From the bottom of my heart I sincerely ask you to please continue making these "Budget Challenge" videos. They are pretty much the only UA-cam content that my elderly father and I enjoy watching together. Thank you so much for making them!
Aww you might also like TheWolfePit he's American and reviews low end food including ingredients. He also makes low cost scratch meals. He's just a wholesome old man.
@@AirConditioningOGUnit Hi. Yeah I have watched some of his videos before and enjoyed them a lot. I haven't watched any of his content recently though, so thank you for reminding me. :)
as a broke student in Scotland, Shrimp's challenge videos have given me so much inspiration to make my meals more interesting over the last few years instead of just having beans and toast or noodles, because if he can do stuff like this with such a small budget i can with a much larger budget (relatively anyway lol).
Having lived like a student despite not actually being one at the time, pasta, tinned food and chicken are your best friends. I know chicken isn't as cheap as it used to be back 10 years ago, but there's still the occasional bargain to be found in the Reduced section. Also, one of the massive family packs from Aldi should feed you for about two weeks, or more if you freeze what you don't need. Farmfoods also used to have 8 frozen steaks for 7-8 quid, though I haven't seen those lately. Also, fruit and veg last about 1-2 weeks after their sell-by date. So does cheese. Bread lasts just under a week if kept outside. Eggs are also reduced approximately a week before their actual expiration date, so if you see eggs on Reduced, grab them - they'll still be good until the middle of the following week. Hope this has further helped your cause :)
@@PedroBenolielBonito Eggs will last 2 months in the fridge - float test first of course. Cheese also will last for months if you don't let the mould build up. But this challenge is harder than i'd do comfortably. If you take patsa, rice and potatoes out, it's really tough.
I would be interested in how much it would cost to keep body and soul together, in terms of eating enough not to lose weight (burning muscle). Sort of like student diet, apart from they eat so badly because they spend their allowances on beer ! I lived on a small brown loaf and a quarter pound of Woolworth’s processed cheese per day for over a month !!
We also call one onion "oneion" in our household. Our onion counting is as follows: oneion (one onion), tonion (two onions), thronion (three onions), munion (more than three onions). Please feel free to use the system yourself :)
The “oneion” is a good play on words, I recall the last time I experienced an upset G.I. tract was because of the slightly “greenanna” I had eaten. I normally like my bananas approaching just to the Appaloosa with tiny spots stage. 🐎😊
It shows how invested we all get in these challenges because I practically said out loud "He's eating the WHOLE banana at once?" as if convinced you would starve for the rest of the day.
Random thought of a challenge: you are "allowed" a bit more funds (2 pounds?), but cannot use: onions, carrots, beans, bananas... you know, the usual suspects. Otherwise, just wanted to mention, thank you so much for this channel. It is exactly "itself" in a way that is so comfortable and interesting and that is too rare to find in life and especially online.
Atomic Shrimp dropping ANOTHER Budget Challenge so soon? We are truly blessed! That toast almost reminds me of a tack or some kind of travel biscuit, at least in the concept of packing lots of nutrition into a small package that probably still has a decent shelf life.
I work for the company who make the bread you bought for Tesco, glad you enjoyed, even at the end of its shelf life! Wheaten bread is really big in Ireland where it is baked. Big fan of all the various videos you do! Keep up the good work!
I just have to try that banana, mayonnaise and chilli concoction. Good on you for going back and applying the 'if at first you don't succeed ... ' principle.
3 days challenge with a twist - bigger budget around 8-10£, but on the second day there are two "guests" coming for lunch and coffee, which calls for triple portion of lunch and requires something sweet baked. Beans are banned.
I personally don't really care that you're "reusing" the same ingredients I just personally enjoy this format of content and the brainstorming of how everything could come together and the ingenuity and resourcefulness you have! I loved the bait and switch with the sardine can XD I almost couldn't believe my eyes when I saw you going for the pull tab lol
I've learnt how to experiment in the kitchen thanks to this series so now I don't see "an empty fridge" every time it's just stuff I can mix and match and make something great :>
That bread used to be called "Irish Wheaten Loaf", and as poor blacksmithing students, my partner at the time and I called it "Irish brick". I love that bread.
YES! I think I could watch a thousand of these. I think a little oil should be allowed in the rules, as long as it's the bare minimum to cook things without burning. Trying to get a fat in that budget is just too unreasonable. Or perhaps allow pro-rata just for oil, because nearly everyone will buy it at some point so it'll be in the cupboard. My favourite of other people's ideas are: make foraging the main/a main part and buy ingredients to go around that, and also expanding the budget but saying you must get certain things or make certain meals. I also think, for variety, you could do one where you allow pro-rata-ing of certain cupboard staples like flour, sugar, lentils etc. - but not buying a massive whopping bag of things to make them cheap! Just the regular size you'd normally buy and have available.
Yes, I agree. A type of fat should be allowable - especially as the mayonnaise bottle isn't very large and will work out more expensive for just a small amount of oil. Someone who is budgeting will be buying the oil for cooking and not wasting their mayonnaise!
I would agree on cooking oil being allowed as long as it's the bare minimum required to cook. No big amounts and no getting cheeky with some extra virgin on top of things.
I’d like to add a challenge element: by going pro-rata with different basic items, he could start doing challenges based around dietary requirements or requiring particular ingredient usage or a focus on some aspect of cooking/ food. Or even prohibitions like a no blender challenge.
As a Finn I'm supriced that you haven't eaten raw onion in soup before because in Finland it's rather common to eat chopped raw onion with pea soup (and naturally with some mustard).
@@TC-th1ey Straight into the soup. Add mustard to taste, mix, add onion to taste. Pancakes with jam and whipped cream as dessert if you want the traditional experience.
So I have ibs, which with my variety means I can't have onions, garlic, anything with wheat, and large quantities of a lot of other foods. As you might imagine, eating is a challenge and I must admit in recent years, food has been mostly a source of anxiety and pain -- I kinda don't like food atm. That being said, this series has an odd way of getting me excited about food again whenever I watch. I start to think of all the things I *could* eat (which has been really helpful these past few months as a mindset shift), and creative ways I could cook. Where I am and with my dietary restrictions, I could only dream of eating this cheaply, but regardless, your videos are full of inspiration and hope for cooking and eating again. Thank you shrimp!
Yes, that is very thoughtful of them to add a little handle to lift that sardine lid out. You had me laughing out loud at my desk while at work. Thank you!
I was initially feeling disappointment when Atomic (Mike) didn't explain why he was not using the pull tab, like he generally does, but he saved it with the little handle comment which caused me to smile and giggle. Also, later on he pointed out the sardine can had no rim. The universe in this timeline was restored and all is well again. Good job Atomic!
A suggestion I have is that you try the same budget with different stores, and see which store works the best for these low budget challenges. It’s always fun seeing what you do with such limited resources.
I fear that this kind of challenge would just be based on luck really, since as long as you can buy loose vegetables and reduced items, the store doesn't really matter much
When I left home I got a cookbook called "the pauper's cookbook" and it was a revelation. Lots of nutritious recipes from low cost ingredients. It's served me well over the years.
@@debesys6306 I have it- saved my life as a starving student. It's by Jocasta Innes who went on to be an interior designer. Unfortunately some of the 'cheap' ingredients in it are now expensive ( mostly proteins- lamb & pork hock, lesser known fish, legumes)
@maria archer legumes are ok if bough dry and soaked over night, the fish etc I can really understand, it's one of those I found raiding reduced to clear and then looking for recipes for use the next day.
i know generally you advocate against these being a "live a day in my shoes", but when I was aty university and aware of your challanges, I would actually apply a lot of your methodology to how I bought food. It is actually smart to think about nutrients and price per calorie and energy and it teaches a lot of creativity to be able to make variety and flavour part of it like you do. Huge fan for a long time shrimplord
I found your channel for the first time when I first went to the UK to study. I was quite lost, and my scholarship wouldn't cover everything so I spent my first few weeks in the isles eating more porridge and rice than would be healthy. You really helped me during that year, and then during the pandemic. Thank you so much for your challenges! They continue to help, even now that I'm back home 😅
Smooth Jazz POV Shopping is surprisingly delightful, I'd happily watch a longform video of a full week's shopping. And I'm glad I'm not the only one that just puts the label on the loose produce; it's already packaged in its own peel.
please never stop making these, they are incredible. i have an idea though, what about trying one of these challenges but purely with canned foods? that might be quite an interesting challenge.
