January 2011 Grocery Challenge

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  • L!Dl bread flour seems to be the same price all the time i think approx 60p but A$da has some as well for about 51p but that sells out so quickly where I live so I stock up when I can.

    and WELL DONE on your Jan budget!!!

    what do you put in your June/ Holiday boxes? this may be of interest for me with 2 hungry growing boys!
  • martafdz
    martafdz Posts: 1,000 Forumite
    edited 26 January 2011 at 10:09AM
    gdyr1945 wrote: »
    I love these boards; I always go away feeling happier and more able to 'do things'. Boy do I wish I'd found this site years ago.

    I think, as well as the 'thank you' 'quote' etc bits at the bottom of each post we should have a 'sending you lots of hugs and kisses' to all those fantastic board organisers and for when the rest of us feeling a bit low.

    I completely agree with this!!!
    XSpender wrote: »
    :question:Can anyone advise me if it is Lidl that do the cheap bread flour? Do they stock this all the time or is it just on offer now and again?:question:

    I seem to remember it getting positive comments on here in previous months but I may be getting mixed up. Mr T have H0vis white at 2 for £2.00 ut I need w/meal too:)

    Idk but MrM has 1.5Kg (not the 1kg one) of strong white bread for £1.19, I think w/m was same price but I cannot remember

    After reading so much about stocking up, I might try this. I have a tiny cupboard in a tiny flat, so I am not sure how much I can stock up! Also, my freezer is just the bottom part of my fridge. I am looking forward to have my own house and have a chest freezer and loads of cupboards! *dreams* .... *wakes up* ... I need to pay first my debt and then save for the deposit, so I better get a method with this!! Lol

    About saving on cleaning products, I read it in these forums a year ago or so and I have done it since then: if you read the labels of cleaning products for the floor, for the kitchen, for surfaces, etc... they are mostly the same! Buy one of those big "all purpose" with a smell you like, fill 1/8 of one of those empty bottles with spray dispenser and fill the rest with water. Same effect. Promise. For everyday cleaning is more than enough and in fact it might be even the same!! The products for the floor are concentrated (that is why you need to dilute them in water), whilst the ones in the spray are already diluted. However, the floor ones are much cheaper compared by quantity. I bought two Flash Febreeze floor cleaning products last year when they were on offer and I still have them. I have saved loads.

    Example with current prices:
    Flash with Febreeze 1L bottle is at £2.03, the 500ml bottle with the dispenser is at the same price for half the quantity (but the 1L one is concentrated too!). Dettol Antibacterial MultiAction Cleaner 1L is £2.25, but if you buy the 750ml botle with dispenser is £3.00 (=£4.00 per litre). Ecover Multi Surface 1L is £2.53 but the dispenser 500ml with Limescale remover is £3.78 (=£7.56 per litre); the difference between the Limescale one and the other one is that the first has 5%-15% Citric Acid (that means lemon) whilst the other one doesn't, but the other one has fatty acids and alcohol. Some of this spray dispensers are hard to remove, as you have to just pull them out and the first time it is a bit hard. In mine I had to pull up as if it were a tin with a ring, I put the fingers in the gap where the trigger goes and then pull close to me as hard as I can. Once you do it once I think it is easier later. I always add only the bottom of the concentrated stuff (about 1/8 or 1/6) and then fill the rest with water. I can honestly say that I prefer it now, it feels more watery and less foamy but I do not need it, and it was a pain to remove the foam previously anyway! It cleans well and I feel it's not as abrassive.

    I think I am going to go to Sainsb online and read all my previous orders (the ones before I started the challenge, now I do not order online as I was spending too much). That way I might get info on how much I used non-perishable basics like toilet rolls, toothpaste or shower gel. I could try to stock up one of those items per month and budget for that! :T
    Quit smoking *1st January 2010*

    13/12/2012, baby girl!!!
  • XSpender
    XSpender Posts: 3,811
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    Thanks for the info on Lidl and A$da bread flour. I have both stores close by so I will have a look in both on Friday.

    I have only just started the boxes following a tip from another poster. My June box is going to be store cupboard items like beans, mushy peas, cereal, bread flour and 2 freezer drawers of HM meals, sausages, quorn pieces, milk etc. the stuff we would usually buy in a month so that I can have a really cheap June, only buying fresh fruit and veg so that I can save that months GC money towards our holiday and/or Christmas. I haven't decided what to spend it onyet, depends if it works/I can manage it.:)

    We are going away to a static caravan in August for 2 weeks so will put tinned veg, beans, crisps, biscuits, family tins of soup, tea bags, loo roll, kitchen roll in it so that all I need to buy for the 2 weeks is fresh stuff.
    Save £10,500 - £2673.77 - 25.5%
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  • Mothership
    Mothership Posts: 823 Forumite
    edited 26 January 2011 at 10:53AM
    lamb bones, (roast in oven for half an hour at 200)
    (free From Donald Russell with purchase I used 2 but 1 would have been plenty, a small piece of flank mutton or lamb shank would be just as good if you cant get bones)

