Week #1 - Easy Budget Meals
Welcome to my post with a few cheap and easy meals to help spread the budget and still have a filling meal for your family. I have broken down each meal into price per portions as well as the overall meal and will then total up what our even meals cost us for the week.
The number of portions I need each day varies, as my fiancé works shifts, so sometimes I feed him and sometimes I don't. Most meals are for 2 people, or cooked as a meal for 4 and give us a left over portion to freeze or use as an easy dinner in the week.
Day 1: Jacket Potato - 2 Portions
I am aware that this method is not the cheapest way of doing jacket potatoes, but I find it the easiest, ( I will be experimenting with a slow cooker method soon). I get the McCain Frozen Jacket Potato, They stay in the freezer, you take it out when you need it and pop it in the microwave for 5 mins, the bag is 8 potatoes for £4.30. Making them 53p each.
2 Jacket Potatoes - £1.06
Small Heinz Hoops - £0.50
Small Heinz Beans - £0.60
Total meal £2.16 = £1.08 a portion.
Method: Place the frozen potatoes in a bowl, and follow the instructions - in our case, 2 potatoes means 8 minutes in the microwave. Once they are done, pop your beans into a bowl and put that in the microwave for 1 minute, then repeat with the hoops. Open up your potatoes, add some butter if you wish, then pour the beans / hoops over the top. I then finished it off with some grated cheese.
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Day 2: Spaghetti with Meatballs - 4 portions.
I bought the "3 for £10" meat deal in ASDA, and then half those 3 packs to make it 6 meals worth, making them £1.60 each. Tonight, I am just feeding 2 of us, so 2 of these portions will be put aside for another day.
12 meatballs - £1.60
1 onion - £0.20
1 Bell pepper - £0.31
Jar of ASDA Pasta Sauce - £0.70
1/3 of Spaghetti - £0.23
Total meal £3.09 = £0.77 a portion.
Method: Chop the onion and red pepper and chuck into a pan, with a drizzle of oil, fry them off a little, I also added a sprinkle of mixed herbs and garlic granules. Add the meatballs and stir gradually till they are brown. Place the Spaghetti into another pan, add water and bring to the boil. Let it cook for about 10 mins, till soft. Meanwhile back to the meatball pan, add the jar of sauce and a sprinkle of gravy granules from the cupboard for a bit of extra flavour. Stir this though and once you are happy with the spaghetti, turn off the heat. Drain and serve the spaghetti, placing the meatball mixture on top. Finish off with some grated cheese on top.
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Day 3: Chicken Nuggets and Chips - 2 Portions
Nice and easy, lazy dinner today! The nuggets are ASDA 38 battered nuggets for £2, making the 5p each. The chips are ASDA french fries, 1.5kg bag for £1.35. The onion rings are ASDA own too, a bag for £1.
14 chicken nuggets - 70p
3 handfulls of chips - 10p
A handfull of onion rings - 15p
Total meal £0.95 = £0.47 a portion.
Method: Whack it all in the oven for 30 mins and serve with your favourite sauce! :)
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Day 4: Leftovers
We had my daughters birthday party today, so were out most of the day with a buffet lunch included in the party cost. In the evening my daughter had leftover sandwiches from the buffet, and i had a leftover portion of the Spaghetti / Meatballs from Day 2.
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Day 5: Hunters Chicken Loaded Chips - 3 Portions
The chicken thighs are a pack of 9 thighs for £5.09 which I have divided into 3 meals of 3 thighs, at £1.70 each.
3 chicken thighs - 1.70
Pile of chips - 30p
ASDA hunters sauce - £1.15
Handfull of carrots -20p
Total meal £3.35 = £1.12 a portion.
Method: I cooked the chicken in the slow cooker, but you could do it in the oven in 30-45 mins in a pyrex. I did a layer of Hunters sauce, then the chicken thighs, then the remainder of the sauce. Cooked it on low for approx 5 hours and then on high for the last 30 mins. I cooked the chips in the oven for 30 mins. Served in a bowl, grated the cheese and returned to the oven for a few mins to melt it, then added the chicken to the side. Oh, I added a few carrots as i was feeling guilty that we havent had much veg this week :)
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Day 6: Pork Chops - 2 Portions
I bought the "3 for £10" meat deal in ASDA, and usually half each pack, but with the chops I divide the 6 chops into 3 meal of 2 chops, making them £1.10 each. These 2 portions were for myself and my fiance, my daughter had the remaining left overs from Day 2.
2 Pork Chops - £1.10
2 handfulls Frozen Carrots - 20p
2 handfulls Frozen Green Beans - 20p
4 potatoes -40p
Total meal £1.90 = £0.95 a portion.
I was too eager to eat my dinner, so forgot to take a photo - sorry!
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Day 7: Birthday Pizza - 3 Portions
As it is my daughters birthday, and she has chosen pizza for dinner, I have bought a selection of Frozen pizzas from ASDA, as we certainly can not afford a takeaway.
Although we have extra people coming for pizza today, for the sake of this blog, I will post pricing for 2 pizzas, which we would normally share with chips.
Pile of chips - 30p
Pizza - £2.60
Total meal £2.90 = £0.96 a portion.
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This week we have spent £14.35 on our main meals, creating 16 dinners.
I hope that his blog will help you with some meal ideas and budgeting. I look forward to seeing what I can come up with for next week :)
