Store cupboard challenge

janeawej

Wow Gizmo you did well last year! If I get on well with this I may well extend it a bit Ive already done a menu list and with just what I can remember thats in the freezer we are fine for 2 weeks worth of main meals, lunches might become a bit boring but we have loads of cheese and i'm a whizz at making soups from leftovers and stray veg so we will be well fed im sure. The kids are already complaining in anticipation of not having their favourite cereals once they have eaten the packets we have! They will simply have to finish all those half empty jars of jams etc that are in the larder!

gizmo111

I was really surpised once we got into it how much we had in and how little we needed to buy. The girls got into it in a big way and even were bringing back sandwich bags to be rinsed and reused! Sadly throughout the year I got a bit lazy, and started slimming world but it was amazing how much I saved over the couple of months and we did all eat well also.

doelani

janeawej wrote: »

Right I'm setting myself a challenge.........we have loads of leftovers and food in cupboards and freezer, so I'm setting myself the challenge of feeding the family, 2 adults, girls aged 18 and 17 and boys 15 and 13 (all with typical teenage appetites!) on just £20 till the 10th Jan. the £20 will cover essentials that I dont have large amounts of such as milk, bread and potatoes, Does anyone fancy joining in?

I will join you with £5 a day until 10th January so I make that £70. We are 4 adults fulltime and 2 teenagers part-time. Do not have loads of extra stuff from Christmas but have loads in freezer.

We are off on holiday in 10 weeks time and need to get spending money saved so this will be a good start. Once we use up what we have will revise the £5 a day lol

janeawej

Good to have people on board to support each other on this, OH is now cutting up the remaining turkey to make into curry, curry sauce smells good, its bubbling away in the kitchen, dogs are looking longingly at him as he strips the carcase! Ohh just seen a bit of turkey fly across the room into their mouths! lol

elf06

I have sort of been doing this already spending only £13 since the 21st and that was only spent today taking advantage of some offers in L1dl. I am trying to get the freezers sorted out so will be mostly eating out of there. I wont put a figure on it but I am deffinately in for the challenge

doelani

OK wish me luck, off to do menu lol

I should only need to buy fruit/veg and bread/milk. Hubby off work this week so handy as no packed lunches to make as cooked meat is soooooooo expensive lol

adelight

janeawej wrote: »

The tractor is essential with the farm feeding all the animals without is just such hard work! Tomorrow OH is cooking turkey curry with leftover turkey, Im going to freeze the leftover beef I think as we shall have cauliflower cheese on Tues to eat up a cauli and a few bits of yellowing brocolli! has anyone got the Jamies 30 min meals recipe for cauliflower or was it macaroni cheese as I seem to remember that used creme fraiche and ive got a tub to use up!?

I remember that recipe! He used cauliflower lightly mashed/broken up and macaroni. He saved the starchy water from boiling cauli/pasta and used this mixed with creme fraiche and parmesan to make the cheesy sauce.

janeawej

Thanks adelight, I thought it was something like that but wasnt 100% sure, will give it a try tomorow!

doelani

Morning everyone.

Have been able to sort todays meals from what is in cupboards/fridge so my £5 a day has started well.

Tibbie's_mum

Count me in, although we don't have a lot of Christmas leftovers, I seem to have bought a huge amount of staples for the storecupboard thru' December, must have been survival instinct due to the snow.

I'm going to try and stick to £30 a week for as long as poss, and that is for milk, bread, fruit and veg; that is for 3 adults, me, OH and my sister and 4 children who are 7, 5, 3 & 80 (my mother counts as a child as she only eats sparrow portions).

One thing that I've been meaning to try and do, is to cook a pudding everyday. As a child I remember always having a pudding, but as an adult I suppose I haven't bothered due to always trying to be good and lose weight, but that results in me eating enormous portions to fill myself up. And the kids always want pudding which normally means a shop bought mousse or ice cream, I'm sure it will be more cost effective if we all eat the same homemade pud which I can cobble together from the storecupboard, I'll hunt out Delia from the bookshelf, as I recall mum and I often cooking her desserts.

I'm currently boiling up the turkey carcass for stock and have just browned off 1.5kg of mince which was reduced in Lidl, so I think I'll knock up a batch of carrot soup with some bendy carrots and get a couple of lasagnes and a cottge pie prepared to go in the freezer.

Wish me luck with my pudding challenge.