Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

Weekly food budget for a single person

13»

Comments

  • #62
    Bredabe
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,157 ✭✭✭Bredabe


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122297207#Comment_122297207

    In terms of the cookery books, I didn't want to assume op was a specific age and was conscious that the budget maybe tight for internet. Books at least can be revisited if there is a choice between light or internet in the budget. Ime, there are many more housekeeping or budget cooking tips in older books.

    I use lls/oz's and us measures, I just cant juggle all those no's to convert to metric. But in the end, its up to OP's inclinations/budget.

    "Have you ever wagged your tail so hard you fell over"?-Brod Higgins.



  • #63
    Slightly Kwackers
    Registered Users Posts: 746 ✭✭✭Slightly Kwackers


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122302797#Comment_122302797

    It's whatever floats your boat.

    I used to set up instrumentation for companies and made a point of offering them whatever the site used I never had a single taker for cubic angstroms or cubic fathoms despite offering them "cheap" :-)

    Frankly unless you find someplace to sell things in pounds ans ounces, do you not have to do a mental conversion anyway?

    I can only buy flour in kg, so that tells me I can get three loaves from a bag of flour with plenty to spare for dusting, that's using standard loaf tins. Yeast I buy in grams as I do soda or baking powder.

    I would actually find it very difficult to work in anything other than kg and litres.

    There is one butchers heading from Tralee to Ardfert that advertises things in pounds, I find it as much use as the plethora of shops selling things at x% off. Loads do it, but don't put a price on the "discounted item". Anyway I'm getting old and have no desire to try work out how many slices of bacon are in a pound of the stuff, I somehow doubt that the pounds and ounces are for the convenience of the customer either.

    As an ex UK resident, I must confess to being a little negative about imperial measurements. I feel sorry for the poor eejits that wrecked their country for blue passports and the pints of wine they don't even have yet.



  • #64
    Madd002
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 333 ✭✭Madd002


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122294974#Comment_122294974

    Just my tuppence worth, below is a cheap meal that I eat 2-3 times a week as its quick easy and filling.

    Ingredients:

    1bag of Dunnes frozen garlic & herb prawns €4.79, 3 portions

    1pack Dunnes spaghetti .79c 5 portions

    1tub cherry tomatoes 99c 3 portions

    Chilliflakes from cupboard €1 dunnes brand.

    Couple leaves of basil from window but if you don't have it'll do without.

    Cook a portion of pasta, bring to boil and simmer.

    Get a small saucepan and put on low add some olive oil & add 10-12 frozen prawns as these are fresh frozen they'll cook to a pink colour. these take around 8mins turning regularly add Chilli flakes at end.

    Cut cherry tomatoes in half and snip basil leaves in your serving bowl.

    Drain pasta and toss into saucepan with prawns & add the cherry tomatoes & basil in too toss around with fork and upend into serving dish. You should end up with something like this add a sprinkle of salt and black pepper to taste, its very tasty & not boring 😋

    20240506_194013.jpg
    20240625_185035.jpg



  • #65
    Slightly Kwackers
    Registered Users Posts: 746 ✭✭✭Slightly Kwackers


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122303284#Comment_122303284

    It looks delicious,

    The photo is very impressive too.

    Food isn't the easiest subject to record.



  • #66
    Madd002
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 333 ✭✭Madd002


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122303366#Comment_122303366

    Thanks, I used to spend hrs cooking dinners in evening when kids were younger and coming in after school, now that I'm older I'm too tired after work so need quick easy and satisfying meals.



  • Advertisement
  • #67
    defiantdancer
    Registered Users Posts: 175 ✭✭defiantdancer


    @Madd002 thank you! That looks delicious & also really easy to make😊



  • #68
    Speedsie
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,317 ✭✭✭Speedsie
    ¡arriba, arriba! ¡andale, andale!


    @HeidiHeidi re keeping shop bought basil growing, the secret is to repot it! Basically it's a pot full of seedlings and runs out of nutrients quickly.

    I tend to repot into about 6 pots, but I know people who just just one very large pot.

    Pinch off the tops, about 2/3 leaf nodes, the seedlings will then bush out & you'll have months of basil.



  • #69
    defiantdancer
    Registered Users Posts: 175 ✭✭defiantdancer


    @Speedsie this is great advice-I will do this😊



  • #70
    HeidiHeidi
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 29,504 ✭✭✭✭HeidiHeidi


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122308775#Comment_122308775

    I have actually been told that before, and tried the repotting - the plant definitely lasted longer for sure - but my sister has a basil plant that was nearer to a tree, which i was very jealous of but have never got even close to achieving!

    But yes, repotting in a bigger pot with fresh compost definitely prolongs the life of the plant.



