whole chicken, usually the cheapest by pound or chicken leg quarters. And Maybe a lb of beef and separate all that into a weeks worth of meals,
If you eat rice, buy a small bag and you can add veggies to it, have an egg over it.

good luck

Thats interesting, I'm not really into dairy and can't really afford meat. But I'll pop too my local supermarket and see how much it'll cost! I love my vegetables, haven't came across one I dislike yet! So thats good. Thanks for the advice though! ♥

Well that's great that you love veggies, Cabbage is usually cheap by the lb, you can buy a wole head of cabbage and sauté it with other veggies and make a stir fry.

Check out how much chicken cost per lb, it may be $5-$6 for 4-5 lbs. you just have to check the price per lb. or whatever measurement they price it at. And that can be used for 4-5 meals for one person.

Potatoes and sweet potatoes are usually a good price.
For bkfst bananas are great and a good price. I can get 4-5 bananas for a little over a $1 and a banana is very filling.

Ah, cabbage. I love the juice you get from when you cook it..lol. I drink it! But yeah, I need to look around and find out where these are cheap in my local supermarkets!

So you just split the chicken up? Can you freeze the chicken? Sorry, I'm seeming right dumb. :ohwell:

Ah, potoatos in the UK cost alot. They've gone up for some reason.. and same with bananas but I'll look about! ♥

Yes I use Whole chicken, chicken breasts, or chicken thighs and legs.
You can boil all of it and use the chicken for salads, tacos, anything you put chicken in, stir frys. etc.. then use the broth instead of buying broth. Or make a chicken soup, adding veggies, pasta, whatever u like.
You can roast chicken, so simple, and if its a lot of chicken you can divide it up and set a aside some for your next few meals or freeze it for future meals.


with Oatmeal you can do a lot. add raisins, nuts, apples, any fruit really.
or you can have savory oatmeal. you can make oatmeal cookies with just a banana and one cup of oatmeal.
I have made a sort of Oatmeal risotto, I sautéed onions and mushrooms added oatmeal and some seasonings, parmesan cheese, and voila. cheap, delicious, and nutritious.

Graelwyn75

Doing a food shop on Friday, have only £15/$24.14 to spend on food for two weeks. HELP?!

^ Subject I wanted was too long :ohwell:

Sorry if its in the wrong section. Completely new to MFP.

I live alone and I'm only eighteen, currently trying to get myself a business admin apprenticeship. At the moment, I'm living of JSA (Job seekers allowance) but don't want to be stuck on it any more! Just having trouble finding somebody who'd take me on as a apprentice in the City of London. I want to get a NVQ Level 2 In Business Admin.

I'm clueless on what I should buy, this will be my first serious shop to link with my weight lost. Dragging the boyfriend along so I don't buy crap. Any suggestions on what to get and where from. This needs to last me two weeks!

Local shops: Tesco, Iceland's, Asda and waitrose.

I'm asking for advise as I'm serious about loosing weight. I don't know what to eat for breakfast, dinner and lunch as it is! Now food shop on top of it is semi-stressing me out as I don't know what I'm doing on such a low budget.

Thanks for reading and I'll reply to the people who comment!

Much love, from Samantha ♥

Head over to Moneysavingexpert forums, search for the many threads started by Weezl74 - last I heard she was doing feed a family of four healthily on £100 a month, previously she did 50p per day per person. Also read around the forums generally and learn how to save money on EVERYTHING, you might even consider cancelling your TV license and not watching live television (yes that is legal). Your weight loss will have to be down to calorie counting and basic healthy eating, getting all the vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids you need for basic health. Also head to the library and reserve this book
http://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Lived-Year-Just-Pound/dp/1906593124/ref=sr_1_1
IIRC the author got an awful lot of free food and free entertainment in London.

Forget Waitrose and don't use Tesco Express they are more expensive than a large store. Consider street markets at the end of the day, Asian grocery stores, supermarkets when they do reductions, free food banks, skip diving/ freegan, discount stores like Aldi, Lidl or Farmfoods even if you have to walk further. You will need to be buying stuff like dried red lentils, pearl barley, wheat flour (much cheaper than bread), porridge oats. Forget potatoes which may be pricey per serving - bear in mind they don't absorb water when cooking - also you need minerals from your carbs to get a balanced diet and potatoes don't really supply that.

