£14.50 food challenge for a month

[Shelley_d]

Ok I was with you until I seen you drank beef stock cube as soup that is just pure salt! I think that you need to focus on getting healthy food into you as well as it being cheap so you can come out of the end of the month feeling healthy still. Otherwise I fear you will really run yourself down.

First thing I would buy is a big bag of spuds - I know from a local farm shop in town I can buy 25kg for £2.99 which would do our whole family a month when funds are low! Team it with any super low priced meat and veg from Asda. You could end up with a nice range of things like cottage pie, baked potato etc

I would then buy value self raising flour and either watch for eggs, milk and butter on discount/woops or just buy them and use that to make pancakes. You can team them with any fruit you find reduces. Porridge for the rest of the days as its cheap and filling.

There is a great thread on MSE by a woman called I believe Weasel? She did just this with her partner - 50p a day but I think they hunted for fruit and the likes in local forests too. Id say the best way to sustain this long term would be to start growing some of your own veg GOOD LUCK! already subscribed to the blog for a daily read :hug:

I use to follow that lady on MSE called Weasel and you are right a lot of her food came from foraging and eveything was made from scratch. There are tons of recipes ideas on there for every budget. Whole chickens are good because you can stretch them out (rubber chicken) and make a few meals and soup from it. X

 

[VeryBusyBunny]

My second day main meal - https://14poundchallenge.wordpress.com/2013/01/05/day-2-shopping-and-food/

I'm loving this! It's fascinating. You're very determined What do you get when you "win"? Big posh dinner out I hope!

I haven't taught about that yet...I will be naive and hope that my bf will sort something out.

Ok I'm not going to be as good and I'm going to start with chicken and whatever else is in my freezer. But I'm a student. I could live off just pasta no problem if I had to. But my treat at the end will be that my bank account won't be so much in the red...(and maybe some shoes...) x

Good luck to You I used to be a student when i spent all money on drinks and then living off rice

Skimmed milk powder is cheap and you can just make up what you need ,defiantly get into the supermarket on a daily basis and see what is in the reduced section :-D

Skimmed milk powder - didn't think of that, amazing idea, now I will be able to cook some porridge, because I just hate water only oat porridge.

lila22 - after new year people always try to do new things, make their lives better, I hope this challenge will be a good boost to loose some weight.
ClaireL - thank you
justpampered - hope I will be able to do it all the way
facelashbrow - as I am waking up early from Monday to Thursday and working weekend nights,
then my way of eating is weird, I try to eat at least 2 times a day + snacks and lots of water.
LilMissEmmylou - beef stock cube soup was as an alternative to some kind of sauce, because I still haven't bought all the things I would need. Tomorrow I hope to make my bf wake up early to come with me to the big market - lots of cheap veg
Chickafish - Then I will be able to do it as well - hopefully

 

[souz]

we all have to live on what we can afford and manage....until you have been there with no money and a family to feed you dont realise how resourceful you can be. even when you do have money look at your budget and see where you could save money that you are literally throwing away!!

last year i cancelled all insurances i did not need and saved £30 a month, i shopped around for energy and saved £60 a month, then £10 on phone then started to food shop carefully, i was spending around £150+ a week now ive got it to under £100!!! now i dont necessarily have spare money every month i just spend more elsewhere nit just goes to show!

 

[Tjo]

Are living on just 1 meal a day?

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[VeryBusyBunny]

My third day - Potato Pancakes https://14poundchallenge.wordpress.com/2013/01/06/day-3-one-of-my-favourite-meals/

Tjo - mainly two, the other meal is just smaller and usually in work.

 

[dandelionpoppy]

Like the potato pancakes; so simple but yummy.

 

[mrslargelashes]

This website has loads of money saving ideas, and runs a similar challenge, www.frugaldom.com. Hats off to those disciplined enough to try it xx

 

[Crystal colleen]

Those potato cakes look yummy I'm impressed with those and a very substantial meal at that.xx

 

[lila22]

Yummy ill be trying them tomorrow xx keep up the good work x

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[xxsarahj25xx]

Your blog has really made me think about how much I reaaaally overspend on food! As of tomorrow i'm going to be trying this myself! Xx

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[AmberExt]

Oh my gosh, seriously good luck thou please do consider your health & get some fresh food too, the cheapest processed options are not usually the best quality (ie: smartprice fishfingers may have very little good meat in, you maybe better off all round buying a cheap fillet nearing out of date & mixing with potato & freezing).

Likewise a wholesale bag of rice or noodles may work out cheaper then individual packets of flavoured noodles & add your own soy sauce or stock to them.

