September 2009 Grocery Challenge

russetred

shellsmithcat wrote: »

:j

Wow how do you go about getting one of these - do you just go and ask a butcher or do you have a special supplier - thanks

I ordered my mutton from the farm who have a full time butcher working for them so you just tell him how you would like it cut up.I followed hugh fernly wittingstall's info on Lamb in the river cottage cookbook to see which part of the sheep is best cut as what .Most butchers should be able to source an entire sheep and there is a Mutton renaissance club which you can google for recipes and outlets that sell it.
It can vary in taste from a just stopped being a lamb at 2 years right up to the full on 5 year old but is always a heck of a lot cheaper.My £65 bought 26-27 kilos but I had to cut off inches of hard fat.Hope this helps

slowandsteady_2

Evening all hope everyone is well.

Have spent just over £20 today but not out of my GC account but out of 'my' money. Went to Mr T and got some wine and lager, chocolate and mags and a local paper, all life's necessities :Dand not included in GC as they are treats. Also spent the £8 change on petrol. Dont need much now while ive been off sick from work (long story) and normally account for it with the bills but while im off work its so negligible i just put a few quid in every couple of weeks.

Im really please with myself this month (well all 5 days of it since started GC for this month!)as my signature is bang on what ive spent on groceries so far and am finding it easier to pop on here daily and update often and read everyones posts, keps me well on track.

Expecting a NSD tomorrow as id like to get some cleaning done and out of the way and have no need to go out.

See you all tommorrow!

laurasbump

Can I re-join this thread please? £400 to start off with and that includes everything including petrol. We're about to start an IVA so I have to start some serious budgeting.

In some respects, I'm really anoyed with myself as I spent £20 on Finn today on duplo and expensive baby snacks - organic rusks and fruit bars. However, yesterday I cooked 54 portions of food for Finn, so I shouldn't need to buy any more meals for him this month. I need to get my butt into gear as I have 7 ish weeks until the little lady arrives and 3 weeks before she's due I want to prepare at least 2 weeks of meals and another 6 weeks of meals for Finn.

Will tote up what I've already spent this month and add it to my signature.

Laura

Blairweech

NSD grocery wise for me

Breakfast: Was late, so did not have any *smacks wrist*
Lunch: Broccolli and Stilton soup, crisps, yoghurt, flapjack
Dinner: Sausage and Bean Casserole, cheesy mash, carrots and brocolli

Have taken mince out of the freezer to make a cottage pie with, will add grated carrots/lentils and do the base in the slowcooker. Then it will be ready for Saturday nights tea (am working in the day)

Flat_Eric

second NSD in a row for me . I could get used to this!!! My friend took me out for lunch today so a lovely meal out and not a penny spent

I have just done a tesco home delivery order which after discounts of £7 thanks to my clubcard vouchers, comes to just £19. I (for some reason) have amassed two different clubcards both with different amounts on (£2.50 and £4.50 respectively) so I dont have enough to qualify for the clubcard deals but I am more than happy to have the money knocked off my shopping. Need to menu plan tomorow so there might be the odd item added but so far, I have bought just what I need. It would be so tempting to sit here and "find" stuff to buy but I have resisted :T

mummy2mygirls

well have made a good start - made some cakes with the girls and made a extra sponge cake with jam and cocunut on top top - its not the best for some reason....but its nice so does my sweet cravings

I also made some curried red lentil soup!! and its yummy...i am shocked lol. Dh is working late and wont be home till about 10pm he says he doesnt fancy a proper dinner as it to late so he can have some of that if he wants and ill freeze the rest for my lunches

millienjacksmummy

Going to do a proper stock take and list cupboard,fridge and freezer meal items tomorrow (holiday day - kids still off school)
But am already in the swing of this - hope it continues.....I did stick to a list of foods we needed from the shop tonight on the way home which is usually the worst time for me to shop because I am hungry , tired and in need of a pick me up but I only treated myself to a Wipsa which was good (for me !!)
Got a mega bag of oven chips (will do another 3/4 meals for 4 of us) plus BOGOF bread rolls and offer spreadable butter which we always need
Will be able to plan better once I know what I've got in and also trying to do another NSD tomorrow so will be keeping busy!!
Sam

Angelfeathers

Urgh. Am feeling very stressed about money right now, since OH is trying very hard but still doesn't seem to have quite got the idea that we *cannot* go on spending as we were!

He had today off work to have a day with DS while I was at work (and to give my Mum a break from childcare) and they went into town. They'd normally go to Costa for coffee/fruit shoot or mango frescato and a panini, something that started when DS was very young and they were one of the few things he'd eat. Today, I took time before I went to work to make them a picnic to avoid this expense... so they had the picnic and then went to Costa anyway and had coffee, 2 fruit shoots and a lemon curd biscuit thing!!! I had said okay to a takeaway coffee, but the rest of it? No!!!!

Sorry. End of rant.

At least I don't count eating-out money as part of the grocery budget, but it does mean there's that much less left off the meagre 'spending money' budget!

I spent £8.14 M&S today (it's the only grocery store in the town centre that I can get to on a work day)

£3.00 2 x 1kg new potatoes (£1.99 each or 2 for £3)
£0.87 bananas
£1.99 strawberries
£1.19 soft white bread (yes, an extravagence but we do love their bread and don't like homemade *all* the time)
£1.09 half fat thick cream (which was on offer and half of which was used as tonight's pasta sauce)

OH also bought some ground coffee for his new coffee maker (see, he is *trying* to save money by not having to go out for nice coffee!) which was £3 something but I'm not sure exactly what as no recipt. Will have to wait till it shows on the bank statement.

merlin1

:hello: all going well this week so far! all i've bought out of my 280 is a 4 pinter of milk and some spuds from my budget! :T

fingers crossed it lasts!

Bitsy_Beans

Another NSD for me.
But H went and spent £8 today :eek: on 2 loaves of bread that we didn't need, some cereal that he will no doubt scoff in 2 days and the rest was his lunch
Hope next week we do better........