Surviving January

Glitterari

Thanks everyone for your great responses! Your responses (and reading through the OS board) have been really inspiring. And reassuring that this can be done!

I did a stock take of the freezer this evening and have plenty of food to keep me going. Found a few bits which were stored in plastic bags and unidentifiable - so currently being defrosted to find out what they are!

I got loads of recipe books for my birthday and christmas, so will be delving into them for ideas!

As I have a day off tomorrow, I have taken some frozen pumpkin out with the plan of making it in lots of lovely soup ( I need to learn to like soup...I'm not too great with it yet!) and I am going to find a bread recipe too. I figured (as this is my first proper month of many) of really watching the money I spend so that me and the OH can move in to our first place together, I may get a bit bored with not spending money rather friviously...so I'm looking to try out new ideas and recipes to keep me occupied!

Pay day tomorrow, so going to fill up the car with diesel (need car for work), buy a few foodie bits - veg and bread making ingredients (eg yeast!) and pay off bills tomorrow rather than later in the month so I know they're already paid!

applemella

This is what January is going to be like for me as well. Being off work on long term sick leave and half pay is taking its toll!
Last night I listed every item I had in freezer, fridge and tin cupboard.
To my surprise I managed to make 27 main meals for me and 3 dd's(who are all teens with adult appetites!) out of it with the addition of just a few items.
Only things I think I need to buy for rest of month are going to be stuff for pack ups, bread , milk and fresh fruit and veg.
Aldis veg on special is brill, but am planning to try to use market a bit more this month as they sell bowls of stuff for a £1.

Glitterari

My local market does the bowls for £1 too, so will be down there Tuesday on my lunch break - come rain or shine!! Must be less fussy though...really fussy about veggies...need to eat more in season stuff!

Bitsy_Beans

Glitterari wrote: »

Is it worth trawling markets and fruit shops for fruit and veg? Or is it cheaper to do aldi/lidl? I'm aware of getting veg in season is cheaper...anyone got a good link for telling me what fruit/veg is in season each month?

Try this website
http://eattheseasons.co.uk/
Tells you all about what food is seasonal.

Good luck with your budgeting.

Glitterari

Off to a good start - did some food shopping and got some veggies and flour to make bread rolls with.

Made pumpkin soup, with pumpkin that was in the freezer and did a proper veg stock and everything. OH thought it was great and had it as a starter to dinner.

Made some pork burgers (with chinese 5 spice added to give them chinese taste) from half pack of pork mince from freezer, served up with hm bread roll, hm potato wedges from the fridge and salad (salad leaves bought earlier). Other half of pork mince pack has been made into meatballs and will be nice with veg stir fry (available from fridge) and noodles (available from cupboard!)

Tomorrow - it will be croissant (brought over from OH house!) for breakfast, hm pumpkin soup & hm roll for lunch and something from the freezer for dinner. Undecided as to what yet!

elf06

Great start Glitterari!! I used this site a lot last year but slipped out of the way of things towards the end of the year
Now I have been lurking for a day or 2 picking up ideas again and I am all set to start 2010 on the right foot (HAPPY NEW YEAR by the way )
I read Mbaz feed your family of 4 on £20 for the month and was totally totally inspired - well worth a read!!
Good luck and you are off to a great start

dobs

I'm in the same situation Glitteri, hav to use up nearly half our savings this month for credit card bill (over 2,000!), plus need about £800 for car costs this month and ds2 birthday party! I am veggie and now cook everyone a veggie meal twice a week to make it cheaper, also am going to use up what i've got and meal plan and write it in my big diary so i don't lose it!
Tiff thanks for mentioning that potato pie recipe i am always looking for new veg recipes for myself!

tiff

Well, I didnt get myself organised and go veggie shopping but I do have a small pumpkin thats been hanging around for a couple of months so will make spiced pumpkin and butter bean soup today to have with bangers and mash later. Going to read the mbaz thread too for inspiration, I find if I follow the forums it helps to keep me focussed.

maman

Glitterari wrote: »

Made some pork burgers (with chinese 5 spice added to give them chinese taste) from half pack of pork mince from freezer, served up with hm bread roll, hm potato wedges from the fridge and salad (salad leaves bought earlier). Other half of pork mince pack has been made into meatballs and will be nice with veg stir fry (available from fridge) and noodles (available from cupboard!)
QUOTE]

Enjoying your thread, glitterari. Would you share your pork burger and meatball recipes as I've some minced pork in the freezer that needs using up?

Pitlanepiglet

We always have a "no shop" january where we eat up the left over Christmas food and eat our way through the stuff in the cupboards and the freezer, it's a good way of getting rid of the crud that otherwise doesn't get used.

The only exceptions would be fresh fruit and a bit of veg for us - we're soya drinkers and make our own so we don't have milk, we also make our own bread but there are usually bits of loaf in the freezer to use up.

Treat it as a challenge - the end of the month might get a big odd but it'll be fun and you'll have that £80 in your pocket still!