cheap family recipes 

feed a family of 4 for less than £200 a month

Meal Plan One

A whole 31 day months meal plan for a family of four. Last repriced at Asda on 26th January 2024, you will need a total of £162.94 at the till over the month. Week 1 is £89.93, week 2 is £30.35, week 3 is £29.34 and week 4 is £13.32. There is no shopping for the remaining days of the month.

The food eaten over the month, if you follow the plan fully, comes to £162.94, making this a fantastic £1.31 pppd.

This nutrition article should also answer some of your questions about your family’s diet.

If you are following the meal plan fully, you will need to make a batch of 4 loaves, 10 times over the month. That’s a total of 40 loaves, which I know is a lot! But they are on the small side and there is lots to help you in the bread making post.

Make a batch whenever you need them, each family will vary on how much they use. It’s best to get ahead and store your bread, sliced and wrapped, in the freezer. Slices defrost very quickly, and they stay fresh when stored that way

Allow the loaves to cool and firm up, then slice, wrap and freeze, ready for when you need them. I’ve found bread slices best on the following day

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Monday Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Tuesday Breakfast
porridge
porridge
Lunch
tangy bean pate
tangy bean pate sandwich
Dinner
spanish omelette
spanish omelette
Wednesday Breakfast
Apple curd in a small white dish
apple curd on toast
Lunch
houmous
houmous sandwich
Dinner
Pasta carbonara, close up
pasta carbonara
Thursday Breakfast
porridge
porridge
Lunch
peanut and pumpkin seed butter in a small white dish
peanut and pumpkin seed butter sandwich
Dinner
onion tart
onion tart
Friday Breakfast
Apple curd in a small white dish
apple curd on toast
Lunch
tangy bean pate
tangy bean pate sandwiches
Dinner
risi e bisi vegan
risi e bisi
Saturday Breakfast
porridge
porridge
Lunch
spicy pea soup
spicy pea soup
Dinner
pizza
home made pizza
Sunday Breakfast
fruity pancakes
pancakes
Lunch
chicken roast
roast chicken dinner
Dinner
soup
potato & onion soup
Snacks 2 batches of 4 loaves each time
home made bread
homemade bread
2 cakes of 16 pieces each
carrot cake
carrot cake
1 batch of 17 scones
savoury scone
savoury scones
1 batch of 24 scones
raisin scone
raisin scones
1 batch of 36 bites
savoury bites
savoury bites
Extras
1 jar, for 2 weeks
mayonnaise
mayonnaise
to last all month
lemonade
lemon cordial
once you have made all your carrot cakes,
use the saved carcasses to make this marmalade
marmalade
marmalade
Shopping List for Meal Plan 1, Week 1Jan 2024 Needed at the till
Fresh
900g Butternut Squash £1.62
4kg Brown Onions £3.96
5kg White Potatoes £3.50
2kg Carrots£0.78
10 Oranges £5.00
1 x 4 pk Lemons £1.00
2g x Bramley cooking apples 1.3 kg used freeze 400g£4.40
Meat, Fish & Poultry
1 x Smartprice Whole Medium Chicken (Approx 1.8Kg)£4.49
1 x 500g Smartprice Smoked Cooking Bacon Pieces £1.00
Dairy
1 x Whole Fresh Milk 6 Pints (3.41L)£2.15
1 x Cooks Value Medium Eggs (30)£3.98
1 x Just Essentials Cheddar 825g£4.47
1kg x Asda Extra Mature Cheddar 250g£2.49
2 x 160g Grana Padano, freeze 40g£5.00
2 x Lard (250g)£1.00
Tin, Jars & Cooking
1 x Vegetable Oil (5L)£7.00
1 x Vegetable Oil (1L)£1.85
1 x Colman’s Mustard Powder (57g)£2.30
1 x Dijon mustard 185g£0.67
1 x Coarse grain mustard 165g£0.67
1 x Rajah Chilli Powder (100g)£0.85
1 x Rajah Garam Masala (100g)£1.00
2 x Rajah Garlic Powder (100g)£2.00
4 x Smartprice Peeled Plum Tomatoes in Tomato Juice £1.40
1 x Pudliszki Tomato Puree (200g)£0.90
1 x Smartprice Baked Beans in Tomato Sauce £0.27
1 x smart price malt vinegar£0.35
Packets & Cereals
1 x Smartprice Pasta Shapes (500g)£0.41
3 x Smartprice Self Raising Flour (1.5Kg) £2.10
3 x Leo Dried Peas with Steeping Tablet (250g)£2.55
1 x Long Grain Rice (1Kg) £0.52
1 x Thomas Allinson Dried Active Yeast (125g)£1.50
3 x Strong White Bread Flour (1.5Kg) £3.27
2kg Silver Spoon Granulated Sugar £2.15
Asda chicken stock cubes (12)£0.65
2 x 150g Pumpkin Seeds £2.40
1 x Chick Peas (2kg) only 500g needed, but these are less than half the price of a 500g pk£2.50
2 x 200g Smartprice Salted Peanuts £1.08
1 x Ready Oats (750g) £2.00
1 x Smartprice Porridge Oats (1Kg)£0.90
1kg Smartprice Raisins £2.35
Frozen
1 x Smartprice Peas (907g) £1.45
Total£89.93

