If you can’t already tell from your bank balance and credit card statements, December is an extremely expensive month for all of us.
According to the Bank of England, the average UK family spends over £ 3,000 in December alone, leaving many out of their own pockets in the gloomy month of January.
And, with a long month of the month remaining, and the post-Christmas bills starting to land, the “poorest day of the year” is coined on January 24 – the last Friday before payday.
In the spirit of “in-it-togetherness”, and to show how easily you can feed your family for less, a busy mom shared her shopping list and recipes to help you save hundreds of pounds in your grocery store.
Aldi discount store challenged mom, Natalie Lee, to feed her family of four for an entire week in a £ 25.00 in-store shop.
This is lower than the national average family weekly grocery store that comes in at £ 60.60, according to the data.
Documenting how she got the most profit, below is Natalie’s shopping list and some of her recipes.
“My family and I had a very special Christmas, but this inevitably meant that I spent more than I should have had,” explained the mother of four.
“I accepted the challenge because I need motivation to get creative and push myself to cook on a limited budget.”
Natalie’s one-week meal plan
Monday: Breakfast: smoothie. Lunch: eggs / avocado on toast. Dinner: vegetable rice
Tuesday: Breakfast: porridge. Lunch: rice, chicken and mixed peppers. Dinner: Halloumi kebab and asparagus
Wednesday: Breakfast cereals. Lunch: meatballs and remaining vegetables. Dinner: Chicken Fajitas
Thursday: Breakfast cereals. Lunch: vegetable soup and bread. Dinner: pasta, olive oil and garlic granules.
Friday: Breakfast: smoothie. Lunch: omelette and salad. Dinner: spaghetti and pesto
Saturday: Breakfast: smoked salmon and eggs. Lunch: baked beans on toast. Dinner: chicken, asparagus, potatoes
Sunday: Breakfast: eggs and chili flakes on toast. Lunch / Dinner: Sunday roast.
Natalie’s delicious super quick vegetable rice (for 4 people)
Ingredients:
250 g of Easy Cook rice (raw)
500 g of frozen mixed vegetables
2 large eggs
Essential elements of the wardrobe: a few rounds of garlic granules
Essentials of the shop closet: a good dose of soy sauce
Method:
- Cook the rice in boiling water and heat the vegetables on the stove
- Combine the rice and cooked vegetables in a large pan with a splash of oil
- Sprinkle a pinch of garlic granules and add those to the vegetable rice over low heat
- Break and add two eggs and continue stirring until the eggs are joined and cooked
- Add a good glass of soy sauce and enjoy!
Chicken Fajita’s (serves 4)
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Ingredients:
1 pack of diced chicken breast from Ashfield Farm
½ of each red, green and yellow pepper
½ bunch of spring onions
Pack of 475 g Fiesta Fajita dining kit
1 ripe avocado
Juice ½ Lime
½ teaspoon of chili flakes
Pair of balls of low-fat natural yogurt
Store the closet products: a little sunflower oil
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 200⁰C / 400⁰F / Gas Mark 6
- Cut the peppers into thin slices, discarding any white seeds and seeds
- Wash, cut and thinly slice the onions
- Put all of the above in a large bowl, with the chicken, add half of the lime juice and mix
- Sprinkle the fajita dressing on the kit and mix well
- Lightly grease a large baking tray
- Spread the chicken and vegetable mix on the tray
- Bake for 15 minutes
- In the meantime, take the avocado dip
- Cut the avocado in half lengthwise, remove the stone and collect the meat
- Put the avocado in a bowl, mash the meat with a fork, then add the yogurt, the rest of the lime juice and the chili flakes and mix well
- Heat the tortillas in the oven
- To make the fajitas, put some sauce from the kit on each tortilla, then add some chicken and vegetables
- Roll up and serve together with the avocado dip
Natalie’s Aldi One Week Shopping Cart (£ 25)
Large eggs
blueberries
Mixed frozen vegetables
Avocado
Soft wholemeal bread
Scotch porridge oats
Specially selected pesto
Spaghetti Everyday Essentials
Whole wheat pasta
Chicken breast fillets
Diced chicken breast
Cereal
Pottage
Baked potatoes
5% fatty beef meatballs
Easy to cook rice
Iceberg lettuce
Whole chicken
Natural low-fat yogurt
Bean stew
halloumi
Red pepper
Asparagus
lime
Chili flakes
Fajita kit
Spring onions
Mixed peppers
