Food for a fiver

Meals for a fiver

Hints and tips for cooking meals on a budget:

Write a shopping list: Draw up a weekly meal plan using up ingredients you already have and make a shopping list of any missing items.Try not to shop when hungry. People who shop when hungry are more likely to spend more, especially on less healthy foods, such as high-fat and sugary snacks.

Waste nothing: Be strict about buying only what you'll actually eat. Plan your meals so that all ingredients on your list get used. Freeze any unused food. Food storage bags and boxes will come in handy.

Eat leftovers for lunch: Cook extra portions for your evening meal so that you can have the leftovers for lunch the next day. Any leftovers can be frozen for another day. 

Buy frozen: Frozen fruit and vegetables are underrated. They come pre-chopped and ready to use, are just as good for you (try to avoid those with added salt, sugar or fat), and are often cheaper than fresh varieties.

Frozen vegetables are picked at the peak of freshness and then frozen to seal in their nutrients.

Try cheaper brands: You could save money by buying cheaper brands than you normally do. There's not always much difference between value and premium ranges. Give it a go and let your taste buds be the judge, not the shiny label.

Eat more veg: Meat and fish are typically the most expensive food ingredients on a shopping list. How about adding vegetables to meat dishes such as casseroles to make your meals go further? Or try a few vegetarian meals during the week to keep costs down? Make it fun by joining the thousands of people who regularly take part in meat-free Monday.

Cook with pulses: Pulses, such as beans, lentils and peas, are some of the cheapest foods on the supermarket shelf. These pulses are low in calories and fat but packed with fibre, vitamins and minerals and also count towards your 5 A DAY. Use them in dishes to replace some of the chicken or meat, such as a chilli con carne with kidney beans or a chicken curry with chickpeas.

Know your kitchen: Know what's in your kitchen store cupboard, fridge and freezer. You may find you've got enough ingredients to make a meal! Plan your week's meals to include ingredients you've already got in and avoid buying items you already have. Check use-by dates to make sure you use up ingredients before they go off. 

Buy cheaper cuts: If you're prepared to take a little more time with your cooking, buying cheaper cuts of meat is a great way to save money. Choosing a cheaper cut of meat, such as braising steak, shin or shoulder, doesn't mean missing out on a tasty meal. Slow cooking gradually breaks down the fibres in cheaper cuts, giving great taste at a lower cost.

Look up cheap recipes: Cheap doesn't have to mean less tasty. There are plenty of websites offering recipes for cheap eats and leftover ingredients.

Eat smaller portions

Cook from scratch: Save money by cutting back on takeaways. Preparing and cooking your own meals is generally cheaper than buying a takeaway or a ready meal, and because it's easier to control what goes in to your dish, it can be healthier.

Compare pre-packed with loose: Fruit and vegetables sometimes cost more pre-packed than loose. Check the price per weight (for example £/kg). Stores know that consumers want to buy in bulk, and so they mix it up: sometimes the packed produce is cheaper, sometimes it's more expensive. Also, pre-packed isn't always the freshest and you may end up with more than you need.

Cut down on luxuries: If your regular shopping basket tends to include fizzy drinks, crisps, snack bars, biscuits and cakes, try trimming down on these non-essential items. Many of these are high in sugar and fat so you'll be doing your waistline as well as your bottom line a favour. They can also contain a lot of salt.

Think about cheaper and healthier alternatives – such as sparkling water and fruit juice instead of cola, or fruit and plain yoghurt.

Beware of BOGOF offers: Special discounts such as buy-one-get-one-free (BOGOF) deals can offer good value, but be careful: only buy items you actually need and are likely to keep and use – tinned or frozen fruit and veg or rice and pasta are a good example.

Happy Hour shopping: Markdowns on perishables at the end of the shopping day are another way to bag a saving – but make sure the item gets used before the use-by-date and doesn't go off sooner than expected.

Most supermarkets discount fresh items towards the end of the day. However, with longer opening hours it's a case of finding out just the right time to grab those bargains. If you time it right and the "reduced to clear shelves" can save you big money. Always check use-by dates.