Weekly food budget for a single person

defiantdancer

hello there, I got into severe financial difficulties in recent years due to being made redundant & having to start over again on a much lower wage. I am very aware that I am very lucky to have my health & a home. I just want to avoid getting into financial difficulties again so here looking at MABS & budgeting.ie. Would anybody be willing to share what they roughly spend on a weekly food budget? Also, any budgeting/healthy eating/cooking recommendations, I would be REALLY grateful.

Viscount Aggro

You can do what I've done... E20 per week. Get a meal plan together, cook in bulk. I've 30 meals in the fridge freezer at all times. Substitute meat with other proteins, such as eggs. I see this a lot.. people buying 12 packs of eggs, 10 kg bags of rice, buy spices in the Asia market store.

Forget about takeaway food..that's for losers.

defiantdancer

thank you @Viscount Aggro .all really good tips. I have a small freezer. I will look into getting a mini chest freezer. I rarely do takeaways!

Viscount Aggro

Send me a PM... I can sort you out with finances. I am a FIRE early retireee.

Esse85

Use a slow cooker for cheaper cuts of meat. It's really tasty too.

LambshankRedemption

Cooking in bulk and freezing is the way to go.

Also, freeze your bread. I get ziplock sandwich bags, and put two slices in each one. To defrost, just put in the toaster. Comes out good as new, but it means no more wasted bread.

Also, vegetables are much cheaper than meat. Bulk your dishes out with veg and you can use less meat. Always in my cupboard always are tinned tomatoes. Instead of buying bolognaise sauces dolmio 3.50 per jar, tesco own brand 85 cent per jar, a tin of chopped tomatoes is 39 cent, and with just a couple of cheap additions, you have your bolognaise.

defiantdancer

@LambshankRedemption thank you! Great user name😄

munsterfan2

For breakfast, a bowl of porridge with a few frozen berries for taste. Bag of porridge & frozen veg about €4. Should last close to a month.

Slightly Kwackers

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058356948/weekly-food-budget-for-a-single-person

Get to know some gardeners. I cook and freeze my produce, but have so much left as the summer progresses I either sell it off at less than the Lidl/ Aldi asking price or give it away.

Some of the produce I find excellent if a bit of creativity is used such as courgettes and cucumbers. They often end up being pulped for poultry food at the end of summer.

If you don't mind the cooking aroma, courgettes in an air fryer are a "portable heat source" and will add to the heating on cold days reducing the fuel bill by a small amount.

Slightly Kwackers

I find a slow cooker brilliant for making yoghurt.

I bought a small controller to manipulate the temperature and ferment milk in 3l batches.

The Yoghurt becomes a dessert, breakfast meal and salad dressing with the appropriate additions.

The whey is absolutely perfect for soda bread and from 3l of milk I can knock out three loaves using 700gm flour and around 7g of bread soda plus 10g of salt.

Whey can be used for sourdough too if the nutrients are wanted, the flavour is not really significantly different to that using plain water though.

zell12

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122292914#Comment_122292914

😮 Does one have a mustache?

defiantdancer

@Slightly Kwackers I am in awe of this!

defiantdancer

@Slightly Kwackers this is really good advice-thank you. I do live in a city apartment but there is a community garden close by so I will check it out. I will start with trying to grow some herbs-bought a basil plant yesterday-I just have to keep it alive now😄

Slightly Kwackers

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122293279#Comment_122293279

Thanks!

I suppose it sounds green and is in a lot of ways efficient, but the truth is I never bought much of the type of produce I produce myself before I started.

It's now a case of what's in the fridge or what's growing that determines my diet.

Taken in isolation, I don't think anything would be cost effective, but as a plan!

Most of my food shopping is oranges, cheese, banana's milk and a very small amount of bacon & black pudding.

I stopped buying meat when my tomatoes and courgettes came to an end, but will start doing my frozen meaty, pasta packages again as things ripen.

I am hoping to add a drake or two to my diet, I hate the task, but I sharpened the axe yesterday and the Ducks are far too stressed with all the attention :-(

Now if anyone in Kerry wants Drakes, totally free, nice pets or indeed very tasty if you can bear to kill them, I would prefer to give them away than eat them. They have been around far too long though and the poor ducks are trying to hide from all the attention.

pgj2015

Hi op

would you do paid online surveys? if interested let me know and I will pm you the best ones to do.

pauly58

We found Indian vegetarian food cheap & tasty ; lots of lentils. Veg is a lot cheaper than meat if you're watching the pennies.

Slightly Kwackers

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122293285#Comment_122293285

Best of luck!

I have a few varieties on the go, it's funny but some herbs I never have trouble with. Dill and coriander are like weeds, I can throw seeds on the ground and up they pop.

Basil I have on the go, a few types. They are showing promise all but my lemon basil which failed last year and for some reason isn't doing well now either.

Sorry to hear you have to buy the plants. I do myself with some items, but it's more satisfying to grow from seed and there is a great deal of satisfaction knowing that the cost of your produce is zero. When growing from seed, you nearly always have vast quantities of plants to spare which can go down well with other growers

As far as saving on food goes, it seems like a good reason to start a small amateur co-operative. I was looking into a pressure cooker to cook and store tomatoes, but the units hitting the required temperature are a tad expensive. If there were a few in the area interested it might be an investment, but as canned tomatoes are not that expensive, unless there is a benefit in flavour I guess it isn't worth pursuing.

Your community garden sounds fascinating. I wish you the best of success. I think the planet needs people that can take food from soil to plate without plastics being involved :-)

hamburgham

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122293255#Comment_122293255

How do you make the yoghurt in the slow cooker?

Bredabe

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058356948/weekly-food-budget-for-a-single-person

Odd as this may seem, scout charity shops/book shops for old cookbooks ( pref ones that use ib's/oz's) to avoid having to buy new measures. These will have a lot of thrifty savoury dishes which you can use or find inspiration from. Buy meat from a butcher as you can regulate how much you pay and most will be happy to show you cheap cuts that will do will in the slow cooker or help fill an oven.

defiantdancer

@Bredabe this is great advice-thank you- didn’t do home economics in school & my mum is passed away now so I can’t ask her-I will do that. I also like the butcher tip-I will work up my courage & go in & ask!

defiantdancer

@Slightly Kwackers your post about the drakes made me laugh out loud-it took my mind off my money worries😄

Bredabe

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122293813#Comment_122293813

I don't like meat, so when Im in, I tell them upfront that I don't know and most love to tell me this and that cut etc. If you get a traditional butcher, they may also pass on some family recipes or tips. Ime, most butchers at the right time of day are just looking for someone to have a bit of craic with and share their knowledge. Tbf, prob the same with greengrocers.

Also, have a look for filling station-type shops, here you can buy a wide range of items by weight and things like oils/detergent in your own containers.

HeidiHeidi

If you're in an urban area, shop in the biggest supermarket you can find - the smaller the shop, the higher the prices usually.

And sell your data to them - sign up for loyalty cards everywhere. If you shop clever using them, I'd say you could nearly halve your bill by only buying what's on offer (I have a huge Tesco near me, and some of their clubcard prices are outrageously low compared to the full prices - or maybe it's the other way around! And I don't have a Dunnes card, but I think they've gone down the same road) Pay close attention to per-unit prices and buy bulk offers when they're available (eg tins)

osarusan

As people have said, buy in bulk, cook in bulk, and freeze stuff.

I think soups are a good way to save money while eating healthily. As a basic example, half a kilo of carrots, 3 or 4 onions, 150grams of lentils. Fry it all for a while, add water and a stock cube, let it simmer for another while, and then blitz it into a smooth soup. Add a dash of milk and a little butter spread to give it some silkiness if you like.

That'll give you 5 or 6 servings for next to no money, and will mean you have some in the fridge and will avoid impulse buying food as you've nothing at home. That recipe is endlessly flexible too.

Add some brown bread, and a fried/scrambled egg on top and you have a very cheap but healthy meal.

HeidiHeidi

Scour the internet for recipes. BBC foods, Neven Maguire, Delia Smith are all go-to's for me - everything is available online these days, and you can shop for cheaper or bargain versions of their ingredients.

And I would often look at what's in my fridge, and just google "what can I make with X, Y, Z" and it's amazing what recipes will come up that you'd never have thought of. I hate wasting food and I'm not the most efficient shopper, so this keeps me happy, and expanding my cooking repertoire at the same time.

And I agree with the above poster - soup, soup, soup all day long. Cheap veg that's past its best for actually serving is perfect for soup - an onion, and a stick or two of celery (chop and freeze the rest in batches for the next time) add loads of flavour, and if you include a chopped up spud or two, it adds substance so it feels more like a meal.

