When I decided to try feeding us on €50 for a week there were a number of ground rules I put in place - primarily that the meals should be varied, taste good and be nutritious, but also that there would be treats and it wouldn’t all be too much hassle.

Looking back on the week, how did it go and were those requirements met?

Overall I would say yes. I’ve put together some composite pictures of what we ate and glancing over them I don’t think it looks overly boring and while it was definitely cheap it doesn’t look “cheap and nasty”.

Breakfasts pretty much always involved eggs, which might bore some people. They were however tasty and filling - neither of us felt the need to snack before lunch or if we did were happy with a few peanuts.

Lunches were mostly salads or sandwiches, sometimes with sunflower bread, sometimes crisp bread. On other days lunch was reheated dinner leftovers, which is even in a normal week quite often the case.

Dinner was definitely the most time consuming meal to prepare, but then it always is. If I hadn’t cooked ahead before starting and frozen some mince mix and soup, it wouldn’t really have been practical to make most of these meals.

Every dinner was one we would happily eat again, so they passed the taste test.

Although I was hit by a longing for steak mid week, I don’t think this was a reflection of boring or uninteresting food. I can, and regularly do, go weeks without eating a steak or even thinking about one, I just became obsessed with steak because I couldn’t have it!

And there were treats.

The big bag of peanuts lasted the whole week and was a great source of snacks. A galia melon and a punnet of peaches provided fruit and, since these cost less than €2 in total, in retrospect I could have been more generous with the fruit. Or maybe just had more fudge!

The hardest part of eating on a low budget is definitely the amount of planning involved. I found myself obsessed with making sure I had enough for the rest of the week - counting mushrooms and hoarding little pieces of cheese is not my normal behaviour!

Given that the budget was actually underspent if I was doing this regularly I think I’d get a better feel for what food was needed, how to portion it out effectively over a week and how to add more expensive things in here and there. I’m certain that even steak would be a possibility now and then!

Most of the food, about 90%, came from Lidl. I had no issues at all with the quality of anything I bought there, not that I expected I would but since a lot of people still seem to harbour the idea that cheap good value food is bad food I think it’s worth mentioning.

I don’t doubt that with careful shopping you could do exactly the same thing from Aldi or, since they introduced their new prices, Tesco. I seriously doubt it could be done from Superquinn or Dunnes, but I’d be happy to be proved wrong.

Tags: €50 Challenge
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Well, what a crap end to this week.

When I got up this morning, very late, I noticed that the kitchen window, which is always open a little to let the two cats in and out, was wide open. I noticed it but thought nothing more of it, went and got the papers, fiddled about for the day and then eventually decided to make some dinner (yes, I know I’m skipping over lunch and breakfast, of which more later).

Dinner made, I went to get the camera. No camera. I searched and searched and tried to recall where I last left it down. Then I remembered. On the kitchen windowsill.

Some rotten, scummy, low-life creep came during the night and helped himself. I am so annoyed, so entirely pissed off by this, and by my stupidity in leaving it by an open window, that I can barely write. It’s not a valuable camera, but it was given to my now 10 year old son a couple of years ago by a great friend, he liked it, I liked it, it had a certain sentimental value and it did its job without me having to know anything much about photography.

He was a cowardly little shit into the bargain. There was a full case of wine given us as a present during the week in the kitchen, my handbag was there too and a couple of phones lying about. I suppose I should feel lucky the lily-livered scum didn’t actually have the nerve to climb in and take all that stuff, but somehow I don’t feel lucky at all.

So no pictures of todays food.

I didn’t get up in time to bother with breakfast because a friend called round last night and we stayed up with the sometime camera-owning son until after 3am chatting and watching, of all things, the UK top 40 on MTV. Don’t even ask why because I couldn’t give you a good reason, and there wasn’t even drink involved.

Breakfast for the sensible person who went to bed, and therefore got up, at a normal time was apparently another fry up, comprising tomato, potato, mushroom and the last of the chorizo, which acted as a rasher replacement. I’m told it was “odd, but nice enough”. Then he and the son set off to spend the day at the amusements in Tramore leaving me happily alone for the day. They’ll eat “seaside fish and chips” for dinner, which is probably the budget out the window, but I am not going to be picky about that.

I didn’t feel like breakfast and just had a bowl of peanuts while reading the papers. I later ate a peach. I took a picture of the one I ate yesterday and may as well show you that, to take the bare look off this post. I actually like this picture. It was such a good little camera.

I made fish cakes for myself, with potato, tuna, chilli and onion which were really delicious. I haven’t the heart to post the recipe, will make them again sometime when I can take a picture and do it then.

Anyway, adding up today’s costs it came to a modest €3.73. But I am now going to console myself by eating the last two peaches and the rest of the cream before the boys come home and I have to tell them about the camera. The peaches will add €1.05 and bring the days spend to €4.78.