 

 

Monday Breakfast
porridge
porridge
Monday Lunch
roasted onion hummus in a small white bowl
houmous sandwich
Monday Dinner
bacon pudding
bacon onion pudding
Tuesday Breakfast
Apple curd in a small white dish
apple curd on toast
Tuesday Lunch
tangy bean pate
tangy bean pate sandwiches
Tuesday Dinner
chilli mince
chilli
Wednesday Breakfast
porridge
porridge
Wednesday Lunch
houmous
houmous sandwich
Wednesday Dinner
pasta alfredo
pasta alfredo
Thursday Breakfast
Apple curd in a small white dish
apple curd on toast
Thursday Lunch
walnut butter
peanut and pumpkin seed butter sandwich
Thursday Dinner
risi e bisi vegan
risi e bisi
Friday Breakfast
porridge
porridge
Friday Lunch
tangy bean pate
tangy bean pate sandwich
Friday Dinner
cottage pie
cottage pie
Saturday Breakfast
brazil nut butter
nut butter on toast
Saturday Lunch
green pea soup
green pea soup
Saturday Dinner
pizza
home made pizza
Sunday Breakfast
porridge
porridge
Sunday Lunch
chicken onion pie
chicken & onion pie
Sunday Dinner
spicy pea soup
Spicy pea soup
Snacks 2 batches of 4 loaves each batch
home made bread
homemade bread
one batch of 17 scones
savoury scone
savoury scones
one batch of 24 biscuits
raisin biscuits
raisin biscuits
2 cakes of 16 pieces each
carrot cake
carrot cake
one batch of 24 scones
raisin scone
raisin scones
one batch of 36 bites
savoury bites
savoury bites
one batch of 24 scones
tomato scone
tomato scones
Shopping List for Meal Plan 1, Week 2Jan 2024 Needed at the till
Fresh
2kg onions£1.98
1kg carrots£0.39
5kg potatoes£3.50
Dairy
250g lard£0.50
6 pints milk£2.15
Meat, Fish & Poultry
2x 500g Asda Smartprice British Beef Mince. Freeze 200g£4.98
500g cooking bacon£1.00
Packets & Cereals
2 x 1.5kg strong white bread flour£2.18
1 kg raisins
£2.35
1.5kg self raising flour£0.70
750g ready oats£2.00
4 x Leo dried peas, 250g per pack£3.40
2 x 500g pasta shapes£0.82
1kg rice£0.52
Tins, Jars & Cooking
6 x 400g tins plum tomatoes£2.10
400g tin red kidney beans£0.33
Frozen
907g peas£1.45
Total£30.35
Monday Breakfast
walnut butter
peanut and pumpkin seed nut butter on toast
Monday Lunch
houmous
houmous sandwich
Monday Dinner
bacon pudding
bacon onion pudding
Tuesday Breakfast
porridge
porridge
Tuesday Lunch
tangy bean pate
tangy bean pate sandwiches
Tuesday Dinner
pasta alfredo
pasta alfredo
Wednesday Breakfast
Apple curd in a small white dish
apple curd on toast
Wednesday Lunch
houmous
houmous sandwich
Wednesday Dinner
curry
bean curry
Thursday Breakfast
porridge
porridge
Thursday Lunch
Apple curd in a small white dish
apple curd on toast
Thursday Dinner
pasta amatriciana
pasta amatriciana
Friday Breakfast
Apple curd in a small white dish
apple curd on toast
Friday Lunch
tangy bean pate
tangy bean pate sandwiches
Friday Dinner
chilli mince
chilli
Saturday Breakfast
porridge
porridge
Saturday Lunch
spicy pea soup
spicy pea soup
Saturday Dinner
pizza
home made pizza
Sunday Breakfast
walnut butter
peanut and pumpkin seed butter on toast
Sunday Lunch
chicken roast
roast chicken dinner
Sunday Dinner
butternut squash risotto
butternut squash risotto
Snacks 3 batches of 4 loaves each batch
home made bread
homemade bread
one batch of 17 scones
savoury scone
savoury scones
one batch of 2 cakes, 16 pieces per cake
carrot cake
carrot cake
one batch of 24 scones
raisin scone
raisin scones
one batch of 36 bites
savoury bites
savoury bites
one batch of 24 scones
tomato scone
tomato scones
Extras
1 jar, for 2 weeks
mayonnaise
mayonnaise
