by Thrifty Lesley | Aug 27, 2025 | All Meal Plans, Meal Plan 4, Meal Plans For 2
Meal Plan 4 As at the time of writing, August 2025 you will need £23.73 in your purse at the checkout, but the amount of food actually consumed (if you follow the plan fully) comes to £18.74, so £1.34 a day per person, and you still have some supplies to start you off...
by Thrifty Lesley | Nov 23, 2024 | All Recipes, Less than 500 calories, Lunches, Meal Plan 1, Meal Plan 4
Pea soup, a lovely quick and simple soup made using frozen green peas and not a lot else. Very quick to make, about 15 minutes start to finish. Enjoy with a slice of lovely bread and butter, a vegetable muffin, cheese scone, cheese on toast or anything else you fancy,...
by Thrifty Lesley | Oct 28, 2024 | All Recipes, Breakfast, Dinners, Less than 500 calories, Lunches, Meal Plan 1
This recipe came about when I was challenged to create an 8th day on Meal Plan 1 using remaining groceries. It was indeed quite a challenge trying to come up with a days eating from this and that. I’m really quite pleased with these! What do I need to make vegan...
by Thrifty Lesley | Oct 18, 2024 | All Recipes, Dinners, Less than 500 calories
I made this salad with chicken and mango in one of the Cooking Up A Storm groups that I do with my local u3a. It was very simple, quick to make too, and very delicious! This is one of the more expensive recipes on Thrifty Lesley, so if funds are short, maybe something...
by Thrifty Lesley | Oct 12, 2024 | All Recipes, Dinners, Meal Plan 1, Meal Plan 10, Meal Plan 4
This recipe for sweet corn fritters is made with very basic ingredients, is very quick and easy, and a very cheap meal. The sweetcorn can be swapped out for many other vegetables and changed around in many different ways. This particular sweet corn fritter recipe is...
by Thrifty Lesley | Oct 4, 2024 | All Recipes, Dinners, Less than 500 calories, Lunches, Meal Plan 2
This couscous salad is filling and sustaining, keeping me going until dinner (I usually have it at lunchtime). Very versatile, you can add all kinds of bits and pieces to it from those little dishes in the fridge What do I need to make vegan couscous salad This recipe...
by Thrifty Lesley | Apr 28, 2023 | All Meal Plans, Meal Plan 10, Meal Plans For 2
Updated and repriced in June 2024 The Tenth Meal Plan – we’re in double figures! The usual caveats apply, it shows 3 meals a day, plus some cakey extras to fill any gaps, for 7 days, for 2 adults. Change the meals around to suit yourself, combine the...
by Thrifty Lesley | Apr 27, 2023 | All Meal Plans, Meal Plan 11, Meal Plans For 2
Weekly Meal Plan Eleven For this, our eleventh weekly meal plan for 2 adults, we base it around a whole chicken, bacon and lots of vegetables. As at 5th October 2024, you will need £31.60 in your purse at the checkout, but the amount of food actually consumed (if you...
by Thrifty Lesley | Mar 24, 2023 | All Recipes, Dinners, Lunches
A mixed vegetable quiche is a classic British dish that comes out very cheap with a bit of frugalisation. If you think quiche or flan sounds like something your granny makes, you could always call it a tart and feel all contemporary. If you decide to use the oil...
by Thrifty Lesley | Jul 20, 2022 | All Recipes, Dinners, Stretch A Chicken
Got a little bit of chicken to use up? Try it in this spicy pasta bake- make it as hot and spicy as you like! What do I need to make Spicy Chicken Pasta To make 4 servings Pasta Bake ▢ 120 g cooked chicken around 150g if using raw chicken ▢ 150 g onion ▢ 2 tsp oil ▢ 1...
by Thrifty Lesley | Jul 17, 2022 | All Recipes, Dinners, Less than 500 calories, Stretch A Chicken
This recipe is part of a series on stretching a chicken to the max. I took one medium chicken of 1.5kg and made it feed a family of 4 for a week, with 7 different budget stretching chicken recipes. I roasted the chicken, had a roast lunch with my husband, then...
by Thrifty Lesley | Jul 17, 2022 | All Recipes, Dinners, Less than 500 calories, Meal Plan 11, Stretch A Chicken
Risotti are incredibly useful to use up all kinds of bits and pieces. Or, as here, using leftover roast chicken and a couple of vegetables to make something truly delectable. How to make Italian chicken risotto This leftover chicken risotto uses meat leftover from a...
by Thrifty Lesley | Nov 21, 2021 | All Recipes, Dinners, Less than 500 calories, Lunches, Meal Plan 2
First written in August 2013, refreshed and updated in November 2021. I wanted to try a couscous salad that I have been doing for a while and see if I could get it sub 50p. Well, it worked out at 71p for the dish in the picture, and there is plenty there for two, so...
by Thrifty Lesley | Oct 2, 2021 | All Recipes, Dinners, Meal Plan 2
With a little adjusting, I have made enough calories available to have an 8th day on Meal Plan 2 – which brings the cost down even further! Very pleased with that. How do I make Cream Cheese Pizza Mix the flour and yeast, salt and sugar, with enough water to...
