Food Budget Challenge: Week 1

Lentil curry

Homemade vegetable soup with cauliflower, red lentils, carrots and spinach

Baked salmon with spicy vegetables, rice and peas

Spicy noodle soup with spinach and ham

We survived Week 1 of our food budget challenge! I tried to take a few photos of our food to give you an idea of what we ate but often we had no time to photograph them, especially my other half who’s always famished. Here’s how we got on during Week 1:

MONDAY

Me Breakfast: 2 slices of toast with butter, tea Lunch: Cous cous with egg salad Dinner: Lentil curry and rice

Mr Justsorice Breakfast: 2 slices homemade toasted bread with butter and jam, coffee Lunch: Pate sandwich (homemade bread), orange Dinner: Lentil curry and rice

TUESDAY

Me Breakfast: 2 slices of toast with butter, tea Lunch: Leftover lentil curry and rice Dinner: Homemade vegetable soup, snacks: roasted peanuts

Mr Justsorice Breakfast: 2 slices homemade toasted bread with butter and jam, coffee Lunch: Pate sandwich (homemade bread), orange Dinner: Spicy tinned tuna with broccoli and penne pasta

WEDNESDAY

Me Breakfast: 2 slices of toast with butter, tea Lunch: Leftover spicy vegetable soup Dinner: Leftover spicy vegetable soup with ham

Mr Justsorice Breakfast: 2 slices homemade toasted bread with butter and jam, coffee Lunch: Pate sandwich (homemade bread), orange Dinner: Leftover lentil curry with rice

THURSDAY

Me Breakfast: Natural yoghurt with honey, hazlenuts, almonds and dried fruit, tea Lunch: Cous cous with ham salad Dinner: Baked salmon with ginger and soy served with rice and peas, stir fried broccoli, onion and spinach in a chilli bean sauce

Mr Justsorice Breakfast: 2 slices homemade toasted bread with butter and jam, coffee Lunch: Pate sandwich (homemade bread), orange Dinner: Baked salmon with ginger and soy served with rice and peas, stir fried broccoli, onion and spinach in a chilli bean sauce

FRIDAY

Me Breakfast: 2 slices of toast with butter and lemon curd, tea Lunch: Egg salad with leftover rice and peas Dinner at a restaurant: Lamb burger with chips and salad

Mr Justsorice Breakfast: 2 slices homemade toasted bread with butter and jam, coffee Lunch: Pate sandwich (homemade), orange Dinner at a restaurant: Cajun chicken with chips and coleslaw

SATURDAY

Me Breakfast: Spicy noodle soup with ham and spinach Lunch: Cheddar cheese and ham on toast Dinner: Spaghetti with tomato, spinach, olive and parmesan

Mr Justsorice Breakfast: 2 slices homemade toasted bread with butter and jam, coffee Lunch: Cheddar cheese on toast Dinner: Spaghetti with tomato, spinach, olive and parmesan

Receipt from our weekly shop at ALDI

Our total spend was about £14 after shopping at ALDI and buying milk from the local shop so we were really pleased that we’d come under budget this week. We tried to make big batches of food to use for several dishes to save time and money. We’re so lucky to have plenty of supermarkets nearby and ALDI is fantastic for reducing food bills. What really helped us was that we have a well-stocked pantry of items like rice, pasta, lentils, noodles, cous cous, tinned tomatoes and plenty of spices. Even though I bought bread for toast, my other half makes his own bread and jam so he has a decent supply. He likes to eat the same food for breakfast and lunch as it’s less to think about. However, I prefer a bit more variety so next week, I’m planning to eat more different types of food.

We had one moment of weakness as my other half needed coffee and cake while out shopping so we spent about £5 on 2 coffees and shared a chocolate flapjack. I decided not to take it out of the food budget as he paid for the bill. We had about £6 leftover from our food shopping so will add that onto the next £20 food budget for the following week, roll on Week 2!