When you meal plan, plan the week! Invest in a small 3 tier steamer for veg. 1 base saucepan on the hob but 3 foods cooked. Foods like potatoes or carrots (I like to cook carrots in stock & then I use liquid as a base for a drink or sauces or gravy) or lentils on the bottom then cabbage or carrots, broccoli or cauliflower, courgettes etc on the next tier. You don’t have to use all 3 tiers at the same time. Another tip when shopping is to have a formula, make sure you have some base foods like bread, potatoes, rice, pasta,lentils, beans & toppings like cheese & eggs, tuna. Then fill in the middle, mince, sausages, chicken, cans of baked beans, (or you could make your own), tomatoes, frozen vegetables like cauliflower & broccoli, green beans which are usually cheaper & you can bring out a portion at a time, then the odd fresh veg, onions, mushrooms etc. Staples like milk & pantry goods like flour, spices as & when you need them. When using canned tomatoes, freeze the leftover juice & when you have a few, make a tomato sauce. It’s a good idea to use the same ingredients but cooked in different ways with different accompaniments like you did with your potatoes. When I meal prep I often make a couple or more gratins with veg in a cheese sauce. Just make enough sauce by cutting down measures. That is often the base of my meals. To facilitate this I buy some sandwich size zip lock bags & after buying frozen veg, split up into portions. A larger bag will hold enough different veg frozen & fresh for your gratins/casseroles so they will be ready to use when you want them. Do the same with blocks of cheese. (Frozen cheese becomes crumbly so if you like to eat fresh keep a bit back in the fridge. If you portion food out after shopping you will find it goes further. Sometimes you have to invest ahead of time to make it cheaper down the road.
@@BudgetFoodieUK Pleasure. I should have mentioned if you meal plan by 2 or 3 weeks or preferably by the month, depending on available cash & use the bags to portion out frozen foods & foods that can be frozen after purchase, it will enable you to eat more healthily & eke it out better. You will have more money to take advantage of reduced items too. A weekly shop makes it more restrictive than it needs to be. It takes a little more effort after your shop to meal prep for the freezer because there are more items but will save time throughout the week/month. You can make gratins, stir fries, soups, casseroles, loaded omelettes, individual single portions too. Label everything with what it is & the date. When you have meal plan in front of you & you have checked your larder, fridge & freezer for things you don’t need to buy then all you need to buy is the fresh items. You have to be disciplined not to buy more or allow a portion of your cash for bargains that come up. Keep the cash for next time if no bargains appeal to you. Take advantage of supermarket special offers for seasonal celebrations like Easter, Christmas as they usually reduce large joints that can be frozen then cooked on any Sunday (?) & used in the week or with gravy added can be frozen. Don’t forget that afterwards foods are often reduced too so plan in advance. Check out “Trolly” supermarket comparison site online for where items are cheaper & do the rounds of the supermarkets. I compare supermarkets online too by putting items in my trolly & then swapping them to another if cheaper. I buy the minimum online shop for the lowest delivery charge. Look out for coupons too.
Are you growing your own herbs, lettuce, tomatoes, spring onions, chillies? That can definitely help. Another useful .... Buy block coconut and mix a small amount with water to give coconut milk or cream for your curries. M&S has minced beef 500g for £2.49 .... Cheaper than tofu.
I’m a rogue meal planner, like yourself. I write my proposed meals on squares of paper and pop them into 3 containers (breakfast, lunch, dinner) and pick what I fancy as we go. That way the week is planned but not so rigid 😊
Love your channel. Quite informative and inspiring! Groceries there are so reasonable. Here in America, it costs so much more. BTW, if you save all of your veg scraps and put them in the freezer, you can make a good broth with them. Strain after cooking.
All you need to do with spring onions is cut an inch off the bottom put in some soil and they grow fast, I then just cut off what I need and they keep growing
Ive heard either chickpeas or the liquid is a egg substitute! Hot rice or macaroni pudding for breakfast or dessert, a toasted sandwich for lunch. Get some bones or a chicken for a great soup, stock, pasta sauce base etc. Yorkshire pudding and scones are great fillers for your belly! One tiny tin of tuna could make quite a few tuna patties! Also many Indian dishes are cost effective and delicious! Enjoying your channel very much!