These videos are brilliant, im a young lad trying to bulk up a bit and I’m on a fairly tight budget, nowhere near £1.37 a day fortunately. Can’t say I’ve followed most these recipes but I’ve taken a lot of inspiration as well as seen a good few tips on how to really find good deals, little things like 3 carrots for 0.09p, that’s brilliant to whack in a dinner or 2 and cheap as you like, seems really silly but I’ve never seen it before I’ve never really had to do my own shopping so I usually whizz about looking at the cheapest packets, really appreciate these vids it’s opened my eyes to how much I can be saving
Loose veg all the way! Less packaging is a bonus as well. The downside is since COVID it's become less common to see loose :( mushrooms are the most nutrient dense veg you can get btw! Oats are great too and very cheap. Also, if you bulk buy dried beans they're waaayyy cheaper and last ages still. Beans and lentils are mega cheap and super versatile.
@@debesys6306 To get more muscles, you need protein, practice and time. Don´t train to hard all at once, but be persistent and train every other day. Also do a half hour walk every day to increase your stamina. For Eating, the obvious food choice is meat or fish. But the cheaper - and some say healthier - way to do this is milk, eggs, and a clever combination of grain (wheat, rice, millet, oats, barley, ) and legume (lentils, peas, chickpeas, all kind of beans). Grains and legumes complete each other, so they become the perfect protein source. You will find that many recepies from all over the world use this combination already. So you will find many recepies for these combinations. Don´t drink to much beer, the hops in the beer increases the production of female hormons. More boobs, less muscle growth. Hops also makes you sleepy.
@@evelinharmannfan7191 I’ll add to this and say you can get packs of chicken wings, drumsticks and thighs pretty cheap too. Much cheaper than breast. A bit fattier than breast but if you’re trying to bulk perfect! And i think tastier too! I find the cheapest tins of tuna too go a long way and have a lot of protein still, plus super convenient. Packs of cooking bacon for a bit of flavour if you live near a big enough store to sell them. Ham houghs are a bit more common, require a bit more prep to cook but very tasty! You can also get big packets of frozen fish too from lidl for cheap. It’s usually just a mix of white fish, lots of protein there. Not quite as cheap as what you mentioned but still cheap and can add a bit more variety to your diet. My favourite l right now is definitively eggs as you mentioned. I’m usually just throwing in eggs with every meal even if it’s a boiled egg or too on the side.
cooking is one of the best ways to save money and one of the loveliest skills to learn. shopping obv part and parcel of that, if you have a real greengrocer or a real open market, check that out. I know nothing about bulking up, but if you are active (work or gym) do get enough protein. That may be hard on a budget. Have a look at what you mean by bulking up, what you think will qualify, if you like. Most of us women like a fit guy, but you don't need to be bulky! We really like friendly, cuddly, open, listening. If you prefer men, i cannot speak for that. just be careful about searching for an image.
When I saw this in my feed, I was so excited! This is my favourite series on the channel as well as WSIAC, I love your creativity. One idea I'd like to see you try is doing this in an "ethnic" supermarket such as a Polish shop, with a stipulation that you're allowed a pantry item such as flour or rice. I think you could really find a new way to explore different flavour profiles in unexpected ways doing this!
I love the care you take with thinking about garnishes and ways to transform the ingradients into more interesting textures and presentations than one would have with just eating the ingredients together on a plate. Very fun, too!
I've really brought these experiments to life in my own house every once in a while. When I have a pantry full of little bits of this and that, I think of an Atomic Shrimp video, making use of everything in unexpected ways. It's really pretty fun to play around that way.
Do it all the time as always running low on things at the end of most months. Although I always have herbs, spices and plenty of pasta, lentils, rice and oats (porridge) in my cupboard to add to my concoctions.
Same I’m always tempted to get a pizza in the way home when i know I’m out of food which I can’t realistically afford. But know I’ve been looking through my cupboards trying to finish off bits and bobs. What really helps for me is to keep like a staple in I know works with most things. Atm it’s feta cheese. It’s not too expensive from lidl like £1.30 a block but it lasts a while and I only need to crumple a little bit on things for flavour. It really helps being together some weird dishes.
In Romania we eat bean soup with raw onion, it goes together very well. We often make a sort of salad consisting in raw onion (the sweet kind), a bit of olive oil, mild vinegar (apple cider vinegar or balsamic), salt and pepper.
We do this in the southern states in the US, too! It's always been a great economy meal. Sometimes we spruce it up and serve it with cooked down collard greens with some smoked meat or bacon, and cornbread, but the bean soup always gets topped with a sweeter-ish vinegar and raw onion.
@@warwickscram1656 maybe HIS DIET, NOT EVERYONE'S 🤣🤣🤣 People eat a lot of meat, potatoes and bread, I'd say our diet is quite stodgy. I remember eating bread with everything, even chips or spaghetti, roast potatoes, etc.
I like the most those challenges with the foraging option enabled. That gives me most inspiration to look around while being outside. And to discover new flavours and uses for otherwise ignored plants.
Very imaginative👍👍 I've shopped at Tesco for decades, but always bought prepacked veg until you showed buying single carrots etc on a previous challenge - I started doing the same and find my fridge is a lot more pleasant to open without half packs of courgettes etc rotting away quietly in its depths😂
I really like these challenges. They show me actually the real difficulty that people with lesser means really do struggle through to make a nutritious much less tasty meal on a budget, as well as why soups and stews and porriages seem to be the staple in budget cooking.
Yep, especially the more it goes on and it ends up being the same ingredients each time, it shows how hard it is. Shrimp's creativity never ceases to amaze me, but there's only so much you can make with the same 4-5 items! They look cool and different to us so it makes interesting content, but probably taste the same (baked bean flavour...)
@@OhSoUnicornly It also gets me that even Shrimp has allowances for things like the bone box, spices or sauces to give the food some degree of flavor. Imagine having that 1 pound but no sauces, spices or broth making ability. Now you have bland baked bean flavor
@@MilwaukeeWoman I know right? Even with the recent increase in their food prices they're still significantly cheaper than the US even if you compare it to US's pre inflation/pandemic prices.
There has always been something very soothing about these videos. Those shop montages with pleasant music in the background are very nice to experience. Keep it up, Shrimp!
Those looked like 3 splendid meals and I will probably do some variation of them one day ! I always imagine Jenny sitting at the table with a huge takeaway while you are eating one of these extreme budget meals !
The avoidance of ring pulls on this channel is nothing short of genius! As a fellow floral shirt connoisseur, I too use can openers where a ring pull is provided (although I haven't yet resorted to the can opener with a can of coke just yet!)
Right, as long as it's not deep frying that seems reasonable. I'd be totally fine with pro rata for staples and doing away entirely with the allowance, as I'm afraid that the use of mayo in this episode has bordered on expensive. He's certainly used a few pence worth, that Heinz bottle goes for 4£ at Tesco. I'd rather pro rata a cheap cooking oil.
@@billiebluesheepie2907 I was watching one of his older videos and there were cows in the background. Maybe trade/ask for some fresh cow milk and make his own butter? That is nothing more than foraging anyway.
3:07 the fact that in the UK you can just go to the store and buy an onion for 0.05 GBP (6 cents US) is insane to me. No store in the US I've ever been to have you been able to buy anything for such a low price.
The flip side is that bulk in the USA tends to scale better than the UK, but as you have hinted, (and the lovely point of this video) not everyone can spend $60 on 300 toilet paper rolls in one go, and sometimes have to suffer buying the 4 pack for $5
Trust me - it's generally the same in the UK. This guy got very lucky, lives somewhere rural/much cheaper, or both. In fact, having lived in both the US and the UK, I'd say a food haul is generally more expensive in the UK.
don't take from this that britain is good in any way. years of tory austerity has degraded the standard of living to an unacceptable low for no reason other than corporate greed
I had an auntie when I was young who used to make Banana muffins-- in her recipe she subbed out Oil and Eggs for Mayonnaise! The mayo made the muffins very soft and prevented it from drying out! It really is just an emulsion of the two ingredients + some salt and maybe mustard but it gets lost in the vanilla extract. Definitely worth trying!
I feel really pleased that you overcame the doubt of the last challenge and got such improved results! Even though they're similar ingredients to what you've grabbed before, you still put some twists on them and tried new things. Also, I think I see why people suggested frying the banana, since that probably would have caramelized the sugar in the fruit a bit.
I love the challenges! As an American, your food prices always astonish me! I watch food prices here and your hauls are always shockingly diverse for the amount. Please keep doing these! As someone who cooks from scratch (mostly), I really enjoy watching and occasionally even get new ideas for dishes.
Just a side note: On a tomato based Mexican soup, it’s common to garnish with a mix of raw diced onion, cilantro, and lime. Sometimes restaurants will soak the onion and cilantro in lame juice rather than having lime wedges.
@@AlissaSss23 I checked and right now 1.37 is $1.65 USD. The cheapest I see spaghetti is $1. There are some little Mexican brand noodles for .59. ( La Moderna … alphabets that are smaller than a pinky nail. ). Banana are .59 lb or 4/$1 depending where you go. Onions are $1.50-$2.99 lb depending on the kind. ( Red and Vidalia will be more expensive than yellow&white) The cheapest most generic bread pre-packaged is $1.35 but for something from the bakery I always check the reduced and it’s always at least $1.50. ( Because they are $4-5 normal). I usually buy gluten free which is about $6.59 ( because of allergies) and then also a wheat/rye/ or pumpernickel loaf which is always $5 or more. A can of pork and beans is usually $.75 to $1.50 depending on brand. ( and here they have a ton of sugar added. )?
I think the US version of this would be the $5 Budget Challenge. That might be doable, if you go to the right store. The only thing I can think of buying with $1.65 USD would be some Instant Ramen Noodles. Those are ridiculously cheap, if bought from Walmart. $0.33, if I remember correctly.
Love your budget challenge videos. I am a broke uni student living on roughly 15 quid a week for food so I really appreciate the variety you've shown with such a tight budget.
The tesco traditional (formerly Irish) wheaten loaf is one of my favourite things from their bakery bit. it very much reminds me of the bread my Irish granny used to make with off milk
I was very confused to get this notification. My only complaint with the first video was that I know Morrison's is a little bit harder to budget at, so seeing this second go is awesome! Love the way you approach things, especially when it comes to not hesitating to try, try try again.
I think it would be interesting if, next time you do one of these budget challenges, you vlogged more of what you did during the day and included it in the video. I think it would help viewers get a sense of how long it takes you to do prep and cook for your meals, and how that interacts with your regular tasks for the day, and how much you can still get done while also cooking all your meals. I guess I am just curious to see how one of these challenges interacts with your everyday life; like, does it take up a lot of your time, or are you able to still get plenty of things done? etc. Just a thought, cause I was very interested in what you shared at the end of the video about spending time splitting firewood and all that. It might be neat to see that stuff in the video too!
very well said. the mental and physical labour involved in this kind of economic shopping is huge, and has been put onto the consumer, when the sellers, corporations, and ultimately, politicians are the people who should be making this easier for us
The amazing part is watching you use the same ingredients in such a versatile way. Even when making the same meals you did in other challenges you find a new twist to them.
The budget challenges are my favourite series you put out! I’m honestly always amazed at your ingenuity, of the ideas of the dishes, with the ingredients you buy. Your effort is appreciated and I often take something away to try myself. Thanks!
Those budget meal videos are my favourite thing on the internet right now. I enjoy them immensely. There is no way I could replicate them here in Canada, due to high prices right now but they are fun to watch.
5:07 I laughed so hard at you bringing the onion back up with the Force. I miss the superpower edits in your videos! I know they must be really inefficient to create time-wise though. DaVinci Fusion has a pretty steep learning curve
The "carrot slaw" really reminded me of a salad that is made a lot where I'm from, just without the onion and with added garlic and sour cream together with the mayo (and sometimes with added pumpkin seeds too!) it really is one of my favorite salads to have as a side for lunch/dinner meals!
my grampa used to make an exceptional cabbage salad with carrots, grapes and probably onions like a coleslaw really but he called it 'alpini salad' - google does not agree
Whenever I make slaw at home I always just do cabbage, carrot, mayo and a little bit of vinegar. Very simple, very cheap, very easy, stick it on a burger. Dijon mustard is also good in a little dose, although I never have it in the house.
I enjoy watching the thought process and what you can do with limited resources (budget or restricting what you can use). I think we've been spoilt with so much variety all year around, we've forgotten what we can do with food. Maybe do a challenge where you can't allow yourself beans, sardines and bread and maybe a slightly more generous budget so you can try new ideas / recipes.
Morrisons Savers instant mash- 28p, makes enough for 4 portions as a side or two portions as a meal, but it’s only potato & rosemary & very plain so super easy to use in other things! Plus if you overmix it, it can take on a glue consistency which could be very useful for binding other things! P.s we have the same watermelon bag! 😂
Really interesting, thank you! Some suggestions: 1. A version where you consider some dietary requirement, such as wheat or lactose intolerance. 2. A more sustained diet over an entire week, maybe £1 x 7, or round off to £10. Coming up with interesting varieties would be super challenging. 3. Limited budget for hosting guests, maybe tell them to rate the meal honestly without knowing it is limited budget. You could ask them how much they thought it cost to make, and how much they would pay. 4. One where you try to replicate some meal/food on a budget. For example making a birthday cake without spending £15 or more. Thanks for the great videos!
@9:58 surely that should be "toastelate" not "tesselate"? Also, and I'm sure you hear this all the time, but thanks for the wonderful character of the videos you produce. Been having a rough day, and just the fact I saw a video of yours in my sub feed (let alone watching the video) has genuinely cheered me up
Atomic Shrimp content is my go to Sunday hangover viewing, everything about this is so chilled out and wholesome, thank you for taking the edge off of the end of the week Shrimp, you're a good egg
I really do love these videos. I totally understand why you're doing what you're doing when making these. You've inspired me to try to approach things from a different point of view, and consider more perspectives before making a final decision on things. I just wanted to say I very much appreciate you for sharing with us everything that you do. I hope everyone is doing well, and having a great day!😁
Since you effectively had beans on toast for both lunch and dinner, how about a challenge to have beans on toast for every meal for a week (maybe 3 days if it's too tedious) but in as many different ways as you can come up with?
In the southern US we would call that stuffing you made "dressing." It's distinct from stuffing in that its cooked down into a solid piece, rather than fluffy individual pieces of bread. Usually thicker, and cut into bars, its often served around thanksgiving. My grandmother's recipe is mostly corn bread, some white bread, onions, lots of spices, and chicken stock and finely shredded chicken. It's delicious!
I never fail to be amazed by your creativity and ability to make something out of - what most people would call - nothing. Quick tip for recycling: I take the labels off the cans and put them in the paper bin before opening the tin so they don't get whatever sauce on them, but I get why you'd want to keep them on for the video :). Love your videos and am excited to see what you've got planned for 1 million subscribers.
If you enjoy making these videos, I absolutely love watching them Mike. I love the experiments. It's almost like an april fools video, but you make it work! Brilliant. Have a good weekend.
omg this breakfast. I can't imagine it tasting good, the thought of it makes me shiver. I am sadly to scared to try it myself. But I salute to all you brave individuals who will/did.
The preamble about Morrison's and LIDL then abruptly switching to Tesco gave me the same vibes as Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. "Anyways since it's Friday that doesn't matter in the slightest" Thanks for the laugh. Always appreciated Shrimp.
I love these challenges. The uplifting elevator music of the shopping segment never fails to warm my heart with a sense of adventure. The way you approach challenges always reminds me of the Sam Beckett quote: "Try again. Fail again. Fail better." Another quality video!
Seeing a new atomic budget challenge really puts a smile on my face. I love what you do, thank you for putting these videos out for us. P.S I aim in life to always be as curious/adventures as you are in exploring the world you enjoy.
That breakfast reminded me of a dish my grandma had been making since the 50s; banana salad. Bananas wrapped in lettuce and mayo and sprinkled with salted peanuts. Surprisingly delicious!
I really like those budget challenges so I would appreciate them to continue even if it's not with 1 pound anymore :) In my opinion they are also more interesting the longer the challenge is, since it allows a bit of "bulk buying" without going too overboard (also more content). Like, a lot of the items, for example the cooking bacon, are completely unviable for a single day challenge but could be an interesting option in a maybe 3 day challenge. I personally don't reeally care about a crazy high difficulty but appreciate your ingenuity and variation of meals despite mostly using the same ingredients (Bombay Mix).
Please make more of these!!!! I find them so fascinating how you can make meals out of literally the smallest about of money!! It could save someone’s life, if they are having a bad day ❤
This is the approach I have the most success with in the US, getting veggies last & focusing on bananas, onions, and carrots. Not finished with the video yet, but if this doesn't work I don't think anyone can argue you didn't try your best. Edit: If you're looking for more odd combinations, ketchup on pasta is pretty good if you use a good number of vegetables in the sauce (I usually do garlic, onions, carrots, some basil from my window, and beans for protein, usually kidney beans. I start by cooking the veg in oil & crisp up the beans' skins a bit, but ymmv).
I love these videos that you do about the budget meals...thank you for taking the time to make them. I agree, this was much better in terms of variety and all round dietry balance than the last one...IMO.
If you do another one if these anytime soon please do a major foraging one. The foraging is super fun and informative to watch and the way you incorporate them is amazing to watch. Double for how you incorporate urban foraged items
Love the videos, enjoy the creativity that goes into taking ingredients that are put aside and making a good meal out of it. Have you ever considered doing a challenge where the main ingredients are what you forage and you have like 1 pound to buy the seasonings or additives?
"Frying banana, fried banana sandwich is a thing, good idea. Well, when what you've got is mayo, may as well use that. Taste test with a single slice, okay. Dumping the mayo directly on it, unconventional. Wait. Wait. Oh good lord what is he doing?! I thought we were frying this? He's grabbing the chili flakes? Oh, the humanity!" I know you said it was good, but... I'll take your word on that!
I'm a uni student and I've hit pretty hard times. I have to get by on £30 over the next 20 days. I've fasted for the past couple days in hope it'll allow me to eat well for the rest of the period. Thanks for your videos - they give me some good ideas on what to do and how resourceful I can be with what I do buy.
Hi there - sorry to hear things arent going great. don't be afraid to seek out help if foodbanks & other such resources are available to you. I just wanted to send you my well wishes
Sack of potatoes, oatmeal, milk, eggs. Tesco has cheap tins of spaghetti hoops 16p, rice pudding 25p. Bread is your friend 39p in tesco. Asda has cans soup 25p. Check with your uni for emergency assistance if you need it. Tesco cooking bacon is cheap.
Congratulations on getting a uni education 👏. Could you possibly get together with other students in a similar situation and maybe do a "Stone Soup" kinda meal where everyone contributes an ingredient to make a big batch of soup or stew or curry? I (unfortunately) never made it to college, but while working retail it was a big help when my friends and I pooled our meager resources. All the Best of the Luck💚
Loved this video....I love all the budget challenges. Atomic Shrimp is one of the best UA-cam channels Ive subscribed to and keep. I wish everyone well!
This video made my day yesterday. I myself are trying to cut cost a bit, cause I am on the lower income bracket (still very privileged though), and I am sometimes a wasteful cook and shopper. Here in Germany the prices are higher for some of the specialty items (baked beans, sardines) and baked goods from the day before sadly get at most only a half price reduction. I sometimes get myself a Too Good To Go bag of Vegetables or from the Bakery, which is really helping me out and challenging me creatively on my use of vegetables.( Though I try and not overuse them, cause someone else might need them more than me) Maybe a Too Good to Go Challenge could be nice? Anyway, thank you for the awesome video, the entertainment and the learning expierience. I really need to up my vegetable stock game.
Cheaper cuts of bone-in meat marked down - you must watch for the day your particular grocery does markdowns from butchers counter - the bone broth is so versatile and nutritious! Cook for at least 2 hrs till the collagen dissolves (you can help it along with a tablespoon of vinegar). So satisfying to use up odds and ends into something delicious!
Do you think the cashier at the local Tesco has noticed Atomic Shrimp bringing in £1.37 instead of £1 and assumed he must've gotten a big promotion?
@@Akotski-ys9rr i think he was joking mate
@@Akotski-ys9rr 1st rule of improv. 🤣🤣
@@Corkoth55Yes, I think she sees him there and goes ooo there he is 😂
@McCormack Brilliant !😂
No, she watches the channel, so knows the UA-cam royalty cheque has come in.
From the bottom of my heart I sincerely ask you to please continue making these "Budget Challenge" videos. They are pretty much the only UA-cam content that my elderly father and I enjoy watching together. Thank you so much for making them!
There are other channels too that do this.
Aww you might also like TheWolfePit he's American and reviews low end food including ingredients. He also makes low cost scratch meals. He's just a wholesome old man.
That’s so precious ❤
@@AirConditioningOGUnit Hi. Yeah I have watched some of his videos before and enjoyed them a lot. I haven't watched any of his content recently though, so thank you for reminding me. :)
@@adixar what's the name?
How about a “Ready Steady Cook” type challenge where Jenny goes and buys some random ingredients and you have to turn it in to a meal?
as a broke student in Scotland, Shrimp's challenge videos have given me so much inspiration to make my meals more interesting over the last few years instead of just having beans and toast or noodles, because if he can do stuff like this with such a small budget i can with a much larger budget (relatively anyway lol).
Same, since watching his channel just my view on a five dollar bill here in America as far what I can eat is incredible!
Having lived like a student despite not actually being one at the time, pasta, tinned food and chicken are your best friends. I know chicken isn't as cheap as it used to be back 10 years ago, but there's still the occasional bargain to be found in the Reduced section. Also, one of the massive family packs from Aldi should feed you for about two weeks, or more if you freeze what you don't need. Farmfoods also used to have 8 frozen steaks for 7-8 quid, though I haven't seen those lately.
Also, fruit and veg last about 1-2 weeks after their sell-by date. So does cheese. Bread lasts just under a week if kept outside. Eggs are also reduced approximately a week before their actual expiration date, so if you see eggs on Reduced, grab them - they'll still be good until the middle of the following week.
Hope this has further helped your cause :)
@@PedroBenolielBonito Eggs will last 2 months in the fridge - float test first of course. Cheese also will last for months if you don't let the mould build up. But this challenge is harder than i'd do comfortably. If you take patsa, rice and potatoes out, it's really tough.
I would be interested in how much it would cost to keep body and soul together, in terms of eating enough not to lose weight (burning muscle). Sort of like student diet, apart from they eat so badly because they spend their allowances on beer ! I lived on a small brown loaf and a quarter pound of Woolworth’s processed cheese per day for over a month !!
Being a poor student forced me to learn to cook and eat a lot more vegetables, for which I will be forever grateful.
We also call one onion "oneion" in our household. Our onion counting is as follows: oneion (one onion), tonion (two onions), thronion (three onions), munion (more than three onions). Please feel free to use the system yourself :)
The “oneion” is a good play on words, I recall the last time I experienced an upset G.I. tract was because of the slightly “greenanna” I had eaten. I normally like my bananas approaching just to the Appaloosa with tiny spots stage. 🐎😊
Onemato
Twomato
Threemato
Momato
I like it, it's got layers like an onion
Oneyinge one orange toringe two oranges thowinge three oranges muringes multiple oranges ?
Onecumber
twocumber
threecumber
encumbered
I'll see myself out.
It shows how invested we all get in these challenges because I practically said out loud "He's eating the WHOLE banana at once?" as if convinced you would starve for the rest of the day.
Honestly I had a similar reaction
Honestly I had a similar reaction
Honestly I had a similar reaction
Honestly I had a similar reaction
Honestly I had a similar reaction
Random thought of a challenge: you are "allowed" a bit more funds (2 pounds?), but cannot use: onions, carrots, beans, bananas... you know, the usual suspects.
Otherwise, just wanted to mention, thank you so much for this channel. It is exactly "itself" in a way that is so comfortable and interesting and that is too rare to find in life and especially online.
Yeah, I think the next one might be more or less exactly that
Delightful, looking forward to it.
I read "you know, the usual..." and in my head I finished it off with "...things you should never tell a stranger on the internet."
@@AtomicShrimp Looking forward to it!
I like this idea, force creativity by forcing change
Atomic Shrimp dropping ANOTHER Budget Challenge so soon? We are truly blessed! That toast almost reminds me of a tack or some kind of travel biscuit, at least in the concept of packing lots of nutrition into a small package that probably still has a decent shelf life.
Had to get back on the horse as soon as I could
@@AtomicShrimp Horse is expensive, man, but at least when you're on it you don't care what you eat.
That Wheaten bread is levened with bicarbonate of Soda, its traditional bread of Ireland and Northern Ireland
Dropping the onion on the floor, only to reverse time and stop it from happening was genius. Well done, Shrimp!
