Meal planning is really important if you want to save money on your groceries. We focus on healthy and filling budget food here at Shoestring Cottage. I mainly shop at Aldi and Lidl, but will also pop into Asda and Tesco to check out their offers. They also have a better selection of vegetarian food for when I don’t have time or am too tired to cook.
My budget food meal plan often gets changed about a bit, but we basically stick to it. I find it saves time as well as money. Anyway, without further ado here is this week’s budget food plan.
This week’s budget food plan
Saturday
We are off out for a birthday treat! Because we live in a military town, there are two restaurants run by Gurkhas. We have been to one of them a number of times and the food is delicious. Tonight we are trying the second one. It is amazing value at around £15 a head.
Sunday
For the meat eaters, a giant pig in blanket left over from Christmas. I had to wait until there were enough people about to make it worth defrosting! I will have a nut cutlet and will serve both with roast potatoes, vegetables and Yorkshire puddings.
Monday
Cheesy mushroom and lentil cottage pie with vegetables. Only I am in for dinner, but I will make the whole amount and eat it later in the week as well.
Tuesday
The tuna plait went down well the other week, so I am making it again. We will have this with salad and home made fries from the air fryer
Wednesday
Cottage pie made with minced beef for the meat eaters. I will have some more of the vegetarian version. Lots of veg and gravy with this.
Thursday
Brown rice and Mediterranean vegetables. This will make sure the rest of the mushrooms get used up and there is a pepper in the fridge as well. Mr S can have a bit of chicken with his if he fancies it but I shall have it as it is.
Friday
Lazy Friday cheese omelettes and jacket potatoes with coleslaw. We always have something quick and easy to end the week
Desserts and snacks
You need to plan in a few treats to a budget food meal plan. We have a lot of bananas, so I want to find time tomorrow to make some banana muffins for snacks throughout the week. Greek yogurt with honey is another favourite dessert. If we still have leftover bananas we can eat these with custard. Yum!
So this is out budget food plan for the week. What are you eating?
As usual, I am linking up with Katy Kicker. If you want more ideas on meal planning and saving money, take a look at her blog.
This post contains affiliate links.
Tonight we are trying Jack Monroe’s chickpea and peach curry, rest of the week,veggie meatballs and spaghetti ( meatballs made by defrosting LM’s veggie sausages and making them into balls ) with garlic bread, home made veggie pasties, veggie and bean casserole with cobbler ,crispy, tofu stir fry and rice and veggie all day breakfast. We have invested in an Instant Pot so I am looking forward to playing with my new toy, Treats are sultana and banana buns, vegan mini magnum type ice creams, yoghurts and for me dark choc and mint rice cakes, addicted. Enjoy your meal out, it’s always more enjoyable when yo don’t do it very often!
Sounds nice apart from the first one. Not a fan of sweet and savoury together!
Me neither, so I just leave the fruity ingredients out! 😀
This was the first time I made this and we both thought it was yummy but him indoors found it a little too spicy, might be good with mushrooms instead of peaches !
Wow love your weeks food. the cheesy lentil cottage pie is a dish we would love. Have a great night out too
Today we had courgette and carrot laksa – a recipe from the new book by Rupy Aujla – Eat to Beat Illness. After making the curry paste it’s basically add this to a tin of coconut milk and then add noodles and vegetables. Usually we eat a lot of curry as you can curry almost anything. At this time of year we use a lot of cabbage, carrots and cauliflower. We also eat dal, mainly chana dal. Cheap, easy to make and good for you. I try to menu plan and am getting better at it, but there’s still room for improvement.
Started my summer menu on the 1st April (ha! I live in hope!) so this week is:
Sunday: Roast Summer Veg & Chickpea stew (will probably through in some cooked chicken for the carnivores) & Tiger Bread
Monday: Chow Mein (again with some chicken for them, halloumi for me) & egg fried rice
Tuesday: Gnocchi with Lemon & Chive Pesto with side salad
Wednesday: Breaded fish, oven chips & peas
Thursday: It’s my youngest’s 18th birthday so we’re off to the local Harvester, en masse! 😮
Friday: Hopefully everyone will have saved half their Harvester meal for dinner today! If not they can sort themselves out!
Saturday: Jack Munroe’s Sausage casserole! Their idea to rinse the sauce off baked beans for recipes is inspired, and this is a firm favourite and has survived from the winter menu!!
Of course none of the days are set in stone and are likely to be switched around, but that;s the rough plan!
I have been doing that for years! Buying value beans and rinsing off the sauce
Sounds like a frugal but delicious week! We always love planning in a few treats too!
Sounds lovely, I need to get a little more organised especially with the snack selection!
I love the sound of the giant pig in blanket. What a treat!
All of your meals sound fantastic. I might have to try the tuna plait. It sounds like something my girls would love.