This week my lecturer set us a task on budgeting. We were given £10 each to go out and buy as much food as possible – which had to include breakfast, lunch and dinner. And not to mention – being a nutrition degree – must be balanced and healthy meals. We did not have to include store cupboard ingredients as the bill would be too expensive.
Instead of buying all the store cupboard essentials all at once, I strongly recommend you buy them gradually. For example, essential spices like ground ginger, chilli powder, cinnamon, cumin/garam masala – all around 50-70p at budget supermarkets, stock cubes and Worcester sauce (my savoir!). They are definitely worthy of a place in your very small student cupboard; these ingredients will transform your meals and give them bags of flavour. Once you have filled up your store cupboard, making your own sauces will be easier and more economical than buying them from the supermarket.
I went to ALDI, and managed to buy enough food for 6/7 days for a tenner! (well.. for £10.06) Making a budget and a list before you go shopping is the key to a frugal shopping basket. If you stick to the list, you will be less tempted to impulse buy and therefore stick to your budget! Also, another word of advice – never, ever (!) go shopping on an empty stomach, it will lead to a whole basket full of impulse buys.
Main Meals: (£1.20 on av. each)
- Moroccan Chickpea Stew with couscous
- Hearty Beef Stew
- Spaghetti Bolognese
- Spicy Carrot & Parsnip Vegetable Soup
- Tuna & Sweetcorn Pasta
Breakfast: (£0.25 per serving)
- Porridge with low fat yoghurt and dried nuts & fruits
(Porridge is a fabulous, delicious, nutritious and economical breakfast to have throughout winter. 1KG only costs 75p, and you can add all sorts of toppings)
Lunches: (£0.60 on av. each)
- Leftover chickpea stew
- Cous Cous
- Soup (taking a flask with you will warm you up in the winter months)
- Tuna & Sweetcorn Pasta
- Pasta with a tomato sauce
Of course, you don’t have to eat all these meals in one week – you can freeze them and have them in the next couple of weeks. It will save you money on your next shopping bill! I find that the “Pour’n’Store” bags come in handy to safely store your meals in the freezer. You can find these bags or those similar in most supermarkets and budget shops like Home Bargains or B&M. It will pay off once you get into the habit of planning your weekly meals ahead, that way you know what you need to buy and make sure you always have a filling and nutritious meal ready and waiting to be cooked up.
So, why not try the challenge of a weekly budget of £10? How many days can you buy 3 meals for? Try and beat my best of 7!
Good luck and happy shopping !