Consider pork liver, £1 a kilo at Asda, and other organ meats, canned oily fish like pilchards or mackerel in the large 400g cans (<£1 a can). Some of the cheapest fruit and veg per serving is Smartprice mixed dried fruit, Farmfoods frozen rhubarb, Smartprice white onions, Smartprice carrots, Aldi whole red cabbage, Smartprice frozen sweetcorn, Value canned tomatoes, Smartprice frozen broccoli, Whitworths dried peas. Also check out Farmfoods they do three 750g bags of certain fruits and veggies for £2 so might work out cheaper than Asda.

In there is your full rainbow of colours (yellow/ orange, green, blue/ purple, red) and you can make dishes like lentil or vegetable soups, chunky coleslaw if you have mayo or vinegar, roasted or steamed veg, tomato and veg pasta sauce, stir fry if you have the ingredients for a sauce. Not sure which dairy is cheaper, probably milk so have porridge with dried fruit or stewed rhubarb for breakfast. Or make your own bread for toast and sandwiches, it's way cheaper.

Definitely echo this, especially the reductions part... keep an eye on asda as they have specific times they reduce their stuff, including meat, cheese, veggies, fruits and various other things. Tesco reduce things also, including sandwiches, usually around 8pm. Eggs can be gotten cheap and are a great source of nutrition. Beans, whether canned or dried. Pasta and rice are good staples, and you can get packs of baking potatoes pretty cheap at Asda, and with a can of beans or some tuna, those are a decent meal in the evening. Canned soups are another option. I agree on offal as well, liver is quite nutritious, add in some onions and tomato and a few veggies and you are set. Asda smart price cereals are a good idea as well and they also do good deals on their chicken wings... huge packs for £1-2 I seem to recall. I would say of all the supermarkets that asda is the best one for eating on the cheap.

My bf is on JSA too, but he gives himself £5 a day to live on. Not sure why you have only £15 for food?

It will be very tough, for sure.

libbymcbain

Oatmeal
Brown rice
Lentils
Chickpeas
Frozen vegetables- they are great, have good vitamins in them
Tinned tomatoes (make a sauce with them, just simmer with a little oil if you have it).

Also, try these people http://foodforall.org.uk/
Hare Krishna Food for All

07946 420 827

102 Caledonian Road
London N1 9DN

Map

Website: bit.ly/cjkt0r

Monday–Saturday:
12am–1pm
(Caversham Rd)

Monday–Saturday:
1pm–1:45pm
(Arlington Rd/Inverness St)

Monday–Saturday:
2pm–2:30pm
(York Way)

Monday–Friday:
12:45am–1:45pm
(LSE and SOAS)

Monday–Friday:
10am–4pm
(computer centre etc)

Monday–Thursday:
7:30pm–8:30pm
(Lincoln’s Inn Fields)


Education & training
Free food
Internet access
Leisure activities
Music classes


Computer training centre, yoga and music. Delicious food made with pure vegetarian ingredients.

Plus a list of free food distributors here:
http://www.thepavement.org.uk/services.php?facility=&service=13&city=1

Good luck!

Annewx

Ok here are some things you can get for a week.
Container of Oatmeal ( will last you a week or two)
Dozen eggs, 2 eggs a day, you can have for bkfst, lunch or dinner.
Get some vegetables, and if you eat meat and chicken buy one whole chicken, usually the cheapest by pound or chicken leg quarters. And Maybe a lb of beef and separate all that into a weeks worth of meals,
If you eat rice, buy a small bag and you can add veggies to it, have an egg over it.

good luck

Thats interesting, I'm not really into dairy and can't really afford meat. But I'll pop too my local supermarket and see how much it'll cost! I love my vegetables, haven't came across one I dislike yet! So thats good. Thanks for the advice though! ♥

Well that's great that you love veggies, Cabbage is usually cheap by the lb, you can buy a wole head of cabbage and sauté it with other veggies and make a stir fry.

Check out how much chicken cost per lb, it may be $5-$6 for 4-5 lbs. you just have to check the price per lb. or whatever measurement they price it at. And that can be used for 4-5 meals for one person.

Potatoes and sweet potatoes are usually a good price.
For bkfst bananas are great and a good price. I can get 4-5 bananas for a little over a $1 and a banana is very filling.

Ah, cabbage. I love the juice you get from when you cook it..lol. I drink it! But yeah, I need to look around and find out where these are cheap in my local supermarkets!

So you just split the chicken up? Can you freeze the chicken? Sorry, I'm seeming right dumb. :ohwell:

Ah, potoatos in the UK cost alot. They've gone up for some reason.. and same with bananas but I'll look about! ♥

Bananas do not cost a lot! They are (or were) 68p per kg in Tesco. Although I think they have gone up a few pence. But you can get 4/5 bananas for around £1 so try tesco for bananas!