August 2008 Grocery Challenge

Chell

Gillaman, re: tofu burgers recipe, would you post that if you have time please. I'm a veggie who doesn't like tofu but DH and DD like it.

EagerLearner

mardatha wrote: »

Is there a site that gives you the best current offers in supermarkets ? - as opposed to filling a trolley and checking the price in asda & tescos etc ?

Mardatha - you will be pleased to know that yes there is :T It is called:


www.fixtureferrets.co.uk

You pay a small fee for the year and for that you can log in whenever you want and see all the deals available at each supermarket - it has easily saved me £30 so far (I only joined 2 months ago) so well worth the money :beer:

I *think* we're at around £45 so far including some spending yesterday at the local veg market and Sainsburys. There was a naughty take away Friday night but that won't come out of the food budget... besides, I stretched it so that the extra rice from it padded out saturday's dinner, plus we had enough of the takeaway curry sauce to freeze for another dinner...

The A4 paper calendar sheets are working out well so far, I have printed Sep / Oct / Nov and Dec in advance ready to fill in. I then transfer 2 weeks at a time to our drywipe board in the kitchen, where we also have a little corner on it to scribble bits that we need.

jackk_2

Just updating sig, i think it's gonna be very tight this month.

Not sure if its been said already cos there is way to many posts to read, but Asda is doing cravendale for £1.

Jackie x

AlwaysHappy

Hello there! Can I join in please? My month properly starts on the 20th which is payday so not sure if I join this month or Septembers. I've started spending already - I was led astray by this thread and someone pointing out Asda had some 50p offers on, so it would have been rude not to go... Anyway, I budget £260 for food for the month and I think I usually at least spend that, rather than the mentality being how not to spend it IFYKWIM, anyway, last month I actually overspent by £26.77, I at least want to reduce my monthly spend to £250 so thats another £10 taken off, and so far I have spent ....£62.62 (and I don't really get started for another 2 days so its going to be a loooooong month), so by my reckoning I have £160.61 left for the next 33 days!!! On the plus side, you couldn't get anything else in my freezer if you had a crowbar. I'm hoping for lots of help and suggestions as the month progresses - my Mum is also staying with us for 10 days in this period but there are usually 2 adults, 1 child and a dog. Thanks

fertyskids

Hi everyone.

A NSD for me today... Hooray!!

Katlady - So sorry to hear about Archie, i was really hoping hed pull through for you. my cat is now 21yrs old and we get scared he may go anytime, everytime he looses weight or looks a bit weary. anyway hes still here and jumping fences, well throwing himself at them and scrambling up. also still sh**gs stuffed dog so probably ok!!

Eager Learner - could you please explain how you use A4 calendar sheets. im using your spreadsheet and so far its making a lot of sense. i was hoping these might as well. i ccok for 9 everyday at the mo. i find it difficult to remember whats in the freezer and then to make a huge meal out of what is bits and bobs sometimes.

anyway all ok here. i hope everyone else is. take care karen

Moniker

Hello everyone - got back from hols in wet Wales on Friday evening - had a lovely time depite the weather (I think it was even wetter here!) Whilst in Wales I enjoyed the novelty of shopping in Aldi and Lidl and Morrisons! We don't have any round here. I have to say I was a bit disappointed as I didn't feel that prices were all that cheap - though as we were on holiday and we weren't buying our usual stuff I suppose it is hard to make a proper comparison.

We visited an aunt of mine on the way home and she gave me a huge cabbage, some tomatoes, cooking apples, a cucumber and some courgettes from her garden which was very nice and I did a shop at Sainsbury's just before getting home too. I have updated my signature and have £61-98 to last till 29th. I am feeling ok with this as we are away at a wedding at the weekend and then for a couple of days after that, so I only have for find meals for 7 more days and there's loads in the freezer.

Last night we had hm burgers made from 125g mince , some leftover mushrooms and a handful of oats and breadcrumbs. They were delish! We had visitors for lunch today and I did a huge lamb casserole in the slow cooker - it wasn't cheap but it was tasty and everyone had clean plates! I made a pavlova from egg whites I had frozen previously plus the double cream I was asking about before I went away. It froze fine and I defrosted it overnight in the fridge with no ill effects (ie it didn't separate). I topped it with slices of peach and a few raspberries. There are peach slices and raspberries left over for tomorrow night's pud too so it was quite economical really!

It was a NSD for me yesterday and today and tomorrow will be too. In fact I don't expect to have to shop again till Thursday or Friday. Both DH and I put on weight on holiday so we are going to have to cut down a bit and do more excercise! (We are going swimming later this evening at the local pool - though it isn't cheap and we have to drive to get there - but I keep making excuses not to go!)

Sorry I don't have time to catch up on all the posts while I was away - so hugs to all who need them. We're on the downhill run now to the end of the month so hang in there everyone!

Love Moniker

turbo5019

Well I spent £9.52 today on 4 x 400g of cheese it's on offer at min £2.00 Cathedral City extra mature DD2 eats loads of cheese I now have 8 pks. Also at our Coop they are doing Elmlea cream 39p normaly 83p so got 3 also they are doing carrorts 1.2kg for 54p normally £1.19 but they were reduced to 35p. I don't know if theys offers are just local or everywhere. I also got NOW today even though I don't really need too much shopping about £10 I am going to bulk buy again. My kind dad up a shlf up under my stairs so I have more storage space. God know what my DH will think when he gets home on wed I'll just put it down to the pregnancy.

I picked my first tomato yesterday :j and my first chill peppers today not sure what I am going to do with the chills yet if anyone has any idears i have 3.

Now going to freeze yet more runner beans strugling to eat them all.
Have a good evening everyone.

fertyskids

Hi everyone.

sorry to be a bother.

a friend has just given me a huge cabbage from his allotment.

what can i do with it? will it freeze/would it need blanching? are there any meals i could hide it in?

thanks in advance as so far i have always had responses when i have askes for advice.

thanks karen

MRSMCAWBER

Hi Fertyskids

Im not a fan of freezing cabbage -it always seems to hold water

How about making coleslaw... or shredding the cabbage, cooking and then mixing it into mashed potato,
Its nice in stir fry too -even my niece -who "doesn't DO cabbage" will eat it that way
oohh and i shred it and steam it then mix it in with my pasta when im having bolognaise... saves cals too

fertyskids

Hi MrsMcawber,

thanks for those ideas.

im not stupid really but how do i make coleslaw as id really like to give it a go, my lot love it.

also how long do i cook it for and could it be put in mash and then freeze the mash?