Thanks Uli.I'm lucky that mum has hens so I can get free eggs at the moment.
I will look at the aubergines next time I shop, thanks.
darlingmole,
Jan 1, 6:53am
I posted the thread "woe is me must feed us all on $200/wk" or something like that so check it out as it's full of helpful advice.Soup is your friend!Allison Holsts "Meals without Meat" is a good investment (may be you could find a 2nd hand copy on TM!)You can make lentil loaves, assorted bean casseroles, vege fritters, mushroom burgers, dhal (curried lentils but oh so good!),self crusting quiche.Tinned fish is fairly inexpensive and can be made into pie, fritters, salads.Eggs and Mince done 101 ways.Another thing to remember is that if the actual meal isn't that big you can cheaply fill up on desert (tinned or seasonal fruit made into crumbles, rice pudding, custard using milk powder etc).I'm also the Queen of Mean according to my kids.I cook a whole chicken then have left overs in a curry/pasta/pie or sandwiches and use the bones for stock or a soup if there's enough meat on it.Be don't be discouraged, be inspired because even though you have a challenge on your hands you will find a way through this.Good luck and God Bless you and your family
logan_jess,
Jan 1, 8:53am
you can usually get two 1kg minces from countdown for $14 that feeds two of us and makes loads of leftovers once added with pasta veges and sauce/ or make lasagna ( 4 20yr olds), get a large bag of sausages for $20.00 it'll last a fortnight if you only have it a few times a week, cut them into small bits add veges and have deviled sausages and mashed spud for tea, or what ever you prefer.
make soups, they taste great and can be frozen for another day there are plenty of yummy pasta and vege salad recipes out there. try using cous cous that goes a very long way, add some canned tuna avacado and tomato. make a quich
cautis,
Jan 1, 9:00am
Thanks Logan_jess, I already get the cheap mince and sausages.We get 8 meals out of the sausage packs and I have found that if I quarter each sausage, we don't eat as much, ie 6 sausages per meal instead of 8.
Will definitely try the soup idea too.
Can't do fish cos I'm allergic so don't have it in the house.
cautis,
Dec 31, 12:22am
I have read through the budgets who needs them thread and the household hints thread.I am doing all I am able to do from those threads.
Basically my budget has dropped to $80 per week for groceries (everything, not just food) and I need ideas for a few things.First, I have just started adding lentils to mince meals and that is pretty much doubling those meals so that's good.I make the laundry liquid, spray and wipe, all my cleaning stuff with vinegar, baking soda etc.
I really need some ideas for meat-free meals.I have a son who loves meat unfortunately so tried and true would be good.I also need more ideas of how to cut down on costs for anything.
There are 4 of us, 1 adult, 1 x 15yr old g, 1 x 10 b and 1 x 9 b.
sumstyle,
Dec 31, 12:31am
Do you also bulk out your meals with pasta and rice, as well as lentils?
Can you grow some of your own veges to help save money?
Is there a community garden near you where you could trade time in the garden for a portion of the produce?
Really feel for you, your budget is seriously tight.
buzzy110,
Dec 31, 12:34am
Have bumped "The Easy And Tasty Vegetarian Recipe Thread" thread for you.
cheese-mike,
Dec 31, 12:42am
I will ask my mum for some tips, she had the same budget for us when we were living at home. (1 adult, 1 14 year old g, 1 12 year old b, 1 dog, 1 cat and sometimes a very hungry 21year old g).
She just got the basics and made food from that, lots of rice and veges from the vege shop.
0800xford,
Dec 31, 12:50am
maybe teach [?] them to fish or hunt, they'd appreciate where it comes from and why it costs what it does. you can't just not give them meat, we are omnivores afterall...
by the way i'm a 31 year old male who does not have children
sumstyle,
Dec 31, 12:52am
What a surprise!
But I forgive you, cos you are handy with computers :-)
0800xford,
Dec 31, 12:54am
ha ha ha i laughed aloud at that
cautis,
Dec 31, 1:02am
Yep, have a garden and do bulk out with rice and pasta too.
I'm not planning on having no meat, just less meat, maybe three meatless meals a week.
