January 2009 Grocery Challenge

LydiaJ · 6 January 2009 at 5:15PM

nickynoo08 wrote: »

Might sound like a daft question but do teabags have a use by date? Only asking cuz netto have 1560 tetley teabags on offer for £15. I drink a lot of tea but this would easily last us a year + but i obviously dont want to be wasting them either. What do you think?

I think they last for ages and ages. Tea bags don't have "use by"; they have "best before". It may well be more than a year in the future, and the tea won't taste much different even if you keep it beyond the BB date. I'm not a tea drinker myself, but my parents are, and they've never complained when I've given them tea that's been in my cupboard for over a year!

sharronej · 6 January 2009 at 5:17PM

nickynoo08 wrote: »

Ok doing my first and hopefully only big shop for the month today, i've just written a list of about 20odd meals and written my shopping list based on that. I'm determined to make meal planning work for us. What i've decided to do is to make a list of all the meals from the stuff we have in and leave it pinned to the notice board and cross it off once we've eaten it/used the stuff iyswim. Do you think it'll work?

Might sound like a daft question but do teabags have a use by date? Only asking cuz netto have 1560 tetley teabags on offer for £15. I drink a lot of tea but this would easily last us a year + but i obviously dont want to be wasting them either. What do you think?

Yes, I think you can make meal planning work if you can be flexible with it, I do a similar thing to what you are talking about. I do lots of batch cooking but only decide on the day what we fancy for tea otherwise I NEVER fancy what's on the list - contrary mary that's me.

I think the key to the tea bags would be in having air tight storage for them, they are bound to last loads longer than the bbe date anyway.

HTH

sharronej · 6 January 2009 at 5:23PM

save-a-holic - you have definitely made me think about what I am doing. I did not see before that the food sitting there is actually money that we could have used to reduce our debts - something we are trying to do :eek:

That's the only way I can save up! :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

mummy2mygirls · 6 January 2009 at 6:13PM

Went shopping on sunday and spent to much on things that i could of got cheaper!! It was dds bday yesterday so spent to much on things for that! Anyway the total was £45.47 so not to bad but as i havent really got to many meals in will need to go to the market on thursday on something t get some more meat, fruit and veg etc....
Anyway will update total, also £24 came out for the milk dd...

I never got the baby juice either, was a horrible mum and only let them have water till about 18 mths then really dilated juice now and again!! Bread sticks are really handy for snacks and a lot cheaper then the biscuits i used to get the baby and toddler gingerbread men for the girls but dont think i would again with this one, but we will see......

with the approved foods they did say on the thread about them that they were taking orders but that they have new stock which needs to be updated and they might have run out of things that are on the website at the moe, he is back on thursday so it will be up to date then.....(i think thats what i read...)

angelatgraceland · 6 January 2009 at 8:00PM

Steel wrote: »

Great start to the challenge....just found half a pack of sausage meat balanced on the first aid box on top of the freezer. I forgot to put it back after I'd rearranged the freezer Sunday afternoon.

Grrrrr.....leftover chicken and sausage-meat roll not happening tonight then. Plan B....chunky chicken soup with pasta.

In this cold weather is it no good? Mind you-my freezer is in my garage which is as cold as-a freezer!

wendywitch wrote: »

I have a quick challenge related question. I was given an Asda gift card for Christmas but as our stores clothes department is pretty poor I've spent it on food shopping and I'll buy myself something another time. How do I account for this in the challenge?

If you are spending it on food count it as food and put the money aside as someone else said.

nickynoo08 wrote: »

Ok doing my first and hopefully only big shop for the month today, i've just written a list of about 20odd meals and written my shopping list based on that. I'm determined to make meal planning work for us. What i've decided to do is to make a list of all the meals from the stuff we have in and leave it pinned to the notice board and cross it off once we've eaten it/used the stuff iyswim. Do you think it'll work?

Might sound like a daft question but do teabags have a use by date? Only asking cuz netto have 1560 tetley teabags on offer for £15. I drink a lot of tea but this would easily last us a year + but i obviously dont want to be wasting them either. What do you think?

Obnnly a BB date and they keep absolutley perfact for a couple of years past that! However-I always get my tetley 100s in the pound shops so works out about same price/less and IM not stuff with over a thousand. I generally just buy 3 or 4 packets.

procrastinator · 6 January 2009 at 8:25PM

Walked into town again this pm and popped into lidl got red onions for 29p 750k, carrots 39p kilo, spring onions 59p and glace cherries 35p. Checked Aldi's but they were out of their offers. Tescos I picked up mushroom 50p and tomatoes 49p. Made the quorn stir fry with lots of veg and 12 xmas sprouts. Wasn't keen on the seedy pita bread thank goodnes only paid 10p. Tesco have 4 tins of branston beans on offer for 1 pound but none on the shelves asked an assistant and was told none in stock at the warehouse, as these are the only beans my teens eat was not happy. However he assures me they should have some in on the weekend. Don't want to do a big shop this week so will be walking to town again on Fri.

princess_leia_3 · 6 January 2009 at 8:39PM

oldMcDonald wrote: »

Did you get a confirmation email?

I got a conf email from google checkout but nothing from Approved foods.......

Mmm maybe I will need to try and cancel whatever I have done and re-order when they open :rolleyes:

Used up some tandoori paste from the fridge tonight with some coconut cream for a kind of tikka-korma tasting curry! Feels good to have used something that has been sitting there for ages as before MSE I would have just chucked it out :eek:

Tomorrow nights tea is some casserole concoction made up from some leftover bacon, baked beans, carrots, lentils, frozen roast potatoes, cooked cabbage will all get chucked in with some stock and left on til I get back from work. If it needs more meat then I have a tin of corned beef chilled ready to dice up too

fallen_angel_shelley · 6 January 2009 at 8:53PM

nickynoo08 wrote: »

Might sound like a daft question but do teabags have a use by date? Only asking cuz netto have 1560 tetley teabags on offer for £15. I drink a lot of tea but this would easily last us a year + but i obviously dont want to be wasting them either. What do you think?

Think I will have to get some of them t-bags, I drink gallons of the stuff everyday.

I really fancy a baked gammon on sunday, anyone know of any good deals?

Shelley x

clutterydrawer · 6 January 2009 at 9:01PM

I have still not spent anything else

Will need some milk and veg at the weekend though.

Everyone seems to be doing great, well done

little_miss_moneysaver_3 · 6 January 2009 at 9:13PM

Guys,

It's not going too well. The BF decided to buy I think the most expensive ham in the supermarket :mad: Hopefully it'll last us both for lunches for this and next week.
Have £12.89 left until the 23rd jan, do a freezer of food. So it'll be old style dinners at their best until then!!! Just the fresh bits like fruit and milk so should be loads!
Still avoiding Mr T's too

LMMS

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January 2009 Grocery Challenge

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