Making It to Payday (and not starving to death)

So, life is hard right?

Life is even harder when you have no money. I am in that familiar limbo of no longer being unemployed (yay!) but I do not get any money until the end of the month (boo). The savings that I had been living off of since April have finally evaporated into the pit of bills and rent.

Now, I don't mind not buying make up or clothes. Three years of living solely on my measly student loan means that I am not exactly a big spender by habit.  I do however, like to be alive. Breathing, love it. Mobility, the best! Vision, wouldn't be without out it.

This unfortunately means that I need to spend money, on food. Food shopping is one thing I hate doing generally. When you have no money it is the worst.

BUT WAIT! I have come up with a solution.  I can feed myself and my boyfriend for about £25 a week! Maybe less, I might even make it until payday on £25. I haven't done the exact figures, but let me break it down for you.

Bulk cooking. 
Repetition.

These are the key points of what I like to call the POV diet.

What's for breakfast?

 

A banana + a scoop of protein + water + cinnamon (this is only necessary because my protein powder is vile, but more on that another time)

Lunch break! What's in my bag?

Chilli! Chilli is super cheap to make, and the way I make it, super healthy. Instead of meat, I use chickpeas and kidney beans, and it is awesome. I will upload my recipe one week. If you want you can serve this with a small portion of brown rice.

Time for tea..

Butternut squash soup. Not only does the butternut look weird, but it tastes awesome. I roast a load of it along with tomatoes, chilli and a few other things (recipe to follow soon), whizz in a food processor, sweet. Top tip: the more water you add, the further your soup will go, the less money you will spend!

Now the only catch is that this is your meal plan for the next X days until you get paid. Thankfully I really enjoy these meals, and although I'm sure I will be a bit bored by pay day, it is not forever! This is the best way I have found to save money in hard times and it has a few advantages...

It is a mostly clean diet, the vegetables give you a vitamin boost, in fact it might work out healthier than your rich times diet! If it helps, think of this as a 'detox'. You are ridding your body of all those rich people foods. Also, you spend a couple of hours cooking at the beginning of the week, and then it is all done, sorted, Fini! When you are hungry, your food is there waiting for you! I like this because I am lazy after work (especially now because I am going to be walking the 4 mile round trip to save petrol).

Only 17 days of the POV diet to go!