August 2009 Grocery Challenge

Hi people, I thought I had finished my challenge last week but realised that theres one more shopping day til september, so i still have a week to go!!
my shop on saturday went well total spend after coupons etc £38.40 , here goes,

DS shampoo £0.88
lunchbags £1.27 x2 (saves us wasting carriers all the time!)
shower gel £0.77
christening card £1.18
muffin tray £3
string mop £1.97
back bacon £1.59
500g mince £1.21
chicken thighs £2.91
cooked ham £0.41
coleslaw £0.20
marg £0.89 x2
soya marg £1.10
long life cream £0.52 x2
milk £1.53
hula hoops £0.81
puff pastry £1.57
dried fruit 250g £0.65
fajita kit £1.98
vanilla flavouring £0.52
tuna tins £2.66
soya milk £0.60
icing sugar £0.65
wheat free flour £1
dairy free chocspread £2.18
curry powder £0.46
crumble mix £0.35
mucavado sugar £1.09
garlic powder £0.95
wheat free rolls £1.99
bananas £1.50
soft rolls *reduced* £0.14
mushrooms £0.89
red onion £0.57
leeks £2.34
onions £1.73
apples £0.69
cooking apples £0.58
new potaoes £1.98

its DS's birthday today and as you can see he has alot of allergies, I am attempting to make a chocolate fudge cake for him, from scratch with no real flour eggs or chocolate!!
Should be fun at least!

Off to update my sig!!

Hi.
Having totally lost the plot in August I'm back for September, starting today. Please could you put me down for £331 for this month, Mrs M?

With thanks
kj

Good luck everyone

Dips, Jams & Chutneys and Drinks
Alioli / Traditional allioli
Beetroot and Apple Chutney
Elderberry cordial
Feisty Rhubarb Relish
Jams & Preserves
Lemon Squash
Onion Marmalade
Pineapple Salsa
Riata - Mint, yoghurt and Cucumber Dip
Tomato/Chili Salsa
Red Tomato Chutney
Tomato Chutney
Mango Chutney
Xmas Chutney

Cakes, Biscuits, Snacks & Desserts
Apple Braid
Apple delight
Apple Charlotte
Apple - Microwave Autumn Apple Cake
Apricot Flapjack bars
Bakewell Tart
Banana Cake (bread)
Banana and lemon drizzle cake
Banana Muffins (wholemeal)
Banana Muffins
Banana and Walnut cake
Banana Ginger Parkin
Blackberries - Grated Blackberry Bake
Branflake cake
Bounty Balls
Bran Fruit Loaf
Bread & Butter Pudding
Bulk pancake mix
Buttercream topping
Caramel Shortbread (Millionaire's Shortbread)
Caramel Shortbread (2)
Cheese n marmite twists
Chocolate Biscuit Thins
Cheesy Biscuits
Chocolate Concrete
Chocolate Coookies - Cheap and Easy
Chocolate fudge
Chocolate Fudge Cake
Chocolate Krackolates
Chocolate yoghurt cake
Chocolate pudding
Coconut Cake
Coconut Flapjacks
Cookie Dough
Cornflake Tart
Courgette Tea Bread/Muffins
Cranberry And Chocolate Brownies
Currant Loaf
Custard Cookies
D&DD’s Apple Braid
Date, Nut and Oat biscuits
Easy Syrup Sponge Pudding
Eggless Chocolate Cake
Fifteens
Flaky Bars
Flapjacks and Flapjacks
Fruit and Mascarpone dessert
Gingerbread Men
Ginger Raisin Crunches
Golden Syrup Tart
Healthy Snack Bars
Honey Frosted Buns
Iced Buns
Impossible Coconut Pie
Jam Buns
Jammy Buns
Key lime pie
Krispie marshmallow bars
Lemon cakes
Lemon Curd Cake
Lemon Curd Ice-Cream JeniD's / MoneySavingDiva's
Magic Lemon Pudding
Malt Bread
Marshmallow Squares
Mascarpone and Lime Torte
Mascarpone Ice-cream
Millies Cookies
Mince Squares
Muffins: Basic Recipe / Chocolate Orange Muffins (1) / Chocolate Orange Muffins (2) / Gingerbread Muffins / Kiwi Muffins / Sticky Date Muffins / Strawberry Muffins / Toffee Apple Muffins
No fat sponge
Oaty Pancakes
Oaty Shortbread Biscuits
Orange and Poppy Seed Cake
Peanut Butter Cookies
Pineapple, Fried
Rhubarb and Orange Jelly
Rock Buns
Scones
Spiced Apple Bars
St Peter's Mud Pie (no cooking required)
Sticky gingerbread
Sticky toffee apple crumble
Teacakes
Twink’s Hobnobs
Weetabix Brownies
Weetabix Cake
Weetabix Fruit Loaf
Wonderbites
Yoghurt: Homemade yoghurt, Slow Cooker Yoghurt
Yoghurt Cake (the easy way)

Pastry
The best mince pie pastry ever
Pastry economics
Making pastry
Basic pastry
Flaky Pastry (BBC Food)

Home Made Dog Biscuits
Home Made Dog Biscuits (2)


Top Tips (OS threads)
Batch cooking ideas
Complete Menu Plans Collection
Cooking for the Freezer
Meal building blocks for the freezer
Grocery Challenge Top Tips
Laundry Washing Gel/ Gloop, Fab conditioner, vinegar.....

External links
Batch Bake Minced Beef Recipe
How to feed your whole family a healthy, balanced diet... (Webook)
List of conversions
Love Food Hate Waste website
Show Jamie How To Cook On A Budget Champagne Contest

I have spent £3 since I last totted up - £2 on food at work which was quite unnecessary as I had my own with me and £1 on a bag of sugar. That still leaves me at £91/£100 with one day to go! :T

**Upsy_Daisy** wrote: »

I have been thinking about how I am going to cut my grocery bills.
What are your thoughts on buying meat from a butchers as opposed to a supermarket?
... /QUOTE]

I prefer to buy from a butcher and also I try to support local businesses where I can but it depends on the butcher doesn't it? we have a good local butcher; he offers some decent freezer deals, beautifully lean mince, his own make sausages in some great flavours, organic/free range chicken, eggs, and meat from local farms - a blackboard announces what meat is available and which farm its from. He's always helpful in cutting up meat to whatever size, bagging things in portions ready for the freezer - I usually leave a list and collect later but I think he delivers locally.

unfortunately I've known one or two bad butchers - overpriced, poor quality and not very hygienic and a butcher like that would drive me to the supermarket meat counter pdq