January 2010 Grocery Challenge

angelatgraceland

The way to tell whether or not you can use buttery spreads to bake with depends on their fat content. If they are above approx 60% fat they will be fine. Lowfat spreads are not suitable. I regularly freeze the buttery spreads when they are on offer.
I did a big shop in my Coop last night as the weather prediction is bad and Im going to be snowed in tomorrow again. spent just under £80 after using a fiver voucher they sent me. I really didnt want to spend this much but it will save me a lot of problems later. Just have to manage to walk to work and the doctors tomorrow and I can pick up an extra 4pinter on the way home. Still way under budget as due to not using car Ive not needed petrol. Not been out so not been tempted to buy clothers toiletries or anything else which may catch the eye. Clothes sale on at work but since moving from the shopfloor to the stockroom Ive bought only a pair of boots since October. Well pleased with that! Temptation removed!
Oh-Coop have large baking pots on offer at £1 per bag. I believe its 2.5 kilos. I bought 2 of them
Tonight we all ate different things-as all my kids have phases of what they fancy-well, I say "kids" who are 24,20 and nearly 16. So I just let them have what they wanted. DD took a frozen meal to her BF, DH had baked potato, ham and salad, DD2 had some macaroni cheese I cooked a couple of days ago and I had 2 eggs on toast(cosp less than 50p and that was fr eggs) DS had one of my veggi chillis from the freezer and a baked potato so again-less than 50p. Earlier on I had baked potato with a tin of beans and sausages for lunch-about 50p again. I find that of you can really manage just one day a week of cheap meals it really has a big impact on your budget Havent used more than £5 worth of food today for the 5 of us!

Long_tall_sally

Thanks Poppy -glos for those ideas on using my butternut squash, they sound great.
Nessa56 - I am also thinking that I really don't need to buy much at all the rest of the month, but then I often think that and somehow do! Lol

Flat_Eric

Ive managed just two nsd since the beginning of the year which is a very poor effort. Ive been doing a lot of shopping at my local corner shop partly because of the poor weather and partly because of a stinking cold Ive had. This has had its benefits as there are always good offers but also its downside as some things are very overpriced. I managed to knock a jar of curry sauce off the shelf on my visit today which promptly smashed and made a very nice mess on the floor. :eek: I don't think I will be going in for a few days . . . . .

Ive got home delivery coming on Thursday which includes things like long life milk and lots of veggies (although I still have plenty of veg in my fridge from before xmas :eek:) so must sit down and plan a meal plan that i stick to. Also need to find my recent receipts so that I can update my signature. This month was the month I was meant to get myself sorted but its all gone awry and Im just ever so slightly miffed. its been the worse January Ive known in a long time :mad:

Hope everyone is getting on better than me.

mrsmortenharket

Had a NSD today! :T:j

Need some basics tomorrow though.

That chicken & brocolli bake sounds wonderful...my children should like that, so that's another thing for my menu planner!

Lisa

ellemm

Hi everyone, still trying to catch up with the thread....;)....and get back into gear.
Did a small shop on Sunday, only spent £17 as still have some stuff in freezer we can use up.
Think some batch soup making will be in order this weekend as have plenty ingredients in store.
Having family get together a week on Sunday with potentially 16 adults and 6 children so need to get planning for that - at least have all the meat already in the freezer :T bought on offer of course :cool:
Need to stop reading these posts and get to bed -'night all.

cw18

Today was supposed to be an NSD - and I bought the milk I would need before the weekend yesterday to allow it.....

But it all went awry when I got to work !!!

Discovered we have a new flavour loaf on sale (Apple and Cinnamon), of which there were a few that would be reduced tonight if they didn't sell through the day. Checked before I left work (5:30pm - 1.5hrs late!), and there were still three left.

But having to collect GDs from after-school and run them down to DD before I could even think of making tea knocked my timings - and rather than being back in the store by 7pm which would normally be my aim, I didn't make it until 7:40pm. This meant everything was being reduced to the lowest it would go - the store closes at 8pm - and I couldn't resist a 'few' bargains.

However I'm thrilled with my haul...

1x Apple & Cinnamon Loaf [strike]99p[/strike] 19p
1x Multi Wholegrain Loaf [strike]99p[/strike] 19p (a loaf we regularly have on sale, but which I've not tried since starting work in the bakery)
1x Honey & Sunflower Loaf [strike]£1.39[/strike] 19p (ditto above)
4x 4pack Hot Cross Buns [strike]69p[/strike] 15p/19p (1 at the lower price, 3 at the higher)
2x bags 5 Croissants [strike]£1[/strike] 19p
3x small French Sticks [strike]37p[/strike] 9p
1x 12 pack Y0plait Fromage Frais [strike]£1.89[/strike] 9p
1 x Chinese Leaf Lettuce [strike]49p[/strike] 5p
2x Caesar Salad Kits [strike]£1.79[/strike] 5p
1x pack 2 breaded wild Alasakan Pollock Fillets [strike]£3.49[/strike] 59p
1x 170g pack fresh Raspberries [strike]£2.49[/strike] 5p

So a haul with a shelf value of £21.14 for just £2.82 (less a further 28p staff discount that's gone into a savings pot) :T

I've had half the raspberries (with some Raspberry Ripple ice-cream from my freezer and cream from my fridge) for my supper, which was a really big treat. Plan to have this again tomorrow night
The breaded fish is in my freezer - younger DS and I will be having that for tea one day next week (probably the Friday).
I have some cooked 'salad' chicken in my freezer that's been there a while, and will pull out a portion for tomorrow and another for Thursday - so Chicken Caesar salad for lunch for a couple of days (with French bread tomorrow, and possibly Thursday using the same 'rescue' technique as for croissants)
Croissants for breakfast tomorrow for me and both sons (if they want some, which I expect they will) - and hopefully again for me on Thursday (I find they're fine for a day or three as I dampen them slightly and warm through in the micro)
Hot cross buns and fromage frais for snacks/puddings over the next couple of days (for my lads as well - sure they'll be after the Hot X at least )
Had finished off the lettuce in my fridge at tea tonight (had salad with chicken enchilladas), so will be trying the Chinese one very shortly (never had it before, but at 5p I wasn't going to say 'no' :rolleyes2: )

Rachel021967

Had the main Tesco shop delivered today. It came to £125.24 (I don't include delivery charge in budget). I hoping that it will be my last shop for this week. Off to update signature.

pammyj74

went into aldi and got some herbs as have none and wanted to start stocking them for my slow cooker meals and eggs

went to Mr M after dropping DS at beavers and got some whoopsie rolls, bread and teacakes. freezer is now well stocked with lots of rolls and bread, should last a bit hopefully!
total today spent £6.63

total now £50.58

JAMIEDODGER

please include me for this month, number keys are broken on my laptop so can i please be down for two hundred and fifty pounds this is for me and four kids and lots of cats.

i have spent a fair bit of it already as had an asda order two weeks ago, will be doing another one at the end of this week for delivery next week, will post exact totla when i know

franby64

Spent £6 this morning on veg and bread.
Now I'm wondering if my T*sco delivery for tonight is going to make it - we will survive but I'm running a bit low on things that I can't get as cheap at the local shop ie loo roll and value washing powder.
Eldest 2 kids at home again after going to school and finding it closed. I get all sorts of texts from the school but they didn't manage to tell me it was closed today. I was taking 3rd child to school so the other 2 were stuck outside for a while - not good. I am so fed up of snow!