HeidiHeidi

And lastly, plant seeds. You mentioned above that you bought a basil plant - in my experience they're very hard to keep alive, I don't know how they're propogated/grown but I've never managed to keep one going more than a few weeks. But a few well-drained pots on your balcony, and buy a few packets of seeds for a euro or two (Lidl and Aldi often have them, or a garden centre or hardware even), and you can keep yourself going with herbs and lettuces all summer long.

defiantdancer

@osarusan thank you! I will definitely add lentils to the shopping list😄I take it I don’t need a fancy soup maker just a large pot?

defiantdancer

@HeidiHeidi thank you! Some great tips😊

osarusan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122293939#Comment_122293939

A large pot and something to blend it with (if you want to blend it).

You can turn anything into a soup - great for avoiding throwing away food that's been in the fridge for a few days.

Another thing I'd say is that any time you are using the oven for anything, add in a tray of veg - potatoes, carrots, onions, peppers, broccoli, whatever. You can turn all of that into a very nice roast vegetable soup as well.

My mother always said 'you should never have just one thing in the oven'.

HeidiHeidi

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122293939#Comment_122293939

A stick blender will blitz soup for you no bother, if you want it smooth (which I always do) - nothing wrong with chopping everything very finely and eating it unblended, though!

lisasimpson

Lidl app is good too. Some of their stores let you build up points which u can redeem for certain goods, soap, yogurts, cheese etc. Handy if your located next one that allows it.

Slow cookers are great. Pop a chicken in and your sorted for a few days

Alonzo Mosley

Just two little tips. As mentioned before - stock cubes. You can make soups and curries with the simple chicken or vegtable stock cube. Have you tried paneer? It's an Indian tofu which is great in stir fries.

defiantdancer

@pauly58 thank you!great idea- I will look up some Indian vegetarian recipes.

defiantdancer

@Alonzo Mosley thank you! You are the second person to suggest Indian vegetarian. I just looked up paneer & it is a very good source of protein so will definitely give it a go!

defiantdancer

@lisasimpson thank you! I think I will have to invest in a slow cooker.

LambshankRedemption

@HeidiHeidi

Thank you for your comment on basil. I love basil and I am successful in growing other things but i never kept a shop bought basil plant alive for more than a couple of weeks.

You have inspired me and I just bought some basil seeds online.

Btw OP, a tin of chopped tomatoes, some onion, garlic and a few basil leaves is a great basic Bolognese sauce.

On onions, I know this goes against the grow your own trend here but i swear by frozen diced onion from tesco. 500grams is 1 euro. You nolonger need a full onion if cooking a single meal, just a handful. Less mess and waste too, and you'll be surprised how long the bag lasts.

Gusser09

You need to have variety and the odd treat thrown in. These people saying make 50 meals and freeze them etc seem to forget that isnt sustainable

Dont kill yourself. Enjoy life a little too.

LambshankRedemption

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122294487#Comment_122294487

I will echo that sentiment also. I cook about 12 dishes and put in the freezer, any more and I get bored. One week I'll do an italian, the next an indian so that I have a selection,

Nothing wrong with having a few frozen pizzas in the freezer too.

tohaltuwi

Do try growing your own tomatoes from seed. They grow very successfully on my balcony and are pretty fail-safe once they have a nice decent pot to grow in. At end of summer you can have a great big crop to make soup, sauces, salads, whatever you fancy. Highly recommend it. Tomatoes have become so expensive, and your home grown won’t disappoint.

defiantdancer

@tohaltuwi thank you! I will definitely give it a go as absolutely love tomatoes!

tohaltuwi

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122294974#Comment_122294974

you won’t regret it, go for your favourite. I went for colour this year:

Gusser09

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122294833#Comment_122294833

Aldi do a nice frozen pizza. Its their own premium range but is very nice. A decent treat at the weekend with a beer or wine.

LambshankRedemption

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122295104#Comment_122295104

And the thing about frozen pizza is, theres nothing stopping you adding more toppings. I love spicy things and always have a jar of jalapenos in my press. Even a cheapy pizza can be augmented to something Mr Dominos would be envious of.

Gusser09

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122295116#Comment_122295116

Most frozen pizzas are nicer than dominos in my opinion.

tohaltuwi

Don’t forget, too, you can make your own plant food, full of suggestions on Google, one will suit your circumstances.

