Hey, lovelies,

Happy new year to you all!

January can be a bit of a downer of a month for most of us now that the festivities ended. The decorations have a little less sparkle and are ready for the attic, our jeans are no longer our old reliable buddy (hello January, hello leggings) and the month’s finances either belongs to the credit card bill or the overdraft.

I always find A simple 4-week meal plan can be a lifesaver to get through the first few weeks of the year, without overstretching any little funds that are left.

Below I have posted my simple meal plan for the month(click on each recipe to be brought to it).

All the recipes cost well below €10, feed a family of 4, have been all tried and tested by families across the nation and been giving the thumbs up from the smallies.

Week 1

• Day 1 : Sausage casserole
• Day 2 : Pasta Carbonara
• Day 3 : Chicken pie
• Day 4 : Crispy cod pieces in soy sauce
• Day 5: Pizza Pasta
• Day 6: Daddys favourte Curry
• Day 7: Sticky pork chops

Week 2

• Day 1: Pancetta broccoli and cheese bake
• Day 2: Seaside crumble
• Day 3: Chicken curry in a curry
• Day 4: flatbread pizza
• Day 5: Herbie beef pie
• Day 6: Chinese style pork chops
• Day 7: Best ever spaghetti bolognese (double the recipe freeze half for chili)

Week 3

• Day 1: Vietnamese style pork mince
• Day 2: Chilli (made with leftover bolognese from the freezer)
• Day 3: Satay Chicken
• Day 4: Cream cheese tuna and pasta bake
• Day 5: Beef goulash (double the recipe, freeze half for pie next week)
• Day 6: Roast chicken with all the trimmings
• Day 7: Chicken fried rice (with leftover roast chicken)

Week 4

• Day 1: Healthy Pot noodles
• Day 2: Simple Beef curry
• Day 3: Roast stuffed pork loin
• Day 4: Seaside crumble
• Day 5: Chicken casserole
• Day 6: Golden Italian turkey nuggets
• Day 7: Beef goulash pie made with freezer leftover goulash

Any extra days at the end of the month we just make our family favourtes again.

For example, we would usually have carbonara, chicken curry in a hurry and sausage casserole at the end of the month again as these 3 recipes are pretty much staples in our house and are good ones for using up any fridge or cupboard perishables.

I have found by working out our weekly spend on food we know exactly where we stand each month and have less food waste and any money left over I can have a wee treat.

I have a few extra budget busting tips to help you save even more money below:

1 , Go to the ” reduced” section in the fridge first at the start of your food shop. These items are still perfect and in date on the day. I always find cod pieces, chicken breasts and mince in this section and pop them straight into the freezer when I get home.

2, Get out your budget in cash before your food shop, there is more chance you won’t go over it that way.

3, Bring bags!!! or take them out of the car, I don’t know how many times I’ve been really frugal with shop and then to blow it at the end with spending a fiver on bags at the checkout.

5, Only buy non-persable “free” offers like buy one get one free, otherwise, the free one will most likely end up in the bin and is a total waste.

6, When doing up your meal plan try add-in meals that do double meals, like spag boll leftovers become chili or leftover stews and curry can become pies by just adding a simple puff pastry lid another day.

any money left over, Treat your self! Get that something you fancy for your self. It’s about living well for less, still enjoying delicious meals as a family but just being a little mindful of the spending.

ps. We have a home cooks Ireland facebook group that is full of meal plans and budget saving tips on living well for less. Come join us here.

My Cookbook “One yummy mummy, family Food made easy” is sweeping the nation with raving reviews you can buy it worldwide here

Thanks for all the love and support,

Jolene x