August 2008 Grocery Challenge

mandy_moo_1

the last day's Sunday for the 50p offers so i might try and get down and get a few more boxes.....just in case i run out :rotfl:;)

thanx for that idea jayjay it sounds lovely...might give that a try x

Lula-Hula

hi everyone,

just popping in for a quick update; went to Mr T (again :rolleyes: ) today & spent £42.82 :eek: but got loads of bargains & whoopsies . Wont be needing to buy baked beans, crisps, toothpaste, shampoo, loo rolls, face scrub, hair colour again for a loooooong time !

Bit worried that I only have £36 to stay within budget til the end of the month but super determined to try my best again.

lula x

mr_and_mrs_t

Hi all,

How well you are all doing to start off august. Apologies for being late, please put us down for the usual £250. So far we have spent £90.00:eek: includes buying food in the caravan for a break away and 1 meal out so hoping to cut back in the overspend to date.

All the best with august everyone

savingfortravel

Off to Lincolnshire for the weekend. Happy MS and see you all Sunday eve
SFT

Flylady_Flower

Hi Guy's,
Home early tonight so am trying to catch up before sitting down for a well earned rest...:D

susan946 wrote: »

Me too, Sproggi. My brain just seems to give up at the end of the day so anything I'm planning to take out to thaw overnight so it can go in the slow cooker in the morning isn't remembered till lunchtime - by which time it's too late. Need to find a few of my lost marbles I suppose.:rotfl: I resent having to use the microwave to defrost as that doesn't seem very mse when all that is needed is time!!!
Hey ho - I'll maybe get organised one day but after sixty years of contented chaos it's difficult to change the habits of a lifetime!! :rolleyes: Sue

Hi Sproggi & Sue - Just a quickie that might help - If you have Microsoft Outlook on your computer for your emails and stuff, you can set up a 'task' or an 'appointment' that repeats every workday at say, 8pm or something, to remind you to take the stuff out of the freezer - may seem a bit nerdy to get a pop up each time, but after a month or so, it becomes second nature and you shouldn't need the little reminders - also, if you don't go on your computer that late, set it up for a time before you do (ie: 5pm) so that it is there to remind you when you go on it.

I only use Microsoft outlook so know that, but am sure that there are other tools similar you could use.

I use the reminders for LOADS of things, including my flylady stuff as otherwise I don't do it and they are just gentle reminders ( and if you can't be asked one night, just click on the dismiss button and it's gone! )

Bowski_1011

I spent £1.79 in Asda yesterday on Jelly. I also spent money in Morrisons and Aldi, it was all stuff I needed but I've lost my receipts so can't update until it shows up on my online banking, should be on by monday.
I've realised how easy it can be to fall off the wagon. Although I haven't yet I know It's takin a hell of lot of effort to not spend. It doesn't come natural does it, I'm sure it will soon enough tho (heres hoping)

MRSMCAWBER

Evening everyone

Its official..im losing the plot ... I went into the basement to do a quick defrost and stock take of the freezer... emptied it out, defrosted and back on again in 30 mins :T But when i was putting everything back i couldn't understand why there was less room -even though i had taken out a 2 litre bottle of milk ..came tootling upstairs and began to turn the scribbled list into some kind of order -and there on the list was 1lt fabric softener :rotfl:
As some of you know, i always wipe the freezer over inside with fabric softener to speed up the defrost next time.... i must have got carried away when putting everything back so it was a quick scuttle back into the basement to rescue the softener before it became "harder" :rotfl:
I have also done the fridge/freezer in the kitchen... so i now know exactly what i have.... scarily i had only forgotten one item out of everything :eek: the rest was in my head -somehow

I got the parsnips n mushrooms from this morning prepared and in the freezer..and now i really do only have the tiniest of gaps left -Still we are working on it..but as fast as i take things out -i spot more super bargains to put back in again

Just had the roast chicken dinner -the rest of the meat has been taken off and put in the fridge until the morning -when i will try and wedge it in the freezer -and the stock has just been turned off -i will turn it into chicken n sweetcorn soup for hubby tomorrow;)

Mandy moo

In the tortillas i do :-

• Hm meatballs -with caramalised onions n peppers and a bit of sour cream
• shredded duck in hoisin sauce with spring onions and cucumber -hubby likes these cold too
• Southern fried chicken steak..cooked then cut into thin strips with shredded salad -still need to have a bash at making southern coating next time
• spread cream cheese on and lots of salad and slices of cooked meats when you have them
• feta salad

In fact most leftover roast meat works well either cold with salad or hot with caramalised onions, peppers, mushrooms

hope that helps:D

Right im back off to the x stitch
have a great evening all:D

perrywinkle

susan946 wrote: »

NSD for me today, thank goodness.

Not having a terribly good day. Firstly it's a bad back day so I am a bit limited as to what I can do...... Hope I can get to see the consultant before too much longer.

Secondly having looked out the ingredients to make yoghurt in the slow cooker the slow cooker has finally given up the ghost. Now I've used it a lot over the 17 years I've had it, so DH says I've nothing to complain about, but I'm still miffed as I really need to replace it asap and that of course will hit the budget!!!!

There seem to be a lot of electric cookers around at the moment. Has anyone any advice as to what to go for and what to avoid?

Hi Susan946,

sorry to hear about your slow cooker - I recently had to replace my old tower slow cooker and I went for the morphy richards 48715 as it was a which magazine best buy and its 6.5 litre capacity meant I had plenty of room for meals for the family. I have checked the which website and it is still their best buy and I checked and argos are selling them for 33.97. On the best buys list there is also a prima 3.5 litre slow cooker at 19.99 which is available from prima-international.com with free P+P if you wanted something smaller - can't personally vouch for this one although the review looks good - I have certainly enjoyed using the morphy richards one I bought and I must have had it for at least 9 months and have used it regularly.

HTH
Perrywinkle

Blairweech

Thankyou all for the advice about my bread - yes I do use those dried sachets, and I used St Delias recipe . I will try using half the sachet next time.

I really need to tidy my house as my mum is coming down this weekend but I just can't be bothered

Flylady_Flower

*BigBird* wrote: »

Thanks. I will set some more when I get home from work tomorrow as the rain is supposed to have stopped then :rolleyes: I will surround them with heaps of oats, as I've heard that the slugs eat it and it expands inside them and kills them. Then I will set up CCTV cameras on the pot and watch the little boogers explode!! That'll teach 'em for eating my carrots :mad:

:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: I nearly wet myself then....(sorry, too much information):rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: that made me laugh soooo much - if you put it around your car, does it stop people breaking into it and can you watch the little b****ds explode too? :rotfl: :rotfl: