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Small things that I don't do that save money and are good for you:

1) Have a glass of water just before your meal
2) Only eat meat every other day
3) Learn what exciting things can be done with lentils and pulses - they can be a good meat substitute in curries and chillis - even if its substituting 50% of the meat.


Also....
1) Mustard stimulate the appetite and adds stacks of flavour to the most unlikely things
2) Don't be afraid to use dried curry spices - thats the way they do it in daytoday Indian life
3) Go for the odd small luxury - a small glass of gold top full fat milk sprinkled with cocoa can be as much a reward as a bar of choc and is a lot more gregarious

Hi a cook after my own heart.
I found it difficult to cook on a small budget although for 2 people 200 a month is quite healthy.
I started to grow my own veg in the garden and then OH got an allotment and it has gone from there we now swap excess with others and get a greater variety. It's a good time of year to start. If you haven't got a garden then pots on a balcony or even fresh herbs in a window box can make a contribution. If stuck for avice on growing your own there are lots of web sites and messageboards for gardening. Can I suggest you also try the BBC Messageboard there are some great cooks over there.

Freezers and batch cooking is a great time/money saver to. Sablebombe's advice is very sound I really can't improve on that.

I'm afraid I'm not one for bought sauces though to many additives in my view and to expensive. Far cheaper and better to make your own.

Good luck and happy cooking

Just one more word on this! When you freeze fresh/cooked items date the bag so you use within one month! That also goes for fresh veg! This is very important - without preservatives your home cooked/frozen food will start to degrade after 4 weeks. But don't let this put you off. I buy 3lb of minced beef for 1.99 - I portion into 3 and this is cooked off within 4 weeks - but once a portion is cooked off (such as chilli or italian meatballs) it can then be frozen for 4 weeks (as it is now cooked) - it should never last that long though with clever meal planning and a good recipe! When freezing anything use a bag just expel as much air as you can before sealing the bag! Don't forget to make your own custard - use the leftovers with an equal amount of whipped double cream folded in to create an ice cream par excellence! Cooking should always be an adventure, a learning curve, a relaxation, a desire and a passion - never stressful at home - that should be left to the chefs to get hot under the collar!

I agree totally with the shop for the ingredients with a passion. chefs cook what is local to them, in season and the freshest. you need to do the same.

it is a myth that a chef will cook with expensive ingredients. in the main most restaurants require a tight budget and a chef who knows how to use every bit of produce purchased. everything gets used in either stock or sauces. learn good basic skills as in how to make a stock. most restaurants die on their feet if the basics arent good.
learn how to assemble dishes from nothing. buy what looks good and is good value. Whilst i understand you want to cook for yourself learning tips from people who make a living out of cooking can only keep you on the right road.

build up your store cupbard and totally agree grow your own herbs. soft herbs freeze well in ice cube trays . Growing chillies on your window sill is great to and will spice things up a bit

If you havent got a huge expanse of knowledge about ingredients then do some blind testing with friends on raw ingredients and decide what you actually like.
for instance i always thought olives were a fab ingredient but i actually dont like em, they make me heave. Oh yeh please dont get precious about food, the best food to eat and enjoy with a passion is the simplest of flavours put together with care. if it comes in a jar then passion just doesnt come into it just profit for good old uncle ben!

I totally agree with sexy-betsy! I have less money than you to live on for a month so here goes! Look for your local butchers that sells in bulk - buy the meat and freeze. Buy veg from a market (always cheaper) bring home; blanch for 1 min in boiling water cool and freeze! This is the basis of everything you need! Jamie's recipe for chilli con carne is excellent and freezes well - takes a few items and tastes great and then freeze the extra for more 'instant' meals during the week! Howabout italian meatballs; serve with spaghetti or tagliatelli. Make more and freeze in single portions. Learn to make puff pastry - cheaper than the bought stuff and far tastier - use it to make a pie out of the left over chicken from sunday (sauce is easy 1 part bread sauce to 1 part chicken stock/gravy) - pastry scraps from this rerolled make excellent cinnamon pin wheel pastries (and if you make your own pastry you can create these and then freeze in a roll and cut off and bake when needed)!

It seems easy to say but you can get the hang of things fairly easily! learn to shop, more than eat! I buy loads of tomatoes from the market to make sauce and also soup (with a dash of chilli and celary!). Herbs are a pain to keep - however, if you have a garden go and grow some (saves more money) just remember to water them!

Tip: go to your local street market about 4pm on a saturday and see what you can get for a pound! They start to sell off loads of stuff really cheap!

If you have time at the weekend, cook in bulk, make three or four times the amount you would usually do, things like bolognese, either freeze as it is or make lasagne and freeze that too. Same for casseroles

Tomato sauce is easy to make, and will keep in jars if you have space or freeze, if you keep it plain you can jazz it up with chillis or pesto or herbs as you wish when you are ready to use it.

Considering the budget a bit, things like shin of beef or oxtail are very tasty and minimal effort....as in bung it in the oven and leave it there!