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Extreme Budget Challenge

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I’ve been wanting to do an extreme budget challenge for a while now, and having our Summer Break soon seemed like the perfect push to do it. I want to save some money by doing an extreme budget, so that we can do more fun things!

This week’s video

https://youtu.be/L-3ijjSUwzg

Some background information

Our regular grocery budget is €150/$162 a week. From that, we purchase all the things we use as a family. So that is food (obviously), but also toilet paper, kitchen towels and laundry detergent. For this challenge I want to lower the budget to less than €100/$108. That means I get to save €150/$162 dollars in the next three weeks and we can go to a theme park or get a ton of ice cream this Summer!

Mealplan this week

One of the most important things to do when you want to go extreme, is plan your meals! Find the cheap recipes that you like and purchase ONLY what you need for that. No extras, no fluff (like sodas) and no unnecessary items. Here’s our meal plan for our dinners this week

Recipes

Spaghetti and meatballs

500gr Spaghetti
500gr Beef
1 egg
1 onion diced
2 gloves of garlic minced
spices
2 cans of tomato sauce
grated cheese (optional)

  1. Combine the beef, egg and spices in a bowl. I used Paprika, Garlic powder, onion powder, pepper, salt and Italian herbs. Mix together and make the meatballs the size you prefer.
  2. Put the meatballs into a pan and cook them for 5 mins.
  3. Add in the onion and garlic and let it become translucent.
  4. Add in your tomato sauce, the same spices you added to the meatballs and stir until combined.
  5. Put the lid on and let it simmer for 10 mins while you cook the pasta.
  6. Add pasta and sauce to your plate and top it off with some cheese.

Gnocchi with Chorizo

1 kg Gnocchi
250 gr Chorizo
2 containers of Cherry tomatoes
1 small onion
Parmesan

  1. Cut your chorizo into small cubes. Dice the tomatoes and cut your tomatoes into small pieces.
  2. Put the chorizo into a pan and let it bake for a few minutes until your preferred texture. Transfer them to a plate with a kitchen towel to get rid of the excess grease.
  3. Leave the rest of the grease in the pan and add your onions to it. Cook them for 2 mins and then add in your Cherry Tomatoes.
  4. Cook your gnocchi according to the directions on the package.
  5. Transfer the gnocchi to the pan with tomatoes and onion and let it simmer for 5 mins to thicken the sauce.
  6. Add in your gnocchi, give it a good stir and you’re done!
  7. Don’t overfill your plate because it’s a filling recipe. And top it off with Parmesan!

Traybake and sausage

700 gr Potatoes diced
500 gr Carrots
1 onion
sausage (or any other meat)
spices

  1. Dice up your potatoes, carrots and onions.
  2. Transfer it to a big bowl and add some olive oil and your spices. I use Paprika, Garlic, Onion, salt, pepper and Italian herbs. But add in whatever you enjoy!
  3. Give it a good stir and make sure everything is coated well with oil and spices.
  4. Transfer the mixture to a baking sheet and put it in the oven on 180C/375F for about 30 mins.
  5. Cook the sausages on the stove and you’re done!

Which of these meals have you tried?!

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