£18 a Week Food Budget Shopping List UK

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Including a meal planner for all meals in a week

We all know that feeding a family of four is expensive, but it’s not impossible to get the weekly shop cheap, or down to just £18.

Don’t be fooled, just because this is a budget weekly menu, doesn’t mean that it lacks yummy food that the whole family will love. There’s no yellow stickers or any reduced items used, just a normal shop without the thrills, as a lot of the meals are made from scratch.

To be completely transparent, I don’t think anyone can shop for £18 every single week. You’re always going to need cleaning products, shampoo, or toothpaste, so have a weekly budget of £35 but normally spend that.

For more tips on buying food on a budget, have a look at:

The Ultimate £1 Per Head Budget Meal Planning List – This is our biggest list of £1 a head family meals that you can use to save money.

21 Budget Family Meals and a £16 Aldi Meal Plan – It’s not easy to find budget meals that your whole family will eat. This includes a meal plan and food ideas.

21 Cheap Meals for a Week for a Family – Sometimes you just need some budget recipes that help you fill up your meal plan.

Free money saving challenge

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Saving money tips

If you are struggling and trying to save money then we have some great money-saving tips for you. Living on a tight budget doesn’t have to be boring!

Here are our top 5 tips for feeding your kids on a very small budget.

1. Use cashback sites

This counts for anything you buy online.

Have a look at:

OhMyDosh which not only offers you cash back on the items you buy online but also gives you options to make money by completing surveys or entering competitions.

Use our link here to have £1 added to your account just for signing up!*

You can read our review on OhMyDosh here.

Quidco is a great cashback site as it has all the major brands on there. This nifty cashback site lets you earn a percentage of your spending back on all sorts of purchases, from your weekly food shop to that new outfit you just had to have.

All you’ve gotta do is sign up (it’s free, by the way), then start your shopping trip through the Quidco portal. Boom – instant savings!

Join Quidco here for free!

2. Plan your meals

Write down what you want to eat this week. That means 7 days of meals. Your food shop doesn’t have to be expensive.

Don’t forget to plan a few simple or quick meals for the days you’re going to be in late or when the kids have a club.

Keeping it simple will help you stick to your plan.

As you fill in your dinners for the week, start writing your shopping list.

Using a weekly meal plan sheet like mine below helps to break down your list into easy to read chunks.

You can even break it down further into sections like produce, meats, refrigerated, frozen, etc.

If you’re struggling to meal plan then use ours here from our Resource Vault.

3. Kitchen Staples

Before you even start meal planning, check what you have already. Do you have any kitchen staples that you could use to bulk out any meals or use on days you’re late home?

Is there anything in your freezer you could eat to bring this week’s shopping list down?

The same goes for vegetables and side dishes. Spending a few minutes checking the freezer, fridge and cupboards can save you money later on

These are the The Best List of Store Cupboard Essentials that we use ourselves.

4. Shop for your freezer

Freezer food is great when you just want a small portion of something.

We buy all our meat frozen, vegetables and even some fruit. That way we only take out what we need and it stops it from going off.

5. Leftovers are key

Many of us don’t like the idea of spending hours in the kitchen and you really don’t have too. Everytime you cook something make two and stick one in the freezer.

It works out cheaper as you are using the electric anyway and when you are hungry and can’t be bothered to cook you have a healthy meal just waiting to be warned up.

Our other tips are:

1. Shop in discount supermarkets. Don’t be loyal, as it doesn’t pay off.
2. To get the bill down further, bulk out curries with beans, or spaghetti bolognese with grated vegetables.
3. Buy own brand items. They cost a lot less but don’t last that much different.
4. Grow your own vegetables if you can. This can save you buying what you need. Spices are really easy to grow if you are a beginner. Chilis, mint, and sage are great starters.
5. Make sure you own a slow cooker, blender, freezer bags, and Tupperware. You can pick all these up cheaply second-hand on Facebook or Gumtree.
6. Try cheapest cuts of meats, especially if they are destined for the slow cooker.

All these are simple steps to help you build an emergency fund, pay off debts like credit cards and car title loans, or save towards that mega holiday.

Beginner grocery list on a budget

If you are looking for family-friendly meals that are a little bit different then have a look at Spicentice. They send you packets of spices that can help liven up your mealtimes. What we love the best about Spicentice though is that the packets include an exact shopping list and easy to follow instructions. You can then use them over and over again.

They are great to use if you are new to cooking from scratch or if you are looking to get your family eating new budget-friendly meals and have no clue where to start.

We tried them at the start of this year and loved them. We got stuck in a food rut and they helped by giving us ideas while keeping our food budget really low.

If you’d like to try Spicentice yourself then make sure you use our link here with our code LASAVE20 to get 20% off every purchase.*

We started using Spicentice and have cooked these amazing meals below. You can swap and change any of the recipes with these. 

