July 2009 Grocery Challenge

turbo5019

Mrs Mc Thats good to hear. What a weight off yours and your familys minds.

Barneysmom

He, I've been working away again so now I've got 5 minutes, I've edited my sig as I've only got £20 left.
The Tesco as far as I know has boiling bacon on offer so I'll go and get some later, I'll slice it and freeze it in bags, 4 slices per bag and it'll do for meals with spuds and parsley sauce, or for sandwiches for work.

My wages are in for August so for me it's nearly the end of another month, be time to start thinking of the merry season soon, and start stashing tinned fish and wotnots. I've got 5 major birthdays in NOvember too so will have really clamp down on the spending.

Hollysan

I've just edited my sig as well. I am about to do another Tesco online order (the third this month!) because a plague of locusts has attacked my cupboards and fridge and we are running out again. Yes, that's right. Children on holiday! Plus extras - their friends who have been here to play and for sleepovers. So we will be cutting it fine with the grocery budget this month. And OH is on holiday soon. Aagh! Better stock up on coffee...

Hollysan

ellemm

Glad to hear your Mum is doing OK Mrs Mc, you must all be very relieved.

Allegra

Flat_Eric wrote: »

Would be interested to hear how little some of you allow to create a meal. :rolleyes2

Interesting question - and one that, at first, I'd have had to answer as "dunno". So I went and had a look at my accounts over the last four months or so (when I went back to writing every item down and breaking all expenditure down to see where exactly all the money was disappearing off to), and it turns out that pure food - all meals and home-baked snacks for two adults and a 12 year old - works out at about £110pm all told. That's about £1.20 per day per person. The rest of our £225pm average budget goes on the cat (£20pm), household, health & beauty (£20), and drinks - tea, coffee, fruit juice and bottled flavoured water for DD, wine and beer for us - (£75).

So, if the things get really tough and we had to make a significant reduction to our budget, we'd do it in following order - quit washing, get rid of the cat, quit drinking

Flat_Eric

Dancing_Shoes wrote: »

Where do I start with menu planning?
Do you plan every meal for the whole month including breakfast and lunch?

My weekly planner features the days of the week across the top and 5 rows entitled, breakfast, lunch, tea, notes and shopping required. I have printed enough to last me a year! and stuck them in a folder.

For me, certain days means certain meals, my comfort meal of home made jacket chips on Monday typically served with fried eggs, ham and mushrooms. Tuesday its soup or jacket spuds as I get home late. Wednesday its jacket chips again so thats three days sorted. Then I try to think about what i have in my freezer/fridge and plan the rest of the meals around that. for example any veg that needs using up so perhaps a stir fry? whats been lurking in my cupboard for yonks that I can finally make use of?

I mainly plan my evening meals only but once I get completely organised I might try and plan breakfast and lunch too. I probably try to plan 2 weeks in advance and sometimes 2 versions so I can pick and choose what I fancy.

Dancing_Shoes

There are 2 adults, and 2 children and 2 dogs. Only nappies required for night time use for the youngest and no formula. We use our budget to include all dogs needs and all toiletries and cleaning products aswell. Tbh I normally set the budget and never track it so have no idea whether it is a true reflection (very bad planning on my part:o). I know we don't spend less than this but I don't know whether we spend alot more. I try to buy what is on offer and we don't have "luxury" foods but it still runs away with me:mad:

cw18

I know some people set a 'rough' budget for their first month - and then keep track of what they spend where, and use the results to set future budgets without knocking themselves over the head if they waaaay under-estimated. Sounds like it could be worth you doing that for your first month


My meal plan for the 5 weeks from 1st August is now done, and I've been through the freezers. Everything I have that matches my menu plan has been packed back into one area of the larger freezer and been crossed off my shopping list (I have one drawer in the smaller freezer housing everything I need for this next week, and I'm finding this system works well as I'm no longer scrabbling through 9 drawers across 2 freezers trying to find something I'm sure I have in there somewhere :rolleyes2 ). There are some items I don't yet know how much I'll need of - mainly frozen veg that I'm still using this week on my July meal plan.

As such I've decided NOT to go shopping this weekend (so today's another NSD - taking me up to 13 this month - and tomorrow will be too unless our local C00p has any fantastic Whoopsies).

But I have pulled some mince out of the freezer that seems to have been there 'forever', and am going to batch cook some meals for August and onwards (using dried onion I have as emergency back-up - but really should be used and replaced soon looking at the date on the boxes - as I can't be bothered to head down the shops just for a couple of fresh ones).

Figured I might as well make use of the fact I currently have space in the freezer for the containers I freeze the individual portions in, as they'll then be transferred into bags (taking up less space) before I want to fill it up with what I need to buy

sistercas

I have done it again just shoot me shoot me now. I have been to mr T with DD1 in tow :eek::eek: and spent double what I normally would :doh::wall:
lesson learnt somehow I have to go shopping alone, DD1 loves shopping and cooking and I dont want to discourage her , but I am going to have to have a plan otherwise the summer hols are going to bankrupt me .:rolleyes:

TheBees

Evening Everyone

Well TheBees MIGHT come in on budget on Friday when our month ends. We have £25 to last and should only need milk and fruit so fingers crossed.

Yesterday DD12 and I had a baking day as we entered lots cakes and a quiche into the local flower show. We had the quiche for tea (which got 2nd prize :j) and I've frozen the Chocolate Brownies (DD got 3rd prize) scones, flapjacks and fruitcake.

Popped into a new Iceland store in Honiton and was very impressed with some of the prices. Only bought milk, bread and bacon but will definitely be going back.

DH is currently baking some pasties using some casserole beef that arrived with a Mr T delivery and which I hadn't ordered and wasn't charged for!

My advice re meal planning is to do a week at a time to start with, making sure you make a note of any evenings when you might be late home, have less time to cook and need something in a hurry, children's activities etc.. Then plan meals using ingredients you've already got first. Then make a shopping list for the things you NEED for that week only. HTH