Experiment - Chinese 'Fakeaway'

There's nothing we like better on a Saturday evening than settling down with a takeaway watching The X Factor, or whatever tat is currently airing here in the UK.  Dancing, singing, ice skating, insect-munching Z list celebrities.  Saturday evening is one of the nights that I just can't be bothered to cook.  In the week, mealtimes are an extension of the day's housework.  On a Sunday, a roast dinner is traditional.  But on a Saturday, which is a slow day for our family, by the time it comes to tea time it's far too easy to send my husband out for a takeaway.

I'm not going to do this tonight for several reasons:
a)  Due to his operations, my husband can't drive.
b)  Even if he hadn't been operated on, or if I could drive, the car is in the garage.
c)  I've just spent an obscene amount of money on Christmas presents.  Sob.
d)  It's a waste of money when our car is in the garage having work done on it, and so close to Christmas, there's going to be enough paid out shortly! 
e)  I'm too lazy, and it's too cold to walk to the Takeaway.

So, tonight Matthew, I am going to be making our takeaway.  Or, as it's otherwise known, our 'fakeaway'.   Let's see how much money I can save for our family by sacrificing one little treat.

I'm going to base this costing on my husband, myself and my two eldest children (the younger two won't entertain Chinese food).

I'm going to be making: Chicken and Sweetcorn soup, Chicken Curry, Egg Fried Rice and Chips for four.
Looking at the menu, the soup costs £1.90 per person; the curry comes with chips, at a cost of £4.50 per person.  The Egg fried rice costs £1.50 per portion.  So this, for four of us, would cost £31.60.
I bet that I can make the same meal for four, for around the cost of one person's takeaway - £7.90 - using food I already have in and general storecupboard items (which I won't be costing as the amount will be negligible).

The ingredients for the whole meal:
1 kg Aldi Everyday Essentials Chicken Breast - £4.00
1/2 pack Spring Onions - 40p
127g Chinese Curry Paste (from Oriental Grocers) - 50p
2 Onions - 20p
100g Frozen peas - 10p
200g Frozen sweetcorn - 20p
300g Easy cook Long Grain Rice - 30p
3 Eggs - 30p
Potatoes - £1.00
Garlic, Cornflour, Lemon juice, Dark and Light Soy Sauce, Salt, water, stock cubes, Groundnut oil - storecupboard.

Total cost - £7.00

Recipes and pictures will be in the next post :-) or click here