November 2008 Grocery Challenge

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  • donnajt
    donnajt Posts: 1,085
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    Week 3

    Only spent £36.20 in week 3 - thanks to the £5 Newsof the World Coupon - does anybody know how long this promotion will go on for???

    Am planning on emptying freezer leading up to xmas and then fingers crossed an empty freezer to restock in January!

    ...fingers crossed!
  • TheBees
    TheBees Posts: 601 Forumite
    For the last few days we've been using up a lot of individual portions of leftover food in the freezer. Hoping we won't need to buy much before the end of the month as I'd like to get a free range chicken for Sunday if possible and we only have £30 which we'll need for fruit, milk and other fresh stuff.

    Jenny Bee don't forget you'll be entitled to Child Benefit which everyone gets regardless of their income. Not sure how much it is for one child but we get £125 for two children every 4 weeks. Also Tax Credits. The basic amount is about £42 month but depending on your circumstances you may be entitled to more. Every little helps as they say.
    Mortgage Free in 3 part 2 challenge - pay off £9000
    Sealed Pot Challenge 416 - target £500
  • tirlittan
    tirlittan Posts: 3,397
    First Anniversary Combo Breaker Debt-free and Proud!
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    I'm falling off the grocery challenge wagon.... :( Can't be bothered to cook. The only time I eat well is when I go to BF's. Might go over budget this month...
    DEBT FREE OCTOBER 2012!
    Proud to have dealt with my debts!
  • Hi everyone,

    I haven't posted for ages and ages...

    its lovely to be back. I sorry i havent kept up with the posts, too busy with the kids...and eldests paper round!!! I went a away earlier in the month to devon. I managed to do all my food shopping for £40 and thats a first for me as i normally spend huge amounts when im away.

    This month has been silly for either eating out or takeaways though. Ive had family to visit - fish and chips. Meal out on holiday only the one. Meal out with hubby and kids as a treat. Mcdonalds for the kids. Believe it or not we never normally eat out, but its a huge amount this month. Its made me think a bit.

    Doing ok for the grocery budget, including everything.... still under so far but will need f&v, milk, yogs etc etc before the end of the month which for me is the 24th.

    Mrs Mc I will try for £300 again next month. i am going to have an extra £50 for xmas eve, xmas day and boxing day when i have visitors and will have to buy all the treats etc.

    So TOTAL OF £350 For Dec please!!!

    But for the rest of Dec it will be the same as normal i think, although my store cuboard is begining to run a little low and will need a top up in early Dec as well.

    Ayway im still struggling with menu planning, just grabbing some meat from the freezer each night, then hubby compalins that everything we eat is out of the slow cooker. i need to menu plan this is now my mantra....hope it helps me....

    i will try to get on here more often,
    speak soon and take care karen
  • kiwichick wrote: »
    I never bother peeling butternut squash, either for soup or roasting to eat. The skin goes lovely and caramelised.

    If we are having it for something that does require peeling.eg.risotto, then I save the peelings to chuck in my next batch of soup!

    Hope this hasnt come across as pushy, was just wanting to let people know you can eat the skin.
    X

    Hi kiwichick - didn't know you could make this soup without peeling, made some today and it was gorgeous so thanks for that - This is why I love this site so much as you learn something new every day.:D

    Will log on tomorrow to update spends as planning a "small" shopping trip tomorrow.;)
    "WASTE NOT, WANT NOT!"
    GC for OH, myself, DD18 & DD16 includes Toiletries, cleaning stuff & Food.

  • Erk! It's those in betweenie shopping trips that are going to be my downfall I think. The ones in between the supermarket ones, I mean.

    I'm finding it fascinating keeping my grocery spending diary this month. My month ends on 27th, so I'm not sure I will make it within budget, but I will try. I've just updated my sig, and had to add the on-the-way-home-in-the-corner-shop spends - obviously done at end of day when I'm tired and hungry. So, why would I not buy the packets of crisps? Kettle chips too! Aaaargh! I must learn some self control.

