This week’s €1 meal is smokey mackerel baked rice from Aldi (a take on kedgeree) and costs 61c per portion for a family of 4.

My shopping budget is €100 per week for a family of four (two adults, one giant teen, and a 10-year-old) plus a dog. That money includes cleaning materials and dog food so it’s not just spent on food for our table.

Just because I can live on a budget doesn’t mean I want to. It is difficult to stick to the list when there are so many delicious things to buy and cook with.

Or maybe buy and just eat, in peace, with a cup of hot tea from start to finish. Now that is a thing of luxury!

My budget dictates what meals we eat and what treats I buy, just as much as the weekly meal plan. I am setting aside a few euros each week for a splurge, for something that isn’t on the plan, just to make the budget more tolerable.

Otherwise, it feels like a drudge going shopping and it can be disheartening buying the same budget ingredients week in and week out.

If I don’t spend those few euros this week then I’ll carry them over to next week to get something bigger or a few more items that I fancy the look of.

With this extra money, I can pick up special offers or even yellow stickers because my budget allows me to deviate from the plan. I’m not talking about mega-bucks here though. It’s a maximum of €5 a week for something extra.

That €5 is slotted into the budget but even an extra €2 a week makes the difference between feeling like the budget and meal plan is rigid and taking inspiration from fresh items on offer or something that I think I’d like.

I might not always share my ‘sneaky sneaky’ with the rest of the family (don’t tell them) but shopping is all the more enjoyable for a few extra euro to play with.

This week’s €1 meal is smokey mackerel baked rice from Aldi (a take on kedgeree) and costs 61c per portion for a family of 4. If you feel there isn’t enough protein in this meal you can add a soft-boiled egg on top. 1 free range egg costs 27c so adding an egg on top still keeps the meal under my €1 budget.

Smokey mackerel baked rice recipe by:Caitriona Redmond  A take on kedgeree, this tasty dish costs 61c per portion for a family of 4. Servings 4 Preparation Time 25 mins Cooking Time 30 mins Total Time 55 mins Course Main Ingredients 1 tbsp olive oil 1 knob butter 1 white onion, finely sliced 3 tsp mild curry powder 250g basmati rice 400ml hot chicken stock 100g frozen peas 1 handful spinach smoked mackerel, flaked Method Take a large cast iron baking dish on medium heat and melt the butter in the olive oil. Add the onions and gently fry. Turn them every now and again with a wooden spoon. You want the onions to caramelise so this will take about 15-20 minutes. Once the onions have turned golden brown, add the curry powder and toss in the oil then pour the rice into the baking dish. Toast the rice for 3 minutes, then pour in the hot chicken stock and stir until simmering. Lift into a preheated oven at 160°C and bake for 30 minutes. After 20 minutes most of the liquid should be soaked up into the rice. Pour in the frozen peas, followed by the spinach and flaked mackerel and stir gently. Return to the oven for a further 10 minutes before serving.

A take on kedgeree, this tasty dish costs 61c per portion for a family of 4.

Take a large cast iron baking dish on medium heat and melt the butter in the olive oil. Add the onions and gently fry.

Turn them every now and again with a wooden spoon. You want the onions to caramelise so this will take about 15-20 minutes.

Once the onions have turned golden brown, add the curry powder and toss in the oil then pour the rice into the baking dish.

Toast the rice for 3 minutes, then pour in the hot chicken stock and stir until simmering. Lift into a preheated oven at 160°C and bake for 30 minutes.

After 20 minutes most of the liquid should be soaked up into the rice. Pour in the frozen peas, followed by the spinach and flaked mackerel and stir gently. Return to the oven for a further 10 minutes before serving.

Roasted squash and pepper soup recipe by:Caitriona Redmond  With no chopping to be done this is truly a fuss-free vegan soup. Skip the roasting step (exclude the oil) and simmer the ingredients in vegetable stock if you’d prefer a fat-free option. Servings 4 Preparation Time 8 mins Cooking Time 40 mins Total Time 48 mins Course Starter Ingredients 100g frozen chopped onion 100g frozen chopped peppers 300g frozen chopped butternut squash 2 tsp chopped garlic (from jar or freezer is fine) 2 tbsp vegetable oil Salt and pepper 1 vegetable stock cube and hot water will be needed for finishing Method Put the onion, peppers, squash, garlic and vegetable oil onto a large baking tray. Mix well. Season with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven at 180°C degrees for 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before blitzing with a little vegetable stock made with a stock cube until you get the consistency you like. This soup will keep in the fridge in a sealed container for up to 3 days and is perfect for freezing for reheating another day. Recipe Suggestion: Add 2 teaspoons of garam masala to the roasting tray for a warmer spiced flavour soup.  

With no chopping to be done this is truly a fuss-free vegan soup. Skip the roasting step (exclude the oil) and simmer the ingredients in vegetable stock if you’d prefer a fat-free option.

300g frozen chopped butternut squash

2 tsp chopped garlic (from jar or freezer is fine)

2 tbsp vegetable oil Salt and pepper

1 vegetable stock cube and hot water will be needed for finishing

Put the onion, peppers, squash, garlic and vegetable oil onto a large baking tray. Mix well. Season with salt and pepper.

Roast in the oven at 180°C degrees for 40 minutes.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool before blitzing with a little vegetable stock made with a stock cube until you get the consistency you like.

This soup will keep in the fridge in a sealed container for up to 3 days and is perfect for freezing for reheating another day.

Recipe Suggestion: Add 2 teaspoons of garam masala to the roasting tray for a warmer spiced flavour soup.

Pineapples are 79c in Aldi and it is a favourite snack in our household. Peel and slice the pineapple and lay the slices flat on a baking tray in the heat of a cooling oven to make a delectable snack. Heating the pineapple takes the astringency away and makes it easier to digest. Serve the slices sprinkled with a tiny bit of salt and chilli flakes, or it’s perfect with the Mexican seasoning Tajin if you have it to hand.

The XXL range is back in store in Lidl this weekend (since Thursday). Basically, you can super-size your regular purchases for the same price you normally pay. For example, 20% extra free on spaghetti will cost 59c for a pack of 600g; this is what you would normally pay for 500g. It’s a very handy way to build up your store cupboard at a minimal cost.

If big brand washing detergents and fabric softeners are your thing then you might just be in luck because there is a major packaging change on the way from plastic containers to newer, more sustainable and recyclable boxes. Not only is this great news for the environment, but it is potentially good news for your pocket as the older packaging is heavily discounted at the moment with Dunnes Stores having certain bottles of Comfort ultra-concentrate reduced from €10 to €6.

If shopping online is not suitable for your lifestyle you may find that scanning as you shop could fit your budget. Using a handheld scanner you can track your basket or trolley cost in real-time and have no surprises once you get to the till. You will need to be signed up for the relevant supermarket loyalty cards to use the handheld scanner and the added benefit is that you can pack your shopping into your bags as you go.

Scan your loyalty card at the dedicated area before picking up your scanner doing your shop. Once you’ve completed your shop there are separate check-out areas which tend to be much quieter, although do expect spot checks on your grocery shopping before you check out.

Read MoreCaitriona Redmond: 15-minute noodles for less than €1

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