2 Years of New Zealand Food & Saving

So as you know, I have been saving for over a year now, hoping to have enough money for a BIG one year overseas trip.  Of course I will most likely need to work toward the end, but I will worry about that later.

Since I have been dating this lovely kiwi boy, he has opened my eyes to some simple, yet great recipes.  Well only two.  However these two recipes have sustained us for over six months of meals, spending less than $4 on each meal!!

CURRENT WEEKLY BUDGET 90rent | 15phone | 50food | 50fun | 150loan | 300savings

***Also picked up side jobs of coaching cheerleading and bartending for extra fun money

Taking the time to meal prep enables you to save a lot of money for all those future travel plans.  While I have no clue what travel awaits me, it is always valuable to save while you can and eat for cheap.

Now keep in mind these are recipes created from Wellington, New Zealand, which means kidney beans in a burrito are not UNHEARD OF. One batch can last a five meals for two people, give or take your portions. Cook it all on a Sunday and prep/freeze into reusable take away containers.

Chicken Burritos

• 2 boneless chicken breasts (boiled and shredded with a fork)
• 3 packets of El Paso fajita seasoning
• 3 cans of kidney beans
• 3 cans of chopped/diced tomato
• 1 capsicum (diced)
• 1 red onion (diced)
• 1 package (500 g) cremini mushrooms (diced)
• wheat or spinach wraps
• sliced avocado on top
• scoop sour cream (optional)
• chipotle sauce

1. Boiled the chicken in a large pot – after 15 minutes or until all white shred
2. Dice capsicum, onion and mushrooms into itty bitty pieces
3. Combine veggies and shredded chicken in large skillet for 5 minutes
4. Add kidney beans, and tomatoes STIR then seasoning STIR
5. Combine on a wrap and stick in a george foreman
6. Top with avocado slices,  scoop of sour cream and chipotle sauce

Malaysian Curry

• Call our favorite curry restaurant and order 3-4 containers of JUST SAUCE **this is super cheating but we love this place and will continue to use this authentic stuff until we have to leave NZ**
• 1 broccoli
• 1 cauliflower
• 4 potatoes
• 2 carrots
• 1 package of green beans
• 1 package of spinach
• 2-8 chicken breast depending on how much you love chicken (matt)

1. super easy recipe where you throw sauce in a big pot and boiled chicken breast in another pot.
2. cut all veg while chicken is cooking and keep curry sauce on a low heat
3. chuck veg into curry pot and remove chicken once cooked
4. shred chicken with two forks (or whatever cool tool you have that shreds chicken)
5. stick chicken in pot for another 15ish min on low heat
6. once all cooked scoop this yummy thick curry back into the containers in which you bought it in! *also used for chicken burrito containers

Yup that is basically what we have been living off of for ten months now.  While I never thought I would be eating the same thing every week or fall into a routine this BIG, it saves so much money and is pretty nice to not have to think about “what’s for dinner?”

I imagine if we ever get bored of burritos (which I am addicted to now) then we could switch it up to a massive month shop for 4-5 different meals and freeze all those.

Hope this was informative in some sense, if anything is just made me hungry and although it is 11am on a Sunday morning – I’m going to eat some curry!