February 2017 Grocery Challenge

NSD #3 for February for me today YEAY!! I resisted a huge out of (my) town Mr T for YS hunt as I know there's plenty of most things in the freezer and we are all meal planned and stocked up until a week tomorrow (except for milk and bread tomorrow and end of week plus salady bits for weekend).

My meal plans are on one of two white boards we use in the kitchen for kids' chores, meals, all appointments / activities that week and who is/isn't eating at home each day. Shopping list is next to the meal plan and we add to that when the last of something is used or nearly used up. The kids are really embracing the planning and organisation and knowing there's treats available if needed but always are (and have been) limited as I have weight / food issues and can't have them in the house. Although I admit it has been good therapy to bake again as I know it's in the house so the kids can have but I keep it all out of sight / out of mind or even in the freezer because by the time it's defrosted I've lost the impulse to scoff it.

Meal plan this week:
S: roast pork, veg, gravy
M: probably roast pork dinner again - change the veg and add actifry chips
T: cheese omelette and spaghetti hoops (quick and easy tea)
W: chilli con carne nachos (natural yogurt, cheese, tortilla chips. grated carrot and radish salad)
T: chicken and bacon traybake with veg
F: cheese, bacon and veg triangles (ready roll puff pastry in freezer)
S: grilled sukuk, halloumi, salad
S: lasagne with salad

Kids eat at school. OH away for work this week. I tend to eat a brunch of soup which have tonnes in the freezer while still off work - waiting for a start date for my new job. Hope to achieve a further 3 or 4 NSD next week too.

My month has gone horribly wrong already - only 5 days in! I have been poorly, not able to get to Aldi and so had to stagger to the corner shop where I spent £9.75 because it's very expensive in there. So I'm already over budget having spent £18.14 already as I don't think I can make this stuff last another week. Once I'm feeling better I'll reassess things and see what I can do to get back on track. Hope everyone else is having more success.

Thanks Jensfeet, that makes sense- I have quite a few NSDs as we live in the middle of nowhere.

I almost had a fit when I totted up how much we spend on food a month. At the moment we have no cooking facilities except a micro wave so I'm buying more ready meals than I'd like- not sure if that's why it seems so high. The thing is I thought I was fairly thrifty, whereas I'm not.
I'm going to have a go at sticking to £350 a month, including pet food.

karenccs67 wrote: »

I use a spreadsheet so I can easily move/change things about. I usually have a 2 week menu plan and repeat it with a few changes. Eg. Beef or chicken curry, sausage, egg & chips or sausages, potatoes and veg. If we've had bacon rolls at the weekend (I don't cook proper meals at the weekend) I might make hunters chicken with left over bacon. I batch cook chilli and Spagbol so when the men are having meat pies or fish pie (I don't like those) I can defrost a chilli portion. It's all very boring really but it suits us.

Sounds like a good plan you have. I struggle to meal plan, partly because I change my mind too much plus tend to eat \ replace the same things rather than use up what I have \ base my meals on my stockpiles.