Spaghetti Meatballs

This spaghetti meatball recipe comes in at just 73p per person for a family of four. This spaghetti meatball recipe is so easy to cook and is great if you are a beginner cook looking for something gorgeous that the whole can eat.

Read how to make our Spaghetti Meatball Recipe For 73p a Head

Chicken Fajitas

Chicken fajitas are a great family meal idea if your kids like to help themselves. The great thing about fajitas is that you can make this different everything depending on what your family like or how spicy they like meals.

Read how to make our family Easy Chicken Fajita Recipe: A Family Meal for 94p a Person.

Chinese Chicken Curry

This tasty Chinese chicken curry recipe can be made within 25 minutes and tastes just like your local takeaway. It is really easy to make on a Friday night when you want something special.

Make our Chinese Chicken Curry For Just £1.54 For 4.

Homemade Beef Burgers

Homemade beef burgers are really simple and cheap to make. These one’s taste better than any takeaway and you can add whatever spice or extras to the middle your family like. These made the perfect weekend treat for the whole family while helping you to stick to a food budget.

Really Easy Homemade Beef Burgers For Under £1 a Head

Southern Fried Chicken

This southern fried chicken recipe is succulent and so easy to make that it will become your go-to favourite dinner pretty quickly. This is the ultimate in comfort food joy that really does taste like KFC!

The Best Southern Fried Chicken Recipe For Under £1 a Head

Chicken Tikka Masala

If you are looking for an easy chicken tikka masala recipe then this post is for you. It’s great for beginners who want to cook a fakeaway for a Friday night or even on a weekday. The dish typically consists of marinated chicken pieces cooked in a spiced tomato-based sauce, often served with rice or naan bread. It’s the perfect comfort food for those looking for something hearty and satisfying.

Chicken Tikka Masala Curry For Under £4 a Head

Katsu Curry

If you are looking for a fakeaway recipe that is also Slimming World friendly and easy to cook then this Katsu chicken curry is for you. It’s a great curry recipe that is easy for beginners and doesn’t take too long to cook. This is based on the traditional Japanese curry. It is packed full of flavor and makes a great Friday night or weekend treat meal instead of ordering in.

The Best Katsu Curry Recipe For Under £1 a Head

Firecracker Chicken

This quick and easy firecracker chicken recipe is not only budget-friendly, but it’s also really easy to make.

The Best Firecracker Chicken For Just 99p a Head

£18 a week food budget

This is an example of a budget weekly shop at Aldi. We are assuming that you have some store cupboard in.

Our full lists of kitchen staples are here but we like to make sure that we always have in:

All Spice

Plain flour

Baking powder

Mixed spice

Chickpeas

Chilli flakes

Chilli sauce

Cinnamon

Dried coriander

Cornflour

Curry powder

Dried ginger

Honey

Oregano

Salt

Pepper

Suger

Vanilla extract

Puree

These are the staples we generally can’t live without!

Weekly shopping list for family of 4

Here’s an example of one of our budget meal plans. Use it to start saving your family money.

1kg Porridge Oats 95p

2L semi skimmed milk £1.75

12 eggs £2.40

800g bread 75p

1kg sweet potatoes £1.20

750g mild cheese £4.25

4x tins of beans £1.38

600g frozen chicken £3.85

1kg long grain rice 48p

1kg frozen mixed vegetables 95p

Total: £17.96

(This shop was done at Aldi and correct at time of publishing.)

Cheap groceries list

All these meals can be prepped before hand or frozen. Some of the meals may contain a few kitchen staples like rice, pasta or herbs.

Friday

Breakfast – Porridge with frozen mixed fruit

Lunch – Eggless Pancakes

This eggless recipe makes 10 pancakes which can be frozen then grilled back to warm. They take about 5 minutes to make and about 2 minutes to cook.

Read how we make The Best Eggless Pancakes Recipe Ever here.

You will need:

150g self-raising flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 spoonfuls of maple syrup, or granulated sugar

2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted

250ml soya milk

Dinner – Homemade ham & cheese pizza or pizza toast

We make our own base by combining 7g of dried yeast, a small teaspoon of caster sugar, 230ml of warm water (not hot) 345g plain flour and a pinch of salt. No need to wait for it to raise either. Just roll it out and start adding your toppings.

Saturday

Breakfast – Overnight Oats

We do this by combining 120ml of soya milk, 120g yogurt, 100g oats, 40g mixed frozen fruit. Cover it up before you go to bed and enjoy in the morning. Great for an on the go breakfast.

Lunch – Cheese Omelette

Really quick to mix together. We chuck two eggs, handful cheese and a dash of milk in a bowl then mix. Get the frying pan hot and cook till full-formed. This will make one portion.

Dinner – Sweet and Sour Chicken

This easy to make sweet and sour chicken recipe is perfect if you have friends coming over. Make a huge batch with brown rice and add as many vegetables as you like!

Here’s how we make our sweet and sour chicken recipe here.