The Result: What did we spend?

Adding up the total cost of the meals each day (which I really did price as accurately as I could as I went along) that means that we were fed this week for €38.76. Which is amazing but doesn’t seem to tally with the money I spent, which was €50.86.

I may have inadvertently left something out or miscalculated here and there, but then there is quite a lot of food left over too - 2 turkey breast steaks, a tin of sardines, bits and pieces of veg (I still have useful amounts of celery, sugar snap peas, mushrooms, onions and broccoli plus half a pepper and a couple of spuds),  half a mozzarella, some peanuts and kidney beans, a couple of cups of frozen soup and just under half a pack of crisp bread. Spending just a few euro more in Lidl would make that last another two days easily.

Anyway I think the point is that you can feed two adults for under €50 per week and feed them very well. Apart from my longing for steak midway though, we enjoyed the food we ate and were satisfied by it.

But I’m glad I don’t have to do it every week. It takes thought, planning and quite a lot of time to make the best of the food. I’m not sure I’d be prepared to do that every week. But I can tell you, give me another €20 on that budget and it would be as easy as pie - and €70 per week for two adults is, I would guess, a lot less than the average spend.

Tomorrow I am eating steak!

Tags: Camera, Peaches, €50 Challenge
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Saturday morning, early, is quite a good time to shop in Lidl. Apart from the fact that it isn’t very busy it’s a time when the sneaky Lidl shoppers tend to go, so it’s fun.

A couple of weeks ago I saw a woman I know spot me, then turn and hurry away in the other direction. Naturally I made it my business to bump into her later and her embarrassment was as palpable as it was hilarious. She blushed, she giggled, she muttered something about “Great cheese”, then finally pulled herself together and told me that at least she shops there herself - a friend wouldn’t be seen dead in the place and sends her husband.

What is it with these people?

My purpose in being there this morning was to spend my last €3.05 on bread and some cheddar, if I could find it cheap enough, which are two things that are pretty much gone. I ended up changing the plan.

I did buy cheese, but mozzarella for 74c. Mushrooms are reduced from €1.19 a carton to 49c, so I had to get some of those. But my best buy was peaches. A punnet of seven of them for €1.49. We have fruit, yippee!! Then I threw caution to the wind and overspent my budget to buy cream, 250mls for €1.19. It’s the weekend, we need treats!

So that was a total of €3.91 and brings my total spend for the week to €50.86. I’m done spending.

We started the day with a fry up which, in the absense of bread, included fried potato. We’ve really eaten quite a lot more carbs than usual this week, but these are new potatoes, so somewhat less carby than old.

It was a good breakfast, though a rasher or two wouldn’t have gone amiss.

Breakfast cost: eggs 41c (he had two); potato 15c; mushrooms: 25c. Total: 81c

Lunch was something of an on the hoof affair and I didn’t take a picture, but I just defrosted three cups of tomato soup, resulting in good sized mugs of soup which we had with crisp bread, followed by a peach.

Lunch cost: tomato soup: 78c; crisp bread 16c; peaches 43c. Total: €1.35

Although I am well tired of mince, there was a pack of it left so I made Adapted Shepard’s Pie for dinner. I make this a lot and the adaptation is that it uses no potato, instead being topped with cheesy cauliflower. It works well as a replacement and is much lower in carbs.

To make the topping, boil half a head of cauliflower until just soft, drain well and leave aside for a few minutes to let any excess moisture steam off. Then mash gently with a fork, not a potato masher as it tends to make it go glutinous. You don’t want it completely smooth, a lumpy mash is fine. Mix grated cheese into the cauliflower and season with salt, black pepper and a good shake of nutmeg. I used just under 2 oz of cheese, as it’s all that’s left, though I’d sometimes use a little bit more.

This is spread over the thawed mince base, then baked at 180 C for about 30 mins. About half way though sprinkle half a ball of mozzarella, roughly chopped up, over the top. I’d usually use grated cheddar or emmental but needs must and it worked fine.

We had this with broccoli.

Dinner Cost: Mince base €1.26; cauliflower 50c; cheddar 43c; mozzarella 37c; broccoli 25c;
Total: €2.81

And we had dessert!

Cinnamon Peach Kebabs

These are easy to make and delicious. Normally I’d use a mixture of fruit - peach, pineapple and mango work well - and perhaps add some fresh orange juice to the syrup. When there is mixed fruit they look more like kebabs, but a single fruit is lovely too.

Put a half an ounce of butter, a teaspoon of sugar (or Splenda), half a teaspoon of cinnamon, half a teaspoon of vanilla essence and a few drops of rum essence (or some real rum) into a small bowl. Zap in the microwave for about 20 seconds and then mix well.

