March 2010 Grocery Challenge

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  • have just added up my total so far and it is £277 so already over target and it is only the 19th. This is because we havent done a list. My challenge to myself this month is not to buy any full price bread! As ive found out when my local coop does its price reductions I am popping in and topping up the freezer stores! So April might be cheaper?
    Grocery Challenge Feb 16 £346 /400
  • sistercas wrote: »
    Ive lost track of my spending :o I was determined to keep it all under control this month, but I keep doing little spends here and there and forget about them , so I have probably spent £100 in 'little spends ' :eek: will add that to my total but it is a complete guess :(

    really must keep track , any ideas on how to do that?

    I have a folder, and each month has 5 pages. The first page is where I write down what's going on with my bank account and any income (e.g. -£12.50 pet insurance, +£10 birthday money) etc., and then each week has a grocery page. I stick in the receipt for the big shop, and write down any smaller spends (or stick the receipts in if I can be bothered). Then at the end of each week I write the total in the corner.
    GC: December: £145?/£120; January: £125.70/£120; February: £163.22/£120; March £113.94/£120; April £DOOM; May £Gave up; June £DOOM; July £160.78/£108; August £7.65/£200
    Sealed Pot Challenge 2010: member 780
  • Thank you all so much for your brill replies, it makes me feel great that i have got this support, i will go into the freezer later and see what i've got although i know without looking i have got enough to feed an army, so think you are right and need to eat that as healthy as poss, eg will make Pizza but instead of eating the chips in the freezer use a few pots and make homemade wedges ala slimming world, then use the chips with something else, i know i have got a 500g pack of mince so could use half of that to make the budget bolognaise from an earlier post and use the other half to make a nice big pot of savoury mince in the slow cooker, i think i am just so annoyed with myself i can't see the wood for the tree's (if that makes sense)
    I have got all the tools to suceed but have just got so waylaid this month,
    i will try and rescue the end of march and totally immerse myself into planning for April

    Many Thanks, and good luck to all

    Dreamer
    Debt free date May 20. Now the Mortgage1 £53862.45/£ 0% starting daily interest £4.48/£
    Jan GC £400/£Out of the water Feb £400/£
  • ragz_2
    ragz_2 Posts: 3,254
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    £14 spend last night in co-op, but did get a bottle of wine. (To go with our curry, but I made OH pay for that out of the £20 he was given yesterday for changing an old couple's tyre!)
    Good offers, bought another block of SS cheddar for £1.85 and a bottle of the persil for £3.50. Also some whoopsied bread and pastries.

    Have a chicken carcass int he fridge I must make stock from today but have been having chicken soup every week for months now and I'm getting sick of it, any other use for chicken stock??
    June Grocery Challenge £493.33/£500 July £/£500
    2 adults, 3 teens
    Progress is easier to acheive than perfection.
  • ragz_2
    ragz_2 Posts: 3,254
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    I have a folder, and each month has 5 pages. The first page is where I write down what's going on with my bank account and any income (e.g. -£12.50 pet insurance, +£10 birthday money) etc., and then each week has a grocery page. I stick in the receipt for the big shop, and write down any smaller spends (or stick the receipts in if I can be bothered). Then at the end of each week I write the total in the corner.

    :T That's fab, I thought I was organised but you have inspired me! everyone I know takes the pi** out of me for doing things like that, now I know I'm not the only one!
    June Grocery Challenge £493.33/£500 July £/£500
    2 adults, 3 teens
    Progress is easier to acheive than perfection.
  • poppy-glos
    poppy-glos Posts: 478 Forumite
    here is the recipe for the gluten free chocolate log; sorry its taken so long - found the book this morning.. (John Tovey, Miller Howe Cookbook)

    ingredients;
    butter
    150g good dark chocolate
    3 tablespoons brandy or rum
    5 medium eggs, separated
    150g caster sugar
    icing sugar
    pint of double cream
    optional chocolate to decorate

