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Firstly I would by fresh when possible from market. I would also knock downs from supermarkets (y'know, sell by dates gone etc.)
Pasta is good, rice dishes too. Make large amounts to freeze.
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83p a meal?
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Too late now, but I got loads of blackberries, and windfall apples, plums and damsons by forraging! Next thing will be sloes for sloe gin - but gin would send your budget through the roof I expect.
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staples would be rice/pasta type foods and buy the battered fruit and veg that they sell at a discount
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Question Author
Thanks all for your input-- all rather interesting .
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It would take some planning but if you had a large enough freezer it would be possible as cooking in large quantities is always more cost effective, then serve into meal sized containers ready for reheating.
The Budget for feeding the lads in the forces is around £3.60 per day per single person within a unit. So it can be done, it is just very hard work.
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If you have a slow cooker, it can be done.
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lots of foraging..... supermarket cheapest packs of pasta, tinned tomatoes, baked beans economy eggs, end of day discopunted bread, and the cheap skimmed milk. economy flour and cheap spread to make crumbles with foraged fruit, soup from whatever veg I could find either from a market or greengrocers chuck out bin, cooked in stock from marrow bones...you want them for your dog if the butcher asks... tuna from poundland (3 tins) in pasta with tinned tomatoes, use the cheap spread on toast, or buy the cheapy cereal easier if you have the whole weeks amount on one day... if you did then maybe some basics cheese, a bag of cheap potatoes although pasta is much cheaper... but get out there while there are still blackberries and elderberries to be had.... and maybe windfall apples and pears. stew and freeze for later when the supply runs out.
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tesco or Asda own make supernoodles will be your friend!
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Pig's cheek at £2.99 a kilo, slow cooked 4/5 hrs will feed you all week.
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Do you get given the £2.50 each day or do you get a lump sum, would make a lot of difference to what you could make.
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I often survive on a lot less than £2.50 per day!
Tesco 'Value' mince is a good starting point. It's £1.50 for 500g. I divide it into 100g portions, wrap it in cling film and freeze it. (i.e 30p per portion)
Even better value is Tesco 'Value' cooking bacon, at £1.00 for 500g. Again, I split it into 100g portions and freeze it. (20p per portion).
Next, I'll buy lots of jars of Tesco 'Value' pasta sauce, at 24p per jar. I'll be using half a jar per meal, so that's 12p per portion.
Then my shopping list includes 'Value' pasta and rice. (I can't remember the current prices but it works out at just a few pence per portion). I'll also buy some large spuds (although they work out far dearer than pasta or rice). 'Value' instant mashed potato will feature on my shopping list as well.
Tesco's 'Value' stock cubes are also useful. (Vegetable 10 for 6p / Chicken 10 for 12p / Beef 10 for 20p).
A portion of mince can be quickly browned in a frying pan (with a little vegetable oil or olive oil, depending upon what the final product will be). Add half a jar of pasta sauce and cook until the mince starts to break down. Serve with some pasta. That's roughly 50p per meal. (I might add some 'Value' dried herbs or a bit of freshly ground black pepper if I want to adjust the flavour slightly).
Starting with the mince and pasta sauce again, throwing a bit of chilli powder in, and serving it with rice instead of pasta, makes a quick and easy chilli con carne. (OK, it hasn't got the beans in it, which usually go into a chilli, but it still tastes good!). For a less hot dish I'll use cayenne pepper and/or paprika instead of some, or all, of the chilli powder
I've tried various other dishes based around putting mince and pasta sauce into a frying pan (including adding some curry powder and serving with a jacket potato or rice) but some of them still need perfecting!
The mince can also be used to create a good shepherd's pie, using some beef stock cubes, lot of herbs and spices and topped with instant potato. (I'll usually put a bit of butter - or similar - into the potato, together with some pepper and/or herbs. If I've got some cheese to spare, I might put some on top). Serve with baked beans.
The cooking bacon can generally be used in similar ways but it can be rather salty, so it either needs to be soaked first or the dish needs to be served with something to counteract the saltiness. For example, a portion of bacon cooked in a frying pan with half a jar of pasta sauce (together with dried herbs, etc) tastes really good when served with a jacket potato and butter (or similar) because the 'butter' counteracts the salt.
Chris
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Chris, those ideas are great. I wille trying some of them very soon.
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Chris! I can't believe you use instant mash! How extravagant is that? Man up and buy spuds, wayyyyy cheaper ;-)
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Thanks for that Dido!
Another thought:
'Pound shops' often have 'cup soups' on offer at 2 packs for a £1 (with 4 portions in a pack). So that's 12½p per portion. I'm not suggesting that anyone should have a 'cup soup' for a meal but it's far cheaper than buying 'cook in' sauces.
For example, I've got some potato and leek cup soups in my cupboard. I'm planning on trying a bacon casserole, based around a portion of cooking bacon (20p, as above) in the soup (12½p), with some cheap veg (perhaps a sliced carrot, or similar), together with dried herbs, etc. (I might even try adding some apple). Serving it with some instant mash (with some butter or mustard in it, together with some fresh ground black pepper), should provide me with a decent meal for no more than 60p.
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Boo:
I bought 3 large spuds in Tesco. They averaged out at 48p each. 'Value' instant mash works out at about 5p per portion (or, with butter and herbs added, perhaps closer to 10p). Unless mathematics has changed considerably since I used to teach it, 10p is considerably less than 48p!
Yes, I know that spuds work out much cheaper if you buy them in large quantities but I only rarely eat potato at all. (I much prefer pasta, rice or couscous ). I'd only end up throwing most of the bag away.
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Porridge for breakfast made with water and a spoon full of honey.
Jacket potato with beans for lunch
Pasta with tomatoes,onion and butter beans or chilli on rice for dinner.
Supper is a hot milky drink made with half and half water and milk
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Ahhh fair enough ! We go through lots of spuds in our house, and I've found the cheapest option is to send Mr Boo up (with car) to grab a massive bag for about a fiver from our local asian shop- this (if kept i the dark) will last us all month.
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We rarely buy live potatoes either, Chris, I keep a box of Mr Mash on the shelf (£1 in Farm Foods for a box of 3 sachets, half a sachet makes enough mash for OH and me)- far less wasteful for us than buying spuds.
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Is this to feed one person? Sainsburys were doing recipe cards for feeding a family of 4 for £5 a day so it would be quite possible to eat well on £2.50 a head a day.
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