[earthling13]

For obvious reasons there's a lot of talk about budget eating these days. Things aren't too deserate for us ( yet! ) but what do you consider a budget meal? Here's a couple I remember from my childhood when money was tight just before Dad's payday:

Hot milk with bread broken into it topped with a knob of butter and a sprinkle of sugar.

An Oxo cube disolved in hot water again topped with a knob of butter and some bread to dip in it.

Today I think the cheapest meal I've had recently was a two egg cheese omelette, oven chips and 1/3 tin of baked beans which came in at well under £1. Also, I bulk out meat dishes with beans wherever possible.

So what do you have or remember having?

[austino6]

Well my grandad who passed just recently used to have sugar & bread with butter! With today's standard's i am pretty sure if i was at my all time low it would be oxo dipped in bread just to good.

[spectra]

Quote:

Originally Posted by austino6

With today's standard's i am pretty sure if i was at my all time low it would be oxo dipped in bread just to good.

Confused. What do you mean? If you were very poor you would dip oxo into your bread and it would be good?

[SHAFT]

When I first left home in the late 80's one of my teas used to be half a pack of egg noodles from the local chinese supermarket, chillis and cherry tomatoes from the garden with a few dashes of soy sauce. The noodles were about 20 pence a pack then.

[stvn758]

Quite fond of those Sharwoods ready meals, Chinese Chicken Rice, Sweet & Sour Chicken, always a £1, very good value for money.

[podgicus]

Tesco value noodles - throw out the "flavour packet" and they're as good a base as any for a quick, cheap meal. You can add in any veg you find on offer or reduced at the supermarket for a healthy meal. If you want meat, a few slices of basics ham or chicken chopped up can work. Add a few dashes of soy sauce, lea + perrins, or even tomato sauce or mayonnaise.

Eggs are great too, and cheap if you're happy to buy the basics/value range over free range/organic eggs. Incredibly versatile too - you can have them poached, fried, scrambled, omlette, hard boiled, soft boiled, coddled, baked, devilled... Also a good source of a lot of nutrients. I practically lived off poached eggs on toast as a poor impoverished youngster.

[WinterFire]

Peanut butter on toast. Would be hard to price it up, but I'll have a go:

two slices of bread. Assuming that there are 20 in a loaf and 89p for Aldi mixed grain loaf, that's 8.9p.
How much margarine? I'll assume 4g per slice. At £1.50 for 500g, that's 2.4p
How much peanut butter? I'll assume 8g per slice. At 63p for about 300g (wild guess, too lazy to go downstairs) that's 3.4p. May be cheating a bit as I have Aldi essentials peanut butter as a stop gap until I can get something better. But it's OK.
2p electric to toast the bread?

That totals out (been a bit wild with the estimating and rounding) at 16.7p for a meal. Calories are about 450kcal, which is about 20% of my daily needs. Bet it's more than 20% of my daily fat and salt needs however :-o

[cassius_west]

I visit Tesco's reduced-to-clear section every day (the later the better). You would not believe what you can pick up dirt-cheap on there. Some very high quality stuff usually and this negates the need for 'budget' meals, since the stuff is often cheaper than it would cost to make a budget meal.

My best ever bargain was very late at night a free-range chicken that was reduced to 30p! And in the same visit got a pack of Southern fried chicken pieces for 18p!

I just love a bargain!

[Johnnys Arcade]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cassius_west

I visit Tesco's reduced-to-clear section every day (the later the better). You would not believe what you can pick up dirt-cheap on there. Some very high quality stuff usually and this negates the need for 'budget' meals, since the stuff is often cheaper than it would cost to make a budget meal.

My best ever bargain was very late at night a free-range chicken that was reduced to 30p! And in the same visit got a pack of Southern fried chicken pieces for 18p!

I just love a bargain!

Fair enough, but these reduced things need to be used that same day.

[Pumping Iron]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Johnnys Arcade

Fair enough, but these reduced things need to be used that same day.

You can always freeze food

[cassius_west]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Johnnys Arcade

Fair enough, but these reduced things need to be used that same day.

Not necessarily. Alot of the time, I will eat it the same day if I just bought one thing for dinner, but if I grab a load of bargains at once, I just shove 'em in the freezer when I get home, to use as and when.

[stud u like]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SHAFT

When I first left home in the late 80's one of my teas used to be half a pack of egg noodles from the local chinese supermarket, chillis and cherry tomatoes from the garden with a few dashes of soy sauce. The noodles were about 20 pence a pack then.

Noodles are 15p in ASDA according to the website. Not sure how many grams.

[SHAFT]

Quote:

Originally Posted by stud u like

Noodles are 15p in ASDA according to the website. Not sure how many grams.

One pack from the Chinese supermarket had what was supposed to be four servings in each bag in dried blocks. One pack would last me two days.

[malpasc]

I always go to the reduced section in Sainsbury's late in the evening before they close - the deals you can get on meat and fish are incredible - just pence for a whole joint of beef, or a whole chicken, fish fillets selling for 10% of their original price. I get loads of stuff that way and then freeze it as soon as I get it home.

No need to buy nutritionally poor budget food when you can get really good, fresh food for peanuts.

[degsyhufc]

I do the same with cheap noodles for convenience - Add my own flavourings.


But if you think about it a large bag of dried noodles isn't that much more and only a few more minutes to cook
Less than ten minutes - boil a pan of water, or put the kettle on then 4 minutes for the noodles then raid the cupboard for sauces and spices.


Ok, you need a cupboard full of sauces and spices but they can last for a while.

I did a stirfry lat night. A chicken breast defrosted in the microwave (10 mins) then some carrot, peppers and spring onions that were in the fridge needing to be used up and some noodles.


I've got some left over which i'll have tonight. I reckon with thought out portioning I could have got three meals out of it.

[jw80]

I've got a good cookbook for budget meals - it's Ainsley Harriot 'Just Five Ingredients'.

With a lot of recipes you end up needing all sorts of bits and pieces and the price really mounts up.

In a lot of them you actually only need 4 ingredients, because he counts salt and pepper as one.

[SilvioDante]

Stuffed baby Quail, with Fois Gras entree' is as budget as I'm prepared to go.

[Espresso]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Johnnys Arcade

Fair enough, but these reduced things need to be used that same day.

Not really. Aside from feezing it, as has been said, most of the dates on perishable foods these days is to help those who imagine that a ready meal or packet of mince can tell the time.

[Caldari]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Johnnys Arcade

Fair enough, but these reduced things need to be used that same day.

Tries to be clever by adding 'that smiley' and yet somehow forgets we have a marvellous invention called a freezer.

[Caldari]

Omelettes would be my choice.

[venusinflares]

I make a really nice liver casserole which costs very little. I know liver isn't everyone's favourite, and some class it as dog food but it's cheap and tasty with liver costing pence rather than pounds!

It's nicest in winter with mashed potatoes, cabbage and carrots.

[Yeah_Jackie]

A whole chicken can last an eternity in various recipes.

[Caldari]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yeah_Jackie

A whole chicken can last an eternity in various recipes.

So true, I use the carcass to make lobby.

[swingaleg]

Did anyone else used to have sugar butties ?

there was always a plate of bread and butter on the table and what was left after the meal would be dipped butter side into the sugar bowl and folded over for a sugar butty...........

Cheap afters !.....................

[swordofomens]

Bachelors Pasta & Sauce

Its not dear to buy and is very filling.