Shopping List for Meal Plan 1, Week 3Jan 2024 Needed at the till
Fresh
2kg onions£1.98
1kg carrots£0.39
5kg potatoes£3.50
Dairy
500g lard£1.00
Meat, Fish & Poultry
500g beef mince£2.49
Packets & Cereals
3 x 1.5kg strong white bread flour£3.27
2.5kg raisins£3.60
750g ready oats£2.00
1 x 250g Leo dried peas£0.85
1kg pasta shapes£0.41
1kg rice£0.52
125g dried yeast£1.50
1kg porridge oats£0.90
2 x 200g salted peanuts£1.08
Tins, Jars & Cooking
7 x 400g plum tomatoes£2.45
2 x 400g red kidney beans£0.66
142g tomato puree£0.75
2 x 420g baked beans£.54
Frozen
907g peas£1.45
Total£25.56
Monday Breakfast
porridge
porridge
Monday Lunch
houmous
houmous sandwich
Monday Dinner
risi e bisi vegan
risi e bisi
Tuesday Breakfast
Apple curd in a small white dish
apple curd on toast
Tuesday Lunch
walnut butter
peanut and pumpkin seed nut butter sandwich
Tuesday Dinner
spicy bean burger
veggie burgers
Wednesday Breakfast
porridge
porridge
Wednesday Lunch
houmous
houmous sandwich
Wednesday Dinner
Pasta carbonara, close up
pasta carbonara
Thursday Breakfast
Apple curd in a small white dish
apple curd on toast
Thursday Lunch
liver pate
lunchtime pateCan't stand liver? See the post for an alternative
Thursday Dinner
Spanish omelette, a close up picture of a slice
spanish omelette
Friday Breakfast
porridge
porridge
Friday Lunch
houmous
houmous sandwich
Friday Dinner
curry
bean curry
Saturday Breakfast
fruity pancakes
breakfast pancakes
Lunch
soup
potato and onion soup
Saturday Dinner
onion tart
onion tart
Sunday Breakfast
porridge
porridge
Sunday Lunch
spicy pea soup
spicy pea soup
Sunday Dinner
chicken onion pie
chicken & onion pie
Snacks 3 batches of 4 loaves
home made bread
homemade bread
1 batch of 2 cakes - 16 pieces per cake
carrot cake
carrot cake
1 batch of 24 scones
tomato scone
tomato scones
1 batch of 24 scones
raisin scone
raisin scones
one batch of 17 scones
savoury scone
savoury scones
one batch of 36 bites
savoury bites
savoury bites
one batch of 24 biscuits
raisin biscuits
raisin biscuits
Shopping List for Meal Plan 1, Week FourJan 2024 Needed at the till
Fresh
2kg onion£1.98
1kg carrots£0.39
4 lemons£1.00
Dairy
500g lard£1.00
Meat, Fish & Poultry
500g pigs liver£1.44
Packets & Cereals
2 x 1.5kg bread flour£2.18
2 x 750g ready oats£1.50
1kg rice£0.52
Tins, Jars & Cooking
4 x 400g cans red kidney beans£1.32
2 x 400g baked beans£0.54
Frozen
907g peas£1.45
Total£13.32
Monday Breakfast
Apple curd in a small white dish
apple curd on toast
Monday Lunch
liver pate
lunchtime pate sandwich
Can't stand liver?
See the post for an alternative
Monday Dinner
spicy bean burger
veggie burgers
Tuesday Breakfast
porridge
porridge
Tuesday Lunch
houmous
houmous sandwich
Tuesday Dinner
cottage pie
cottage pie
Wednesday Breakfast
Apple curd in a small white dish
apple curd on toast
Wednesday Lunch
liver pate
lunchtime pate
Wednesday Dinner
cottage pie
cottage pie
Thursday Breakfast
porridge
porridge
Thursday Lunch
Apple curd in a small white dish
apple curd on toast
Thursday Dinner
pasta amatriciana
pasta amatriciana

No shopping required this week, the remaining items to the end of the month were bought last week.

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Take care of your family and your budget

Before putting together our meal planners we surveyed over 600 people to ask when faced with a tighter budget, which things they would struggle to give up.

Want to know more about how to feed yourself fantastically frugal food?