Can I ask why your doing this? money? dieting? challenge?

There was a program not long ago, not sure what it was called? where you go through the bins at the back of tesco.

Ok, that didnt describe it too nicely!! but lots is thrown away everyday, all still sealed or washable veg etc.

Im sure there's websites or communities where you could find out a bit more & on doing it safely, i think there are rules like being tidy, quiet & only taking what you need without waste & best to go 10mins after closing, not the 24hr shops etc.

Or grow your own,,

netmums.co.uk do some threads on cheap meals too in their forum for ideas.

 

[VeryBusyBunny]

Day 4 - today I am having a breakfast aswell https://14poundchallenge.wordpress.com/2013/01/07/day-4-breakfast/

dandelionpoppy - thanks
mrslargelashes - Will check that website out
lila22 - hope you will enjoy them, let me know how did it go.
xxsarahj25xx - sometimes we buy more food than we actually need, then we overeat or just throw things out which is a total waste of money. Good Luck :wink2:
JustTraining - now I am trying to include more and more fresh food in my diet. And I am doing it as a challenge with my boyfriend, read this - How The £14.50 challenge Started

 

[Mobile Manicure]

I have a feeling that if you stick to this and don't go over £14.50 for the month, you are going to be one very ill lady. If you tally up what you've spent already, it's over a quarter of your allowance and you've still got 3 weeks to go. You're not going to have any money left in week 4 and will be starving.

I hope for you that you're allowing yourself to accept handouts of free food from family and friends. :hug:

I think £14.50 per week would be a more reasonable goal which will give you better access to a much healthier diet than all the starchy foods you are eating now.

Anyway, good luck!

 

[Lynne Baker]

I'm afraid I have to agree. I think that long term this is a dangerous exercise.
Taking a long, hard look at how much you spend is laudable, but is it worth putting your health at such risk for the sake of a "challenge"?

 

[CHarvey]

It is recommended that we eat AT LEAST 5 times a day. Looks like your probably consuming well below 1200 cal which is what your body requires to sit on the sofa doing nothing all day, yet alone factoring in your daily activities and physical an mental function.
The weight will probably drop off you to start with tgen your body will go into starvation mode and your metabolism will be juggered for life.
When we were growing up my mother swore by the "how to feed your family for £5 a day" book. Loads of home made bread and cakes, lots of tinned fish etc. everything was made from scratch. Far healthier tgen what you appear to be doing I do hope that you have visited your dr or a nutritionist to check that this is safe before starting?
Good luck and all that but I couldn't function on dried noodles full of salt etc I need good quality lean protien, multi grains and low sodium. Those noodles are full of salt!

 

[xxsarahj25xx]

I was all ready to start this morning, then I realised how confusing this would be for me! I already have bread in the cupboard, do I calculate cost per slice and take it out the 14.50? Or does it not count as it was there before I started? And does it count as spending money in food if my OH bought it?

Lesson learned? Don't try and answer so many questions before coffee haha definately going to be looking at what I spend, can cut back on, and my main issue: BUDGETING! Xx

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[VeryBusyBunny]

Yes, I have spent more than a quarter already, but I have plenty of rice, potatoes, onions and tomatoes left. Don’t forget my bananas and oat porridge
I have deeper knowledge about healthy eating and various types of diets and the way the body responds. Know the importance of carbs, fiber and fat in the food. Never in my life I have been eating 5 times a day and if I manage to eat 3 times a day - happy days. Knowing what I have been eating daily until now - crisps, quick meals, sweets and late snacks, this is a very nice change for me.

I am not starving myself . This is only a challenge for me, there is always a slight possibility to fail…
…for many people this could be the day to day reality.
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But thanks for all the good advice, i definitely keep that in mind

 

[VeryBusyBunny]

I think this is normal meal, at least for me :green:

https://14poundchallenge.wordpress.com/2013/01/07/day-4-second-meal/

 

[Scissorz]

I think this is normal meal, at least for me :green:

https://14poundchallenge.wordpress.com/2013/01/07/day-4-second-meal/

Just an idea for your bananas, get some eggs and make banana omelett, very tasty and filling, also eggs are a great source of protein as you don't seem to have that in what you've made so far

 

[xxsarahj25xx]

Just an idea for your bananas, get some eggs and make banana omelett, very tasty and filling, also eggs are a great source of protein as you don't seem to have that in what you've made so far

Banana omlette!? Each to their own but the thought is making me queasy! Banana pancakes or smoothie/milkshake were the obvious suggestions haha xx

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