August 2008 Grocery Challenge

Barneysmom

I've been to our new Home bargains shop today, it opened this morning. I spent £25.00 - luckily I had cash in my purse, as the debiting machine was out of order - teething problems I guess.
I'm doing a shepherd's pie tonight and we'll have the remainder tomorrow for lunch.
Sometimes I get so bored of mince, but hey, the new creed is moneysaving :cool: and I'm not complaining too loudly.

I think I'll do a ginger cake in the too while the oven's on.
Or a chocolate cake? I'm a-dithering today

MRSMCAWBER

Evening all

Just had to pop by to shine my halo :A :rotfl: ..i have sat this afternoon and worked out a meal plan for September ..and then one for October -based on what i have in the freezer :eek: ..then transfered what should be left onto another list :T.....and there is still probably enough to do a lot of Novembers too ... not that it will stop me from "whoopsie stock piling"

I managed to make myself put the roasted tomatoes/garlic in 2 bags in the freezer-was soooo tempted to have them on toast for dinner:D .. can't wait for the next lot outside to be ready as im going to make a pan of cream of tomato soup nomnomnom

I have also been browsing through various seed web sites trying to decide what else i want to have a go at next year -looking at more winter squashes etc -so i can store them for the winter months:D -but im making myself wait so i can nip to the garden centre at the end of the street and see if they have any end of season sales on ... Oh and i have set another tub of carrots and some more pak choi... even if i have to cook the pak choi into curries so i can freeze them its worth growing them as i have some empty tubs
The loaf of bread managed to rise again after its attempt to crawl along the work top.. so we have just had chese salad sandwiches for dinner :T ... and tomorrow i need to get a batch of baguettes made...ohhh and a courgette tea bread...only I have a 4lb loaf tin-so im making a double sized one and freezing slices -if i can find room:p

right i will get off again..have a good one everyone

helenm2008

oops got to the end of my first week doing a GC and I went over Budget We had friends over for the day today, so I went to Mr Ts and spent £20 on tasty things to eat. If I'd been more organised I could have baked yesterday, instead of spending cash on treats to have with tea. Plus I had OH with me, and he wanted to get the Finest of everything instead of the ordinary. It all adds up!

On the bright side, there was enough vegetable cheesy bake left over for 4 portions of lunch, so maybe next week I'll do better and the fruit we grew ourselves

The roasted tomatoes sound lovely, everyone who's been making those.

Ches

When I cook the pastry base for a quiche, the sides always shrink down the sides of the tin, so it ends up not being very deep. Is it supposed to do this, or am I cooking it wrong? (whenever I follow a recipe, there's never enough height in the case to hold all of the filling without it spilling over the sides). I wonder if maybe my cooker is a bit too harsh as it's a fan oven?

I don't think you are doing anything wrong but pastry stretches and then shrinks back when cooked so be very careful when lifting it into the tin so not to stretch it then it won't shrink back. Hope this makes sense.

kazmeister

After going to 3 different shops last week - just for a few bits on offer I spent £58.59. I have not been into a supermarket or shop since :T and I dont anticipate going in if I can help it. I did my cupboard inventory and have so much stuff I am staying away :rotfl: . I will send OH to the garage when he is at work for milk as if I send him to Mr T he will spend even more than I do.

Also unable to say what he has spent so far this month as he left the velux window open and the torrential rain flooded part of the bedroom including the lap top which sat on top of a bedside table and his side of the bed :mad:

Think I will change signature now

Ches

Went to Mr T's today. Have now only got £56.28p left out of my £200 budget. Can't see me making target this month. I changed tactics this month and the £200 is to cover ALL my day to day spending (except for hobby stuff) as well as groceries. As it was my personal spending that was geting out of hand rather than my normal £200 grocery budget, I thought I would be clever and really reign that back and try to do both for the same amount of money. I will see how much I go over and then I may have to adjust the budget for next month.

mrssnowy_2

savingfortravel wrote: »

Morning Everyone!!
Will definitely need to go to Mr T today for a few bits.
Just making my breadcrumbs with all the leftover bread.
ANY IDEAS FOR WHAT TO DO WITH OUR CUCUMBERS?
Pop back later.
SFT

SFT,look on down-to-earth blog thingy,for Rhonda Jean's bread and butter pickle!
Looks like a good use of cucumbers,I aquired(sp?)3 HG cucs today to have a go myself.Made Zuccini pickle yesterday with 3lbs courgettes I'd been given,looks interesting but GOK what it tastes like.
DS and DSFiancee arrived yesterday and have nearly finished the big tin of Twinks(with nice vanilla,coconut and sultanas).
Belting with rain and they have gone camping up the back road to Aberystwyth
They did take half a fresh HM loaf,but left the Twinks.

ms

4Moneysaver

What a wet and dreary day! Still I made a foray into my local Lidl only to find that it was rather small and pokey. I bought bread for the freezer, some strong flour for bread making which I don't usually do but reading about other people doing it has inspired me. I went with a list and the odd few things that I couldn't get in Lidl (Walthamstow branch) I picked up in Mr S. The list REALLY helps, I get too side-tracked otherwise. So after spending 2.48 in Lidl, £5.02 in Mr S and putting £10 of petrol in my car I'm done for the weekend. Aside from some fruit from the market and maybe some milk I shouldn't need to spend much next week at all.

Do other people tell friends and colleagues about this challenge? I've mentioned it to a few people at work and it's really got some folks interested in how I do so I'd better not fail now.:D

mrssnowy_2

EagerLearner wrote: »

I am still at £21 so very proud indeed. Can't see any more spend until Sunday really.

I've started a money saving blog so thought I'd drop a message on here - hoping to upload a new post every day so please do leave comments and let me know what you think so far!

Savings Now:
http://savingsnow.blogspot.com

Think I'm going potty,read that quick as saving snow and wondered why:rotfl:
ms

KAAT_LADY

good evening folks,,

mrsmcawber thats a bit in front isnt it until november you are just showing off now..

I baked cheese scones today and they were lovely,, DH thought they were great
I also baked some hobnobs,,. and he started them as well,,
the BM has just finished and I have another to do but will wait until tomorrow now

Hope to sleep well and get up early even though it is sunday,, have to get my body clock back to normal



See you tomorrow

KAAT