October 2008 Grocery Challenge. Please read first two posts.

Pip-squeak_3

Hi
Mrs Mc
Please put me down for £100 in October
Thanks for all your hard work and good luck to all

nickynoo08

Hi done my first shop of the month today. Spent £27.28 n got loads. Mr T had loads of things reduced so got me self quite a few bargains. Really really stocked up now should only need to get milk n fresh stuff if i plan our meals for rest of month.

kindlesgirl

Just popping in to say I've had two NSDs this month - but it won't last long as the cupboard and the fridge is bare! Even DD commented on the lack of food in the fridge so must be low!! So off to Mr T tomorrow and the market for F & V and eggs. The challenge is really making me question what I buy and how much I really need so thanks for all the inspiration and the great recipes!:j

meanmarie

First shop of October to-day and spent €27.39...if I can keep this rate of spending up there won't be a problem keeping to budget, have just learnt that we are acquiring a dog soon, niece of our last one, so that will mean dog food as well as cat food...aaah well, missed not having a dog.

Good luck to all, especially those trying GC for first time

Marie

jackk_2

I'd like to join in again this month if i may, can i be put down for £200 again this month please.

Jackie x

russetred

I made battered sausages with 10p sausages,HM chips with tatties from the garden and HM pickled shallots,mushrooms and spicey onions today.The whole lot cost less than a £1 for 5 people and everyone is raving about it!The simple things in life I guess,but those chips were brilliant.Another NSD for me and the freezer is emptying,slowly.

mumzyof2

Good Evening All...

Today I have gone over my budget of £25.00 and spent £27.05 but should have enough freezer stuff for next week and a half/ two weeks. Should only need butty stuff. I have plenty of stuff in the cupboards.

I would just like to tell people about some of the special offers they have in Morrisons at the moment.. but you properly know about them already but oh well...

8 Rashes of bacon (smoked or unsmoked) is BOGOF @ £2.38
Flora Buttery Taste is 81p
Batcherlors pasta "n" sauce (packet) is Half price @ 34p
Batchelors tinned soups (condensed) is half price @ 28p (good for sauces on pasta, expesially the mushroom one)
Colesaw is half price @ 28p
Morrisons Fresh soup (in plastic container) is 49p

Picked up some baking stuff today in my weekly shop (hence why i went over budget) to make chochlate fudge cake and peanut butter cookies, also eggs which i dont buy (DD does not like them) and also some stuff to make carrot soup.

Hope no one minds me posting the specail offers i found in Mr M today

Going to make carrot soup tomorrow if i have nothing planned but knowing my friends they wil ring me up and i will head out with them. But last day untill DS4 home all weekend (from school) so i will proberly have a relaxing day

Hope everyone is ok and hugs to anyone who needs them x

Edited: I need comfort at some point this week so will have to buy that and then im done untill monday when my new £25 starts again

gillaman

Did my first October shop in Mr A today. Had planned to spend about £58 and then just top ups as usual for the rest of the month. However, I looked at the list and just picked things I knew I needed now, mostly 'extras' rather than main ingredients for meals, and then added some ingredients for green tomato chutney and for making a batch of yoghurt. Came to £33.18 which I thought was a lot.

Think they must have been re-organising things because they had no organic flour or spreads at all. As a result I bought Mr A's tea - 160 bags for £1.98, instead of their organic breakfast tea, and this will last me two months, their jam, peanut butter and marmalade, and their own non-organic bread flour and sr flour - so it could have been worse. Still using stuff from the freezer and have well stocked cupboards so feel quite hopeful about October's challenge at the moment.

Julimk

I have now bought a slow cooker - £9.96 in Mr T. Most people seem to find them jolly useful & on Saturday I will make a beef casserole with some whoopsied braising steak that I got today (amazing as it was before 10am) and whatever veg I have in.

Today I used the remains of the last roast chicken; I have breast meat for a salad for tomorrow’s pack-up, made a delicious chicken & ham pie & have about 1 pint of chicken stock. I also made quiche & cheese scones.

Did a Mr T shop today & updated siggy. Haven’t included the SC as it is kitchen equipment that I should get years of use out of, rather than something for this month. Well within budget still & have masses of food in.

Was a bit concerned that I was restricting my budget too much as it is now a nearly 1/3 down on what I typically spent pre-GC, but am feeling more optimistic now. I am thoroughly enjoying the challenge of eating well for so much less & really appreciate the help & support from everyone here!

*BigBird*

I've spent about £70 out of our £300 budget so far this month. Just been through our meal plan and worked out that all of the bits I need to buy to make our evening meals for this month comes to around £68. This doesn't include lunches, fruit, snacks, etc - but how much can they cost?? I reckon maybe £40 for the rest of the month? It will be interesting to see what my total is at the end of this month and how much has been spent on extras/rubbish!

Just made my first jar of pickled onions :T I have to leave them to pickle for 2 weeks now, I hope they turn out OK. Mr T only had big jars of pickling vinegar and I still have about 3/4 of it left. I don't want to waste it and OH loves his pickles so they'll definitely get eaten if they turn out reasonably well, so I think I'll be off to buy more ickle pickling onions this weekend

Anyone got any tips for getting the smell of onions off your hands?