smallest possible budget

[xsecretsx]

So i'm really trying to eliminate any excess costs this term. So was wondering what the smallest budget for food people could live on healthily? And how they'd manage on it thanksx

[Ella.x]

I'm having to do the same thing at the moment. I presume you're in shared accomodation so you don't have much freezer space?
I think you could probably live off £10-15 a week.

My advice is:

either go vegetarian or only buy meat when it's reduced (also, don't bother with chicken breast, go for legs or wings as they're cheaper)

Buy a load of dried pulses (split peas, lentils, beans etc) as they're high in fibre, protein and energy and they have no fat.

Don't buy branded products

If you're using things that go off quickly, cook a few meals worth of food and freeze them individually.

Buy loose veggies instead of the pre-packed ones

Do not buy instant meals/flavoured rice/packet sauces etc as they're usually really expensive compared to cooking the stuff yourself and generally full of rubbish.

Always check the price per weight of what you're buying.

Make a shopping list and stick to it

lovefoodhatewaste.com is quite good for cheap recipes.

Bread is pretty expensive and goes mouldy quickly, so try having porridge for breakfast with honey or jam in it.

Hope this helps

[xsecretsx]

Hey Ella, thanks for the detailed reply. That website looks pretty good

I'm vegetarian already so that definately keeps things cheap. Last term my food budget was £15 but i was trying to get that to around 1/2 for about 10 weeks just not sure if it's really possible ...

[MegaMadness]

My best advice is always be on the look out for the best deals. Like look for the shop that sells the cheapest items and always go there if you can. And deffinately avoid popular brands in food, the other less known brand foods are the same food but way cheaper.

[Yale]

Ramen. 'Nuff said :P

[The Morrigan]

I know Tescos does special offers on fruit and vegetables every week and they're healthy for you and can be used for a lot of things so perhaps shop there

Also, there's always the bargain shops like Home Bargains and they have branded products but at cheaper prices so perhaps look around those too.

Things like pasta bakes and stir fries are pretty easy to make and lots of veggies can be added to those

[hopefaithlove]

Cut coupons. Plan your meals.

I find it fun (I know, I'm so weird), so I cut coupons for my family. I've saved $102.00 so far this YEAR and it's only January 17th.

[iHEAVENn]

Originally Posted by Yale

Ramen. 'Nuff said :P

HEALTHY stuff LOL!

Coupons are great... and set aside how much money you want to spend on food each month a long with a grocery list of items you'll need.. when you go shopping bring a calculator to make sure you're not going over your weekly budget. At the end of the month, lay out all your receipts and your shopping list. See which items you did buy and which items you did without also make sure your receipt totals match your monthly total for spending if your over then knock something off your list.

[Tynan]

Ramen is healthy, if you add like others have said dried beans or frozen veggies, and also using less of the flavor packet,

also check these two videos

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNhpuvdViFg

and

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzMTo...eature=channel

also to get most out of ramen noodles

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4jQ4Tl56Ww

and

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kvvQ...eature=channel

hoped this helped

[Unicorn ♥✿]

Originally Posted by Yale

Ramen. 'Nuff said :P

Raman is pricey