October 2008 Grocery Challenge. Please read firs...

[wendywitch]

I've been away so long now doing other things but I'm back now

Put me down for £250 hopefully it won't be that much though

I'll never get around to reading all the September posts I've missed so I'll start on this one and delete Septembers from my list.

[Penny-Pincher!!]

Hi Everyone!

MrsMcw-Pleaseeeeeeeeeeeee can I swap to weekly if possible? Its just my 4 weeks are different each month and a weekly spend would be easier for me to manage ATM. Is that ok?

Sorry to be a pain

Can you put me down for £50 per week and I'll start today as Ive already spent £30 in Sainsburys today but got many reduced items and some frozen bits?

Thanks

PP
xx

[Sunny Donny]

Hi All
Did bits from Lidl tonight - nescafe Gold Blend coffee£3.75, pasta sauces - 2 for £3.00, 50% extra free Weetabix £3.24, apples and bananas. £11.44. Coffee I mix with cheap brand and OH can live with taste.
No shopping day yesterday and none now til Friday!!!!!

[redmel1621]

Hi All

Thanks to those who started the list this month...

Last month I ended up spending a fortune in the local Somerfield (again) so I am tryng to work out if it would be best for me to do a massive monthly shop and then work out a way of getting my milk and veg weekly. The problem I have is that I don't have a car at the moment so getting into town is a pain as we are a few miles away, and being pregnant too I don't really fancy that walk each week.

I usually get a weekly shop but end up spending more just to get up to a value that I can use money off codes on!!! which kind of defeats the object really. By doing this I also feel like I miss out on whoopsies or offers or cheaper versions....

Hmmmm will have to work something out i think as shopping seems to be costing a fortune lately.

i will keep reading this thread for tips, although probably won't post toomuch as it moves so quickly.

Good Luck Everyone

Mel x

[MRSMCAWBER]

Originally Posted by Penny-Pincher!!

Hi Everyone!

MrsMcw-Pleaseeeeeeeeeeeee can I swap to weekly if possible? Its just my 4 weeks are different each month and a weekly spend would be easier for me to manage ATM. Is that ok?

Sorry to be a pain

Can you put me down for £50 per week and I'll start today as Ive already spent £30 in Sainsburys today but got many reduced items and some frozen bits?

Thanks

PP
xx

oooohhhh go on then
Hope everyone is off to a good start...
4 days in and nothing spent
Have counted up and we have 163 people who have given their budget allready this thread gets busier n busier
glad you got the pm about the cornedbeef donnajt -was trying not to add extra posts
right off to get my bubble n squeak eaten and then back to the crochet blanky.. I taught myself to crochet over the weekend

[boredofbeingathome]

Another month another challenge..Well could the divine Mrs.M out me down for £200 this month as i want to stockpile. Good luck everyone.
bob x

[jackie_w]

Hi Folks,

Well, done quite a big shop today, and have spent £116.98 out of my budget. Got a bit of meat in which hopefully I can include in at least a 3 week meal plan.

Mrs Mc, would you mind PMing me your recipe for Cornbeef hash too. I have 2 tins of cornbeef in the cupboard, and the kids and Dh love cornbeef (yuk).

Jackie xx

[kellitots]

Not sure if anyone remembers me talking about a job interview I had on Friday..well..I got the job

Sooo chuffed. If nothing else it means the food budget isn't coming out of my student loan! Can't wait to get earning again I may just treat myself to a large bar of choccy tonight by way of celebration (even though I declared it can come out of September's budget..hehe). Hope you're all having a lovely day and enjoying the last of the sunshine!!

xxx

[echelon101]

....aaannd I am off the mark with a Mr A shop with £15.22 although I did forget to buy sugar grrr.

incl £1.90 for scales

Some good buys

£1 for 500g of coffee, which smelt lovely
50p for 1kg of onions
£2.75 for 1kg of mince (20%)

I also went with my friend and made him make a list before he bought food and his bill was £22 for two weeks, although it included a soap dish and 2x Truffle trays, he was really pleased I came along as normally his shop is around £30, for two weeks.

Spreading the MSE love !

[*BigBird*]

Still pootling along with my September budget for the moment. Picked up a couple of bits of Brie and some Hovis bread mix at Mr T today, but I am still under with 1 more day to go - and I'm working from home tomorrow, so will be away from the temptation of Mr T

Blasted toaster died this morning so had to get a new one at lunchtime. Really annoyed as I only had to replace the kettle a couple of weeks ago! (If I'd known the toaster was also going to go, I'd have bought a matching set which would have worked out cheaper ) Luckily electrical items aren't included in my monthly total, else I'd be way over again.

Just thought I'd post the recipe I did in the slow cooker for tea yesterday. It turned out lovely and there was loads left over, so we're having the left overs tonight. The recipe serves 4, but I reckon you could stretck it further with some lentils or something. The dried mushrooms aren't the cheapest thing, but they do give it a really meaty flavour - OH said it tasted like oxtail soup, but much more substantial because of the pasta.

