Meals on A really tight budget

Sam_Jayne

Has anyone got any ideas of main meals i can have with being on a very tight budget? Im in the UK.Any help gratefully received.

cyberiarob

Here's a link to some prior posts that might be helpful...

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/post/search?phrase=budget

Jongfaith

I can understand this struggle! I literally go to the store once a month with a budget of US $100-150. Lots of canned foods and cooking from scratch here because $3 can buy a sack of flour enough to make 5 loaves of bread OR a single loaf. I think its probly healthier to not eat ready made junk.

Tonight I made bean and veggie enchilladas... super easy and cheap!

now_or_never13

Cook things yourself... always makes the meals cheaper.

When money was tight for my husband and I, once a week when the store flyers came out I would plan my meals mainly around the sale items. We stock up on meat when it is on sale. We stock up on veggies when they are a good price (you can wash, cut up and freeze them). We stock up on fruits when they are on sale (especially berries, wash, cut and freeze for future use).

Don't buy name brand things unless it is on sale and cheaper than the store brand. Shop farmers markets (where I am product is SUPER cheap at the farmers market). Check out ethnic food stores if you have them around you. I used to live near an Asian supermarket. We bought our produce there as I could go and buy 6 stuffed full bags of produce for $20 as opposed to going to our normal grocery store and having that same amount of produce cost me over $50.

Can you plant a garden for veggies? I even had one when I lived in an apartment.. so easy to do.

Buy things like rice, dried beans, frozen veggies, etc which stretch a long way and are super cheap per serving! Get the majority of your stuff on the outside of the supermarket. PRocessed stuff is way more money per serving than buy fresh or frozen.

If you shop sales you can save some great money! I'm not sure if stores around you do the same but a store in my area will price match other stores flyers (bring in the flyer/sale ad, they will sell the item to you for the same price as the other store) which is great because than I don't have to drive around town to get the sales at all the stores.

When you have some extra money stock up on things that store well or you can freeze.

I know I didn't give you any specific meal ideas as I Don't know what you and your family like... but hopefully you can use some of the tips to save some money.

lisatwin1b

I live in the US, but I understand the struggles. It is Thursday and we are out of food (me and my three kids.) Our budget is a hundred dollars a week.

What I usually do is canned beans for fiber and protein, or, if you really need to save dried beans are much cheaper, but take all day to cook!

I have found that lemon aid (2 Tbs lemon juice to 1 cup water) helps me to feel full during the day and provides essential vitamin C. Sweeten it with sugar or maple syrup (real maple syrup) if you can afford that. Adding a dash of cayenne pepper helps! I don't know what the cost of vegetable juice is, but I have calculated that if I drink 2 cups a day it will cost me about $25 a week in vegetable juice. I used to like eggs, but the price of even those have doubled in the last week!

A pound of frozen vegetables costs less than fresh or canned; try adding a small amount of sugar to make them more palatable if necessary.

My biggest trick, searching for sales. I scour the adds and buy meats and vegetables that are on sale (if it was just me, I wouldn't buy meats.) In some other states, people cut coupons and the savings are doubled; that option isn't available to me and I find generic costs less even with a coupon.

Oh, and here are some meal ideas:
1. green beans, sausage, and potatoes. Boil them together.
2. Pizza pasta (the kids love this one!), similar to spaghetti, but mix the sauce and spaghetti into a backing pan, top with pepperoni, cheese and whatever else you like on your pizza and bake (works in the microwave too)
3. Beanie Weanies, a classic favorite. Mix baked beans and sliced hot dogs. If you can grill the hot dogs first, that's even better!
4. Chicken rice. I usually make this with left over chicken, it is basically chicken and rice boiled together. Add some bouillon if you have it. Also nice with celery, onions, and green peppers.
5. Potato Soup potatoes and spice,like salt, pepper, garlic, and onions. Some people like to add barley and some like to add canned milk.
6. Classic Peanut butter and jelly, or mix it up with peanut butter and banana slices. another sandwich that is surprisingly good cheese and tomato.
I will add others as I think of them, I have my "emergency" list here somewhere! Good luck, I hope things improve for you.