August 2009 Grocery Challenge

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  • barneydee_2
    barneydee_2 Posts: 318 Forumite
    Count me in Mrsm last month I failed badly, again I started good, writting everything down then after the first week it dropped of so this time
    1) I am going to have an envalope in my bag in which i will put all receipts and i will write on the out side the amounts that you spend but don't get receipts for i.e.when you go to the corner shop or market stalls,these seem to be the little ones i forget.
    2)stick to my shopping list.
    3)use up my freezer/fridge/cupboards as much as possible.
    4)avoid temptation (whoopsies)
    5)leave my Debit card at home and only take a small amount of cash out with me

    So this month i am in for £250.00,over the next couple of months i want to get it down to £150ish

    Dee

    PS this is for 3 adaults and one teenager
    July grocery challenge £250.00/£408.93
    August grocery challenge£350.00
    2/8£28.46
  • Flat_Eric
    Flat_Eric Posts: 4,060
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    MRSMCAWBER wrote: »
    Morning all

    Well our month starts on the 25th -so Im off with 4 NSDs in a row -I will need to pick up a couple of bits tomorrow..as yet it should just be a bit more :-
    milk, lettuce, peppers, cucumber and onions - unless of course I see any bargains that I can use :p.
    Im planning a super frugal month as I have lots of meat and stuff in the freezer -so I would like to get that run down.

    Right -those 2 recipes that were asked for are:-
    lemon cakes



    This made 12 buns -
    1. 100g butter
    2. 100g sugar
    3. 2 eggs
    4. 100g SR flour
    5. 50g ground almonds -you can add more if you have them to use up
    6. rind and juice of 1 lemon -or more if you like mmmmmmm
    These need to be left for a day or 2 (if possible :p) as they get moister as they stand ;)
    orange and poppyseed cake
    Pre-heat oven 160f/gas3
    grease and base line a loaf tin -20x10cm
    1. 3tbs marmalade
    2. 150g pot natural yoghurt
    3. 3 eggs
    4. 175g golden caster sugar
    5. 200g SR flour
    6. 1/2tsp baking powder
    7. 175g soft butter
    8. zest 1 orange
    9. 2tsp poppy seeds -toasted gently
    • melt the marmalade over a low heat -or soften in the micro
    • cool slightly -then stir in the yoghurt
    • throw everything else (except the poppy seeds)into a large bowl and beat with an electric hand whisk (or whallop with a good ol wooden spoon)
    • beat in the yoghurt mix and poppy seeds
    • tip into the prepared tin and bake for 1hr -1hr 10 mins -or until a skewer comes out clean -keep an eye on it and if it is colouring to quickly -cover with greaseproof
    I made this in bun cases instead in the remoska -its a runny mix -so don't use papers on their own -guess how I found this out? *some very strange shaped buns happened that day* :rotfl:...this is another 1 that I think is much better if left to stand for a day - they go really moist -it feels likes you could squeeze liquid out :D .... Im thinking of trying this recipe but with lemoncurd nomnomnom
    Flat-Eric -the courgette teabread/muffin recipe is on the list of recipes allready -its addictive -I even have hubbies mates making it :rotfl:
    I think you should be able to get poppy seeds in the supermarkets by now -if not the health food shops will have them....

    I now have another 3 courgettes off the plants -they are growing quicker than I can use them -if only the tomatoes would catch up :rolleyes:. I have quite a few french and runner beans stashed in the freezer -and plenty more on their way -I love fresh runner beans mmmmmm -
    right I had better get off and make a cuppa -hope everyone has a good month

    Thank you very much Mrs M for that. Much appreciated. Thank you also for all you do for this forum :T and big thanks also to Pink Winged and Rosieben. :D:T:D:T:D Where would we be without you ??? I dread to think.... :eek:

    My new month starts tomorrow and I am very excited!

    I am already seeing chinks of light in my freezer :j . I am making it my mission this month to use what I have. Although that is obviously the point of the grocery challenge, what i mean (to quote an example) is that I am a big lover of the princess tuna with ginger and lime. I think I have just one tin left!! now, old me would have bought more tins (£1.49 for 2 :eek:) but instead I am going to use up the other tuna I have until there is no tuna left. I must have at least a dozen tins/satchets of the stuff!!!! If I follow this principle with all my food i..e eat what I have, not what I fancy/like a lot then I should crack the grocery challenge head on. Will let you know how I get on!!
  • MRSMCAWBER
    MRSMCAWBER Posts: 5,442 Forumite
    Morning all

    Well the mini shop I was planning to do had been postponed until tomorrow -so I can claim 5 NSDs in a row now :D