My late aunt and her husband lived on a smallhold and were big into self-sufficiency, from having chickens, keeping a cow, growing tons of veg, making own superb beer, wine, “champagne” and having a pot still for use use. If you went out to them the fire would be roaring, a beautiful meal would be served, and a tipple of their home production, with classical music playing in the background. Made own clothes too, There made money go a long, long way and raised their 7 children to treat produce with great respect.

Gusser09

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122295144#Comment_122295144

Did they have solar panels?

tohaltuwi

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122295147#Comment_122295147

they are both de eased, she lived to 88 fully active, dropped dead of a stroke after a good party, he lived to 99. Active living, reading galore, singing together, holidays in Bulgaria and anywhere cheap. Both came from comfortable middle class Dublin households, he from a Protestant background, met in a solicitor’s office where they were legal assistants and he initially considering further studies in law; but had a much more dreamy inclination to live off the land on as little as possible. My grandmother was exasperated, as she said most people try and get promotion when getting married, he left his job, bought a plot of land and they built their own house, first child helping! As that child later said, it was the best upbringing anybody could have.

Their time was before solar panels, but knowing him, if he were around now he’d be doing diy panels from junk. Had the car running on slurry at one point. There was nothing he could not turn his hand to and she too. They were pure hippies at heart, love & peace and all that. Brought pigs to market via her old family home in Rathgar with neighbours looking askance. Honestly a TV series could have been made there.

At the start of the popular Internet era she set herself up in the 2000s, having trawled electronic wares skips adjacent to a tech shop. She had taken all the self-taught free computer courses on offer in the public libraries, and used the library books to learn about computer parts and how they work together. She enlisted her son’s help to physically carry the components as she had heart failure at this stage, but insisted on no help whatsoever with sorting them out as she wanted to retain her sharp intellect as she did til her last breath. She constantly learned new things, and declared that the later in life she was the more intelligent she became, and this absolutely proved true.

Simple basic living, using all the free resources, great food, enjoying culture, literally dancing on the street, all for free. My aunt thought the state pension was very generous as she had been managing with less money (in cost of living terms) earlier in life. Holidays abroad twice yearly, who guessed a person on subsistence could do it!

the14thwarrior

i must admit I've become in the same boat recently. Some of the things I've done

I love my meat, and find myself going to the local tesco or dunnes to see if any of the meat is reduced (none of the saucy or flavoured ones). Buy and freeze. I do eat smaller meat portions.

I haven't yet ventured into gardening, but am now buying frozen veg (1 euro a bag) and zero waste. Unless of course there is reduced veg per point above

I can't do more than a few meals cooked and frozen, bores me and makes me depressed, i do a few only

I always make my own soup, one blender and stock cubes and I'm good to go

I'm guilty of buying cheap bread at 89P every now and then

I've tried one cheap brand after another for certain items, e.g. baked beans, butter, spagetti, peas, custard etc. and I know now which ones I like and will bother with, and which ones are too full of sugar and salt and not worth the money and don't taste nice. (but I always have some tins in my cupboard for the days I have no money).

I've started eating tinned tuna, lentils, rice and pasta more often

I can make an irish stew last for three days, or a curry

I'm crap at roasted vegetables, whole chickens are a waste cos i hate thighs and drumsticks, and jelly and cheap custard is now a firm treat

I'm guilty of watering down milk when I need to, and buying a huge block of cheese in bulk is a waste cos it goes mouldy and I shouldn't be eating so much of it

I blend left over bread, etc. and freeze my breadcrumbs to add variety to lots of stuff.

I make my minced beef burgers go further by adding in breadcrumbs, egg, herbs etc.

I tried frozen pizza and like it, i add in extra stuff.

I used my dunnes voucher every now and then, and bulk buy

I've learned that I have to cut back on treats and life is not so bad, and i feel like my mother when I see food waste, and I know that I need interest and variety and a treat now and then.

I've stopped going out for meals, and when I meet pals for lunch i simply say I've already eaten, or I'll buy my own thanks.

I long for the days when I used to buy coffee at a petrol station and a pastry to go. Perhaps they will come back!

hang in there

defiantdancer

@the14thwarrior thank you. I hope things get better for you too.

defiantdancer

@tohaltuwi they both sound amazing! It is wonderful that you have such lovely memories of them😊

mulbot

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122293255#Comment_122293255

That's some serious beneficial information, cheers for this.👍