October 2009 Grocery Challenge

yummyhoney

helen_jelly wrote: »

Hi - could you let me know how you got on with the muffins [looking for a recipe that makes the big ones and that is tasty but struggling to decide which one!!!] Thank you Helen x
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helen i used the basic muffin mix by penlope on here somewhere and added 100g white choc and 100g milk choc,,huge and scrummy!!!

rosieben

candygirl wrote: »

It isn't dropping at all:rotfl::rotfl:so couldn't resist;):D

well spotted [STRIKE]hawkeye[/STRIKE] candygirl I've corrected it now

Changingme

Spend s this week £53.65,so £65.56 to last till the 28th will need milk and bread in week .Have meals sorted for the week coming and 2 more for the following one.

Frugaldom

Hi GC challengers, I have a conundrum - if anyone else is a member of their local LETS group then you'll understand my problem. I have been trading for food and don't know how to calculate it into my budget, but here's how it works, see if you can solve the 'riddle'.

I buy my basic groceries, I have dozens of eggs from my chickens whose feeding is paid for using free cash generated from those types of challenges, and I have homegrown veggies. I batch cook, winemake, preserve, bulk bake and make my own bread, then trade produce each week - preserves, soup, quiche, surplus eggs etc. I also trade FOR about £10 worth of food each week by trading other things, so it does balance out moneywise but in the longrun I am gaining, as the freezer is constantly filling up despite me not spending any cash. What would anyone else do in this situation? As an example, last week, I traded several cartons of hm soup, several quiche, lemon curd and surplus eggs but I also received 3 chickens, a bag of oranges (which I made into marmalade) and a bucketfull of potatoes.

PS - I need to go spend money today as I need milk & more veggies

cw18

Nyk,

I've had some total freebies - pears and apples from a friends tree; potatoes and garlic from a neighbour about to go on holiday and not wanting to bin then; some chicken quarters from same neighbour (bought to cook for meat eating friends and not used - they're veggie) - but haven't put them into my spreadsheet anywhere.

I would say it's much like my Whoopsies..... I only account for what I actually spend, as that's what it costs me to feed us. So if I were in your shoes I'd probably not have the received items anywhere except in my food stocktake. When you trade for services (workmen) you won't be taking an approximate 'real' cost for that out of any of your budgets will you?

The only other way I can see of doing it (to see how LETS improves things for me as a whole) would be to have a spreadsheet with the things I give to others priced up and entered as 'outgoings', and the things I recieve priced up and entered as 'incomings'. That way you could see how much better off you are using LETS





Need to update my signature and spreadsheet with a small spend from Friday (C00p sell-off and A1di milk -under £4 in total I think), but yesterday was an NSD. Aiming for another NSD today, and hopefully tomorrow too.....

PrincessMort

helen_jelly wrote: »

Hi - could you let me know how you got on with the muffins [looking for a recipe that makes the big ones and that is tasty but struggling to decide which one!!!] Thank you Helen x
,

I used the basic muffin recipe at the beginning of this thread, but I didn't have any chocolate so used cocoa instead - they rose fairly well but they weren't very tasty and a bit dry - think maybe needed real chocolate. I've never made muffins before so I'm sure it was me rather than the recipe! I ended up covering them in chocolate icing + chocolate spinkles

highland_fling_2

Good morning everyone.
beautiful autumn day here. Fairly lifts the spirits. :j:j

Having brussel sprouts, carrots, potatoes and roast beef and yorkshire puds for lunch today but must admit I am not making the yorkshire's. Come out of a packet. Have never really tried to make my own.

Hope everyone has a good day.

lambanana

I've not got on in a while but now only have £27 of my budget left, with only 13 days left in the month and pretty well stocked cupboards we should manage but I'm panicking a bit about what to buy! I know bread and milk feature heavily (hubby wont eat HM bread as anything but toast so buy rolls for packed lunches) but I'm not sure exactly what else I need. Possibly some frozen stuff and fruit and veg, have enough pasta to last several months as MrMs had a buy 1 get 2 free offer so I've stocked up :rotfl: If all else fails to the end of the month we can have pasta and sauce as I also have plenty of tinned toms

candygirl

Having another NSD today, and am gradually using up all my cupboard n freezer stuff before I buy anything else, as am having a kitchen fitted hopefully in Dec, so need to clear the clutter:eek::eek:

helen_jelly

Hi

thanks for the tips about the muffins, gonna try them this week as me and the kiddies love Muffins but they aer so expensive.

Have a nice Sunday everyone

Helen x