January 2009 Grocery Challenge

goldfinch68

Just popping in and updating my signature. Will be really pleased to keep to the monthly budget by 20 Feb (payday). Its amazing how you can save and be really careful when you put your mind to it.

Sylvan

We managed to get some reduced eggs from the co-op too (2 packs of 6 free-range eggs for 75p each) but I didn't see any tuna or mayo (I would have snatched them up!). Our Co-op is tiny, so probably doesn't have half the offers the bigger ones carry.
DS4 had no lessons or exams yesterday so he was at home [strike]avoiding [/strike] revising. Came to me in the afternoon and said "Can I make a coffee cake?". Of course he got to the point where he needed to add eggs and there weren't any:o. I was going to send him on his own but I thought, since I had him to help, I could go as well.

Along with the eggs we picked up reduced milk roll (absolutely adore it!) for 50p, 375g Sharwoods egg noodles for 53p each (much better than Mr M's "2 for £1.50" offer), 2 bottles of chilli dipping sauce for £1.50 and 2 litres of Mackies ice cream (another favourite treat we only get when it's reduced) for £1.46 each.

That £7.48 and the £2 DS4 took for "Chippy" for Wednesday's lunch take us to £296.16. I know DH has been to Mr T's this week but he hasn't given me the receipt yet and he's going to Mr W on Monday for their steak mince and sausage offers so, since we have to go to town tomorrow, it doesn't look as thought we're going to make it this month either, but we do have jam-packed storecupboards and freezers and DS4 made a batch each of Twink's hobnobs, Millie's cookies and shortbread along with the cake yesterday (and we have been feeding 6 or 7 a couple of times a week) so I don't feel too guilty.

sharronej wrote: »

orchid-96 wrote: »

Sharonnej, that programme last night didn't focus on anyone/thing suffering for cheap food, only that the supermarkets are pushing their value ranges and how poor some of that food is (mainly pies/sausages/mince) and how they could improve the standard of that food by quite a bit by spending just a penny or so more per product...and it also had families on their trying ways to cut their shopping by using the value ranges or shopping in local shops....it was quite interesting really, but not at all condemming (apart from the supermarkets with all their profits etc.) The family that was using the value ranges (from the big 4 supermarkets) did pretty well with the stuff they got as they didn't seem to rely on the convenience stuff....

Ahh I see in that case I'll look out for the repeat, I don't eat the really cheap meat products as a result of seeing what's in them! I'd rather have a smaller protion with better quality sausages etc What's the difference in the Mince? I thought it was just the amount of fat?

The repeat is on Monday, at 11.05pm, and Hugh F-W's new chicken thing (taking on Mr T) is a couple of hours earlier, at 9pm, on Channel 4.

PennyGrabber

YummyMummy - yes please for the recipe for SC kidney recipe!

This is my first day of Feb GC (should it go onto a different place?) and I've already spent £20.24 of my £80 budget!!
The other bad news is that I thought I'd be really organised this morning (I'm off work ill, so it's 'free' time!) and I made a monthly meal planner before I went out shopping. I looked in the pantry and the kitchen freezer, as you do, and then I went to the outside freezer to fill up the rest of the meal boxes on my planner. Lo and behold, my lovely LARGE, jam packed freezer had been turned off about 2 weeks ago when my washing machine died. :mad: ARGH!! :mad: I'd made so many HM meals, and bought so many bargains that I though would see me really far into 2009, therefore small budgets, and now it's all gone! I'm absolutely gutted. Still, looking on the plus side, that's 2 weeks of electricity I haven't had to pay for to keep it running!
Looks like a storecupboard month for me now!! Going to make myself a batch of Twink's hobnobs to make up for it!

OrkneyStar

Sylvan wrote: »

We managed to get some reduced eggs from the co-op too (2 packs of 6 free-range eggs for 75p each) but I didn't see any tuna or mayo (I would have snatched them up!). Our Co-op is tiny, so probably doesn't have half the offers the bigger ones carry.

LOL, I bet it is not as tiny as our local one! The ones in the bigger town and also at the other side of the island are a bit bigger (although you could fit them 10 times over into a decent sized Tesco!). The one down the road from us has about 4-5 shelved sections (10 ft ish), 4-6 smaller shelved sections (say 2ft max) and some chillers/freezers. Still it can be a goldmine for whoopsies, mainly cos most people go at least once a week to the bigger Coop, or more commonly Tesco/Lidl. Thankfully they try to get some of the offers in though.

PennyGrabber wrote: »

The other bad news is that I thought I'd be really organised this morning (I'm off work ill, so it's 'free' time!) and I made a monthly meal planner before I went out shopping. I looked in the pantry and the kitchen freezer, as you do, and then I went to the outside freezer to fill up the rest of the meal boxes on my planner. Lo and behold, my lovely LARGE, jam packed freezer had been turned off about 2 weeks ago when my washing machine died. :mad: ARGH!! :mad: I'd made so many HM meals, and bought so many bargains that I though would see me really far into 2009, therefore small budgets, and now it's all gone! I'm absolutely gutted. Still, looking on the plus side, that's 2 weeks of electricity I haven't had to pay for to keep it running!