    I also nipped in to Lakeland today, which could have been very dangerous as I'm a complete sucker for any kind of kitchen gadget or gizmo or container or whatever that I really don't need. I showed great restraint and only bought a mesh thing for cooking pizzas on (our new favourite thing is to make HM pizza - it's likely to be a regular weekend fixture I think).

    And then into the health food shop to buy my extravagant but can't-live-without vitamins. And while I was there I bought some alfalfa seeds, so I'll sprout them, which will be lovely in salads, and cheap. I don't add my vitamins to the groceries, but will add the alfalfa seeds.

    Thanks whoever it was for info about butternut squash skins - I usually peel them, but won't in future. I'm sure lots of vitamins are stored there in the surface, like various other veg.
    Grocery Challenge
    Budget / Spent
    Nov 08 £250 / £266.97 Dec 08 £275 / £88.77 as of 2/12
  • biscotte
    biscotte Posts: 246 Forumite
    Anohter 26 today bringing my total to 770CHF. I don't think there's a cat in hell's chance of me not going over. Well it's the first month so need to learn quickly. I also need to meal plan as I don't at the moment.
  • Flat Eric - I'm so impressed by your effiency. On the meat front I decided to give up trying to get the 90% reduced stuff at Tesco's because there are increasingly large queues to get to it. My son works for them and he was telling me that the other week the management had to come down and stop them reducing because the store felt their staffs safety was being threatened. Now my lad is about 6ft 4in and has a 40in chest so he's not small by any means but he said he was being pushed and jostled about and that the mood had become quite ugly with customers arguing! I have noticed that around the reduction time there will be at least eight to ten couples waiting at the fridges before the staff even finish reducing anyway the point to all my waffle is that I have been going into store in the morning and getting my meat at between 25 and 50% discount which still makes a huge difference. I know that not everyone can do this but perhaps you could nip out in your dinner hour?

    I will follow your lead and sort through my cupboard and freezer at the weekend.
  • KAAT_LADY
    KAAT_LADY Posts: 4,714
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    KAAT - can I ask how you make your naan bread?
    I attempted to make some last week and although they looked quite good they seemed to have "layered" during cooking. The top was all puffy as you would expect of a naan but the bottom was quite solid, more like a pizza base.
    So I was wondering if I could find a recipe that I would have more success with!


    Sorry Purple skies I have only just got back to the thread and will add the recipe when DH gets up as he makes them

    will put it on this post when he wakes,, probably be this afternoon
    THIS IS THE ONE DH USED
    http://www.manjulaskitchen.com/2007/05/22/naan-bread/

    found this one to be going on with

    Naan Bread
    450g SR flour
    1/2tsp salt
    1/2 tsp baking powder
    2tbsp veg oil
    4 tbsp plain yoghurt (beaten)
    2 eggs (beaten)
    150ml water approx

    (can add garlic, herbs, spices to flavour)

    Sift flour, salt, baking powder into bowl and add oil, yoghurt and eggs (plus any herbs/spices you want to add) and mix. Add water slowly, using hands to bring together until you have a soft dough. Knead with wet hands for a couple mins then leave to rest for 15 mins.

    Pre-heat oven to highest temp and place baking tray in to heat up.

    Divide dough into 6 equal portions, and with floured hands roll each piece into a ball in palms of hand. Pull each ball out into a tear shape and place 2 at a time onto hot baking baking tray and return to oven immediately for about 3-4 minutes. Remove tray from oven and place under hot grill for about 30 seconds to brown and crisp top lightly. Keep warm in clean tea-towel.

    http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=100759&highlight=curry+queen

    KAATxx
    mortgage free as of 06/02/2008#
    berthas buddies No 5
    ,
    murphys no more pies club member ,No 242..
    .,night owl 25



  • kiwichick
    kiwichick Posts: 1,857
    First Anniversary Combo Breaker
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    donnajt wrote: »
    Week 3
    Only spent £36.20 in week 3 - thanks to the £5 Newsof the World Coupon - does anybody know how long this promotion will go on for???
    quote]

    Do you mind me asking what promotion that is?

    Al x
    WW Start Weight 18/04/12 = 19st 11lbs
    Weight today = 17st 6.5lbs
    Loss to date 32.5lbs!!!
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