Store cupboard challenge

ShelBell

Hi all.

I'm new to OS, been lurking for a few days but need to try and cut down on our grocery bills as money seems to be really tight at the moment.

There is me, hubbs and bubbs (age 7). I regularly throw away food and rarely use whats in the cupboard/freezer. Hubbs insists on meat at every meal, and bubbs is quite fussy. I'm post bypass so my eating habits are extremely restricted, so this is mostly aimed at hubbs and bubbs.

My challenge to myself for this week is to not go shopping, but to use what we have in! The freezer and cupboards are full so this should be extremely possible but it's completely new to me!

I wanted to start a thread so that when I'm going arrghhh I don't know what to cook I can get some ideas of all you experienced OSers!

Going away thursday night so this has 2 purposes, saving money and emptying the fridge before we go!

The plan is to get through this week and then start meal planning and shopping to order not to oooooh that looks good.

Here's hoping to a successful week!

Shel x

moanymoany

If Waitrose new delivery service (not ocado) deliver to your area you have until the end of August to get £15 off an order of £50 - twice!

I have concentrated on their special offer meats - I had an order worth £50 + £5 delivery for meat. It came, I half filled my freezer and paid £30!

My second order arrives Tuesday.

The offer is on the email from Martin - you put in save15 - open to all.

I will have enough meat for at least 3 months (we don't eat meat every day).

We love beans, they really are wonderful food and there are so many different recipes. I cook a whole pack at a time and freeze them in 2 people portions. Today we have had a bean dish with mashed potato and cabbage mixed together and brocolli. Lovely!

ShelBell

Will have a look at the waitrose offer once our freezer has more than enough room for 2 frozen peas. Thanks for that!

Don't really do beans though.

Pink.

Hi Shel,

Welcome to Old Style. :hello: I've added your thread to the current store cupboard challenge thread where you should get lots of help and tips from the other Old Stylers doing the challenge.

Pink

Anzac_Biscuit

I had to laugh at myself today... I've been spending all this time reading this thread and thinking what a good idea it was, and being impressed with all the creative ideas you have, and then off I went to make my beef casserole in the slow cooker (beef discovered recently in the freezer).

Guess what, the beef was off!:rolleyes: So mad at myself, I must have left it too long in the fridge to defrost. Thing is, I'd already started chopping up the veggies, so had to at least make something crockpotty to use them up. I'm now proud to say that the dish has (I hope) successfully been converted to a black bean stew with all sorts of interesting looking spices:beer: I had all the other ingredients in the cupboard anyway:)

I love my crockpot and hopefully dinner will be OK too... and not to soupy to take to work for lunch:)

MrsTinks

I ran out of tinned toms last night when making chilli! :eek: had to borrow some of the neighbours bless them!
At least I managed to use up the meat free mince AND there is enough for dinner tonight :T

kazmeister

OK so lets see if it will all fit on one post :eek:
LIST EDITED AS BELOW


On a serious note how long realistically is it going to take us to eat this lot - 2 adults, 1 teen, 1 9yr old.

And why doesnt it look like it does when I write it out I've just had to respace it all

kazmeister

kazmeister wrote: »

Ok I just tried to list the cupboards and the text was too long 28500 characters and the max was 25000, and I still have the Freezer, Fridge freezer, and small Freezer to list plus the cereal cupboard :eek:

