cook pasta, drain and stir in some classic pesto sauce. add a tin of drained sweetcorn and a tin of tuna. stir and serve. quick easy and tasty with cheese

One of the best investments I made when I first left home was a small slow cooker. You can pick them up for less than £20. I'd get up 10 minutes earlier in the morning and throw in whatever I had handy. I always have a bag of chopped onions and chopped peppers in the freezer to help save time. and I'd add one or both of those to likes of a chicken breast/pack of mince/chop, a tin of tomatos or a tin of soup, and a dash of herbs /garlic/chilli flakes from a jar in the cupboard. Stick on low and it would be ready by the time I got home at night to be served with some pasta or rice. I usually made enough to have for another meal either the next day or to freeze.

If you like Mexican here is a great idea for something quick and easy. You can use a rice cooker or just a regular pot. Cook rice as you normally would. About 10 min before the rice is done, add corn, rotisserie chicken cut or ripped up and one packet of taco seasoning. Let it finish cooking, scoop into a bowl and serve. Its spicy and filling and the chicken is already cooked.. all you need to do is buy the chicken from the super market. Trust me youll love how easy it is.. not to mention you only need one pot for the whole meal.

You can't beat a stew! Prepare and wash vegetables that you like, such as potatoes, swede, carrots, turnip, broccoli, leeks, kale etc basically any veg you like, make sure its chopped relatively small and then put in a large pan, cover with water and leave to boil. When the vegetables have gotten soft you can add some vegetable mince, oxo cubes, sweetcorn, peas etc... Works a treat, and any left over can be put in the fridge and reheated when you want more!!

Empty a tin of sardines on a slice of toast. Top with poached or soft boiled egg. Add some baked beans on the side (and freeze the rest of the beans which means you can open a large tin which is much cheaper). If you have some salady bits and a squeeze of lemon then you end up with a full on nutricious meal for pence. Beth of Bensham.