October 2008 Grocery Challenge. Please read firs...

[sistercas]

Mrs Mc declaring at £276.11 for october

November £300 please
thanks

[Herewegoagain]

Originally Posted by KAAT_LADY

Hi there HWGA not seen you for ages how big is your freezer that its gonna take you til tuesday to empty it
KAATXX

Kaat, it's taking me ages because when I cook meals there's always extra potions I end up puting back in he he

I've had another NSD today, meals made from what I could find in the freezer/cupboards. Got some fruit bushes for more freebies in garden for next year, gooseberries and blackcurrants to go with the redcurrants, raspberies,apples,and plums that we already have so should get lots more jam etc then. Hoping to get a rhubarb crown too as I love it. Still well under budget so far.

HWGA xx

[princess leia]

I am declaring £235 for Oct

Woo hoo, the first time I have come in under I think We spent £7 in Mr T, just got a few bits, F & V to see us through til tues pm when our shopping gets delivered (Nov Challenge)
I got a bit side tracked the other day and got lost amongst all the recipes threads, and now I have lots of cheap ideas for the next month So thanks to everyone

I would like to stick with £250 for Nov please as I have ordered a few bits for Christmas and would like to see if I can do it and keep them included.

Also been watching the shopping channels today and kept seeing the halogen table top oven on there for £49, I know I really would like a Remoska but thats over double the price and you have to get all the extras too.....:rolleyes: I have read a few threads on here today and still not sure, so if anyone has had the experience of both, it would be great to hear which is best in your opinion

Good night all, keep going, we are nearly at the last hurdle

[kiwiblue]

Hi
Declaring at $70 for October, can you please put me down for $200 in November
Thanks so much, this thread has been a great help.

[urg123]

Hi Everyone

Well done for all those achieving their targets.

I am declaring £88.18 for October

£90 for November please

Have a great November everyone!!!!!

URG xxx

URG xxx

[woozywendy]

Does take a while to make but worth it.

Ham end (about £1.50)
1LB carrots
1LB onions
Pack of lentils
Potatoes (as many as you like)
Black pepper

Remove skin off ham and boil for 2 hrs top up water as needed. (keep skimming top of water)

Remove ham leaving the stock and strip ham of the bone into pieces.

While the ham is cooking grate carrots and onions.

Peel the potatoes and cut into small cubes.

Add carotts, onions, potatoes and lentils to the stock and simmer for one hour.

Add black pepper to taste.

Lovely with crusty bread.

I make this and it lasts 2 days, you do need a big pot.

I would estimate it costs between £3 and £4 to make this but it is filling and we do get good sized portions out of it.

[candygirl]

I'm declaring slightly over at £164 for oct, and want a target of £160 for November please
I've done quite well considering my lovely Dad lost his battle with cancer on 18th Oct, so have done very little cooking since then

[scotsaver]

Morning everyone - just logging on to post my final total for October, MRSMC - please put me down for £199.53 for OCTOBER and can I please be out down for £250 target for NOVEMBER. Think I will need the extra as I need to start buying some extras to put aside for Xmas.

Good luck to those still to declare, see you all over on the November GC.

[donnajt]

Week 4 - faired better than last week and the freezer is still well stocked!

So main shop came in at £39.17 and spent £9 in Mr T yesterday on milk, bread etc, week 4 total = £48.17

So running total weeks 1-4 = £209.57 with £90.43 in the pot to spend for the final week of this october challenge!

[MRSMCAWBER]

Morning all

Just wanted to send you great big hugs Candygirl... so sorry for your loss.
Take it easy on yourself, a few ready meals/takeaways really don't matter at this time

Well folks I will be nipping to ALDI when hubby gets home from work -the 1st spend of November.... But I only need milk, a bit of fruit, and yoghurts.. I think we are ok for everything else

Dinner tonight is pasta bake with a tomato/marscapone sauce, with veggies, chorizo and kassler ham in (I knew I would find a use for some of that marscapone )
Yesterday I made a turkey, veg and cheese pie with sage pastry -in the remoska ..another "concoction" -but it was lovely ...so that has to be done again-according to hubby

Hubby is away at a hockey comp tue and wed -so I will be using up some more odds n sods of single portions then Im actually making head way with the freezers ....slowly -but im getting there

right I will get off -and see you when the November thread starts

[Flat Eric]

I set myself a budget for October of £350 and went over this by over £150!!! time to eat up the contents of my freezer and ban myself from the supermarket.

I hereby set my budget for November at £201 and will update this weekly. Im a bit confused by how it all works so apologise in advance if I get it wrong.

[Sunny Donny]

morning all
I'm declaring for October of £197.61 - so over by £9.61. This was a lot of freezer stuff from Iceland - seen the Christmas meal desert in there, so will get that later in November.

November target £220 as I'll be getting stuff in for Xmas.