I work for the company who make the bread you bought for Tesco, glad you enjoyed, even at the end of its shelf life! Wheaten bread is really big in Ireland where it is baked. Big fan of all the various videos you do! Keep up the good work!
I just have to try that banana, mayonnaise and chilli concoction.
Good on you for going back and applying the 'if at first you don't succeed ... ' principle.
I reckon a little sprinkle of chocolate on the banana thing would have made it really delicious. Like maybe a bit of smashed up Cadbury flake
@@AtomicShrimp I'd have shoved it under the grill until it got a bit of colour. KInd of a Welsh weirdbit.
@@CravingBeer A Welsh Even-rarer-bit?
Was a little peckish when I started watching this video, so now I'm eating a banana with saltines as a consequence.
Another yummy addition to bananas and mayo is a sweet yellow curry powder, so good!
It might be interesting to look at tripling the budget and the number of meals to see how some bulk items might be able to be stretched out.
he did do a 5£ for 5 days if you haven’t checked that out already
@@raccoononi4307 I'll check that out. Thanks for the recommendation!
3 days challenge with a twist - bigger budget around 8-10£, but on the second day there are two "guests" coming for lunch and coffee, which calls for triple portion of lunch and requires something sweet baked. Beans are banned.
@@natanportan1676I love this!
@@natanportan1676 - I’d love to see this 😍
I personally don't really care that you're "reusing" the same ingredients I just personally enjoy this format of content and the brainstorming of how everything could come together and the ingenuity and resourcefulness you have! I loved the bait and switch with the sardine can XD I almost couldn't believe my eyes when I saw you going for the pull tab lol
I've learnt how to experiment in the kitchen thanks to this series
so now I don't see "an empty fridge" every time
it's just stuff I can mix and match and make something great :>
Yes its definitely made me look at food differently too.
That bread used to be called "Irish Wheaten Loaf", and as poor blacksmithing students, my partner at the time and I called it "Irish brick". I love that bread.
Honestly I wish I'd picked up those other four reduced loaves for the freezer
These limited ingredient recipes are great, even when they’re not so great haha, will the dice directed recipes ever return?
Agreed, the dice were an interesting way to challenge his creativity and thinking
Yes, bring back the dicey meals! 🎉😂
Yes, I enjoyed seeing what the dice decide to give and withhold.
now im just thinking, dice budget challenges combined,,,
YES! I think I could watch a thousand of these.
I think a little oil should be allowed in the rules, as long as it's the bare minimum to cook things without burning. Trying to get a fat in that budget is just too unreasonable. Or perhaps allow pro-rata just for oil, because nearly everyone will buy it at some point so it'll be in the cupboard.
My favourite of other people's ideas are: make foraging the main/a main part and buy ingredients to go around that, and also expanding the budget but saying you must get certain things or make certain meals. I also think, for variety, you could do one where you allow pro-rata-ing of certain cupboard staples like flour, sugar, lentils etc. - but not buying a massive whopping bag of things to make them cheap! Just the regular size you'd normally buy and have available.
Yes, I agree. A type of fat should be allowable - especially as the mayonnaise bottle isn't very large and will work out more expensive for just a small amount of oil. Someone who is budgeting will be buying the oil for cooking and not wasting their mayonnaise!
I agree. He did have 3p left over, so a smear of butter or some cooking oil should be OK.
I would agree on cooking oil being allowed as long as it's the bare minimum required to cook. No big amounts and no getting cheeky with some extra virgin on top of things.
Yes you should allow yourself fat and or oil from your kitchen.
I’d like to add a challenge element: by going pro-rata with different basic items, he could start doing challenges based around dietary requirements or requiring particular ingredient usage or a focus on some aspect of cooking/ food. Or even prohibitions like a no blender challenge.
As a Finn I'm supriced that you haven't eaten raw onion in soup before because in Finland it's rather common to eat chopped raw onion with pea soup (and naturally with some mustard).
Romania, the US south, etc also do it with beans or peas soups
Fascinating, does the onion and mustard go into the soup or is it served as a side dish?
@@TC-th1ey Goes in the soup before you start eating.
@@TC-th1ey Straight into the soup. Add mustard to taste, mix, add onion to taste. Pancakes with jam and whipped cream as dessert if you want the traditional experience.
W
So I have ibs, which with my variety means I can't have onions, garlic, anything with wheat, and large quantities of a lot of other foods. As you might imagine, eating is a challenge and I must admit in recent years, food has been mostly a source of anxiety and pain -- I kinda don't like food atm.
That being said, this series has an odd way of getting me excited about food again whenever I watch. I start to think of all the things I *could* eat (which has been really helpful these past few months as a mindset shift), and creative ways I could cook. Where I am and with my dietary restrictions, I could only dream of eating this cheaply, but regardless, your videos are full of inspiration and hope for cooking and eating again.
Thank you shrimp!
Me too, having just discovered how little of the foods I love I daren't even attempt eating. I totally understand IBS sufferers now. 😮💨
IBS beat eminem in a rap battle though
if I had your condition I'd be munching on organ meat like a caveman
That little edit of the falling onion save was hilarious. Thank you so much for your videos over the years, especially this series/type of content.
Yes, that is very thoughtful of them to add a little handle to lift that sardine lid out. You had me laughing out loud at my desk while at work. Thank you!
same here hahah
I was initially feeling disappointment when Atomic (Mike) didn't explain why he was not using the pull tab, like he generally does, but he saved it with the little handle comment which caused me to smile and giggle. Also, later on he pointed out the sardine can had no rim. The universe in this timeline was restored and all is well again. Good job Atomic!
It wasn't that funny.
I was litte terrified whe he almost pull that tab xD aaand then he swichted to can opener xD
I had some sardines the other day and was frustrated by the pull tab rim, so when he broke out the can opener i was like oh yeah big brain time
A suggestion I have is that you try the same budget with different stores, and see which store works the best for these low budget challenges.
It’s always fun seeing what you do with such limited resources.
hes sort of done this with his supermarket comparison videos
I fear that this kind of challenge would just be based on luck really, since as long as you can buy loose vegetables and reduced items, the store doesn't really matter much
@@willexco2001 he did give options for the same price if you can't get the reduced bread, spaghetti or rice
When I left home I got a cookbook called "the pauper's cookbook" and it was a revelation. Lots of nutritious recipes from low cost ingredients. It's served me well over the years.
@@debesys6306 I have it- saved my life as a starving student. It's by Jocasta Innes who went on to be an interior designer. Unfortunately some of the 'cheap' ingredients in it are now expensive ( mostly proteins- lamb & pork hock, lesser known fish, legumes)
@maria archer legumes are ok if bough dry and soaked over night, the fish etc I can really understand, it's one of those I found raiding reduced to clear and then looking for recipes for use the next day.
i know generally you advocate against these being a "live a day in my shoes", but when I was aty university and aware of your challanges, I would actually apply a lot of your methodology to how I bought food. It is actually smart to think about nutrients and price per calorie and energy and it teaches a lot of creativity to be able to make variety and flavour part of it like you do. Huge fan for a long time shrimplord
I found your channel for the first time when I first went to the UK to study. I was quite lost, and my scholarship wouldn't cover everything so I spent my first few weeks in the isles eating more porridge and rice than would be healthy.
You really helped me during that year, and then during the pandemic. Thank you so much for your challenges! They continue to help, even now that I'm back home 😅
Smooth Jazz POV Shopping is surprisingly delightful, I'd happily watch a longform video of a full week's shopping.
And I'm glad I'm not the only one that just puts the label on the loose produce; it's already packaged in its own peel.
please never stop making these, they are incredible.
i have an idea though, what about trying one of these challenges but purely with canned foods? that might be quite an interesting challenge.
These videos are brilliant, im a young lad trying to bulk up a bit and I’m on a fairly tight budget, nowhere near £1.37 a day fortunately. Can’t say I’ve followed most these recipes but I’ve taken a lot of inspiration as well as seen a good few tips on how to really find good deals, little things like 3 carrots for 0.09p, that’s brilliant to whack in a dinner or 2 and cheap as you like, seems really silly but I’ve never seen it before I’ve never really had to do my own shopping so I usually whizz about looking at the cheapest packets, really appreciate these vids it’s opened my eyes to how much I can be saving
Loose veg all the way! Less packaging is a bonus as well. The downside is since COVID it's become less common to see loose :( mushrooms are the most nutrient dense veg you can get btw!
