food budget challenge

At one time (not that long ago) we were having to manage on an incredibly small budget, but we managed.

Ice cream and pizza were definitely off limits, they were too expensive and cost a lot more than we could justify, or afford!

MamaCaz, I buy icecream for the freezer when doing the main shop, and then during the week most days I buy something like a vegan magnum or vegan cornetto

Phoenix,

can you tell me how you managed on a small budget? I think it might help me

Processed food is always either unhealthy or very expensive and vegan has become popular so is even more expensive but only because people are stupid enough to pay for something ready made. If you continue to eat processed you have no chance of cutting your costs.

Riverwalk,

I forgot to reply to you.

I recently ordered a £969 pram for them. That was the only thing they needed to get and couldn't seem to find. I think I have already put allot of money towards them. They have more than enough things for their triplets and there is no need to buy anything else. Obviously if they're struggling with anything financially I'd definitely help them but at the moment they seem to be fine.

pram link; www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Trippy-Pram-3in1-Pushchair-Triple-Carrycot-Stroller-3Car-Seat-Stroller-PROMOTION-/253863657091?var=&ul_ref=https%253A%252F%252Frover.ebay.com%252Frover%252F1%252F710-53481-19255-0%252F1%253Fff3%253D4%2526pub%253D5574631662%2526toolid%253D10001%2526campid%253D5338243305%2526customid%253Daee5e303d065c451c8a62cc79308d5be%2526mpre%253Dhttps%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.ebay.co.uk%25252Fitm%25252FTrippy-Pram-3in1-Pushchair-Triple-Carrycot-Stroller-3Car-Seat-Stroller-PROMOTION-%25252F253863657091%25253Fvar%25253D%2526srcrot%253D710-53481-19255-0%2526rvr_id%253D1927295872851%2526rvr_ts%253Dff1e47341690aad93a26d9dafff93b8e&ul_noapp=true

DINNO if you looked at my reply there were lots of suggestions regarding living on a budget.
Unfortunately I don’t think you will like them as they do not include ready meals, smoothies, expensive energy bars or frozen pizzas.

You could make your own pizzas for considerably less and with greater nutritional value of course.....

Oh Maw, The Paupers Cookbook. We totally lived out of that when we were first married. Especially the chapter on Programmed Eating!

Dinno that is a lot of money to spend on a pram!

It was for three babies, so very big. Maybe big enough to carry a dog too?

Very odd....

Eglantine so did we! Literally - shopping list and all.
The reprint (which is what I have now, the original having fallen to pieces) is not quite as good though.

Dinno, just because a supermarket lists a product under a section it calls "Healthy Ready Meals", doesn't mean it actually IS healthy.

As others have said, what you could make at home will be much healthier, cheaper, and also more filling because it will contain real ingredients. Then you'll be less likely to buy expensive snacks every time you leave the house, so that'll save money too... Win, win.

I think I need to shout A LOT !!

https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/201904/medium-932873-9da1d5bb-9fd0-411f-840e-d18b6037e460.jpeg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/201904/medium-387004-4f0845c0-5608-41d3-ac6b-f7eb1ecb863a.jpeg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/201904/medium-178043-63e75576-0b0c-4bf3-a0c2-77dde4c17e16.jpeg

Vegan Pizzas 2 for £5
Vegan ice cream £5
GN Magnums £3
Vegan smoothies £3

Doesn’t leave much out of the £20 weekly budget does it?

I think you’ll have to think it out again!

I recently ordered a £969 pram for them.
Now I know why you need to cut back on the food bill!

You could try lentils chilli, lentil ragu, lentils in a dahl, lentil soup, lentil burgers, lentil loaf, lentil pilaf, knit lentil jumpers

No smoothies, just drink tap water.

I'm not vegan so no idea of the cost of eating that way. I would suggest as others have that you eat all the food in the freezer to start with. I too have a 5 drawer freezer and if yours is full I think you will be amazed at the amount of food you actually have in stock. I'm pretty sure we could eat for a month from just the freezer and cupboards if need be. Instead of stopping at the shop after your walk why not go home and eat? I dont know the price of much ready made food but a vegan ice cream £2? Trek bars £1? Smoothie £2? Fruit £1? Ready made salad £2? Thats £8 x 7 days a week = £56!!! That leaves £34 for everything else. As others have said a good start would be writing down everything you buy for a week and then try buying the same but in Aldi or Lidl. Cooking from scratch is much cheaper, you can cook batches which saves time and fuel in the long run. I believe 2 people could live on £20 of food but maybe smaller portions, no luxuries and lots of planning. From what I've read I think you would find it difficult to go from £90 to £20 straight away. Have a go, let us know how you get on.

Lentils, vegetable stock, Indian spices.

Throw it all in together and cook 6-10 minutes, almost instant budget soup.

Callistemon
Thanks for the laugh.
Your post on lentils reminded me of a friend who was going through lean times.
The things that woman could do with lentils was legendary.
Many years when we were going through a lean time Oysters were our saviour. We were lucky enough to live near some Oyster beds. These beds didn't belong to anyone they just happened to be in a place that the general public wouldn't know about ( Tollesbury in essex)
Unlike Southend where the world and his wife know about them

Can't work out if OP is trying to fool us or fool herself!
I could bring the T word into the conversation or I could contact GNHQ and do it "properly".
I wonder.........

Oh, please don't start speculating - the whole thread will end up deleted!

Not speculating but finding it hard to believe that anyone has to have it spelt out in words of one syllable that pizzas, takeaways, ice cream etc are both expensive and unhealthy!
However GNHQ doesn't find the thread 'disingenuous'.
Therefore I leave you to it. Advise away!

Perhaps it is an “academic question” to elicit thrifty or money saving tips which will in due course end up on Facebook or in the DM.
Be that as it may, I am puzzled by the discrepancy between what OP claims to aim to cut her food shopping to, and what her current expenditure , including takeaways, ready meals, magnums and smoothies seems to amount to.

I think you're being totally unrealistic, you want to live on a £20 budget yet keep all your treats. Also how others managed on peanuts when needs must is not comparable with your crazy trial. Get real.

I never knew there were vegan magnums or Cornettos !!!

I too am another who wonders why a vegan would want fake meat products - but hey ho what do I know ? Lol

Here's a suggestion of what to do with leftover noodles:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=784GHRBS75E