    Redmel -we are like you -When I used to keep the fridge jam packed, I would sling open the door and stand staring at it waiting for inspiration to hit me (preferably before something cascaded from a shelf and started an avalanche :rotfl:). Now I keep less in there and waste nothing ... and we always love the "concotions" as I call them -or "whopits" as hubby calls them -as you "whop it" all in :p.
    I have mastered special fried rice -which is great for using odds n sods and bloomin gorgeous If I say so myself :D, Pasta salad/bakes -depending on the weather. We eat much better when Im being super frugal :T
    Last nigth in an attempt to use another courgette I made a gorgeous tea -
    I softened a finely chopped onion in a little oil, added a courgette cut into 1/4 slices and a handfull of frozen sweetcorn, then a dollop of marscapone and plenty of seasoning and a spoon of wholegrain mustard and cooked over a low heat until bubbling -I then let it cool and folded in some leftover roast chicken ( didn't want to re-heat it twice) - then I used some ready rolled puff pastry and made 4 big pasties/slices -we had 1 with some steamed potatoes and some french and kidney beans from the garden -It was really nice -and we have 2 in the freezer ;)
    That filling I make a little runnier and add some frozen peas and serve on pasta too.

    right I had better get off and update the list -hope everyone has a great day:D
    -6 -8 -3 -1.5 -2.5 -3 -1.5-3.5
  • Rowan9
    Rowan9 Posts: 2,207
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    Had my first spend of Aug budget yesterday. Rounding it up to £25. Should be ok for a few days and got some staples in as well. It included some lovely farm eggs and plums from a roadside stall. Poached eggs for lunch today - haven't had them for ages but I love them. Nice and easy too.
    I'm also trying to work my way through the freezer so have chicken breasts defrosting for tonight and tomorrow. Tonight just plain grilled/ baked then sliced cold. Tomorrow I think I'll do a pasta dish with just one chicken breast between us and extra veg. I have some peppers in the freezer and mange tout so can chop them up.
    Good luck for August everyone. I know I need to stay on track this month.
    W
  • morning everyone
    windy and quite dull here so have no notion of going out.
    Will spend this morning constructing menu plan for the month. Don't write it on tablets of stone though as I always like to have a bit of "wiggle room" just in case I find a great bargain or have a notion for something different.

    kezlou - thankyou for the beef recipe. Will certainly be trying this. Will probably have it with rice as I have a mountain of the stuff to use up.

    Thankyou to everyone for their wonderful recipes and support.
    It takes a long time to eat an elephant and I'm doing it a bite at a time!!!
  • BigMummaF
    BigMummaF Posts: 4,281 Forumite
    rosieben wrote: »
    I was just looking at this too, Economy Gastronomy, Weds 8pm on BBC2 looks interesting ;)

    I'll start a new thread for this, in case people miss it - ooops there was a thread already started :o
    Morning! I had intended a quick look on mysupermarket to do some costings so as to use the vouchers from the week-end's papers, but the lure of MSE is just too strong :o So plee--eee--eee--ssss don't tell anyone I'm still here :p
    Would you have a link to afore mentioned thread please Rosie? Even after all the time I do spend on here, my search skills are still severely challenged :undecided It's like the clever links too--I read & re-read the guides but it just don't happen for me :doh:

    I made a bolognaise base yesterday with a tube of tom puree for the first time. Needless to say it will be the last! It was so fiddly to use & where I've always got a good red colour from the small tins, this one came out quite orange. The sauce didn't thicken either so even if it works out more expensive, I'll stick to my little tins in future. I can also scrape them clean whereas I felt a lot of stuff was left lurking in the tube--unlike toothpaste, where I have the time to wring it into submission :angry: usually visualising a cauldron of MPs & their dodgy expense claims:rotfl:



    Full time Carer for Mum; harassed mother of three;
    loving & loved by two 4-legged babies.

  • pixie1
    pixie1 Posts: 1,442
    Debt-free and Proud!
    Forumite
    I didnt managed to keep track last month with everything going on but i will try my best this month.

    This month I think i will budget for $600 which is a lot more then normal but we are starting our store cupboard from scratch.

    Good luck everyone

    Pix
    x
    :jDebt Free At Last!:j
  • lollyfin
    lollyfin Posts: 299 Forumite
    Should be a NSD for me today, hopefully. Lunch today is going to be eggy toast and tonight am planning baked potatoes with cheese, ham and leftover veggies from the bottom of the fridge and since the oven will be on for the pots (micro for a min then finish in the oven yum) I am going to make Black Saturns peach cobbler and do some baking, am thinking coconut cake from weezles thread and carrot cookies from thriftlady (think I got them both right!).I totally agree with previous posters when we are skint we seem to eat healthier, alot less expensive junk and everything homecooked so you know whats in it.
    hope you all have a great (frugal) day
    Lollyfin
    konMarie and fabbing all the way
    Weight loss challenge starting 11st loss in November 4lb
  • Bad_Weather
    Bad_Weather Posts: 427 Forumite
    Can Hezybaby budget £90 for August please! (First month)! Think i'm usually £100 but want to be down and £90 and already got some chilli in the freezer! ;)
  • tq16
    tq16 Posts: 233 Forumite
    Hi Can I join for a part month? On holiday until the 14th August (staying with family- using time away to get organised on money front!). Can you put me down for £80 please? for the last 2 weeks. Going to start meal planning now for when I get home and maybe even roughly for Sept!
    (Family of 5: 2 adults & 3 children aged 7yrs, 4yrs, and 18months)
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