If you can ever get a living parsley plant from the supermarket (sometimes they are reduced by quite a bit), you can plant them out in the garden )a tub, container etc, and they keep om growing throughout the summer and start growing again the next year.
The smooshed down fried garlic bread with mushrooms was inspired, I'm definitely doing that next time I have leftover garlic bread (though that could be a long wait!). I revive almost dead spring onions by growing them on my kitchen window sill in one of those plastic containers that mushrooms are sold in, the last lot I did wouldn't stop growing and we had free spring onion greens for over a year from just one tub! You can do it with lettuce roots and other veg too 🙂
Hey Just thought id mention I have my own chilli plants and pepper plants With chillies and peppers I grew myself from seeds taken from used ones from super market Same with tomztoes Save all ur seeds
Nutmeg in oats is a really great idea I've not thought of before. I also like a tiny bit of ground Cardamom. I guess it's an acquired taste, but I found it once at Morrisons ages ago. Not found it again. I'm glad to have found your channel too - looking forward to catching up on some of your older vids. 👍
It would be interesting to know what your other expenses are beacause you are so clever and economical with your food! How do you/ do you economise on electric and gas? Do you have transport costs? If so, how do you reduce them? Wishing you and this channel all the best!
I have just got a smart meter installed and that is WILD. I try to use power and heating at the office. Transport costs, I’ve recently started taking the bus at weekends as it’s only £2 to anywhere in Norfolk but I do run a car for work in the week. I try to leave the car parked for the whole weekend and walk/bus.
Really like the meat ball recipe, looked great, I would definitely eat that. I agree love my porridge, like you add different things I have on hand, fruit nuts, spices nutmeg included, chia seeds & milled flax. Jack is super cute! You are much more adventurous than me with your pulses, but you make me want to try & use them more. "What have we got to lose apart from our sanity" made me laugh : )) Always try & make my food from scratch too. Absolutely love a salad wrap, you can put practically any left over food in & have hot or cold, sweet or savoury, there so versatile. Linda McCartney sausage's with red onion, there delicious, & a treat on my frugal budget. Keep going creative & inspirational content, would of eaten all the things you cooked. Thank you Rechenda.
A quick FYI for people needing a little more ! RUclips has hundreds of food related channels just like this one . Atomic shrimp , The1940's experiment , GlenAndFriendsCooking & The Wolfe Pit . It just depends on what you're looking for ! Out in the wilderness we have “ Thrifty Lesley ,The1940's experiment ,Cheap family recipes & Poorgirleatswell ” PGEW is good if you ignore the advertisements !
@@BudgetFoodieUK “ Food Wishes ” would be top of the YT list if you weren't on a budget . Also if you're interested in historic foods try “ Townsends ” & “ TastingHistory ” . Yes prepping isn't for everyone but theirs “ Prepper Princess ” with a odd mix of prepping & budget related things . Hopefully not all new channels , it's a lot of RUclips .…...
This is great for ideas :) Subscribed. I'm also on a mission to feed myself healthily on a low budget in the long-term. For me that's 150 a month, in London, including all breakfasts and lunches at the office. It's complicated by the fact I can't eat gluten with the exception of small amounts of real sourdough bread so no cheap pasta for me 😭 and I really don't want to eat ultra-processed food. It's good to see what others do when just feeding self - it can so difficult budget cooking just for one.
You got this Laura! I think I'm going to have to increase from £100 to £150 a month. I think £100 is doable if eating lots of pasta and little meat but like you I'm trying to be healthy. Let's do it together! 🙏 thanks for tuning in x
Just come across your channel. I don't normally like food hauls but your personality and way you film and talk just light up the videos. So excited to watch the rest. I love Jack ❤️
If I meal plan for a week I just can't stick to it no matter what! Even if I switch the days over. Me and my partner are awful and in a real financial pickle with our income halfed. What can we do to make some sort of budget stick?
