February 2009 Grocery Challenge

PennyGrabber

A NSD for me today - woohoo! It helps that I was at work all day and had the children back home from their dad's tonight. It will be another NSD for me tomorrow i'm sure (unless school shut!), but Friday is the tricky one - I always seem to go to MrA after school with DD before picking up DS from childminder. Will try not to do that this week though.

Does anyone have a good recipe for using pork belly slices? I have some close to UB date, and no space in freezer.

Can you really freeze bananas?

PG x

Maisie_M

Hi All

Did my weekly shop today and all told between somerfield, Mr A and Mr T it came to £22.20. Have to get some fruit and veg from Aldi on Friday but that will be it for the week.

Hope you have a lovely weekend - sorry haven't had time to read the thread but will catch up over the weekend.

kezlou

TrixieB wrote: »

TYhey seem to do it in stages, first ones at 5pm about half to a third of the price, and then around 7pm onwards to 5p. No idea if it's a store specific thing or company policy though?

Hi Kezlou I know who you are now!!

Damn you pork always letting me down :rotfl:!

gillst_2

Have decided that I am going to go on an annual budget. Had hoped to stick to £200 a month, but as I have been stocking up on basics over the past couple of months I will be going over budget again this month. Have plenty in and hope to keep it that way, at least for the time being.

I would therefore like to change to an annual budget of £2400.00.

May have to change this later in the year, but that will depend on whether food continues to increase in price.

Am going to try and grow veggies for later in the year and hope that will help.

mummy2mygirls

TrixieB wrote: »

TYhey seem to do it in stages, first ones at 5pm about half to a third of the price, and then around 7pm onwards to 5p. No idea if it's a store specific thing or company policy though?

Hi Kezlou I know who you are now!!

poped in after picking my little girl up from rainbows tonight, was in a rush so only had a quick look- heard the lady behind the counter say im just going to reduce some things now!!was tempted to go over and see but didnt have time - next week i will delay my time round lol and see if i can catch any bargains!!

I just had tesco delivered and cost £127 :eek: but my plan for this shop is to spend this big one once and then get meat fruit and veg at the market (cant face going round tesco myself anymore till after baby has come...) included toilet roll and nappies and wipes etc to last the mth, so think i got lots for my money.....i hope.....
anyway of to update sig now.......

Julimk

I got my 2nd freezer on 15 Jan; b’day pressie to myself! Main reason was because I have been batch cooking for ages (way before GC); as I am a single Mum with a full time job I don’t have a lot of time. And when I am in the office in London (3 days a week – work from home 2) I am not home until after 7pm, so just want something I can sling in the micro for a few mins & eat. DD gets fed at the childminder’s on those days.

Freezer #1 is the freezer section of a fairly large fridge/freezer & whilst ot has 4 drawers it was permanently stuffed to bursting with my individual HM meal portions plus meat & veggies.

This month I was able to cook enough HM meals (dinners) for the whole month & put them in the second freezer & do a main shop at the beginning of the month including the required meat & veg for a month, which is stored in freezer #1.

It may mean that I go slightly over this month.:p But the plan is that as I now have effectively 2 months dinners in (half cooked up & half as ingredients) from next month I will be able to only buy meat in particular when it is in on a special offer or whoopsied & hopefully also ethically. I have checked what I have in already & it is at least ‘red tractor’.

Today I got a couple of bits in MrT. Will need to pick up a loaf of bread tomorrow (as I have mentioned before we only get through 1 every 2 weeks, so no real saving on making it & DD says she doesn’t like the HM bread anyway!)

Doesn’t leave a lot for the rest of the month. :rolleyes: But DD breaks up from school for half term on 13th & will then go to her Dad. I am not fussed about eating up whatever is left after that. Have enough dinners already cooked up for the rest of the month for both of us & enough for the pack-ups for both of us until the end of next week.

Once I have the bread we will also have enough for brekkies until the end of next week too (bread is mainly used for toast for brekkie, we both have salads rather than sandwiches in pack-ups). So the budget is still workable, as should only need fresh milk for the rest of the month.

little_miss_thrifty

Evening all!

Have spent a total of £20 so far this month, which includes £10 for veg, and i have used some for soups so far and some more for a veggie pie tomorrow. Fridge and freezer are both looking full still; I have enough for a fish pie, curry, roast dinner, spag bol, mousakka etc - just have to get milk, bread and cereal tomorrow.
I have just finished making 2 batches of vanilla biscuits - the smell is wonderful, but the heat from the oven is better!!...Our boiler stopped working on Tuesday morning and hopefully we will get the replacement part tomorrow to fix it.
The children have really enjoyed getting ready for bed downstairs in front of the electric heater, and having hot water bottles in bed!

LMT x

mrssnowy_2

Well,very strange week so far.
Because of snow early Monday I have been walking to work ,only takes just over 10 mins,but out of an hour lunch break to go home eat with DH(who is still not 100%)then get back-well my poor legs are about on their last.

Cawl made on Sunday with a beautiful piece of lamb shoulder,was finally finished lunchtime today-Very good with keepng.
Mashed pots,corned beef and salad for evening meal-made a nice change.
Prawn,noodle and beansprout stirfry last night,bit salty cos I found oyster sauce in the cupboard and added fish sauce-OOPS

Day off tomorrow,I had loads of things organised which have all been postponed because of impending snowfall,so now it really could be a day off.
Except for shovelling more flipping snow:D

Toss up between braised steak or macaroni cheese tomorrow.

Knew I was posting for a reason-a work colleague has her own chooks up on the hill behind her house,free range but look out for the foxes,her eggs are £1.80 a dozen and are absolutely lovely,laying well at present.

Night all

mrss

TheBees

Today I made a chilli in the slow cooker following Jamie Oliver's recipe plus I added a coupld of handfulls of oats. I only used 500g of minced beef but because the recipe includes so much tinned tomatoes, chickpeas etc it has made enough for tonight plus two more family meals which have gone in the freezer. :j

Unfortunately I was very naughty. I went into Mr T for some printer paper but they didn't have any. But I still ended up spending £8 on sweets, shower gel and some posh puddings:eek: . So annoyed with myself because it could have been a NSD.

Tomorrow's meal is leftover mini mince beef pies (made in the ramekin dishes last week) with potatoes and veg.

S_Wales_Saver

Evening all

Today is my third NSD in a row :beer: . Will go to MrA tomorrow (weather permitting) for root veggies for soup, dried pasta and some other bits. I am looking forward to sorting out both freezers, once we have eaten a bit more of the stocks (finding some strange iceburgs at the back lol) Won't be this weekend tho cos I'm for bonnie Scotland and the 6 Nations. OH will be left with set meals ready frozen. This is both for the GC and because he has just been diagnosed diabetic, so needs to lose weight, and avoid some foods. It does mean I don't have to buy (or bake) any sweet snacks. See you all tomorrow.