Week 0
Empty kitchen baseline.
This is the starting record: no food, no pans, no oil, no salt, no herbs, no spices, no hidden cupboard, and no meals unlocked yet.
Baseline statement
Most budget cooking begins after the invisible basics already exist. This project begins before that point. The first job is not to cook a clever meal. The first job is to build the conditions that make affordable cooking possible.
Nothing assumed
No oil. No salt. No pepper. No spice rack. No rice. No pasta. No spare tins. No pans. No knife. No chopping board. No freezer stock.
What will be tracked
- Real till cost
- Cost per plate
- Equipment cost
- Pantry build-up
- Energy level
- Whether each buy was worth it
First aim
Build enough kitchen capacity to make one warm, filling, repeatable meal without pretending the hidden basics are free.
First purchase priorities
| Priority | Item | Reason | Record needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | One basic pan or saucepan | Unlocks heating food, pasta, rice, soup, beans, eggs, and porridge. | Receipt or dated shelf price. |
| 2 | Tin opener | Many affordable foods are tinned. No tin opener means tins are not really available. | Receipt or dated shelf price. |
| 3 | Salt or stock cubes | Plain cheap food becomes easier to repeat when it has basic flavour. | Receipt or dated shelf price. |
| 4 | One first meal basket | The first meal should be warm, filling, cheap at the till, and possible with the equipment actually bought. | Receipt, items, portions, verdict. |
Week 1 evidence pattern
The next post should include three things: the receipt or price note, the shop basket, and the first meal attempt. No numbers should be published without a real source.
Week 0 verdict
No meal has failed. The kitchen has not been built yet. The project begins by making that visible.