Oats are great too and very cheap. Also, if you bulk buy dried beans they're waaayyy cheaper and last ages still. Beans and lentils are mega cheap and super versatile.
@@debesys6306 To get more muscles, you need protein, practice and time. Don´t train to hard all at once, but be persistent and train every other day. Also do a half hour walk every day to increase your stamina. For Eating, the obvious food choice is meat or fish. But the cheaper - and some say healthier - way to do this is milk, eggs, and a clever combination of grain (wheat, rice, millet, oats, barley, ) and legume (lentils, peas, chickpeas, all kind of beans). Grains and legumes complete each other, so they become the perfect protein source. You will find that many recepies from all over the world use this combination already. So you will find many recepies for these combinations. Don´t drink to much beer, the hops in the beer increases the production of female hormons. More boobs, less muscle growth. Hops also makes you sleepy.
@@evelinharmannfan7191 I’ll add to this and say you can get packs of chicken wings, drumsticks and thighs pretty cheap too. Much cheaper than breast. A bit fattier than breast but if you’re trying to bulk perfect! And i think tastier too! I find the cheapest tins of tuna too go a long way and have a lot of protein still, plus super convenient. Packs of cooking bacon for a bit of flavour if you live near a big enough store to sell them. Ham houghs are a bit more common, require a bit more prep to cook but very tasty! You can also get big packets of frozen fish too from lidl for cheap. It’s usually just a mix of white fish, lots of protein there.
Not quite as cheap as what you mentioned but still cheap and can add a bit more variety to your diet. My favourite l right now is definitively eggs as you mentioned. I’m usually just throwing in eggs with every meal even if it’s a boiled egg or too on the side.
cooking is one of the best ways to save money and one of the loveliest skills to learn. shopping obv part and parcel of that, if you have a real greengrocer or a real open market, check that out. I know nothing about bulking up, but if you are active (work or gym) do get enough protein. That may be hard on a budget. Have a look at what you mean by bulking up, what you think will qualify, if you like. Most of us women like a fit guy, but you don't need to be bulky! We really like friendly, cuddly, open, listening. If you prefer men, i cannot speak for that. just be careful about searching for an image.
@@leocervidae You're lucky to have eggs atm - we are limited here in the UK.
When I saw this in my feed, I was so excited! This is my favourite series on the channel as well as WSIAC, I love your creativity. One idea I'd like to see you try is doing this in an "ethnic" supermarket such as a Polish shop, with a stipulation that you're allowed a pantry item such as flour or rice. I think you could really find a new way to explore different flavour profiles in unexpected ways doing this!
I love the care you take with thinking about garnishes and ways to transform the ingradients into more interesting textures and presentations than one would have with just eating the ingredients together on a plate. Very fun, too!
I've really brought these experiments to life in my own house every once in a while. When I have a pantry full of little bits of this and that, I think of an Atomic Shrimp video, making use of everything in unexpected ways. It's really pretty fun to play around that way.
Me also..I do the same. And I serve it to my husband without elaborating.. never had a problem yet
Do it all the time as always running low on things at the end of most months. Although I always have herbs, spices and plenty of pasta, lentils, rice and oats (porridge) in my cupboard to add to my concoctions.
Absolutely agree!
Same I’m always tempted to get a pizza in the way home when i know I’m out of food which I can’t realistically afford. But know I’ve been looking through my cupboards trying to finish off bits and bobs.
What really helps for me is to keep like a staple in I know works with most things. Atm it’s feta cheese. It’s not too expensive from lidl like £1.30 a block but it lasts a while and I only need to crumple a little bit on things for flavour. It really helps being together some weird dishes.
That's great!
In Romania we eat bean soup with raw onion, it goes together very well. We often make a sort of salad consisting in raw onion (the sweet kind), a bit of olive oil, mild vinegar (apple cider vinegar or balsamic), salt and pepper.
We do this in the southern states in the US, too! It's always been a great economy meal. Sometimes we spruce it up and serve it with cooked down collard greens with some smoked meat or bacon, and cornbread, but the bean soup always gets topped with a sweeter-ish vinegar and raw onion.
The bean salad is pretty popular in Bulgaria too! It's not uncommon to have it as a side to grilled meat in traditional diners.
Acuma mi-ai facut pofta de ciorba de fasole cu ceapa... :)
I remember asking a Romanian friend of mine what the diet was like in his country and he just slammed a giant onion on this table and said 'this!'
@@warwickscram1656 maybe HIS DIET, NOT EVERYONE'S 🤣🤣🤣 People eat a lot of meat, potatoes and bread, I'd say our diet is quite stodgy. I remember eating bread with everything, even chips or spaghetti, roast potatoes, etc.
You certainly didn't need to redo the challenge for us, but it is definitely a bonus and delight to watch! Thank you!
If you told me a budget meal would include sardine spine carrotslaw, I wouldn't have believed you... until now! 😂
LMAO thats what i love about shrimps videos, you can always expect the unexpected
There is no such thing as too many budget cooking videos! Thank you for this one!
I like the most those challenges with the foraging option enabled. That gives me most inspiration to look around while being outside. And to discover new flavours and uses for otherwise ignored plants.
Me too! It's interesting to see how much foraging can supplement a small budget
@@oopsallbugs Id honestly prefer the concept of swapping the “No Foraging” rule with the allowance of the spices.
It's mostly the case that there's not much to forage for in the middle of winter.
Very imaginative👍👍 I've shopped at Tesco for decades, but always bought prepacked veg until you showed buying single carrots etc on a previous challenge - I started doing the same and find my fridge is a lot more pleasant to open without half packs of courgettes etc rotting away quietly in its depths😂
I really like these challenges. They show me actually the real difficulty that people with lesser means really do struggle through to make a nutritious much less tasty meal on a budget, as well as why soups and stews and porriages seem to be the staple in budget cooking.
Yep, especially the more it goes on and it ends up being the same ingredients each time, it shows how hard it is. Shrimp's creativity never ceases to amaze me, but there's only so much you can make with the same 4-5 items! They look cool and different to us so it makes interesting content, but probably taste the same (baked bean flavour...)
They show me how much cheaper food is in the UK vs the US.
@@OhSoUnicornly It also gets me that even Shrimp has allowances for things like the bone box, spices or sauces to give the food some degree of flavor. Imagine having that 1 pound but no sauces, spices or broth making ability. Now you have bland baked bean flavor
@@MilwaukeeWoman I know right? Even with the recent increase in their food prices they're still significantly cheaper than the US even if you compare it to US's pre inflation/pandemic prices.
@@MilwaukeeWoman same here in Aus. UK food is so damn cheap it’s crazy
I love people that use their energy to look for solutions, rather than to use it to complain and complain and complain.
There has always been something very soothing about these videos. Those shop montages with pleasant music in the background are very nice to experience. Keep it up, Shrimp!
Those looked like 3 splendid meals and I will probably do some variation of them one day !
I always imagine Jenny sitting at the table with a huge takeaway while you are eating one of these extreme budget meals !
🤣🤣🤣 Jenny would never!
The avoidance of ring pulls on this channel is nothing short of genius! As a fellow floral shirt connoisseur, I too use can openers where a ring pull is provided (although I haven't yet resorted to the can opener with a can of coke just yet!)
Why do we avoid ring pulls ?
@@viennasix9 You've clearly not been around here for very long!
@@kevinbell9255 no Kevin I have not…thanks for the comprehensive reply most useful
@@viennasix9I also want to know
@@dwild2565 I don’t know that I have the will to care anymore
I love these challenges. You really need to make a basic veggie oil standard use like salt, pepper, and water. Would add so much to your cooking.
Right, as long as it's not deep frying that seems reasonable. I'd be totally fine with pro rata for staples and doing away entirely with the allowance, as I'm afraid that the use of mayo in this episode has bordered on expensive. He's certainly used a few pence worth, that Heinz bottle goes for 4£ at Tesco. I'd rather pro rata a cheap cooking oil.
@@haphazard1342 - perhaps if he’d have bought sardines in oil it would have given him that option...?
Maybe adding a tablespoon of vegetable spread would make the difference?
@@billiebluesheepie2907 I was watching one of his older videos and there were cows in the background. Maybe trade/ask for some fresh cow milk and make his own butter? That is nothing more than foraging anyway.
The creativity in these challenges continues to astound me. I can't cook anything without a recipe.