Mince & Macaroni
15g (1/2 oz) mixed dried mushrooms
150ml (1/4 pint) boiling water
1 tablespoon olive oil
500g (1lb) minced beef or lamb
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
400g (13 oz) can chopped tomatoes
450ml (3/4 pint) chicken stock
2 tablespoons tomato puree
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
small bunch rosemary (I used dried)
250g (8 oz) macaroni
3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted (I didn't bother with these)
salt & pepper

Put the mushrooms in a bowl, pour over the boiling water and leave to soak for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a frying pan. Add the minced meat and onion and fry, stirring, for 5 minutes until browned. Add the garlic, then stir in the canned tomatoes, stock, tomato puree and nutmeg. Tear the leaves off 3 of the rosemary sprigs and add to the mince with the reconstituted dried mushrooms and their soaking liquid, and salt and pepper.

Transfer to the slow cooker, cover and cook on "Low" for 8-9 hours. When ready to serve, cook the macaroni in a saucepan of boiling water until tender. Drain and mix into the cooked mince. Spoon onto individual plates and top with toasted pine nuts and rosemary leaves, stripped from the remaining sprigs.

Enjoy!

MrsM - you taught yourself to crochet in a weekend?? Is there anything you can't do?! I bow down to your greatness! (And now I must get on with the cross stitch I am doing for Mum for Christmas - if she's lucky, she might get it in Christmas 2012! )

[jediteacher]

Hello,

I seem to have 'fallen' off the list. Never mind - I also fell out with my September budget.

Could I please be put down for £200 this month.

Thanks.

[taka]

Wow... 6 pages already!! I'm sitting at £13.20 on day 4 of a 32 day month (26th sept to 27 Oct). Managed 2 GC NSD at the weekend (miraculous for me ) But stupidly slept in today so ended up having to buy lunch in the canteen This is why I went over budget in Sept so I need to get more organised on this front

Wish I was more organised in general... Finally managed to meal plan for the 1st time for the last week of my Sept budget... then completely ignored it Will try again tomorrow... maybe just meal plan till friday though...

[mumker]

Hi

Can you put me down for £260 for myself, hubby, baby and cat, thanks! I've already ordered a tesco shop which only came to £46 and included their fantastic discount "market value" range

[booklover]

Hello everyone

Please can you put me down for £200 for October.

I haven't worked out what I spent yet in September...

I really need to sort my spending out soon....

Many thanks

Fiona

[leebarton]

I had bought a large box of Squares for the kids lunch boxes for about £6.50 for 24. Normally they are 39p each. Having eaten one I thought how hard can these be to make - so I did. It took no more than 25 minutes - I think it was nearer to 20 and was so easy. I think the recipe will make 20-30 squares and by my costings is only £1.05 for the whole batch!

Here is the recipe:

Marshmallow Squares
Ingredients:

30g Cornflour
40g Icing sugar
1 Gelatin envelope
90ml -Water
150g Sugar, granulated
150g golden syrup
1 pinch -Salt
1 tsp Vanilla extract
300g Rice crispies


Preparation:

Sift cornflour and icing sugar into a small bowl.
Lightly grease 2 baking tins and sprinkle one tbs cornflour and sugar
mixture into it.
Tilt pan in all directions to coat sides as well as
bottom.
Leave any excess in tin.

Sprinkle gelatin over water in a small saucepan and let soak for 5
minutes.
Add granulated sugar and stir over moderately low heat until
dissolved.

In a large bowl of an electric mixer, combine gelatin mixture, golden
syrup, salt and vanilla and beat for 15 minutes on high speed until
peaks form.
Transfer to a large bowl and mix in rice cripsies.

Spread fluffy mixture into prepared pan and smooth top.
Leave for two hours or until set.

With wet knife, cup marshmallow mixture into slices and loosen
around edges.
Roll each in flour and sugar.
Place marshmallows on cake racks covered in kitchen roll and let stand overnight to dry surface slightly.
Store in airtight container. Marshmallows will keep for a month.

You could mix in anything you like instead of rice crispies including corn flakes or chocolate chips. It is a great one to make with the kids as well because it is sooooo simple!

[cherie1122]

£200 again please. This thread is excellent for keeping me concentrated on watching where the money goes.

Everything I buy gets listed on a spreadsheet and that alone makes me think twice about buying some things. I'm also scratch cooking a lot more than I used to.

[booklover]

Sorry I didn't highlight my target: £200 please for October

Fiona

[beemuzed]

Wow - this is long already!
Please can I stick at £230 again for October? Only a couple of pounds overspend, so nearly got it right! Thanks Mrs M for doing all the totals!

[kiwiblue]

Good morning all
Another NSD yesterday, and hopefully today as well.
Thanks for the ideas on meal planning, will definitely do a plan today.
I have printed out a calender for the month and stuck it on the fridge, will record all spending on it, so hopefully it will make me think twice before spending

[orlando26]

can i join to please my monthly target is £250 starting on the 1st thanks