Thread slices of peach (one peach per person) onto skewers, brush with the butter and grill for about 10 minutes, basting with any excess syrup half way though. Serve hot with whipped cream. Mmmm.

Cost for dessert: peaches 44c; cream 50c. Total: 94c.

If you count the store cupboard stuff, I suppose it would add another 10c or so, but this is a great value and very good dessert either way.

Remarkably today’s total spend was only €5.91. I expected it to be a lot more since my perception is that we ate very well indeed.

Tags: Cauliflower, Fruit kebab, Low carb, Peaches, Recipes, Shepherd's Pie, €50 Challenge
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I made a big four egg omelette this morning, with some chopped scallions though it, then got into my strop about being sick of this whole thing and wanting steak and didn’t eat any of it.

He ate the lot, which may mean that Gavin has a point about me starving him, though he says he’s fine with what’s going. Only 3 eggs left and 2 more breakfasts, will have a think about that later.

Then of course I was starving in the middle of the morning, but there was some chili left over from last night, so I reheated that. Fine, even tasty, but boring.

When I travel, say to Dublin, I’ll take one route there and a different one home, because I hate repeating myself. This week feels like there is too much repetition of flavour and I think that’s why I got so fed up. The food is fine, it’s tasty, it’s nourishing, there just isn’t all that much variety in spite of my efforts.

Breakfast Cost: Eggs 54c; Scallions 10c; Total: 64c

We both had lunch at home today, Potato and Chorizo Salad, with radish, scallion and a little bit of chopped chili on top.

In spite of my complaining this was actually very nice and cheered me up a bit. He had a couple of slices of crisp bread with it, I didn’t bother as the salad was enough. There is only a weensy bit of lettuce left now, but then lettuce is just crispy water and not a necessity.

Lunch Cost: 10″ chorizo €1.24; radishes 10c; scallion 10c; lettuce 15c; potato 10c; chili 9c; crisp bread 9c.
Total: €1.87

At this point I still couldn’t decide what to have for dinner. My options were:

a. something else with mince (NO!!)
b. something with turkey breast, which didn’t do it for me either, or
c. the frittata I’d planned to do one evening. But I would use chorizo in that and although there is some left I didn’t want it twice in a day.

I wanted something tasty, something not in a bowl, something… well, I wanted steak.

But since steak is out, I took my meagre budget to the nearest shop (Eurospar) and bought what I know to be the best bargain there, 2 chicken legs for €1 each. These really are quite large and meaty and are cheaper than either the chicken thighs or drumsticks in Lidl, which is surprising because Eurospar is normally quite expensive.

We had Roast Chicken Legs with Roast Vegetables, preceded by a bowl of yesterday’s soup.

The chicken was just dusted with Puszta Spice Mix and put into a hot oven (200 C) for 45 mins, each one sat on top of a little bulb of garlic.

The turnip was parboiled for about 20 minutes, mixed with a sliced onion and half a red pepper, then tossed with a good dessert spoon of Balsamic vinegar. I didn’t use any oil because this went in beside the chicken for the last 20 mins to roast in the chicken fat.

The courgette is sliced, salted and left to drain for 20 minutes or so, then squeezed dry with kitchen paper, tossed it in a little olive oil and seasoned generously with black pepper. I roasted them separately from the chicken, as courgettes are very absorbant and they would be soggy and greasy if roast in the chicken fat. They take about 20 minutes in the oven.

Before serving, I split the roast garlic and squeezed the soft flesh over the roast turnip.

This was a simple dinner to prepare, had good robust flavours and tasted nothing like anything we’ve had already this week, which considerably improved my mood.

Dinner Cost: chicken €2; courgette: 83c; turnip 25c; pepper 25c; onion 10c; garlic 16c.
Total: €3.49

Which brings the day’s total to exactly €6.00.

It’s Friday night! A couple of drinks tonight were in the budget from the get go and I’m mightily glad they were, because if I couldn’t have some kind of treat I’d be really stroppy. Though in fact by the time dinner was over I’d got my head back into a good place and I’m absolutely ready for the last 2 days of this.

Bring it on!

Tags: Chicken, Chorizo, Roast vegetables, €50 Challenge
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…and I want it now.

I’m fed up of this. I can’t think of a thing that’s available to me that I want to eat.

There is no bread left, hardly any cheese, no fruit, no yogurt. I’m staring at the freezer and seeing nothing I actually want to take out for dinner. I have around €5 but I’m afraid to spend it in case I really need it.

What I want is a great big hunk of expensive red meat. A nice big juicy steak, medium rare. And I want it this minute. I’m not actually hungry or anything and I’ll carry on, but it’s really making it very clear to me how easy it is to live on a low budget in theory and how difficult in practice.

You can survive on €50 per week, but can you live?

Tags: Bored, €50 Challenge
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