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 x 425g can pineapple chunks in natural juice

2 tbsp cornflour

½ tsp dried chilli flakes

2 tbsp dark soy sauce

2 tbsp tomato puree

1 medium onion

300g frozen peppers

2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed.

Sunday

Breakfast – Porridge with fruit

Lunch – Cheese Omelette

Start by cracking two eggs per person into a small bowl and whisking till they are fluffy. Heat up a frying pan with a tiny bit of oil. When hot, pour the eggs into the pan and leave to cook. Once the edges seem to be cooked cooked, add a handful of grated cheese to the middle. Then flip over. Serve when fully cooked through. 

You can add loads to this basic omelette recipe. You can add cheese, herbs, and mushrooms.

Dinner – Red Rice

A very simple dish that takes only 20 minutes to cook, this Mexican red rice dish is perfect for the whole family.

You will need:

1 tbsp oil

2 garlic cloves

1tsp dried coriander

1 tbsp chilli powder

100g frozen onion

350g long-grain rice

1 veggie stock

3 tbsp puree

250g frozen vegetables.

Start by heating the oil and cook the garlic, dried herbs and onion. Add the rice to the pan with your 1 litre of stock and tomato puree. Add the mixed veg and reduce the stock down. The rice will take on the stock but it may take about 15 minutes. When you are done, remove from the heat and rest the dish for around 15 minutes to make sure that the rice has taken on all the liquid and flavour.

Monday

Breakfast – Boiled eggs and toast

Lunch – Red Rice leftovers

Dinner – Slow Cooker Peach Curry 

This slow cooker recipe is great for those rush evenings. All of this can be prepped in the morning or the night before. Add all the ingredients to the slow cooker pot (apart from the rice) and cook on low for 8 – 10 hours. When you are ready to serve, cook the rice as per the packet instructions.

Read how we make our slow cooker peach curry here.

2 chicken breasts

400g tin peaches

200g frozen peppers

1 red onion

2 tbsp brown sugar

4 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp ground ginger

250g rice.

Tuesday

Breakfast – Boiled egg & toast

Lunch – Sweet Potato Soup

This sweet potato carrot soup recipe is really easy to make and is great for weekend lunches. Everything you need should be in your cupboard or freezer.

Read how we make our Sweet Potato Carrot Soup Recipe here.

The roasted sweet potatoes taste really nice in this soup.

You will need:

500g chopped and cubed sweet potatoes

400g tin carrots

3 tbsp olive oil

100g frozen onion

2 garlic cloves

1L vegetable stock

100ml tin coconut milk

10g pinch chilli flakes.

Dinner – Chicken Fried Rice

With very low spice and perfect for leftover roast chicken, this chicken fried rice recipe is really easy to make for a quick lunch or dinner.

You will need:

1 tbsp sunflower oil

3 eggs

320g pack mixed stir-fry vegetable

1 tbsp mild curry powder

140g frozen sweetcorn

600g cooked rice

200g chicken breast

2 tbsp low-salt soy sauce

2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce

2 tbsp ketchup.

Wednesday

Breakfast – overnight oats

Lunch – Eggless Pancakes

(see above recipe)

Dinner – Mushroom Risotto

This cheap vegan mushroom risotto does take 25 minutes to cook but it’s worth the wait.

You will need:

1 vegetable stock cube

2 tbsp olive oil

100g onion

10g garlic cloves

250g pack chestnut mushrooms

300g risotto rice

25g vegan butter

5g dried parsley.

Thursday

Breakfast – Porridge with fruit

Lunch – Sweet Potato Soup from above

Dinner – Homemade ham & cheese pizza from above

More recipe ideas

If you’re looking for more recipe ideas then have a look at:

101 Aldi Recipes That Will Give You Dinner Ideas For Tonight – This is our biggest list of recipes that you can make from Aldi food. Most of them are under £1 a head.

65 Dirt Cheap Meals for Your Family (Under £1 a Head) – These are the best £1 a head or under meals that you can use when you are on a mega budget.

The Best Pasta Recipes for Your Family – We love pasta and you can do so much with it! Use our recipes here to enhance your lunch or dinner ideas.

Try and make use of whatever is on the Aldi Super Six or the Lidi equivalent. Swap and change fruit and vegetables according to what’s on offer.

I really hope this has helped give you inspiration on how you can make a budget weekly menu for your family.

If you enjoyed this post and would like some more family friendly budget recipes or meal plan ideas, then head over to the budget food section here on Savings 4 Savvy Mums where you’ll find over 30 cheap posts dedicated to helping you cook and shop wiser for less. There’s enough tips to help you save over £300 a month! You could also pop over and follow my family food Pinterest boards for lots more ideas on how to eat well and spend less; Family Meal Plans on a Budget, Budget Family Meals & Budget Slimming World Recipes for Families. 

Love this post? Then why not save it to Pinterest so you can easily find it later. 

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