    1/2 cup Pearl Barley
    3 Carrots (peel and put in whole)
    1/4 Swede (Turnip, the large brown kind, peel and put in in large chunks)
    2 Good sized potatoes (peeled leave whole)
    1 Leek (chopped finely)
    2 Onions(chopped finely)
    2 pints Water (to cover the bones/meat)

    Parsley + salt to taste

    Boil the bones, add pearl barley, simmer for a while until the meat falls from the bones, then fish out strip and cut into small pieces, discard any fat.
    To remove Fat... half a dozen Ice cubes swirled around the liquid and fished out immediately will catch it all, put them in a cup till they melt, pour off the water and put the fat in the bin.

    Then add all the veg , except the parsley. Simmer till all the veg is soft then fish out mash up and put straight back into pot.

    Sprinkle with parsley season to taste.

    I cant even begin to describe the taste of this, it took me right back to when I was little in my granny's kitchen.
    This is how soup used to be made, no stock cubes around then. I have not made soup with bones EVER, so this was the first time for me. I've used Lamb shanks and flank mutton, but never just bones.
    The veg I used was what I've got left in the fridge it would be around 40p worth. So making soup with bones... IS CHEAP! And there's LOADS of it. Its a kind of dinner soup, very thick.

    I will use up my perishables by the end of the month ready to start Feb challenge fresh.

    PURSE/BANK

    I've added a bit on to my signature it shows what is in both my second and 3rd Purse.
    I bought 12 Bags of Sugar this month @ 2 for £1 PP £1 I've used 2 (FOR THE MARMALADE) LOL. So I owe the purse £2 this month.

    I've already paid for anything else I used throughout the month.

    IOP means I owe purse
    PP means Purse Price, thats the price you charge yourself for the item.

    I will list anything I buy at the bottom of my posts (not in the signature, I will keep that for the grocery challenge.) I tried putting it in there but not sure if there will be room.
    That way you will be able to see what I buy and from where how many I bought and the cost etc.

    I went to Lidl this morning to buy the dishwasher tablets mentioned by a few of you, Dying to try them, they came out of my Jan Budget as they are not on special offer. Thank you OP's

    2nd Purse
    12 bags Sugar T***O 2 for £1 Total Cost £6 Total Profit £6 PP £1 IOP £2
    Balance in 2nd Purse £90
    Balance in 3rd Purse £180

    Just had a thought. I might open another bank account and deposit the contents of the 3rd purse. I will ask for a debit card for it. I will deposit any profits from 2nd purse when I have a decent amount .
    Will let you all know how I get on , not worked out to work it yet but will.
    I don't ever take the 3rd purse with me shopping
    1st Purse £114.19 Monthly GB
    2nd Purse ££100
    :rotfl::j:wave::j:rotfl:
    Fridge Freezer £300 3rd Purse /£290.94
  • I am going up to our caravan this weekend to check it over from winter - not looking forward to it tbh.

    I might start a box for the caravan as well, plus have one for the kids over the summer holidays/half term breaks just need to find some where out the way to hide them....
  • russetred
    russetred Posts: 1,334
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    Hi guys, I was in our local corner shop today and spotted loads of price reductions eg honey cheerios 375g box for 60p, ovaltine jar for 97p, tins of veg, UHT milk 20p and lots of nappies and baby stuff. I was talking to the assistant and she said there's going to be a change in a lot of their lines so they're flogging off the old stock really cheap. This may just be a scottish chain but worth checking if you have a McColls in your area.

    Loving all the craic on here and the new recipes esp the "how not to make marmalade", priceless mothership!

    Quick recipe from me for using up fridge leftovers.
    Gammon and Leek crumble.

    Cut L/O gammon into strips and add to 2 leeks sauted in a knob of butter.
    Make white sauce with 1TBSP of plain flour, 1oz of butter and 3/4 pint of milk. When thick add 1/4 carton L/O double cream and a heaped TSP of whole grain mustard. Mix with gammon and leek and pour into oven proof dish. Whizz stale bread till breadcrumbs and grate about 4 oz cheese. Mix together and stir in a good pinch of dried thyme. Spread over the top of the gammon and bake for 30mins at 180.
    "Sometimes life sucks....but the alternative is unacceptable."
  • russetred wrote: »
    Hi guys, I was in our local corner shop today and spotted loads of price reductions eg honey cheerios 375g box for 60p, ovaltine jar for 97p, tins of veg, UHT milk 20p and lots of nappies and baby stuff. I was talking to the assistant and she said there's going to be a change in a lot of their lines so they're flogging off the old stock really cheap. This may just be a scottish chain but worth checking if you have a McColls in your area.