When you meal plan, plan the week! Invest in a small 3 tier steamer for veg. 1 base saucepan on the hob but 3 foods cooked. Foods like potatoes or carrots (I like to cook carrots in stock & then I use liquid as a base for a drink or sauces or gravy) or lentils on the bottom then cabbage or carrots, broccoli or cauliflower, courgettes etc on the next tier. You don’t have to use all 3 tiers at the same time.
Another tip when shopping is to have a formula, make sure you have some base foods like bread, potatoes, rice, pasta,lentils, beans & toppings like cheese & eggs, tuna. Then fill in the middle, mince, sausages, chicken, cans of baked beans, (or you could make your own), tomatoes, frozen vegetables like cauliflower & broccoli, green beans which are usually cheaper & you can bring out a portion at a time, then the odd fresh veg, onions, mushrooms etc. Staples like milk & pantry goods like flour, spices as & when you need them.
When using canned tomatoes, freeze the leftover juice & when you have a few, make a tomato sauce.
It’s a good idea to use the same ingredients but cooked in different ways with different accompaniments like you did with your potatoes. When I meal prep I often make a couple or more gratins with veg in a cheese sauce. Just make enough sauce by cutting down measures. That is often the base of my meals. To facilitate this I buy some sandwich size zip lock bags & after buying frozen veg, split up into portions. A larger bag will hold enough different veg frozen & fresh for your gratins/casseroles so they will be ready to use when you want them. Do the same with blocks of cheese. (Frozen cheese becomes crumbly so if you like to eat fresh keep a bit back in the fridge. If you portion food out after shopping you will find it goes further. Sometimes you have to invest ahead of time to make it cheaper down the road.
What a brilliant comment! Thank you for all those great suggestions, I love the formula idea x
@@BudgetFoodieUK Pleasure. I should have mentioned if you meal plan by 2 or 3 weeks or preferably by the month, depending on available cash & use the bags to portion out frozen foods & foods that can be frozen after purchase, it will enable you to eat more healthily & eke it out better. You will have more money to take advantage of reduced items too. A weekly shop makes it more restrictive than it needs to be. It takes a little more effort after your shop to meal prep for the freezer because there are more items but will save time throughout the week/month. You can make gratins, stir fries, soups, casseroles, loaded omelettes, individual single portions too. Label everything with what it is & the date. When you have meal plan in front of you & you have checked your larder, fridge & freezer for things you don’t need to buy then all you need to buy is the fresh items. You have to be disciplined not to buy more or allow a portion of your cash for bargains that come up. Keep the cash for next time if no bargains appeal to you.
Take advantage of supermarket special offers for seasonal celebrations like Easter, Christmas as they usually reduce large joints that can be frozen then cooked on any Sunday (?) & used in the week or with gravy added can be frozen. Don’t forget that afterwards foods are often reduced too so plan in advance.
Check out “Trolly” supermarket comparison site online for where items are cheaper & do the rounds of the supermarkets. I compare supermarkets online too by putting items in my trolly & then swapping them to another if cheaper. I buy the minimum online shop for the lowest delivery charge. Look out for coupons too.
I will check out Trolley, what a Fab tip! Also hoping to get some easter food on sale today, let's see xx
So pleased YT served me your videos this evening. You eat the same way as me! Sending both you and handsome Jack a cwtch from South Wales.
Thank you so much and lovely to chat to you! South wales how lovely 🏴🫶 xx
@@BudgetFoodieUKYou can also chop your mushrooms up and freeze them. Then they are ready to use in any dish you choose 😊
Blue berries freeze amazingly well
There is no need to defrost just add to your porridge in the morning
My favourite as well
Take care xx❤️❤️❤️❤️
Great tip! X
❤️❤️
Are you growing your own herbs, lettuce, tomatoes, spring onions, chillies? That can definitely help. Another useful .... Buy block coconut and mix a small amount with water to give coconut milk or cream for your curries. M&S has minced beef 500g for £2.49 .... Cheaper than tofu.
Wow love that idea re coconut milk and great tip re: m&s mince! I am growing parsley and coriander and bell peppers at the mo x
I’m a rogue meal planner, like yourself. I write my proposed meals on squares of paper and pop them into 3 containers (breakfast, lunch, dinner) and pick what I fancy as we go. That way the week is planned but not so rigid 😊
Love your channel. Quite informative and inspiring! Groceries there are so reasonable. Here in America, it costs so much more. BTW, if you save all of your veg scraps and put them in the freezer, you can make a good broth with them. Strain after cooking.
