January 2010 Grocery Challenge

Winged_one

I had a spend of €126 this weekend - 119 in the main supermarket (SQ) and another 7 across the road in M&S (needed guacamole, and also got sausage rolls for lunches and a quicje for dinner tomorrow for that - yay!).

So not too bad. We're having a reasonable week this week too:
Sat: We all ate together (unusually for Sat) but I CANNOT remember what it was.
Sun: Roast pork steak, roast pumpkin (from Hallowe'en half price sell off) squash (Hallowe'en leftovers being GIVEN away in organic shop) and roast spuds
Mon: Smoked cod and brocolli pie (made yesterday and heated in oven on timer so hot when we got in)
Tues: Roast chick breasts (part boned), leftover mash dish (reheated with a chopped onion and some peas) and last of pumpkin and squash
Wed: Quiche and salad
Thurs: Chicken fajitas

We also got great value on chicken for freezer (boneless skinless, and also partboned breasts) and pork steak (put one in freezer).

We got dinner for us tonight, DH's lunch, DD's dinner for Wed and 2 seperately frozen portions for my gran of fish pie from €6 of smoked cod.

And we had needed quite a few bits and pieces, including lots of F&V, so I reckon we did well this week overall. Should be WELL under budget for the month after the last shop next weekend - even if I do have to get extra meat for visitors on Monday (unexpected - but I will do a large Shepherd's pie as will all be eating when we get in after work, so least hassle!!).

Winged_one

Ooops, when updating sig, remembered I'd forgotten to say we will need bread tomorrow, and Dunkers for DD's lunchbox. Otherwise, should be good until Sat next.

slowandsteady_2

Evening all,

Hope everyone is well.

Im declaring for Jan £131.48. Im very pleased with that and while i have got bits out of my day to day money its stuff ive fancied and comes out of my 'spends'.

Ive just spent a couple of hours doing a complete freezer inventory and tidy. I have three freezers-my fridge freezer, a medium table top type one and a five drawer upright Having gone through many interesting looking packs i have wrote everything down and although im actually surprised and quite embarressed, by my calculations and based on the lowest estimate on how many days meals i can stretch things for, i believe i have enough meat/fish/convienience food to do 141 days worth of evening (our main) meals for us:o. Baby portions are so small she just has tiny meals so dont count her really in those.

UNBELIEVABLE. I knew i was bad for stocking up the freezer but crikey. On top of that i also have 5 bags of frozen veg, 4 loaves, 2 packs of rolls, 2 small baguettes and 3 bags of berries we picked in the summer! I had no idea. Irony is we have been using mostly freezer food this month too so goodness knows what it would have stretched to had i done my inventory after Xmas.

So i am waiting to see if i get my first wage from this new job tommorow or not, or if i have to wait till February (please, please not Feb!) before i decide on my Feb GC target. Im thinking around the £100 mark for Feb. However im sure we wont go hungry! I also have lots in my storecupboard and a 10kg sack of spuds i got from Mr M yesterday for £3. So sorted for meals, technically, will just need milk (or a cow, that would be cheaper!) and bread eventually and fruit, maybe some frozen veg as we eat our veg most days and try for the five a day. Might need some fish also Feb month as not got enough really to get the right amount of fishy oils recommended for the month.

Good night all x

So am going to have another look at my inventory and work out how to use up some of this food.

brodie1_2

WOW Slowand steady,
can we all come round to yours for tea? I think it would really help all our budgets...:jbut maybe not your budget:rotfl:.
I really do like reading everyones posts on here, I must have aproper look in my garage freezer, dont think I will be as lucky as you though.:(
Brodie1

slowandsteady_2

brodie1 wrote: »

WOW Slowand steady,
can we all come round to yours for tea? I think it would really help all our budgets...:jbut maybe not your budget:rotfl:.
I really do like reading everyones posts on here, I must have aproper look in my garage freezer, dont think I will be as lucky as you though.:(
Brodie1

LOL, dont think of it as luck, more like bad planning! You would soon get bored of mince and chicken based meals! I am glad though cos we are so skint at moment, need all the help i can get! I think i really need to get a life and stop giving all my hard earned pennies to Mr T!

welshkaz

im really quite a bit under at the moment only need some milk and veg for rest of week and slow and steady thanks for a reminder im going to do that today cos god only knows whats lurging in my freezer lol £270 for my budget this month please ..

mama67

BigMummaF wrote: »

Meant to say yesterday that our milkman can be paid, any extras ordered & holiday dates given on-line. HTH.

BMF, mine is supposed to be able to but as he only delivers 2 days per week I don't qualify for this, has to be a minimum of 3 days per week, I've checked it all out with the depot; only other option is monthly direct debit which I'm not happy about, as you wouldn't get groceries from Mr T and then pay at the end of the month by direct debit.

brodie1_2

Hope no one minds me asking but has anyone seen any offerson nonbio clothes wash? Now started my last one of loads I got from co op whenon bogof. Also any chicken fillets or portion offers
Thankyou
Brodei1

NJW69

Spent just under £80 in Sainsburys on Saturday. Won't be doing another shop before the end of the month as got everything we need and more so I'm declaring £318/£350 for January 1-31st. I'm going to reduce it next month as I only estimated the £350 for the first time I'd done it. Will try for £300 for February.

ifonlyitwaseasier

morning all, had a lovely day yesterday (birthday ) got the hairy bikers last two books, food tour of GB and mums know best!! so have a huge list of recipes to try out when you combine that with my frugal food and paupers cookbook list!!

made a lovely beef stew last night, lidls stewing steak chunks were perfect! just chopped carrots, swede, celery and onion up, fried off the beef and put in a pan with the onions, deglazed frying pan (used hot water) tipped over beef and onions added carrots and swede and then added enough stock and seasonings (beef stock cubes, ground white pepper, mild chilli powder and old bay seasoning) to taste, left for 3 hours and then turned off til about 40 mins b4 dinner, then turned back on a med heat and added dumplings to it, was LUSH!!!

also had b'day cake which was fab!!

having a sort out of my floordrobe again and trying to put everything away (i need more storage!)

have my receipts for the last few day's spends to add but will do that in a mo as need a cuppa first.

tc all

ioiwe