Will try individual cupboards

CORNER CUPBOARD
Cous cous half bag
Egg Noodles half bag
GF Breakfast rolls (4pk) 3
GF Pizza base 2pk 1 bx
GF Spaghetti half pk
Instant chicken noodles 1 bag
Lentil mix half bag
Part baked baguettes (2pk) 2
Pasta Lasagne 2 pks
Pasta Penne 2 and 2 half bags
Rice Arborio 1 and half bags
Rice Basmati 1 bag
Boil in bag rice half box
Rice Brown half bag
Rice Long grain [strike]2 pks[/strike] NOW ONLY 1 1/2 BAGS
Rice Noodles 3 qtr bag
Rice Paella 1 bag
Rce Wild grain qtr bag
Spaghetti 3 pks
SR Flour (1.5k) 1
Straight to wok noodles 1 bag
Sugar (2k) 3
Sugar Icing half bag
Balti sauce 1 jar
Bearnaise sauce 1 ctn
Black Bean Sauce 1 jar
Carbonara sauce 1 jar
Dolmio stir in sauce 2 tubs
Garlic sauce 1 jar
Hoisin sauce half jar
Honey Cashew sauce 1 jar
Instant Mash 1 and half bx
Kari Bhuna sauce 1 jar
Kung Po sauce 1 jar
Mango Chutney Chilli 1 jar
Mediterranenan Veg mix 1 pkt
Noodle box 1
Oyster sauce 1 jar
Passata 1 ctn
Peanut Satay 1 ctn
Pepper sauce 1 ctn
Pizza base mix 1 box
Poppadums half pk
Ragu sauce 1 jar
Rice Flour Pancakes 1 pkt
Tandoori paste half jar
Tempura Batter mix 1 bx
Tikka Massala sauce 1 jar

TIN CUPBOARD
Anchovies 1
Beans Baked [strike]3[/strike] NOW ONLY 2 CANS
Beans Butter 1
Beans Cannelini 1
Beans Kidney 2
Beans n Sausages 1
Beans Refried 2
Chick Peas 2
HotDog Sausages 2
Mushy Peas 1
Salmon Fillet 1
Salmon Red 1
Sardines 1
Soup Tomato 2
Tomatoes chopped 3
Tomatoes Plum 5
Tuna 4
Venison Pate 1
Caramel 1
Coconut Milk 1
Custard 2
Rice Pudding 1
Mustard (jars) 2
Tuna Fillet pouches 2

DRINKS CUPBOARD (NOT ALCOHOL)
Cappuccino half tub
Coffee Beans half bag
Coffee nescafe half lg jar
Drinking chocolate qtr tub
Horlicks qtr jar
Instant choc drink half tub
Loose tea half tub
Milkshake Banana qtr tub
Milkshake chocolate qtr tub
Skimmed milk powder half tub
Squash ind ctns 11
Teabags 560



OK was going to list the rest but its boring and i think I've shocked myself into realising I have enough stuff to open a shop.

Thank you all for just having this thread

And I still have the baking cupboard and the seasonings cupboard unlisted Forgot theres the breakfast cupboard and a stash under the stairs as well ! I wonder if I can convince the OH to stop going to Mr T as well.

Think I better go meal planning

nicki_2

Updating lists
Freezer
Meatballs x 2 packs
Turkey Steaks x 2 packs
Breaded Chicken Fillets (no idea how many)
Kievs
Lamb Grills
Salamon Encroute
Chicken Breast Fillets
Breaded Fish
Beef Stew pieces
500g Beef mince
Chopped onions
Chopped Spinach
Sliced Peppers
Sweetcorn
Baby Carrots
Cauliflower Florets
Garden Peas
Broccoli Florets
Bol Sauce x 2
Bol Sauce with mince - in fridge defrosting for tomorrow
Pancakes
Cheese
Blue Cheese
Shortcrust Pastry
Chips
Sliced Wholemeal Loaf
FRIDGE
Cold Meat (for sandwiches)
Tom Puree - half used from freezer
Tuna Flakes x 1 can
Jam
Mint Sauce
Cheese
Mayo
Eggs
Tomatoes
Large Potato
Milk
Orange Juice
Cheese Spread
Salad
CUPBOARD
New Potatoes x 2
Corned Beef
Mushy Peas x 2
Salad Dressing x 3 bottles
Pasta
Sweet & Sour Sauce
Lasagne Sheets
Brown Lentils
Rice (brown)
Boil in the bag rice x 7 bags
Honey
Gravy granules
Flour (Plain & SR & Bread & wholemeal)
Batter mix
Herbs & Spices & Condiments
Puddings

It doesn't seem to be going down :rotfl::rotfl:

Pitlanepiglet

I'm not sure if I've said before on this thread but we always eat from the cupboards and the freezer for the whole of January. It's a good time of year to "shop at home", there is always way too much food in the house after Christmas and no money to found in the purse!

It means everything gets cleared out once a year and it's become a tradition in our house. It gets a bit odd by the end of the month but after the decadence of Christmas that's part of the fun!