Thank you Marie and for the excellent freezer tip x
Jack is always smartly dressed ❣️ And it always fits. Lucky boy❣️🤣
Haha he is!!
Great channel! I’m on the same wavelength as you when it comes to not wasting anything! Glad to have found you.
Awesome! Thank you Fay nice to meet you x
All you need to do with spring onions is cut an inch off the bottom put in some soil and they grow fast, I then just cut off what I need and they keep growing
Ooh fab tip. Xx
Ive heard either chickpeas or the liquid is a egg substitute! Hot rice or macaroni pudding for breakfast or dessert, a toasted sandwich for lunch. Get some bones or a chicken for a great soup, stock, pasta sauce base etc. Yorkshire pudding and scones are great fillers for your belly! One tiny tin of tuna could make quite a few tuna patties! Also many Indian dishes are cost effective and delicious! Enjoying your channel very much!
Ohhh great tips. Thanks for following Sharon xx
Chickpea water makes okay meringue... 😂
Thank you Renda love your chanel and inspiration good luck to save money for a house 🍀💜
Thank you xx
If you can ever get a living parsley plant from the supermarket (sometimes they are reduced by quite a bit), you can plant them out in the garden )a tub, container etc, and they keep om growing throughout the summer and start growing again the next year.
Yea I’d love to do this great idea x
Haluski (panfried cabbage with noedles) taste very good....
Sounds great! X
Oh yes. My grandmother was half Czech and taught me to make it. I also add chopped apple, onion and potato.
The smooshed down fried garlic bread with mushrooms was inspired, I'm definitely doing that next time I have leftover garlic bread (though that could be a long wait!).
I revive almost dead spring onions by growing them on my kitchen window sill in one of those plastic containers that mushrooms are sold in, the last lot I did wouldn't stop growing and we had free spring onion greens for over a year from just one tub! You can do it with lettuce roots and other veg too 🙂
That’s an amazing tip! Also love the word ‘smooshed’ xx
You need to start some sour dough, you will have bread forever.😘
Oooh I have no idea how to make that x
Jack is a very handsome boy ❤
Aww thank you Christine xx
Hey
Just thought id mention
I have my own chilli plants and pepper plants
With chillies and peppers
I grew myself from seeds taken from used ones from super market
Same with tomztoes
Save all ur seeds
That is awesome!
Nutmeg in oats is a really great idea I've not thought of before. I also like a tiny bit of ground Cardamom. I guess it's an acquired taste, but I found it once at Morrisons ages ago. Not found it again. I'm glad to have found your channel too - looking forward to catching up on some of your older vids. 👍
Hi Nicki oooh yes cardamom sounds blinking lovely! X
It would be interesting to know what your other expenses are beacause you are so clever and economical with your food! How do you/ do you economise on electric and gas? Do you have transport costs? If so, how do you reduce them?
Wishing you and this channel all the best!
I have just got a smart meter installed and that is WILD. I try to use power and heating at the office. Transport costs, I’ve recently started taking the bus at weekends as it’s only £2 to anywhere in Norfolk but I do run a car for work in the week. I try to leave the car parked for the whole weekend and walk/bus.
The carrot soup and the sausage and lentil ball stew/caserole you made looked really good, healthy nutricious and tasty, 🙋♂️
Thanks James xx
😊🐱 your cute😂 cat munching away.
Little Jack the cat, love of my life xx
Really like the meat ball recipe, looked great, I would definitely eat that.
I agree love my porridge, like you add different things I have on hand, fruit nuts, spices nutmeg included, chia seeds & milled flax.
Jack is super cute!
You are much more adventurous than me with your pulses, but you make me want to try & use them more.
"What have we got to lose apart from our sanity" made me laugh : ))
Always try & make my food from scratch too.
Absolutely love a salad wrap, you can put practically any left over food in & have hot or cold, sweet or savoury, there so versatile. Linda McCartney sausage's with red onion, there delicious, & a treat on my frugal budget.
