Feeding Your Family For Under Ten Dollars In Adelaide

Eating well is just as important as eating cheap, fast food is an expensive and mostly unhealthy alternative. The challenge I faced was making a tasty, healthy and cheap meal for my family for under ten dollars. Cooking doesn't have to be difficult or expensive but it does need to be to be tasty. I enjoy cooking and enjoy a challenge so I went to my local shops which are a bit cheaper (and closer) than some bigger supermarkets.

Here's what I managed to find for under $10 (loaf of bread not pictured);

This is what I made;

To add some flavour I needed some herbs, I have some parsley and sage in my garden, it was one dollar for a pack of seeds for each (here's a good article on how to grow parsley and another on other herbs). Adelaide is full of rosemary, councils plant it around Salisbury and it isn't hard to find. There was some on the way to the shops, you can use this site to find it (and other free things). Wash and dry your hands well, put on a hair net or a clean hat and use proper hygienic gloves when handling food.

1/2 onion
1 - 5 cloves of garlic (depending on your taste)
500g mince beef
Herbs, salt and pepper for flavour
Hamburger buns, bread or serve with salad or veg for low carbs.
Cheese, sauces and condiments of your choosing

Chop half an onion, a few cloves of garlic and some herbs. Mix well with salt and pepper and the mince, (pork can be used in place of beef if preferred.)

Roll into balls and place on a plate until needed for cooking (you can make them small or big depending on how you like your burger and how hungry you are.) Can be frozen as is or kept in the fridge until before cooking.

Heat oil in a frypan over medium heat. Cook for 4-6 mins each side depending on how thick or thin you make them. Drain excess oil on a paper towel (be careful when they come out of the pan hot). I like to let mine rest for a couple of minutes before I eat them.

Here is what it cost (to make 4 burgers);

Beef mince 7.99kg - 500g = $4

Tomato 0.20c x 2 = .40c
Bread (loaf) - %2.10 - 16 pieces / loaf = 13c / slice - 8 slices = 1.04c
Onion 0.20c
Garlic 0.20c
Rosemary - free
Parsley, sage - free from garden
Salt and pepper - approx 0.02c
Butter - $3 / 500g - 5g / slice = 0.03c - 4 slices = 0.12c
Cheese - $5.50 / 24 slice pack = 0.23c / slice - 4 slices = 0.92c

$6.90 = $1.73 each burger

Sandwich fillings quantity guide