3:07 the fact that in the UK you can just go to the store and buy an onion for 0.05 GBP (6 cents US) is insane to me. No store in the US I've ever been to have you been able to buy anything for such a low price.
Right!? If you go to a store in the US with pocket change, you'll walk away with like one thing if you're lucky.
The flip side is that bulk in the USA tends to scale better than the UK, but as you have hinted, (and the lovely point of this video) not everyone can spend $60 on 300 toilet paper rolls in one go, and sometimes have to suffer buying the 4 pack for $5
Trust me - it's generally the same in the UK. This guy got very lucky, lives somewhere rural/much cheaper, or both. In fact, having lived in both the US and the UK, I'd say a food haul is generally more expensive in the UK.
don't take from this that britain is good in any way. years of tory austerity has degraded the standard of living to an unacceptable low for no reason other than corporate greed
@@benharris144 At Tesco..? Here the supermarket chains only sell insanely priced bags of 2 onions and 1kg or more.
I had an auntie when I was young who used to make Banana muffins-- in her recipe she subbed out Oil and Eggs for Mayonnaise! The mayo made the muffins very soft and prevented it from drying out! It really is just an emulsion of the two ingredients + some salt and maybe mustard but it gets lost in the vanilla extract. Definitely worth trying!
These budget food videos are honestly great. They inspire me to experiment more in the kitchen. I also want a food processor now
get a stick blender as it's great for soups and zizzing stuff for toast topping and small batch Gazpacho in summer.
@Stefan Nunn okay that's good to know. Thanks 😊
I feel really pleased that you overcame the doubt of the last challenge and got such improved results! Even though they're similar ingredients to what you've grabbed before, you still put some twists on them and tried new things. Also, I think I see why people suggested frying the banana, since that probably would have caramelized the sugar in the fruit a bit.
I love the challenges! As an American, your food prices always astonish me! I watch food prices here and your hauls are always shockingly diverse for the amount. Please keep doing these! As someone who cooks from scratch (mostly), I really enjoy watching and occasionally even get new ideas for dishes.
Just a side note: On a tomato based Mexican soup, it’s common to garnish with a mix of raw diced onion, cilantro, and lime. Sometimes restaurants will soak the onion and cilantro in lame juice rather than having lime wedges.
I live in England, and his hauls shock me too! I never knew or seen that pasta for 28p existed!
@@AlissaSss23 I checked and right now 1.37 is $1.65 USD. The cheapest I see spaghetti is $1. There are some little Mexican brand noodles for .59. ( La Moderna … alphabets that are smaller than a pinky nail. ). Banana are .59 lb or 4/$1 depending where you go. Onions are $1.50-$2.99 lb depending on the kind. ( Red and Vidalia will be more expensive than yellow&white) The cheapest most generic bread pre-packaged is $1.35 but for something from the bakery I always check the reduced and it’s always at least $1.50. ( Because they are $4-5 normal). I usually buy gluten free which is about $6.59 ( because of allergies) and then also a wheat/rye/ or pumpernickel loaf which is always $5 or more. A can of pork and beans is usually $.75 to $1.50 depending on brand. ( and here they have a ton of sugar added. )?
I think the US version of this would be the $5 Budget Challenge. That might be doable, if you go to the right store. The only thing I can think of buying with $1.65 USD would be some Instant Ramen Noodles. Those are ridiculously cheap, if bought from Walmart. $0.33, if I remember correctly.
When I was in college, lo these many years ago, ramen noodles were five for a dollar.@@FloraGaleFlower
Love your budget challenge videos. I am a broke uni student living on roughly 15 quid a week for food so I really appreciate the variety you've shown with such a tight budget.
The tesco traditional (formerly Irish) wheaten loaf is one of my favourite things from their bakery bit. it very much reminds me of the bread my Irish granny used to make with off milk
I'm surprised it's not called "inspired by Ireland" bread like the "inspired by Italy" sauce
@@hucklebucklin I don't think soda bread is particularly exclusive to Ireland
@@hucklebucklin wtf does inspired by Italy mean
@@thatitalianlameguy2235 lol, I guess it would mean recipes that are similar to Italian ones (spices, techniques?) but aren't actually made in Italy
@@thatitalianlameguy2235 discount parmigiano
Your inventiveness and willingness to try weird combos is really what's most amazing about these challenges!
I was very confused to get this notification.
My only complaint with the first video was that I know Morrison's is a little bit harder to budget at, so seeing this second go is awesome!
Love the way you approach things, especially when it comes to not hesitating to try, try try again.
Costs way more than £1.37 to get to Morrison's.
I think it would be interesting if, next time you do one of these budget challenges, you vlogged more of what you did during the day and included it in the video. I think it would help viewers get a sense of how long it takes you to do prep and cook for your meals, and how that interacts with your regular tasks for the day, and how much you can still get done while also cooking all your meals. I guess I am just curious to see how one of these challenges interacts with your everyday life; like, does it take up a lot of your time, or are you able to still get plenty of things done? etc. Just a thought, cause I was very interested in what you shared at the end of the video about spending time splitting firewood and all that. It might be neat to see that stuff in the video too!
That's a good idea. Some of it (local dog walking) I probably can't include without revealing my location, but little interludes are a good idea
@@AtomicShrimp please do 😄
very well said. the mental and physical labour involved in this kind of economic shopping is huge, and has been put onto the consumer, when the sellers, corporations, and ultimately, politicians are the people who should be making this easier for us
Thank you for treating us to two budget cooking videos in a week!
The amazing part is watching you use the same ingredients in such a versatile way. Even when making the same meals you did in other challenges you find a new twist to them.
These and the foraging videos are just the best. When I see one come up in my subscriptions feed, I know it's gonna be a good day!
The budget challenges are my favourite series you put out! I’m honestly always amazed at your ingenuity, of the ideas of the dishes, with the ingredients you buy. Your effort is appreciated and I often take something away to try myself. Thanks!
Those budget meal videos are my favourite thing on the internet right now. I enjoy them immensely. There is no way I could replicate them here in Canada, due to high prices right now but they are fun to watch.
5:07 I laughed so hard at you bringing the onion back up with the Force. I miss the superpower edits in your videos! I know they must be really inefficient to create time-wise though. DaVinci Fusion has a pretty steep learning curve
Yes! That was brilliant. Also the magic of the vanishing bread wrapper
@@blahza12345 can you timestamp that? Haha
@@BonJoviBeatlesLedZep Sure 9:09
The "carrot slaw" really reminded me of a salad that is made a lot where I'm from, just without the onion and with added garlic and sour cream together with the mayo (and sometimes with added pumpkin seeds too!) it really is one of my favorite salads to have as a side for lunch/dinner meals!
my grampa used to make an exceptional cabbage salad with carrots, grapes and probably onions
like a coleslaw really but he called it 'alpini salad' - google does not agree
Whenever I make slaw at home I always just do cabbage, carrot, mayo and a little bit of vinegar. Very simple, very cheap, very easy, stick it on a burger. Dijon mustard is also good in a little dose, although I never have it in the house.
Having two of these so close together makes me so happy! These are some of my favourite videos.
I enjoy watching the thought process and what you can do with limited resources (budget or restricting what you can use). I think we've been spoilt with so much variety all year around, we've forgotten what we can do with food. Maybe do a challenge where you can't allow yourself beans, sardines and bread and maybe a slightly more generous budget so you can try new ideas / recipes.
Morrisons Savers instant mash- 28p, makes enough for 4 portions as a side or two portions as a meal, but it’s only potato & rosemary & very plain so super easy to use in other things!
Plus if you overmix it, it can take on a glue consistency which could be very useful for binding other things!
P.s we have the same watermelon bag! 😂
Really interesting, thank you! Some suggestions:
1. A version where you consider some dietary requirement, such as wheat or lactose intolerance.
2. A more sustained diet over an entire week, maybe £1 x 7, or round off to £10. Coming up with interesting varieties would be super challenging.
3. Limited budget for hosting guests, maybe tell them to rate the meal honestly without knowing it is limited budget. You could ask them how much they thought it cost to make, and how much they would pay.
4. One where you try to replicate some meal/food on a budget. For example making a birthday cake without spending £15 or more.
Thanks for the great videos!
So instead of recipe redemption, this is more of a challenge redemption.
Yeah, I like that
@9:58 surely that should be "toastelate" not "tesselate"?