Keep going creative & inspirational content, would of eaten all the things you cooked.
Thank you Rechenda.
Haha glad I made you giggle and welcome Christine x
@@BudgetFoodieUK 💖
Jellified IS an actual word :)
Oh wow!! I am so happy to know this! X
I know somone
Saves all she can thats savable
Veg ,meat ect
Thrown in a bit bag in the freezer for soups ect in the week
Great idea
A quick FYI for people needing a little more !
RUclips has hundreds of food related channels just like this one .
Atomic shrimp , The1940's experiment , GlenAndFriendsCooking & The Wolfe Pit .
It just depends on what you're looking for !
Out in the wilderness we have
“ Thrifty Lesley ,The1940's experiment ,Cheap family recipes & Poorgirleatswell ”
PGEW is good if you ignore the advertisements !
Omg I love atomic shrimp! He inspired me to do this x I will check out the others :)
@@BudgetFoodieUK
“ Food Wishes ” would be top of the YT list if you weren't on a budget .
Also if you're interested in historic foods try
“ Townsends ” & “ TastingHistory ” .
Yes prepping isn't for everyone but theirs “ Prepper Princess ” with a odd mix of prepping & budget related things .
Hopefully not all new channels , it's a lot of RUclips .…...
Omg I love tasting history I watch it all the time! Xx
Loving Rechenda's presentation 👌 ❣️
Jack❤❤❤❤
Mimiiiii 🐈⬛🐈⬛🐈⬛🫶❤️
This is great for ideas :) Subscribed. I'm also on a mission to feed myself healthily on a low budget in the long-term. For me that's 150 a month, in London, including all breakfasts and lunches at the office. It's complicated by the fact I can't eat gluten with the exception of small amounts of real sourdough bread so no cheap pasta for me 😭 and I really don't want to eat ultra-processed food. It's good to see what others do when just feeding self - it can so difficult budget cooking just for one.
You got this Laura! I think I'm going to have to increase from £100 to £150 a month. I think £100 is doable if eating lots of pasta and little meat but like you I'm trying to be healthy. Let's do it together! 🙏 thanks for tuning in x
Love your video the spring onions ya planted cut them and then put the little white bit in and the green bit will grow xx hope this helps xx
Thanks for the tips Debbie! Hope your are enjoying the vids x
Really enjoy your videos amazing what you do thank you X X x
Oh thank you Jane xxxx
You are so creative ! Love it ! ❤
Thank you! 😊
Sumac is amazing on roasted foods
It has a really lovely flavour x
I really enjoy your videos. Keep up the good work. Big love from Ely Cambridgeshire.✌🏴🤗
Thank you from Norwich! I have only just started so it's great to know there are a few people watching.
@@BudgetFoodieUK I was born in Ely a fair while ago now, Lol. Were you born in Norwich ?. I love living in East Anglia.
@@dragonkeeper65 yes I came into this world in the Norfolk & Norwich hospital :)
Just come across your channel. I don't normally like food hauls but your personality and way you film and talk just light up the videos. So excited to watch the rest. I love Jack ❤️
@@BudgetFoodieUK hi from Wymondham 👋😃
Sumak is a middle eastern spice that tastes of lemon x
It is sooo tasty x
Thought he was the priminister 😂
You will hit that 1K so soon ❤️🇦🇺
I hope so! X
6.25K now.... well done, Rechenda❣️🇿🇦
Hi
Hope ur good
My 4th watch alltogether
But watche 2 yesterday so anoher one today
And enjoying every one
Glad you like them!
Thanks
Thank yooou xxx ☕️
I love your videos they are so interesting 😊😊😊
Thank you! Xx
If I meal plan for a week I just can't stick to it no matter what! Even if I switch the days over. Me and my partner are awful and in a real financial pickle with our income halfed. What can we do to make some sort of budget stick?
Meal plan, take cash out for the week for food
Where did you get the date syrup bybtge way?
It was lidl x
I definitely need to look out for that one. Maybe they won't sell it in England.🤔
@@pippakay7234 they sell it in world/Asian food shops in England xxx
Just bought you a coffee hope this helps. I think you are great ❤
Awesome! Thank you! That will help! Xx