    Loving all the craic on here and the new recipes esp the "how not to make marmalade", priceless mothership!

    Quick recipe from me for using up fridge leftovers.
    Gammon and Leek crumble.

    Cut L/O gammon into strips and add to 2 leeks sauted in a knob of butter.
    Make white sauce with 1TBSP of plain flour, 1oz of butter and 3/4 pint of milk. When thick add 1/4 carton L/O double cream and a heaped TSP of whole grain mustard. Mix with gammon and leek and pour into oven proof dish. Whizz stale bread till breadcrumbs and grate about 4 oz cheese. Mix together and stir in a good pinch of dried thyme. Spread over the top of the gammon and bake for 30mins at 180.

    Ooooh! I'm going to try that recipe it sounds absolutely yummy I have leeks and a gammon joint, (for my next pot of soup), just enough left in my Jan budget for cream. And a new pie dish I got for xmas, I will christen it with this nom nom nom! Thank you.
    1st Purse £114.19 Monthly GB
    2nd Purse ££100
    :rotfl::j:wave::j:rotfl:
    Fridge Freezer £300 3rd Purse /£290.94
  • i was really good today went shops for bananas but they hadnt got any so i came home emptyhanded:T.

    last nights tea was hm veggie shepherds pie, tonights will be hm veggie lasagne, got to make it this afty adn bake some more bread rolls as the last of the pack ups got used this morning.

    the 2 doz muffins i made at the weekend are down to about 6 they go in pack ups and sometimes get nibbled after tea so will probally do some more tomorrow.

    going aldi and farmfoods at the weekend so MrM will be a minimal shop so i can stock up at the cheaper ones.
    SPC~12 ot 124

    In a world that has decided that it's going to lose its mind, be more kind my friend, try to Be More Kind
  • kippers
    kippers Posts: 2,053
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    edited 26 January 2011 at 11:53AM
    rosieben wrote: »
    you don't need a food processor, just chopping the veg up quite small would do, the food processor is needed if you are trying to sneak extra veg into kids without them knowing smiley_signinsertevillaughhere.gif

    :T

    My liquidiser broke a few weeks ago and icouldn't afford another one at the moment so i bought one of those hand held things for just under £6 from asda and it's brilliant....i use it to puree broad beans, runner beans and french beans and sneak it into spag bogs, chilli's and currys...they never know and it's more veg down them all (not just my DD's it's my DH i don't tell either).
    XSpender wrote: »
    Thanks for the info on Lidl and A$da bread flour. I have both stores close by so I will have a look in both on Friday.

    I use Asda's strong white flour at the moment as it's only 50p...my bread turns out great.
    I am going up to our caravan this weekend to check it over from winter - not looking forward to it tbh.

    ...

    I would love a cavaran to go away for weekends with my DH and DD's...not only would we have to buy a caravan, but we would have to buy another car too as ours is too small to tow a caravan...i can dream though.


    Well tonight i have 3 of my old friends from school coming round for dinner. We take it in turn to go round each others houses every couple of months. As it's at my house i'm cooking the main meal, one of them will bring drinks and one will bring a starter and one will bring chocs for afterwards...so we are always very stuffed afterwards.

    I'm sure all this sounds wonderful and cheap, which it is, but i don't like it as i feel i have to cook twice as i have to cook for my DD's and DH first...i'd much prefer to get a takeaway as it would be a real treat for me as we never have them because of money...but i think takeaways must be a regular thing for my old friends as they all seem to have loads of money.

    Also, i've got to go and give our house a hoover and dust...it's the only time i get embarressed about my house when they come round, as their houses are all like show homes with all crockery matching etc....i'm lucky to find two plates without chips in let along matching lol.

    Anyway, i need to pull myself together...Me and my DH chose for me to stay at home to be here for the girls after school and have 3 allotments, i am very lucky as we are a very close family and i wouldn't have it any other way.

    I've just made three portions of spag bog (2 to freeze and 1 for DD's and DH tonight).

    The main meal i'm cooking tonight for a change is pizza, jacket potatoes, coleslaw and salad. I'll also put out my h/m beetroot, pickles and chuckneys to impress them. I never know what to cook as they don't eat spag bogs, currys or chilli's

    Anyway, i've asked my DH to buy some butter for me on the way home so i don't have to put my 2kg stork margarine tub on the table.....it's never a problem for us when we eat so perhaps i should tell my husband not to buy it...what do you think?
  • Was feeling really ropey this morning so bought myself a can of r*dbull from the train station- £1.99! :eek:

    Only got £9 to do tomorrow night's weekly shop :rotfl:damage limitation time I think...
    Mortgage£148,725 Student loan£13,050 HSBC loan£12,221
    AprGC:£/£320
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