Will check out the vegetarian thread now, thanks.
frances1266,
Dec 31, 3:32am
Split peas are really cheap and filling.Somewhere I have an old booklet put out by a church on living really frugally.I will try and find it and post some of their recipes. Fritters are good i.e. corn, potato (mock whitebait) etc and really cheap. Asian supermarkets are often cheaper than the big supermarkets. Pulses and grains are cheap and healthy.Rolled oats can be made into meatlike patties.TVP is cheap and can be made into meaty rissoles and loaves.Mixing rolled oat and breadcrumbs can extend many dishes.Pasta is good as well as very frugal.Spag Bol made with tvp is great. Veggie soup before a meal is filling and a dessert or pudding after can be cheap and filling as in a crumble or similar which are also cheap and filling. The veg recipe thread here has great recipes which will be a huge help.
jerrytravis,
Dec 31, 3:44am
Pork Bones are fairly cheap at around $2.99kg. superb for a boil up, or a base for a tasty vege soup
0800xford,
Dec 31, 4:02am
potatoes oats rice pasta
rosathemad,
Dec 31, 4:24am
As well as lentils you can pad out casseroles and things with beans - we love kidney beans, they're really good for you, cheap (we buy tinned, but dried are even cheaper, just require a little planning ahead to soak) and make meals go further. We often make chilli con carne, and either have half and half mince and beans, or just beans. We also make a veggie version of shepherds' pie using kidney beans, chickpeas and chunks of kumara and pumpkin for the meat part, with tinned tomato and spices it's pretty hearty.
cautis,
Dec 31, 7:40am
Thanks for the ideas, I've made notes for my next shop.I got some yummy sounding recipes from the vegetarian thread!
uli,
Dec 31, 8:01am
cautis - if you want "cheap meals" - please do not up the carbs overly much - if you do then the bodies of the people you feed will have to work over time to get their blood sugar down again.
That is fine for healthy people once in a while - but if you keep feeding them rice, potatoes, sugar, flour, grains etc then their bodies will not be happy once they get a bit older.
So I would really ask that you consider to feed them cheap eggs and veges rather than rice/potatoes/pasta and a bit of meat. They will all love you for it in years to come.
Good luck for your budgeting.
pickles7,
Dec 31, 8:20am
I would take a good look at aubergines, a veg that deserves a chance. The aubergines grown today are way nicer, than they used to be. I crumbed and shallow fried slices, for 1 meal and curried the other half for another meal. They are selling for less than $2.00 at the moment. Very good value.
cautis,
Dec 31, 6:05pm
Thanks Uli.I'm lucky that mum has hens so I can get free eggs at the moment.
I will look at the aubergines next time I shop, thanks.
artemis,
Dec 31, 6:26pm
Agree on the aubergines if they are cheap. Also, since they soak up the flavours of what you cook them with, they are very good with mince dishes. If diced small you will not be able to tell they are there but they taste like meat. Mushrooms also work well like this, they go a long way in a casserole and are healthy. They are sometimes quite cheap. Also tofu works in a similar way.
In the garden, a pack of broad bean seeds sown in a temporarilyunused patch will take pretty much no time to look after if planted after summer, improve the soil with nitrogen, provide good composting material and of course beans.
darlingmole,
Jan 1, 6:53am
I posted the thread "woe is me must feed us all on $200/wk" or something like that so check it out as it's full of helpful advice.Soup is your friend!!!Allison Holsts "Meals without Meat" is a good investment (may be you could find a 2nd hand copy on TM?)You can make lentil loaves, assorted bean casseroles, vege fritters, mushroom burgers, dhal (curried lentils but oh so good!),self crusting quiche.Tinned fish is fairly inexpensive and can be made into pie, fritters, salads.Eggs and Mince done 101 ways.Another thing to remember is that if the actual meal isn't that big you can cheaply fill up on desert (tinned or seasonal fruit made into crumbles, rice pudding, custard using milk powder etc).I'm also the Queen of Mean according to my kids.I cook a whole chicken then have left overs in a curry/pasta/pie or sandwiches and use the bones for stock or a soup if there's enough meat on it.Be be discouraged, be inspired even though you have a challenge on your hands.Good luck and God Bless you and your family
cautis,
Jan 1, 7:32am
x1
Oh yes Darlingmole, I have read your thread too!And I have meals without meat, thanks for the reminder!
logan_jess,
Jan 1, 8:53am
you can usually get two 1kg minces from countdown for $14 that feeds two of us and makes loads of leftovers once added with pasta veges and sauce/ or make lasagna ( 4 20yr olds), get a large bag of sausages for $20.00 it'll last a fortnight if you only have it a few times a week, cut them into small bits add veges and have deviled sausages and mashed spud for tea, or what ever you prefer.
make soups, they taste great and can be frozen for another day there are plenty of yummy pasta and vege salad recipes out there. try using cous cous that goes a very long way, add some canned tuna avacado and tomato. make a quich
cautis,
Jan 1, 9:00am
Thanks Logan_jess, I already get the cheap mince and sausages.We get 8 meals out of the sausage packs and I have found that if I quarter each sausage, we don't eat as much, ie 6 sausages per meal instead of 8.
Will definitely try the soup idea too.
Can't do fish cos I'm allergic so don't have it in the house.
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