March meal plan / frugal weight loss tips
So we'll start with food, as it's probably the easiest and the one thing most people are looking to tweak. First of, I am by no means perfect - I lack very good discipline in the store and too often give into temptation and cravings for things not on my shopping list. So while I can stick to a narrow budget in theory, it unfortunately rarely happens as naughty things fall into my trolley. They are only a few things, and not overly expensive, but they do add up!
As I previously mentioned, I am trying to lose weight (actually, I'm only 3lbs away from my target, so I will still need to shop differently than I used to). This means more fresh fruit and vegetables than before, which does get expensive. At the moment I do not have the ability to get to a market for either cheaper produce or reduced/free produce at the end of the day. I am very close (I hope!!) to getting my driving licence, after which I hope to be able to cut the cost of fruit/veg down quite a bit.
I have also been dabbling in freezer/crockpot/slow cooker cooking a lot more this month. We were lucky enough to acquire a standalone freezer so I am finally able to do this. Colour me quite excited!!
On with the meal plan for March...
I think a * was my code for a non-freezer meal. My budget is currently £150, but this could be lower if not doing Slimming World as it is heavy in yogurts, fruit, and some veg. It could be a lot higher if I bought a lot of the 'usual' Slimming World staples, but I have worked hard to find meals that are both frugal and allowed. I have unfortunately already gone over this as I under-budgeted for milk, bacon and fruit. M has started eating food so fruit is going even faster these days!
A key tip is not to be roped in by the products which other slimmers love. For instance, LowLow cheese is gorgeous and quick and fabulous on pasta, jacket potatoes, etc. Unfortunately, it's also £1 per pot (ON SALE!) which only provides 2 servings. I used to buy some as a treat, but it simply doesn't fit in the budget. Similarly, slimmers live off Mullerlite yogurts, which are NOT cheap. I do a combination of store-brand big pots of fat free flavoured, fat free natural (the cheapest option) and branded yogurts on special offer (Activia 8 pots for a bargain £1.50 at the moment in Tesco). Frozen summer fruits/berries are really lovely on porridge, in yogurt, in cereal, everywhere and far cheaper than their fresh counterparts.
Luckily pasta, rice, couscous and potatoes are all allowed in limitless quantities, so that provides a plethora of frugal meals. Even if I try and make a slightly smaller portion for myself and bulk out my own plate with extra veg, then that all helps. If you HAVE to buy diet-oriented things (like low-fat sausages) which are expensive, don't be afraid of being selfish and only getting enough for yourself while the rest of the family get the usual value version. Kids have no concept of appreciating those Quorn sausages cost 4x dearer!
I don't want to overwhelm this post, so I hope to post smaller, but equally valuable tips as the days go on.
As I previously mentioned, I am trying to lose weight (actually, I'm only 3lbs away from my target, so I will still need to shop differently than I used to). This means more fresh fruit and vegetables than before, which does get expensive. At the moment I do not have the ability to get to a market for either cheaper produce or reduced/free produce at the end of the day. I am very close (I hope!!) to getting my driving licence, after which I hope to be able to cut the cost of fruit/veg down quite a bit.
I have also been dabbling in freezer/crockpot/slow cooker cooking a lot more this month. We were lucky enough to acquire a standalone freezer so I am finally able to do this. Colour me quite excited!!
On with the meal plan for March...
| 1 | TERIYAKI CHICKEN |
| 2 | CURRY SAUSAGE (ONE POT THINGEE) |
| 3 | *CHILLI |
| 4 | VEG CURRY |
| 5 | *CARBONARA |
| 6 | *RISOTTO |
| 7 | MONGOLIAN PORK |
| 8 | CHICKEN CURRY |
| 9 | *LENTIL SPINACH SOUP |
| 10 | *OMELETTES/PANCAKES |
| 11 | *LASAGNE |
| 12 | BACON AND LENTIL STEW |
| 13 | SWEET & SOUR CHICKEN |
| 14 | MONGOLIAN SAUSAGE |
| 15 | *BEEF COUSCOUS |
| 16 | *VEGGIE CURRY |
| 17 | *QUICHE |
| 18 | CURRY PORK |
| 19 | *SPAG BOL |
| 20 | *RISOTTO |
| 21 | ADOBO CHICKEN |
| 22 | FALAFELS AND COUSCOUS |
| 23 | *SAUSAGES AND MASH |
| 24 | *POTATO AND ONION SOUP |
| 25 | CHEESEY CHICKEN PASTA? |
| 26 | *CHILLI |
| 27 | TERIYAKI PORK |
| 28 | ITALIAN SAUSAGE SOUP |
| 29 | *CARBONARA |
| 30 | *EGG FRIED RICE |
I think a * was my code for a non-freezer meal. My budget is currently £150, but this could be lower if not doing Slimming World as it is heavy in yogurts, fruit, and some veg. It could be a lot higher if I bought a lot of the 'usual' Slimming World staples, but I have worked hard to find meals that are both frugal and allowed. I have unfortunately already gone over this as I under-budgeted for milk, bacon and fruit. M has started eating food so fruit is going even faster these days!
A key tip is not to be roped in by the products which other slimmers love. For instance, LowLow cheese is gorgeous and quick and fabulous on pasta, jacket potatoes, etc. Unfortunately, it's also £1 per pot (ON SALE!) which only provides 2 servings. I used to buy some as a treat, but it simply doesn't fit in the budget. Similarly, slimmers live off Mullerlite yogurts, which are NOT cheap. I do a combination of store-brand big pots of fat free flavoured, fat free natural (the cheapest option) and branded yogurts on special offer (Activia 8 pots for a bargain £1.50 at the moment in Tesco). Frozen summer fruits/berries are really lovely on porridge, in yogurt, in cereal, everywhere and far cheaper than their fresh counterparts.
Luckily pasta, rice, couscous and potatoes are all allowed in limitless quantities, so that provides a plethora of frugal meals. Even if I try and make a slightly smaller portion for myself and bulk out my own plate with extra veg, then that all helps. If you HAVE to buy diet-oriented things (like low-fat sausages) which are expensive, don't be afraid of being selfish and only getting enough for yourself while the rest of the family get the usual value version. Kids have no concept of appreciating those Quorn sausages cost 4x dearer!
I don't want to overwhelm this post, so I hope to post smaller, but equally valuable tips as the days go on.
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