Quote Originally Posted by jon1959 View Post
Is this just the cost of the food - or does it also cover the cost of electric/gas and all the other things needed to avoid cold/raw veg (and tuna)?

Didn't some Tory MP try to live on some small amount in a council flat about 20 years ago - and got loads of TV and newspaper publicity for trying to prove the state was generous - only to be caught out cheating (food from family and nipping home for a delux sleep)?

£15 p.w. may be possible (if you can get to a low cost supermarket without blowing half your budget on bus fares) but miserable!
People always forget to take electricity, transport etc into account. You get those people (usually Tories) that say "its easy, just cook a week's worth of meals on the weekend!". Ok, where do I store the meals? Freezer? Ok, how do I pay for the freezer? How do I buy a week's worth of food at once? What is this magical meal that can ensure a balanced diet for a family for an entire week?

For what it's worth I spend around £12 a week on food (sometimes more sometimes less dependent on offers etc), but I'm only cooking for myself and don't really mind eating the same stuff regularly. Luckily I have a Lidl near my house and the capability to cook meals in batches and store them