November 2008 Grocery Challenge

BigMummaF

Welcome Newbies! Any time is a good time to 'join' because it's your challenge that you tailor to your individual circumstances :j Let's face it, if it means you're saving a few pennies it can only be a good thing
Messers T, S, A & M are the four big supermarkets & some people are lucky enough to have the budget stores locally too like Aldi & FarmFoods. If you go to the first page of the Challenge, you'll find lots of really good links to other threads for recipe ideas & even excellent ways to cut down on household cleaning stuff too :T

For my sins, I seem to be physically buying a lot less but the money is still disappearing:( at a rate of knots. I have, this week, got some of the dried pinto beans to try; my theory is that if they are adding protein it can only be a benefit to stretching the offspring's beloved meat
On a plus, casseroles are slowly becoming 'mm..not bad Mum' meals after 20-odd years of 'not eating THAT' SIZE=1]& I'm gunna start messing around with BEANS??? :doh:[/SIZE & even me muvva is getting the frugal-habit :j
I've a leg of lamb & an ice-cream dessert ready for 25/12 & realised yesterday that because I now bake my own bread, I've no real need to do that 14 hr queueing on crimbo Eve this year cuz fruit, veg & dairy can be bought the day before if not sooner..Reee-zolt-a:dance:

ZLS1984

Hi well I just bought something that was not really needed but got it cheaper than it should be so will become one of my DD's xmas gifts. Every year I get a little something and put it from santa lol so this one will be it.

I have to go shopping 2moz arghhhhhhh but I am going to go through the freezer and cupboards and see just how much I actually need.

If my mum is going to morrisons now as I think she is I will focus on BOGOF stuff that dnt go off, then I will put the free one in a box and bulk up for christmas week.

Dnt know if any one else does this with BOGOF but I think it is usefull to put the free one away.

MRSMCAWBER

Afternoon all

Well we are now in about 7" of snow :j ..so it looks like I was right when I thought we were going to be in for a bad winter (well good winter -if like me you love snow).... so Im sooooo glad I have got quite a few thing in the basement store
When I get my december housekeeping at the weekend Im going to allow a bigger budget so i can get more... things like a tray of longlife milk -for "emergencies".. I used to have this all the time -but since going back onto fresh full fat -I hate the longlife stuff but in dire times -if its that or go without tea -I will drink it :rotfl:

This morning I have made us individual steak n veg pudding for lunch -they were gorgeous :T ..and with the leftover suet pastry I made a small roly poly with strawberry n rhubarb jam -we have just had that with thick custard... sat snuggled under a blanky watching the snow build up -It was proper "winter fare" and took me back to being a kid (my mum made that kind of pud all the time )

I have the bread rising in the remoska.. and the rest of the steak filling has been made into 2 pies and i have stuck them in the freezer
Tomorrow Im going to strip of the chicken in the fridge and turn that into pies too-we don't eat pies all the time -honest ..only once a week -but Im in the hospital on the 2nd Dec (should have been in now but it changed)..so I want to leave plenty in that hubby can just shove in the remoska

right enough rambling..Im now off to sit on my bum and crochet
Nearly a new month folks :T keep up the good work everyone

mikeD

Penny-Pincher!! wrote: »

I know Ocado is expensive compared to Tesco etc but I have a done a few shops there recently using voucher codes (£15 off £75 or £90 spend) and they now price match a lot of Tesco prices
xx

M&S are also price matching Tesco, or at least in my area they are, but you cannot do a full shop there as the range is very limited. Their veggies though are very good. However I have recently discovered the delights of our local fruit and veg market (open Thursdays & Saturdays only). Their prices are similar to Mr T's but the quality is so much better. Another attraction is the charming young lady on the checkout who as I was taking out referred to me as "Darlin", and then asked if there was anything else Well! Phew! Don't ask, just do :kisses: !

BTW Hello to all my old friends on this Board, see you all again sometime. :beer:

pinkjen

Afternoon all

Just updated my sig with this months receipts & have managed to keep well below my previous 2 months all through finding the reduced section of Mr S, so am currently at £78.62 for me & DS. I didn't realise about reduced goods really till I started on here so thanks all for the really good advice :beer: . I now don't buy much full priced & am always on the lookout for the yellow stickers!! much to my familys amusement. :rotfl:

Anyhow, I won't declare just yet as I still have till the 25th which will be my new month.

Pinkjen

[Deleted User]

Well, updated my sig and although will go slightly over budget this month I'm very pleased so far with the results .I have been doing the GC since September and have saved an awful lot.
I now literally buy only what I really need, and not automatically chuck into the trolley.
This morning I bought a fresh loaf ,two thirds of which I wrapped in foil and froze to use during the coming week,so today I actually only spent £1.24 on food.If I didn't freeze some of the bread I would be throwing out before the end of the week. I am quite surprised at how frugal I have become now.
Will stick to the £50.00 for December as I shall be away for part of it over Christmas and the New Year anyway.So I should have quite a bit more left by the end of it

meanmarie

Did a big shop in Lidl this morning, spent €90.76, bringing my total spend so far to €257.21, so if I can get out without spending any more to 30th ( will need milk and maybe bread) I will then buy one of the frozen turkeys in Tesco and some ham with balance of my €300, meaning that I will be ahead when I start the December challenge...think that I have all the extras already, so I should only need 'normal' food for December, although with 17 for Christmas dinner I won't be buying small sizes of anything!

Good luck to all and those who are struggling remember that you have cut down spending by using challenge, you will hit your target if you keep going...I now spend at least €1200 per year less than I did before GC, and that is with prices soaring all round, so you are winning

Marie

mummy2mygirls

hello everyone, hope your all getting on ok with your challenge.
Just a quick question:
When you make lasagna and you have extra that has been bulked out etc, how do you freeze it?? do you cook it in something that can also be frozen??(not sure i fi have anything that can go in oven and freezer!?!?) or do you try and take it out and put in bags (sounds to messy!!) or should i just make up the amount we will need and just freeze the left over mince to then take out and make a lasagna when next wanted????
any ideas would be greatly welcomed......
thanks for reading
xx

ifonlyitwaseasier

afternoon all,

went to Mr's T & S today, spent a total of £31.69 but now have more than enough to last the rest of the month, well past the end of my challenge, (tuesday) so depending on whether hubby buys anything decides on our total.



ioiwe x

sharronej

Mummy2mygirls

You could buy some of the individual foil trays (with lids if you're feeling extravagent) or perhaps you might have some take aways tubs left and when you have cooked your lasagne 'serve' it into the individual portions that you want. Once it's frozen it will be much easier to handle.

I have some large plastic tupperware type tubs for when I cook soups and stews and things like that, once I have cooked them I pour them into the tubs, let them cool, freeze them and then 'pop' them out of the tub (like a big ice cube) and store in freezer bags. It has the added bonus of keeping everything the same size so it's easy to stack in the freezer....and yes, my tins are all organised so that they are in columns facing the same way lol