Also, and I'm sure you hear this all the time, but thanks for the wonderful character of the videos you produce. Been having a rough day, and just the fact I saw a video of yours in my sub feed (let alone watching the video) has genuinely cheered me up
I would love this type of content as a more regular series. At different stores, at different budget points and at varying time periods. Eg. A week
Atomic Shrimp content is my go to Sunday hangover viewing, everything about this is so chilled out and wholesome, thank you for taking the edge off of the end of the week Shrimp, you're a good egg
I really do love these videos. I totally understand why you're doing what you're doing when making these. You've inspired me to try to approach things from a different point of view, and consider more perspectives before making a final decision on things. I just wanted to say I very much appreciate you for sharing with us everything that you do. I hope everyone is doing well, and having a great day!😁
this is my favourite series of yours, what a treat
Since you effectively had beans on toast for both lunch and dinner, how about a challenge to have beans on toast for every meal for a week (maybe 3 days if it's too tedious) but in as many different ways as you can come up with?
Ive never seen anyone open a ringpull can with a tin opener 😶
I love how you addressed why you did it though, waste not, want not!
In the southern US we would call that stuffing you made "dressing." It's distinct from stuffing in that its cooked down into a solid piece, rather than fluffy individual pieces of bread. Usually thicker, and cut into bars, its often served around thanksgiving. My grandmother's recipe is mostly corn bread, some white bread, onions, lots of spices, and chicken stock and finely shredded chicken. It's delicious!
Literally my favorite Thanksgiving food besides the deviled eggs. With some pecan pie on the side its heavenly
I never fail to be amazed by your creativity and ability to make something out of - what most people would call - nothing.
Quick tip for recycling: I take the labels off the cans and put them in the paper bin before opening the tin so they don't get whatever sauce on them, but I get why you'd want to keep them on for the video :).
Love your videos and am excited to see what you've got planned for 1 million subscribers.
Elevator music
If you enjoy making these videos, I absolutely love watching them Mike. I love the experiments. It's almost like an april fools video, but you make it work! Brilliant. Have a good weekend.
omg this breakfast. I can't imagine it tasting good, the thought of it makes me shiver. I am sadly to scared to try it myself. But I salute to all you brave individuals who will/did.
The preamble about Morrison's and LIDL then abruptly switching to Tesco gave me the same vibes as Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. "Anyways since it's Friday that doesn't matter in the slightest"
Thanks for the laugh. Always appreciated Shrimp.
The cut where the bread was being put down at 9:09 was the best thing since sliced bread. Just beautiful.
I love these challenges. The uplifting elevator music of the shopping segment never fails to warm my heart with a sense of adventure.
The way you approach challenges always reminds me of the Sam Beckett quote: "Try again. Fail again. Fail better." Another quality video!
Seeing a new atomic budget challenge really puts a smile on my face. I love what you do, thank you for putting these videos out for us.
P.S I aim in life to always be as curious/adventures as you are in exploring the world you enjoy.
That breakfast reminded me of a dish my grandma had been making since the 50s; banana salad. Bananas wrapped in lettuce and mayo and sprinkled with salted peanuts. Surprisingly delicious!
I really like those budget challenges so I would appreciate them to continue even if it's not with 1 pound anymore :)
In my opinion they are also more interesting the longer the challenge is, since it allows a bit of "bulk buying" without going too overboard (also more content). Like, a lot of the items, for example the cooking bacon, are completely unviable for a single day challenge but could be an interesting option in a maybe 3 day challenge.
I personally don't reeally care about a crazy high difficulty but appreciate your ingenuity and variation of meals despite mostly using the same ingredients (Bombay Mix).
Please make more of these!!!! I find them so fascinating how you can make meals out of literally the smallest about of money!! It could save someone’s life, if they are having a bad day ❤
I love these budget challenges and how you clarify that you're not playing poor, it also shows how good of a chef you truely are :D
This is the approach I have the most success with in the US, getting veggies last & focusing on bananas, onions, and carrots. Not finished with the video yet, but if this doesn't work I don't think anyone can argue you didn't try your best.
Edit: If you're looking for more odd combinations, ketchup on pasta is pretty good if you use a good number of vegetables in the sauce (I usually do garlic, onions, carrots, some basil from my window, and beans for protein, usually kidney beans. I start by cooking the veg in oil & crisp up the beans' skins a bit, but ymmv).
Why not pasta sauce?
I love these videos that you do about the budget meals...thank you for taking the time to make them. I agree, this was much better in terms of variety and all round dietry balance than the last one...IMO.
So happy I've found this channel, I'm on long term sick and I am on a very very tight budget. Thank you for the content and keep it coming 💙
Very natural bloke. Engaging and thoughtful AND he doesn't tell the viewer to SMASH the like button every verse end. Good videos.
If you do another one if these anytime soon please do a major foraging one. The foraging is super fun and informative to watch and the way you incorporate them is amazing to watch. Double for how you incorporate urban foraged items
He did an all forage one... It didn't work out very well.
ua-cam.com/video/wYEI4-4oths/v-deo.html
@@kjdude8765 I don't mean all foraging I just mean where he forages as much as he can along with the stuff he buys from the store
Not really the time of year for foraging in the UK atm. Unless maybe bin foraging? Looking for out of date food 🤔
Love the videos, enjoy the creativity that goes into taking ingredients that are put aside and making a good meal out of it. Have you ever considered doing a challenge where the main ingredients are what you forage and you have like 1 pound to buy the seasonings or additives?
You did great!! I like the idea of banana on toast but without mayonnaise or spicy. I think I will try with cinnamon and honey instead!! Great job!!
Sounds nice
Videos like this make me appreciate the kind of stuff you can cook up with just what you got.
absolutely love this "on a budget" series you have, and seeing you creating these recipes is so much fun to watch as a chef, keep it up you are great!
"Frying banana, fried banana sandwich is a thing, good idea. Well, when what you've got is mayo, may as well use that. Taste test with a single slice, okay. Dumping the mayo directly on it, unconventional. Wait. Wait. Oh good lord what is he doing?! I thought we were frying this? He's grabbing the chili flakes? Oh, the humanity!"
I know you said it was good, but... I'll take your word on that!
I'm a uni student and I've hit pretty hard times. I have to get by on £30 over the next 20 days. I've fasted for the past couple days in hope it'll allow me to eat well for the rest of the period. Thanks for your videos - they give me some good ideas on what to do and how resourceful I can be with what I do buy.
Hi there - sorry to hear things arent going great. don't be afraid to seek out help if foodbanks & other such resources are available to you. I just wanted to send you my well wishes
Likewise, another channel I'd recommend is cooking with Clara. Depression era recipes but they are satisfying for the amount you pay!
Sack of potatoes, oatmeal, milk, eggs. Tesco has cheap tins of spaghetti hoops 16p, rice pudding 25p. Bread is your friend 39p in tesco. Asda has cans soup 25p. Check with your uni for emergency assistance if you need it. Tesco cooking bacon is cheap.
I hope your circumstances improve soon!
Congratulations on getting a uni education 👏. Could you possibly get together with other students in a similar situation and maybe do a "Stone Soup" kinda meal where everyone contributes an ingredient to make a big batch of soup or stew or curry? I (unfortunately) never made it to college, but while working retail it was a big help when my friends and I pooled our meager resources. All the Best of the Luck💚
Broke the laws of physics when picking up the onion, mission failed.
Loved this video....I love all the budget challenges. Atomic Shrimp is one of the best UA-cam channels Ive subscribed to and keep. I wish everyone well!
I can just imagine this guy going into Tesco and all the staff being like 'ah shit here we go again'. 😄😄😄
This video made my day yesterday. I myself are trying to cut cost a bit, cause I am on the lower income bracket (still very privileged though), and I am sometimes a wasteful cook and shopper. Here in Germany the prices are higher for some of the specialty items (baked beans, sardines) and baked goods from the day before sadly get at most only a half price reduction. I sometimes get myself a Too Good To Go bag of Vegetables or from the Bakery, which is really helping me out and challenging me creatively on my use of vegetables.( Though I try and not overuse them, cause someone else might need them more than me) Maybe a Too Good to Go Challenge could be nice?
Anyway, thank you for the awesome video, the entertainment and the learning expierience. I really need to up my vegetable stock game.
Cheaper cuts of bone-in meat marked down - you must watch for the day your particular grocery does markdowns from butchers counter - the bone broth is so versatile and nutritious! Cook for at least 2 hrs till the collagen dissolves (you can help it along with a tablespoon of vinegar). So satisfying to use up odds and ends into something delicious!