Tried one of the £10 meal deals from M&S yesterday - brill.
Bought chicken (priced up at £6.50, wine £5.50, apple pie £2.50 and veg £?)
Chicken will make 3 meals plus soup, apple pie - 2 puddings, wine - was delicious!!!!!

Have a good day - sunny but cold!!!!

[tirlittan]

Used a bit more money during weekend cos was at BF's. Shouldn't need to spend anymore before my month runs out on 29th. At the moment it stands at £75.42, but I need to check this when I get home tonight before I declare.

[helenm2008]

Not quite ready to declare for October yet, as I'm doing a five week month this month. However, I only allocated money for a 4-week month for the challenge! I think I may go over a bit.... But we've got lots of nice meals in the freezer now, so hopefully not too badly. The money for the extra week is there, just not included in the challenge, so I'm not too stressed.

To all the people who recommended cooking extra for the freezer whenever I make a meal, this has been the big winner this month for me. It makes a huge difference to the weekly shop - must be economies of scale or something! And I've not bought a cake or biscuit for ages. My confidence at making my own is coming along nicely with every tray of cookies etc that gets wolfed down!

Haven't decided if homebaking does work out cheaper though. I mean a packet of biscuits costs under a £1, but I sure seem to be getting through a lot of butter etc. I'll have to cost some up.

Helen

[Pink.]

Originally Posted by Flat Eric

Im a bit confused by how it all works so apologise in advance if I get it wrong.

Hi Flat Eric,

There is no right or wrong way with the Grocery Challenge as it's a personal challenge so just do it whatever way it suits you.

Helenm This thread might interest you: is home baking cheaper?

Pink

[cheerfulness4]

Declaring a massive £173.98 this month - an overspend of £73.98. This was partly due to filling the freezer full of Mr T's 1kg chicken fillets @ £1.62 and also having my DS go back to work after months off poorly so allowing a few 'celebratory treats' to fall into the shopping basket.

As I have my own little 'weezl type' mini challenge going on till the end of the year I shall set myself a target of £50 for November, Mrs Mc.

See you all on the November thread.

Candy have just read your post. So sorry to hear about your loss. Take care.

[Karb]

Sorry if I'm being a bit slow, but how are people able to declare their totals already when he month doesn't end until Friday?

[rosieben]

Originally Posted by Karb

Sorry if I'm being a bit slow, but how are people able to declare their totals already when he month doesn't end until Friday?

People run their 'month' in different ways, some run their challenge payday to payday, some run to the calendar month.

I run my challenge for the calendar month but I've declared already as I know won't be going shopping again this month (don't need anything and no room in the cupboards or freezer! )

[rockie4]

just typed a long post and lost it

Declaring at £191.53 for October Why does it all go wrong in the last week of the month????????

Novembers target is to be £180 please MrsM

I'm going to be a bit stricter with OH, he's eating me out of house and home at the moment, combination of medications which make him hungry and trying to stop smoking

He demolished a batch of Twinks hobnobs in 3 days last week.....

[rosieben]

Main Meals & Side Dishes

Baked potato pizza

Baked Beans (home made)

Broad Bean Burgers

Chicken Cannelloni

Chicken & Sweetcorn Soup

Chicken Fried Rice

Chilli

Chinese style cabbage

Corned Beef Hash - MrsMCawber's recipe

Creamy Chicken and Potato casserole

Curry Sauce

Diet Coke Chicken

Duchesse potatoes

Fishcakes

Fish Pie

Ham and Lentil Soup

Iced cucumber soup

Individual chicken pies

Lasagne

Lemon Chicken

Lemon chicken with basil and tagliatelle

Meatballs

Mediterranean Mince and Potato 'Pie'

Mediterranean Vegetable Pasta

Mince & onion pie

Minced Beef Curry

Mini Goat's Cheese, Pear & Walnut Quiche

Moussaka

Open top 'pizza' pie

Parsnip & Apple Soup

Pizza / Pizza Base Recipe

Potato layer bake

Quiche Lorraine

Real Tomato Soup

Sausage Casserole

Sausage Meat Patties

Spaghetti with courgettes, tomato and brie

Spicy Bean & Sweet Potato Stew

Spicy Carrot and Tomato Soup

Stuffing - MrsMcawber's recipe

Suet crust pie with quorn

Super Tasty Bacon, Bean and Sausage

Sweet & Sour Chicken/Pork

TexMex Skillett

Thai green curry

Toad in the Hole

Tofu burgers

Turkey and Bubble and Squeak Pie

Vegetable Casserole

Veggie Haggis


Bread

Bagels

Baguettes

Bread - Mrs McC's recipe for Remoska

Breadsticks MrsM's / angelnikki's (No Salt Recipe)

Cheese & Potato Bread

Cheesy Bread Rolls

Chewy Soft Flour Tortilla

Chocolate Bread

Courgette Flatbread

Focaccia

Garlic Dough Balls

Herb Quick bread

HM Bread

Naan Bread MrsM's / OrkneyStar's

Oatmeal bread

soft bread rolls

Super Seedy Bread