August 2009 Grocery Challenge

fedupandskint

Just popping on to say I've had a NSD today and spent this afternoon making 500g of mince strreeeetch as far as possible.

500g steak mince
3 onions
3 carrots grated
1 courgette grated
1 pepper chopped
few chopped mushrooms
2 sticks celery chopped
5 cloves garlic chopped
2 tins tomatoes
1 tin water
1 beef stock cube
2 handfuls each of red lentils washed and porridge oats
good squeeze tomato puree

Made enough for 3-4 portions each of spag bol, chilli (with lots of kidney beans and chilli added) and cottage pie

Total 9-12 portions for £3.99 for steak mince from farm shop and I'll estimate a couple of quid for everything else = £5.99. Averages between 65p-49p per portion.

Would never have done this before and would have just made a meal for 2 out of it!

Tea sorted then for a bit! It's mince all round!

elf06

I managed to get 1kg of mince yesterday for £3.75 (I think) so I will be eating mince for the next month :rotfl: Was thinking I would divide it into 3 dishes and make shepherds pie, chilli and maybe spag bol. Should be more than enough to feed me and DS and can be eeked out with lentils, veg etc. Will be sick of mince by Sept :rotfl:

philsmum

helen_jelly wrote: »

Philsmum - can you use that bread mix in the BM - We were given a BM for a wedding present and used it for the first time today [lovely scrummy bread] but would like to use this mix if I could.

Lollyfin and BigMummaF - thanks for the info I'm gonna give it another go!!

Kirstenc - Your Pizza sounds lush and I'm also gonna give that a go

NSD = 2, didn't manage any in July so already doing good

Helen x

Hi Helen, Yes youcan use it the bread maker it gives instructions. just add water and an ounce of butter. yum yum

Savvy_sewing

Well my first spend, £2. I was at the local village Bazaar, and I bought a Tea Loaf. Quite nice. BF and I had some late last night, and with our cup of tea this afternoon. Must see what it would cost me to make my own. But it was for a good cause.
(Still havent gathered together my receipts for July, but I think I blew it big time.)

lainz

Evening all, managed to get out in the garden and sort out a few bits and pieces, pulled a few carrots and they are the best I've grown (3rd year!) Cut some broccolli as well, so carrots and broccolli are on the menu for a few days

I've been given a cucumber - but me and cucumber agree to disagree - so any ideas what I can do with it?

Have stewed a load of rubarb too and that's all in the freezer, I need to eat some stuff out of it as blackberries may be about - I didn't have time to look tonight, but hopefully if we have a rain free evening I will go and have a look, have some venision in the freezer - that's always nice with blackberry sauce.

Anyway have to go and make my bed, and then go to bed and its w**k tomorrow :cool:

slowandsteady_2

good evening all, checking in! Received an unexpected cheque from Tax Credits the other day :j for just over £120, my budget! Went Mr T and did a main shop and spent £53.16, originally was over £68 but had vouchers from paper and some great woopsies so very pleased! I felt really guilty spending that because havent spent that much on a 'fresh' shop (as opposed to storecupboard stocks) for ages in one go!

Plus, despite my resolution to make baby food, i had to cave in at Boots where i picked up a ton of 7 mth plus jars for 25p and 30p each! They dont expire till mid next year!

Also topped up on fruit at the market the same day. Today my neighbours gave me a white cabbage off their dads allotment, he keeps giving them his surplus for free and they're sick of it! :eek:Told him to chuck it my way, i dont even mind paying as its so fresh!

So in my grocery budget pot there is £30 left and i am full to the rafters of all manner of fresh, frozen, tinned and bagged food!

Tommorow im requisitioning an upright freezer off my dad as I have now found (made) room in the kitchen so i will have my normal fridge freezer, the small under counter type one on top of that and my new one:j batch cooking here i come!

I have dipped into my 'own' money but not really spent much and saved a lot with that cheque coming, so am happy.

I never thought id say it but im actually sick of shopping after the last few days! Got a busy week so hopefully wont have time to browse.

Good luck everyone:D

Baileys_Babe

I have finally caught up with this thread.

2 nsd so far, will need to buy milk tomorrow.

Yesterday was spent, helping friends who had moved home earlier in the week. Took HM scones & HM caramel slices. They feed us both lunch & dinner.

Made lasagna tonight. Made meat sauce with 500g mince stretched to 20 (adult) portions. Think I could make it go further in the future by adding more veg, lentils & oats as these were suggested by family eating dinner. Also I plan to cook it in the slow cooker in future, had planned to do that this time but I wasn't organised enough.

tinkerbellsmum_2

do meals out count in budget? or take aways

cw18

tinkerbellsmum wrote: »

do meals out count in budget? or take aways

personal choice - and one I had to debate yesterday, as we went to K'cky after a trip to the circus (birthday treats for elder GD). finally decided to exclude it, and have costed it to my 'anything else' category within my 'live on 4k' challenge budgets

CommitedToChange

Spent a giant 12p today on tinned toms, baked beans and tomato puree - the guy serving at Mr T's just looked at the total after I handed him 2 coupons and seemed very impressed - best bit was it was at a store I had been trouted on last time I went (wish I'd got more now )

Had lovely pork in cider via the SC for tea and have leftovers for tomorrows lunch.

Must go to bed as actually have to go to work tmrw - eek.