    method;
    line an 11 x6 inch swiss roll tin with greaseproof and butter the inside.
    preheat oven to 350/180/gm4.
    melt chocolate and stir in brandy or rum.
    in warmed bowl whisk egg yolks until light in colour and fluffy, then tablespoon at a time whisk in caster sugar. In another absolutely clean bowl (needs to be greasefree or the egg whites don't firm up), whisk the egg whites to soft peak (so they stand up on their own and don't fall out when the bowl is inverted). Fold together yolks and chocolate, then fold into egg whites. Mix thoroughly but also try not to lose the volume/bubbles out of the mixture. Spread across whole tin and bake for 15-20 mins til knife tip comes out clean. The top will be slightly 'crusty and brittle'. Place a clean teatowel over the top when out of oven, on top of this put another teatowel which has been wetted and rung out as much as possible. As the dampness starts to affect the dry teatowel the log will lightly steam and the crisp top will sink back. Leave in a cool place for an hour or overnight. When you wish to turn the log out, flatten the corners of the greaseproof and remove teatowels, sprinkle icing sugar genourously over the top and put some greaseproof on top. invert onto the work surface. take care when removing the greasproof lining (as it can stick), i do it by taking off 1 -2 inch strips and pulling the paper back on itself to reduce the risk of breaking the log or too much mixture sticking.
    I don't use the filling out of the miller howe cookery book ( a rich chocolate one), i 'just' use a large tub of double cream, whisked, then spread over the roll. Then, using the paper underneath to assist, roll into a a very posh swiss roll. To decorate i sometimes use grated maya gold green and blacks choc, the spicy orange one.

    believe it or not i have summarised a bit of the recipe, - it is longer in the book.

    hope your mum likes it. :p

    poppy x
    nov grocery challenge, £.227.69/300, 9/25 nsd: , 7 Cmo, 10 egm.
    Me, 10 yo dd, and the dog. all food and drinks, in and out, plus household shopping.
  • poppy-glos
    poppy-glos Posts: 478 Forumite
    ragz wrote: »
    £14 spend last night in co-op, but did get a bottle of wine. (To go with our curry, but I made OH pay for that out of the £20 he was given yesterday for changing an old couple's tyre!)
    Good offers, bought another block of SS cheddar for £1.85 and a bottle of the persil for £3.50. Also some whoopsied bread and pastries.

    Have a chicken carcass int he fridge I must make stock from today but have been having chicken soup every week for months now and I'm getting sick of it, any other use for chicken stock??

    rissotto..

    fry off an onion and 50g per person of rissotto rice, keep simmering and add in stock little at a time and stirring for about 15 minutes, at end put in any chicken bits, and peas, then just before serving stir in parmesan. If i have too much stock i freeze in pint bottles and use as and when..
    nov grocery challenge, £.227.69/300, 9/25 nsd: , 7 Cmo, 10 egm.
    Me, 10 yo dd, and the dog. all food and drinks, in and out, plus household shopping.
  • cw18
    cw18 Posts: 8,613
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    ragz wrote: »
    Have a chicken carcass int he fridge I must make stock from today but have been having chicken soup every week for months now and I'm getting sick of it, any other use for chicken stock??
    I use it to make Risotto - normally add the scrappy bits of chicken, scrappy bits off a gammon joint (if I have any) or cheap ham (if I want), peas, sweetcorn and mushrooms. I love this, but DS isn't as keen - so the chicken stock is piling up in my freezer at the moment........ but will all get used if he moves out in Sept (which he plans to do if his Uni plans fall into place), as I'll then only have me to cater for, and can eat what I like when I like ;)
    Cheryl
  • cookie9
    cookie9 Posts: 764
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    Need to get my spending on track. Going for £40 for the remainder of March.
    Have steak defrosting and also mince surprise. A surprise because not sure if spicy mince or bolognese. Looking at store cupboard for ideas as don't want to spend much

    Thinking of
    sweetcorn fritters with tomato sauce
    Dhal and rice with last of the chutney
    Tomato and mascapone pasta

    Have bananas rapidly going brown so perhaps banana bread for a treat.
    MFW 91 op 2014 £410/1000
    MFW 91 op 2015 £4051/4000
    MFW 91 op 2016 £4040/4000
    MFW 91 op 2017 £812/4500
  • Welsh_Poppy
    Welsh_Poppy Posts: 979 Forumite
    Originally Posted by winterfrost viewpost.gif
    I have a folder, and each month has 5 pages. The first page is where I write down what's going on with my bank account and any income (e.g. -£12.50 pet insurance, +£10 birthday money) etc., and then each week has a grocery page. I stick in the receipt for the big shop, and write down any smaller spends (or stick the receipts in if I can be bothered). Then at the end of each week I write the total in the corner

    That is exactly what i do, I have a big journal type A5 book with tabs and have page for bank account what goes out DD etc, a page for groceries, income, misc and petrol and started in middle jan and a great way to track what is going on.Oh and page fpor my credit cards ins and outs etc.

    7 whole days NSD a world record but need to reign in my spends cupboards and fridge/freezer full so just need fruit etc

    today mr L 5.69 all the offers on fruit and veg
    Mr A offers on fruit and veg 6.48
    So it is working well 10 days to go and £60.30p left:j
    Weight loss challenge 66lb to go /59lb's lost

    Grocery Budget January £150/£175
    Feb £150/
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