  • #71
    dunworth1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,338 ✭✭✭dunworth1


    does anyone else find that the 3 for €10 meet offers in Dunnes has become poor/static recently there used to be a bit of variety every now and again now it just seems to be the same items?

    i have also noticed they have started doing a 2 for €10 and a 3 for €12.

    the 2 for €10 is just bigger portions really ( 3 chicken fillets instead of 2 etc.)



  • Advertisement
  • #72
    LambshankRedemption
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,099 ✭✭✭LambshankRedemption


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122451433#Comment_122451433

    I should preface this by saying I worked in Dunnes for 6 months in the year 2000.

    Ive never been a fan of Dunnes as a consumer. They used to be the cheaper option over Quinnsworth/Tesco. Then Lidl and Aldi arrived and they were no longer the cheapest option. They went through a sort of identity crisis by trying to emulate Marks and Spencers for a while. For cheapness, my go to is tesco, who by the way are doing 3 for €10 in selected meats. They also have a kilo of beef mince for 8.50. So you could divide the kilo into 5 parts, and have a dinner with 200grams of beef mince, for 1.70 per dish.



  • #73
    Sleepy
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 24,266 ✭✭✭✭Sleepy


    One tip for meat: a whole chicken is WAY better value than butchered packs of breasts/wings/drumsticks etc.

    Roast the chicken whole and enjoy a roast chicken dinner (cook in a dutch oven on top of some root veg / peppers and you'll have roast veg to go with the chicken, strain the veg out with a slotted spoon, add some stock and flour/cornflour to make real gravy.

    Pick the carcass clean of meat, throw into tupperware in the fridge - you'll have enough shredded chicken to use in stir fries / curries / pasta dishes for a few days (we'd usually get enough for a chicken fried rice for a family of four the next day)

    Put the remainder of the carcass into a stock pot, fill with water and the peels from your root veg, perhaps an onion etc and simmer for a few hours, strain and you'll have a rich chicken stock that's the perfect base for chicken noodle soup with some cheap noodles, sweetcorn and spring onions. (That's another tip actually - only use the greens from the spring onions and put the bulbs in a glass of water on the windowsill and you can regrow the greens in a week or so. Usually get 4/5 "harvests" from each bunch we buy.)



  • #74
    zell12
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 25,881 ✭✭✭✭zell12


    That is very expensive. Lidl have beef mince at €6.78/kg

    image.png

    or Aldi at €6.59/kg

    image.png



  • #75
    LambshankRedemption
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,099 ✭✭✭LambshankRedemption


    That's another tip actually - only use the greens from the spring onions and put the bulbs in a glass of water on the windowsill and you can regrow the greens in a week or so. Usually get 4/5 "harvests" from each bunch we buy

    I do that. My sister thinks Im mad.

    That is very expensive. Lidl have beef mince at €6.78/kg

    I dont frequent Lidl because I dont have one near me. That is a good deal.



  • #76
    zell12
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 25,881 ✭✭✭✭zell12


    Social Justice types says a singleton should spend €60pw/€3120yr on food.

    The MESL research identifies the cost of what is required to enable a life with dignity, at a minimum but acceptable level – what we call the Minimum Essential Standard of Living - excludes housing, childcare.

    image.png



  • #77
    Ezeoul
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,360 ✭✭✭Ezeoul


    Don't discount all meat completely, if you like it.

    You can get a lot of value out of a small chicken, a small fillet of ham, or a piece of housekeepers cut (beef).

    I roast the chicken, and have a breast for dinner, the other breast could be cut up for sandwiches / salads during the week, and then the rest of the meat can be stripped and used with a jar of inexpensive sauce and some rice (store cupboard staple) for a tasty dinner another day. You'd be amazed how much meat there is on a small chicken!

    I'd also recommend cooking a small chicken in a slow cooker as well, if you don't particularly want roast chicken. The meat comes out incredibly moist and tender, and slips of the bone. Perfect for using with a sauce (curry, chicken supreme, casserole) and saving some for the freezer or sandwiches / salads.

    If you like beef, you could get a piece of housekeepers cut when on special offer, (it does very well in a slow cooker) and then slice and freeze in portions for other dinners, it freezes really well. Very easy to reheat in the oven - I usually reheat a few slices in a small ceramic roasting dish. I add a little gravy / beef stock to the dish, cover with foil and let it reheat slowly in the oven. It comes out delicious and tender.

    I personally am a meat lover, and couldn't live on vegetarian / mostly veg based meals only. (Well, I could, but I'd be miserable). But I have cut down on a LOT of waste of expensive meat, by doing the above. Best of luck!



  • #78
    defiantdancer
    Registered Users Posts: 175 ✭✭defiantdancer


    thank u @zell12 . I had come across that research before but couldn’t remember the name of the organisation. Have now looked it up & bookmarked it.



Advertisement