Food on a budget

The only cheap way i know is going back to basic good old cooking lol dont buy burgers make them with mince onions bread crumbs an egg you will be amazed how many you can make also cook large chicken use half for sweet an sour with rice an the other for a pie or pasties with veg another is to buy sausages cut them up an make toad in the hole with potatoes an veg for summer you could buy some sausage meat an eggs and make scotch eggs to have with salad

instead of bread which is 1.60 a loaf up here in leeds i buy pitta breads 25p from asda. fill with salad and you got a tasty alternative. soup is good as well , i like making stews as well wotevas left over i turn into soup

spag bol is a good 1 make a big pot off it use for the dinner and freeze the rest in seperate containers for another nite another 1 a good pork casserole do the same dinner and freeze in containers my fav home made chunky chips cut spuds power boil drizzle in olive oil a sprinkle of chopped parsley in the oven top shelf at 200 for 30mins and chicken fillets cubed sprinkled in cajun spice cooked put in a tortilla wrap or pitta bread with salad delicious makin me hungry now running outta room here i could go on &on lmao

My husband has built boxes in the garden this year so we are growing potatoes, carrots, lettuce, parsnips, beetroot, spring onions, radish, broadbeans, runnerbeans, tomatoes, strawberries, courgettes, even trying aubergine, butternutsquash, peppers and chillies. Saving us alot of money and they taste superb. I'm like Silly, I make big casseroles, etc in my slo-cooker (saving on electric) then putting them in the freezer. This is also very handy when you have been out for the day and don't want to cook when you get home. I also make all my own cakes now - can fill up the oven with cakes, slice them up when they are cold and freeze them. Always got something for the lunch boxes or for when people call in for a cuppa. The other thing about homemade cakes is that you know what goes in them - not loads of hydrogenated fat. Chicken fillets on offer are a good thing. I cut them up into little pieces and make sweet an sour or curry, then freeze them down.

It's swings and roundabouts ... if you buy the value food it still works out cheaper to buy than make it. For instance, I bought two quiches for 89p .... I couldn't make one for that price??

The only way you can really make any saving is buy bulk buying and cooking and freezing but the cost is marginal as taking gas and electric into consideration ?

I love making Beef Stew and Dumplings, Spagetti Bol, yummy xx

Some Nice Beef cubed, a Stew pack, Oxo cubes, shove in pan and cook on a low heat for 3-4 hours or longer until the meat melts in your mouth :)

Are you all watching "Economy Gastronomy" at 8pm on BBC2 - it's very interesting and full of tips for cutting your budget. The recipes can also be found on their website.

Thought Id rebump this thread due to my current financial condition.

How Much a week do you guys usually spend on shopping, include your top ups like Milk, Bread etc,

We are now a family of Five, and well to put it simply, we struggle.

well magic i am also a family of 5 and they all love their grub let me tell ya and i reckon i would spend about£250 to £300 a week it's no joke but u gotta eat aint ya i need 2 win the lotto lol

Blimey, I guess at the mooment were spending about 50 a week, not enough, but if you havent got the money, what do you do. we always make sure the kids eat, but it means skimping all the time.

A lootery win would be nice, but we cant afford the ticket lol