October 2008 Grocery Challenge. Please read first two posts.

Rowan9

Hi peeps - went shopping yesterday for only 2nd time this month and parted with £29. Got a lot for that and am happy . Maybe I'll make the target this month!!
Off to add it to my sig
w

Sunny_Donny

Got all the fruit and veg in for this week.
Freezers half full, but working way through it to keep to target. Lamb joint cooking for lamb curry for tea this evening, rest will be used for Sunday dinner and any for sandwiches on Monday.
Lsagne or shepherd's pie for Monday with lots left over to freeze for meals later in the month.
Niece coming on Sunday (3) so getting cooking chocolate in for rice crispy buns - yum!!!

Penny-Pincher!!

Hi Ness

I would say a reasonable budget would be around £80 a week if cooking all from scratch. Thats £10 per person and cleaning stuff doesnt cost alot.

Make a list of meals you like and the ingredients needed. As there are quite a few of you it may be difficult to double up on quantities if you know what i mean. Or do a mealplan for a week so you know exactly what you need for the week.

I would do meals that are easy and cost effective such as:

Stews
Curries
Roasts
Shepherds/Cottage Pie
Meat & Potatoe Pie
Spagbol
Chilli
Chops, Mash & Veg
Egg, Chips & Beans
Lasagna

HTH

PP
xx

Magentasue

Should have added that we don't eat meat. Don't eat much in the way of soya, TVP, quorn etc - exception is veggie sausages for toad in the hole.

It's so long since I shopped for meat, I'm out of touch with prices, but lots of people have said to me that the biggest moneysaver for them is to replace some meals with vegetarian alternatives.

We go through a lot of milk, eggs and cheese so I never feel we lack protein - I don't think many people do in this country. I don't worry much about high carbohydrate and fat either. I think in terms of a small portion protein and filling the plate up with veg or salad and some stodge such as potatoes, pasta, rice or bread.

mum_of_4

I think about £70.

If you cook from scratch is it very possible. Meal planning although sometimes a bit of a pain does actually work. It helps to make the most of your budget. I really have to stick to a budget for the next 6 months and meal planning is a must.

When time is tight it is so easy to just pop to the shop to buy something easy but if like suggested by another poster you cook double on a day when you have time and then freeze the second meal.

I guess like me you have a huge milk bill, can't help with that as I don't think that i can avoid buying the milk.

katie2407

had to get milk today from village shop but bought myself a roll for work as I forgot to take out rolls last night so spend £1.64

angelatgraceland

Well my total food spend last week was £32.58 which is most likely my lowest ever! I was overspent by about £10.17 last week so wtih the two weeks together I'm under by £22.41. Very happy indeed with that! I dont think anyone has had a great appetite this week though. Youngest dd has a cold so isnt eating much-eldest dd is eating the most and is still taking a flask of coffee and sarnies to work daily and managing her debts at last!
My son has probably being buying junkfood outside as he hasnt eaten a lot at home but he is 19 after all!
What we have devoured is a daily loaf of HM bread! And the fruitbowl never stays full-it empties at great speed. Not done much in the way of real meals but they are in the freezer for when anyone is hungry. I took out s/s pork the other day for myself. Also used up the parsnip soup so I must do some more soups. My main spend this week is on petrol as I seem to have been playing taxi again. I ended up working more and spending less this week so I can't complain.

gillaman

Hi all
Not posted much recently but I've been reading everyone else's posts. I've been doing more cooking than buying, and restocking my freezer. I now have containers of tomato soup, parsnip soup, sweet potato soup and carrot, lentil and orange soup (this one is yummy). Plan to make some tofu burgers again today and maybe some Glamorgan sausages (though they're made with Wensleydale cheese!). Now I've got my grocery spend under better control I'm concentrating on making dinners that can be cooked on the hob, or planning how to make better use of my oven. I did some baking last week and my meter reading shot up. So far I've devised a timing plan for baking a loaf and a pizza from weighing ingredients to taking out of the oven - well my old fashioned cookery lessons from the 50's finally came in useful!

Not sure when I'll next have to go to Mr A (the only large supermarket around here) - maybe sometime towards the end of next week.

ifonlyitwaseasier

morning all

have been and done my shopping, been into town and am home already!
got 32 sausages for £5 in MrT so have split that into 8 portions for me and hubby. am even keeping some for him for the morning as a treat
spent far too much (36.35) but it'll get us through the next two or three weeks and fill the freezer up a bit too.

also made hm bread last night and it rose up better than ever before!
i was going to do baking today but as i've filled the freezer with whoopsied rolls i'll have to wait.

am off to tidy the house and then knit a bit

take care

ioiwe x

jackie_w

Hi All,

Well Ive totally lost it this month, i dont know what ive done with a couple of my receipts, and I paid for my shopping with cash, so, i cant even check back to see what ive spent :mad: :mad: . I know it must be about £80 odd but im not so sure. I think for this month, I will need to take a step back from the challenge, and start again afresh from next month.

Jackie