REALLY cheap meal ideas?

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makemewannadie
makemewannadie Posts: 401 Member
in Recipes
Not sure whether to put this in the food and nutrition thread or this thread so just posted it in here- hope that's ok! Basically I live with my boyfriend of 4 years and we've had to move house this month as our landlord has decided he wants to raise the rent which we can't afford. This has put a lot of unexpected financial strain on us both and so we've been left with VERY little money for the next couple of weeks.

Does anyone have any suggestions for very cheap meal ideas that are also not complete rubbish? I love eating healthily but it's very difficult at the moment and I don't want to have to keep eating 11 pence instant noodles and own brand tinned tomatoes/baked beans ):

I'm vegan- my boyfriend is not (although he's a very picky eater- he hates rice/beans/lentils etc)

Any suggestions to eat decent food through difficult money times would be amazing!

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  • squirrell79
    squirrell79 Posts: 154 Member
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    Oh boy. There's (veg*n AND cheap) and there is ("meat n potatoes" AND cheap).

    Those two buckets by themselves aren't that challenging. Unfortunately, the venn diagram of where those two buckets overlap is challenging my brain.

    You could get a used George Foreman grill if you don't already have one. Buy meat when it's on sale (giant pack of chicken breasts, for example--I bet Sainsbury's has sales like that all the time). Then portion it out into individual servings and store in the freezer. Then, you fix cheap vegan meals for yourself that he will actually eat (pasta with veggies, cous cous with veggies, hearty baked sweet potato topped with beans & salsa for you and salsa for him, etc.) and throw in a chicken breast for his portion.

    You have a tough climb, but I'm sure you'll pull through. Best of luck!

    PS. The little grill makes life easier when you're doing meat for one person.
  • cschaub01
    cschaub01 Posts: 7 Member
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    There is nothing cheaper than starch/carbohydrate based vegan meals. I would tell boyfriend to fix himself something if he didn't want to eat what I prepare. Rice, potatoes, whole grain pastas,beans, green and yellow veg and fruits are all cheaper than the equivalent calories in meat, dairy and junk food. I am on a lowfat vegan diet, high in fruit and starch. My biggest expense is Grapefruit and oranges because they are out of season.
  • JessicaBR13
    JessicaBR13 Posts: 294 Member
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    http://www.budgetbytes.com/

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