Oh poor you, I would be very annoyed. This is why, although we keep the freezer stocked, we don't completely rely on it and refuse to buy two (imagine two got turned off at once!!!). At least you are trying to see the 'bright' side too.

oldMcDonald

Hi all:)

Aw, PennyGrabber, feel for you:( I do a lot of bulk cooking for the freezer and to find that it has been turned off / has died is something I often worry about.

Just totted up the bits and bobs bought throughout the week and updated sig. Hoping I will come in on budget but I think I may go over a little. I have a good selection of veg in the freezer so wont buy any fresh this week, but we will need some fruit, bread flour and dog food.

MrsM, can you put me down for £140 next month, please? Thats for our food, dog food, cleaning items and toiletries. Thanks:)

Sylvan

OrkneyStar wrote: »

LOL, I bet it is not as tiny as our local one! The ones in the bigger town and also at the other side of the island are a bit bigger (although you could fit them 10 times over into a decent sized Tesco!). The one down the road from us has about 4-5 shelved sections (10 ft ish), 4-6 smaller shelved sections (say 2ft max) and some chillers/freezers. Still it can be a goldmine for whoopsies, mainly cos most people go at least once a week to the bigger Coop, or more commonly Tesco/Lidl. Thankfully they try to get some of the offers in though.

Oh poor you, I would be very annoyed. This is why, although we keep the freezer stocked, we don't completely rely on it and refuse to buy two (imagine two got turned off at once!!!). At least you are trying to see the 'bright' side too.

Ours has 2 aisles (so 4 sections of shelves) 2 chillers and 2 upright freezers. It also has a post office counter:j. Since I've lived at least 5 miles from the nearest small shop for the last 20 odd years this feels like the glittering metropolis. I'd shop there more if I could get there on my own. (We try to use them as much as poss to keep them going)

Pennysaver, you have my sympathy. I had that happen a few years ago. We went away for 3 weeks and there was a thunderstorm on the 2nd day, that tripped the main switch. The smell was awful:eek:. It's not just the money - it's all the time you put into making those meals isn't it?

angelatgraceland

Well we are having vegetarian curry tonight. I soaked half a bag of chickpeas overnight for it, plus 1/3 bag of green lentils and 5 med spuds. Added 2 large onions and 2 stock cubes plus a little pot of chicken stock from freezer(not truly veggy and not necessary)
6 teaspoons of curry powder and 1/2 teaspoon of chilli.
Ive done the taste test and its good! DH will approve as he is suspicious of anything but chicken breasts and pork chops.
Cooked half a kilo of rice and the total cost is approx £2.20. Rice is enough for 7(Im freezing 2 portions )and at least that with the curry too. I have some prown crackers from Approved foods we can have with it and a few poppadoms which need using up. Maybe some of the homemade chutney I did yesterday too. It made approx of 7lbs in weight so Im guessing at about 21 jars of shopbought equivilant. A big saving on cost and fun to make. We like sweet chilli sauce so I will have a go at making this next I think-maybe after we grow our chillis again in the summer.
A nospend day for me today and another 8 to go. Made some pate from kidney beans last night and Im going to do egg mayo tonight as I need something to take to work tomorrow. I can have that with some of my cheap ryvitas!
Going to try to cut down on coffee as I must drink approz 12 mugs a day and to be fair-that is "bad". So the odd cup of hot water instead as I like hot drinks and I dont want to replace the coffee with anything else.
Never did my cupboard inventory but Ive tidied it up somewhat so I know what I have. Watering down the milk and putting just 2 pints at a time in the fridge. Going to see if dispatches is available yet on catchup as I always miss the repeats too.

OrkneyStar

Sylvan wrote: »

Ours has 2 aisles (so 4 sections of shelves) 2 chillers and 2 upright freezers. It also has a post office counter:j. Since I've lived at least 5 miles from the nearest small shop for the last 20 odd years this feels like the glittering metropolis. I'd shop there more if I could get there on my own. (We try to use them as much as poss to keep them going)

Ok, maybe yours is slightly smaller!

searching_me

hello lovelys aint checked in in a few days been really busy or tired but been making use i keep taps doing ok not sure if im gonna make it as i only have £7 to last me til either thursday or saturday not sure when im getting paid this month ....
but on a happier note found out today bubs is a BOY! .... hope your all well x

procrastinator

Went shopping this morn and tried really hard not to buy too much as I am now buying little and often. I need to walk more so take almost daily trips to town to see what is on offer. Feels truly OS as I remember my mum doing this in the 60s. Anyway, today I went to T after the school drop off so bought cereal X 3 as they had the one teens like on offer. 2 box of mush as on bogof.clover on offer, and 4 x 10p noodles for teen snacks. I resisted all fresh veg as it was so expensive, I will get this from Aldi instead, still have carrots, cabbage and swede to use up, I did get a bag of value frozen peas. Bought banana's and will look to buy other fruit from lidl and aldi. Bought cheese X 2. In all I spent 18.07, I am still eating store cupboard items ad have lots left for next month. Will update sig when posted this, my book shows overall only spent 101. so far and only a week to go. I am really pleased as it will make up for going over in Dec.