November 2010 Grocery Challenge

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  • Hi everyone I'm new to the grocery challenge, I kept my receipts from last month and my spend was £120 for two adults. I'm hoping to reduce this so could you put me down for £100 this month please. We have a new puppy joining us on Friday so it might be a bit tight on the budget but I've done some shopping around and hopefully will be ok.
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  • mummygems
    mummygems Posts: 359
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    We're having a few people over on bonfire night and I need to do food but ££ is really tight- I was thinking cheap buns, burgers, HM chips and a veggie pasta salad with maybe mayo and sweetcorn. Do people think that sounds ok??

    You could always do hotdogs (whether you use hotdog sausages or normal sausages depending on cost) and HM chips, wedges or jacket pots. Thats what I would like for bonfire night lol.
    2 adults and 3 children DD (14), DD (12) & DS (10) :smileyhea and 2 mental beagles.
    Paying off debt bit by bit
  • LannyLee
    LannyLee Posts: 184
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    mummygems wrote: »
    You could always do hotdogs (whether you use hotdog sausages or normal sausages depending on cost) and HM chips, wedges or jacket pots. Thats what I would like for bonfire night lol.

    One of the best things is a big chilli, as you can do half mince & have soya & no one will notice, plus it's really easy to bulk out with veg.

    My recipe - serves 20 easily!

    2 lrg onions
    4 med carrots
    Mushrooms - however many you have or like
    Kidney beans - 2 tins
    Tomatoes - 2 tins (either chopped or plum, they will break up during cooking)
    Bag of frozen peppers
    500g Mince (I have used, beef, turkey & pork)
    Same amount of soya - either dried or frozen
    Mugful red lentils
    Chilli power to taste
    4 cloves garlic - chopped or minced

    Grate onion & carrot & fry with garlic, put a lid on & sweat for 5 mins. Add mince & fry, add mushrooms & chilli powder.
    Fry until mince is no longer pink.
    Add all other ingredients & rinsh out the 2 tomato tins with water.
    Cover & simmer for around an hour or as long as you have in a SC on low.

    If you wanted I suppose you could make it with all soya as the flavours are so strong no one can tell it isn't beef.

    HTH.
  • Billie-jo
    Billie-jo Posts: 1,221 Forumite
    edited 2 November 2010 at 5:25PM
    when the children were little we used to do a big saucepan of soup, some hot dogs & onions, jkt potatoes and a large pan of chilli with rice. The adults got some hot toddys while the little ones had hot chocolate with marshmallows in them.

    We all went to OH's grandparents who had a large garden. Everyone did something from the above and we all took some fireworks so it was never too expensive and yet with there being lots of people (aunts uncles neighbours etc) there was always loads of fireworks.
    MARCH £62.38/250
  • cookie9
    cookie9 Posts: 764
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    A few NSD here but already milk running low. Have taken pint out of freezer and OH is away tomorrolw so may last until Saturday but doubt it as OH loves very milky tea and has lots of milk with cereal. At least menu planner working well and eating well out of the freezer this week. Must think carefully about next week and weekend shopping. Will look at the different special offers at supermarkets and nase some shopping around that. At least have restaurant vouchers to use if things get tough.
    MFW 91 op 2014 £410/1000
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  • sistercas
    sistercas Posts: 4,803
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    Sunny i'm so sorry to hear about DH's job , is there anything on the horizon for him? ,I hope he finds something soon. I dread that happening to my DH there is no way we could manage on my wage


    lanny the big chilli sounds delish :)
    managed a NSD today :j
    should be a NSD:j tomorrow too as i am at work all day
  • Sunny - Sorry to hear about OH's job.

    I was wondering how long you keep leftovers for? I cooked a small turkey last night and we had a roast dinner. I kept veg (carrot and swede, cauliflower, peas), and gravy and was going to have them again today but DD1 has gone out for tea with her friends and DD2 has had something at another friends and I feel a bit sick and so am not having anything. Will they be alright to use tomorrow? I have also got all of the leftover turkey and there is ALOT! I was going to batch cook some curry and a turkey pie today but because I don't feel too great I don't feel like cooking. Will it be okay to do the curry and pie etc tomorrow and then freeze it?

    Spent £5 today on launderette to get a load of drying done. I don't have the heating on yet and it has rained non-stop for the last 2 days. Other than that NSD.
    Jane

    ENDIS. Employed, no disposable income or savings!
  • scotsaver
    scotsaver Posts: 824 Forumite
    Hi - I am amazed at how small budgets seem here. We are a family of 2 adults and 2 children. I have 2 labs also. Excluding their food, our grocery bill weekly, which includes any household sundries also, ie toilet roll, washing up liquid, etc, is on average, £100. I do buy only fresh food -meat, herbs, veg, fruit and muesli. No processed foods, no take aways or ready made meals. Usually shop at Tesco. Don't have a local cheap supermarket sadly where we are.
    Are there any lists/info here on where to start? ie any menu suggestions.
    Thanks.

    We are 2 Adults and 2 kids but no pets, I try to always buy things when they are on offer, look for whoopsies and I cook everything from scratch, try to never waste any food, last night's dinner was a chicken pie made from leftover chicken from sunday's roast, the chicken was Free range whoopsied from Lid!. Tonight's dinner is HM meatballs using Lean Steak Mince when it was half price in Lid! a couple of weeks ago, serving it with HM tomato pasta sauce from the Freezer when we had a tomato glut in the Summer. I've also now got an Allotment this year and this has really helped. HTH
    We're having a few people over on bonfire night and I need to do food but ££ is really tight- I was thinking cheap buns, burgers, HM chips and a veggie pasta salad with maybe mayo and sweetcorn. Do people think that sounds ok??

    We usually do a load of Jacket spuds and serve up a choice of fillings:- chilli, grated cheese, tuna mayo, baked beans and it's always worked for us.;)

    Sunnyday - so sorry to hear about your OH.

    Will update my spends later - have been to Lid! a couple of times since the weekend, was popping in for Fruit and got tempted by offers on cheese and some whoopsied chickens etc.:o So much for trying to use up what's in the Freezers, I seem to be re-filling as quickly as I'm using up but as it's now November this has to stop as I need to make some space and get them defrosted before Xmas.

    Sorry for long post - have a good evening everyone.:D
    "WASTE NOT, WANT NOT!"
    GC for OH, myself, DD18 & DD16 includes Toiletries, cleaning stuff & Food.

  • rosieben
    rosieben Posts: 5,010
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    edited 2 November 2010 at 5:59PM
    I've just sorted the recipe index:

    Part 1 is Main Meals and Side Dishes

    Part 2 is Cakes, Biscuits, Sweets, Snacks & Desserts

    Part 3 is Soups - Pastry - Bread - Dips, Jams, Chutneys and Drinks - Top Tips - .........
    ............External Links and odds like dog biscuits and play dough

    any problems with it please let me know ;)
    ... don't throw the string away. You always need string! :D

    C.R.A.P.R.O.L.L.Z Head Sharpener
  • Hmm_2
    Hmm_2 Posts: 81 Forumite
    Hi. I've never joined in this before, but me and DH need to get our food budget down so can you put me down for £170 please......:D....we usually budget for £200 and go over by about £50! :mad:
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