December 2008 Grocery Challenge

[Deleted User]

Well I can feed myself for £50.00 per month.I have fairly good food stocked cupboards, plus a fridgefeezer that is also stocked quite well. I live alone and its a case of working out my meals for a week .True I have Sunday Dinner at my DD's house and usually one meal midweek there, but the rest I do for myself .Its only organising your self.I have one purse for food and that's all. I like vegatable soups so veggies is important .But I don't get a box I will go to either the market or the farm shop to see whats on offer.I don't like prewrapped vegatables or fruit and when I buy the fruit I see it as not only fruit to eat in the evening but fruit to have as part of a meal. Soup is a good starter and fills you up quite a bit so the main course doesn't have to be so large.Pudding can be reasonably cheep.a jelly and custard or a rice pud which can do two or three days.Lunch is usually a sandwich and a piece of fruit or a yogurt. breakfast is usually porridge or toast.I buy a dozen eggs a month and they will do for baking, or scrambled for a snack at lunchtime on toast
Things to buy to store would be
Toothpaste
shampoo,I buy Sainsburys value big bottle 28p
conditioner aslo Sainsburys value conditioner
shower gel
toilet rolls Cheapest I'm not fussed
washing up liquid Can't compromise ,must have fairy
bleach again cheapest
disinfectant "" ""
toilet cleaner "" ""

veggies
spuds,
carrots,
leeks
onions
cabbage
swede
a couple of peppers
1/2 cucumber
lettuce
tomato's
Spring onions
mushrooms
Fruit bag
apples
oranges
bananas
either a pineapple or a melon which ever is on the offer
What ever fruit is in season at the time.
Milk
cheese
bread
herbs and spices
curry powder
rice
pasta
lentils
vinegar
flour
marg
It is possible to use these basic foods to get through the month without breaking the bank it just means organising your meal plan and sticking to it
Plus don't go shopping on an empy tummy as you will buy far more than you need
Stick a large A4 size sheet of paper on the fridge and divide it up into 28 meals .Thats three a day for a week.I bet you can stick to it and if you get bored with one meal swap it about for something else.
Re the meat a medium chicken should get a good few meals off of plus if you do it in a SC then you get the stock for a base for your soups.Probably500gm good mince meat will give you several meals i.e. shepards pie ,lasagne chilli
Its amazing what you can make with a little ingenuity and some spuds,cheese and an onion.Good Luck

painted_lady

Sounds an interesting idea but dont think I could do it.
I have a makro card and dont actually find it that cheap (unless something is on makro mail). I find fairy is often on offer, 6 pack of 750ml for 5.54, lasts me over 18months, colgate, 12 of the smaller size for £7, lasts me 12 months. I find things like babywipes are cheaper in asda or tesco when they are on offer, I never pay more than £1 a pack for the brand makes (I find other makes you need to use more so its false economy).
I stock up on stuff that saves and like you, I prefer to do a big stock up shop as little as possible and then just get fresh.
I can cook from scratch and I enjoy going to several different supermarkets for different items.

scotsaver

gailey wrote: »

scotsaver can I reaadjust now? seems like cheating but i been so unrealistic.
I need at least another £50 as not got bird yet where can I buy cheapest free range bird?

Hi gailey - just post a new total on here in red and MRSMC will update you on the list. MRSMC - good to see you posting again, hope you are better soon.

Don't know about the cheapest Free Range Turkey, I shall be buying mine from Asda, they have been advertising Fresh Free Range Turkeys will be in store from 19th, prices from £18 but don't know what size that is, Sainsbury's have been advertising that they will have theirs in Store from 20th but no price - does anyone else know what prices these will be - looked on the Store websites but can't find anything.

Planning to make some more Mince Pies today, some Muffins and Dinner tonight will be Cheese & Bacon Pasta with Salad.

Hope you all have a good day.:D

Lalaladybird

I like your idea of buying a year supply of certain things but what about washing powder/fabric conditioner, foil, clingfilm, bin bags..... ?

sharronej

Don't know about the cheapest Free Range Turkey, I shall be buying mine from Asda, they have been advertising Fresh Free Range Turkeys will be in store from 19th, prices from £18 but don't know what size that is, [/quote]

I was watching a Jamie Oliver show the othe day and he said two smaller turkeys would be better than one big one (from the point of view of moistness when cooked)

sharron

jinny

That is such a good idea. I get a bonus from work for Christmas that I have managed with lots of fancy footwork not to break into, was gonna use it for the sales, but it might be a good idea to stock up on basics, a great time saver too.

cw18

I've always cooked huge (normally 15-18lb, bought frozen) turkeys. I put them into a low temp oven, breast side down, covered in foil (like a tent, so it wraps round the roasting dish). When I come to take it out, I can't lift the turkey out whole, as the meat all falls off the bones as soon as I touch it with a fork -- so no problem keeping a large bird moist here....

sharronej

gailey wrote: »

Nymedia that approved foods looks interesting.Must let us know what its like.

HI,
I've used approved foods a couple of times now and I have been very pleased with both the service and the quality of the foods, the only thing I would say to keep an eye on is the weight of your parcel because the postage doubles as soon as you go over the benchmark

sharron

sharronej

cw18 wrote: »

I've always cooked huge (normally 15-18lb, bought frozen) turkeys. I put them into a low temp oven, breast side down, covered in foil (like a tent, so it wraps round the roasting dish). When I come to take it out, I can't lift the turkey out whole, as the meat all falls off the bones as soon as I touch it with a fork -- so no problem keeping a large bird moist here....

What a good idea - I think I might try that, in a way you are actually steaming the bird aren't you?

cw18

never thought about it that way -- I watched the BBC Good Food Show many years ago, and one of the chefs recommended cooking a chicken that way up to keep the breast moist and stop the dark meat being greasy. I just applied the same method to the turkey, but used foil over it as the bird was too big for my lidded roasting tin