Making the Money Last Longer

Like many folks, we are having to tighten our belts and make our small income last longer.  

The essentials are paid - housing, heating, water etc. 

Where we can make more small changes is in our food budget.

Each month I usually check which foods we already have, before planning out meals and then shopping for the items we need to create the meals.

This month is different. 

We had a huge, sudden bill at the start of February that we have scrimped to pay off.  We are almost there.

So our food budget is much smaller for March.

Instead of creating meals around our store cupboard items, and shopping for items to make the meals; this month we are eating very, very basic meals.

We are only buying small amounts of essentials.  We are continuing our weekly veg and salad box from the local farm.

So here are our meals for the month:

W   1.  Steamed veg with a Jacket Potato and a veggy sausage

Th  2.  Salad bowl with kidney beans and a boiled egg

F    3.  Steamed veg with pasta and homemade pasta sauce

S    4.  Salad bowl with cold pasta salad

Su  5.  Roasted veg and potatoes with homemade Toad-in-the-hole.

M   6.  Leftovers made into a Woolton pie with homemade pastry

T    7.  Bubble and squeak

W   8.  Boiled eggs with Salad

Th   9. Veg chili with tinned kidney beans

F   10.  Salad with homemade onion bhajis

S   11. Veg and chickpea curry 

Su 12.  Roasted veg and potatoes with veggy fillets

M  13.  Leftovers reheated

T  14.   Egg and spinach quiche with cheese and salad

W  15.  Leftover Quiche with jacket potato

Th  16.  Salad bowl with kidney beans

F   17.  Homemade veg pasty

S  18.  Jacket potato with salad and egg

S   19.  Roasted veg and potatoes with toad in the hole

M   20.  Leftovers

T  21.  Lentil curry and flatbread

W  22.  Steamed veg, jacket potato and veg sausage

Th  23.  Chili veg and kidney beans

F   24.   Spaghetti with tuna

S   25.   Jacket potato and salad with egg

Su 26.  Roasted veg and potatoes with homemade veggy burgers

M  27.  Leftovers

T  28.  Omelette and salad

W  29.  Stir fried veg and veggy sausage

Th  30.  Salad bowl with jacket potato and egg

F  31. Homemade pasty

This is what we need:

Our weekly veg box contains all the salad and vegetables we need, some fruit as well as eggs.

Veggy sausages

Kidney beans

Pasta

Spaghetti

Tinned tomatoes

Tomato puree

Herbs

Flour

Cooking oil block

Chilli powder

Turmeric

Chickpeas

Curry powder

Veggy fillets

Cheese

Lentils

Tuna

The only thing I need to buy for the month is cheese and cooking oil block, as well as milk for our hot drinks and porridge.

It's a very 'tight' month; but still a very healthy one.

FMxx