February 2010 Grocery Challenge

chocolatebum

i did this last year for several months but got sidetracked the last few months so want to get back into so can i be put down for £700, its a 5 week month for us (2 adults, 3 teenagers, 2 kids, a toddler and a dog lol)

sistercas

babyboysmommy wrote: »

I'm not sure, I didn't plan it, it just happened all by itself I'm cooking everything from scratch apart from bread. When I shop I make sure I come home with as little packaging as possible so I don't put things like onions in plastic bags anymore. I take my own shopping bags. We recycle everything we can, reuse everything we can & without any real effort our waste has dropped considerably. The frugal living challenge has help as well, details in my homepage/blog which is a work in progress...

have favourited your blog

Pooh bear do you have a recipe for the spicy bean stew that sounds lovely

Mrs M please could you put me down for £400 for march thankyou x

rosieben

Microwave Recipes

Main Meals & Side Dishes (Soups now listed separately, below)
Bacon and Cheese Fritatta with Tomato Salsa
Bacon and potato salad -Warm
Baked potato pizza
Baked Beans (home made)
Baked Bean Tart
Bean Curry (Slow Cooker)
Beef - Brisket
Beef Casserole
Beef Curry Dopiaza (Delia recipe)
Beef Stifado (Jamie Olive recipe)
Beef Stroganoff
Beef and Root Veg Curry
Belly Pork
Bolognaise (Remoska)
Brie Burgers
Broad Bean Burgers
Burgers
Cheese and Onion Flan
Cheese Pie - School days recipes tread
Chicken Cannelloni
Chicken - Cheat's Chicken Cassoulet
Chicken and broccoli bake
Chicken - Cheat's Chicken Lasagne in the SC - Here and Here
Chicken Fried Rice
Chicken, leek and bacon pie / pasties
Chicken - Monker's Honey and Orange Chicken
Chicken - Parmesan Chicken
Chicken - Sticky Chicken
Chicken with Cannellini Beans
Chicken with Garlic, Cider & Cream
Chicken and Potato Curry
Chicken and Vegetable Slice
Chilli
Chilli (Remoska)
Chilli Bean Tortillas
Chilli Cheese Crostini
Chilli chicken with jasmine rice (BBC food)
Chinese Pork Balls & Sweet & Sour Sauce
Chinese style cabbage
Cobbler (topping) see below for Minced Beef with Cobbler Topping
Coconut Rice
Coleslaw
Corned Beef Hash - MrsMCawber's recipe
Corned Beef Pasties
Courgette Fritters (1) Courgette Fritters (2)
Courgette Pie
Courgette and Tomato Layer Bake
Cranberry & Soy glazed cocktail sausages
Creamy Chicken and Potato casserole
Creamy Lentil and Rice Dish (Khircheri) (BBC website)
Curry Sauce
Diet Coke Chicken
Duchesse potatoes
Faggoty Pea Stew
Falafel burgers
Fishcakes
Fish Pie and Fish Pie
Fusilli with Broccoli
Ham Hock (slow cooker)
Ham Salad (sandwich filling) external link
Hummus and Garlic Pitta Breads
Individual chicken pies
Lamb curry and paratha
Lamb Hotpot
Lamb Tikka
Lasagne
Lemon Chicken
Lemon chicken with basil and tagliatelle
Lemon potatoes
Liver and onions stir fry
Macaroni Cheese
Marrow - Veggie stuffed marrow
Meatballs
Meatloaf (1) Meatloaf (2) Meatloaf (3)
Mediterranean Mince and Potato 'Pie'
Mediterranean Vegetable Pasta
Mince & onion pie
Minced Beef Curry
Mince - Mexican Style Mince
Minced Beef with Cobbler Topping
Mini Goat's Cheese, Pear & Walnut Quiche
Monday Pie
Moussaka
Naan bread - see 'Bread' below
Onion Bhaji
Open top 'pizza' pie
Pasta with Tomato Sauce
Pasta Cheese and Onion Bake
Pease pudding
Pizza / Pizza Base Recipe
Pork Burgers with Salad
Pork and Beef Meatballs
Pork Steaks in Mustard and Cider Sauce
Potatoes - Slow Cooker Jacket Potatoes
Potato bake
Potato Kebabs
Potato layer bake - with cheese, leeks and stock
Potato layer bake - with cheese, onion and white sauce
Potato layer bake - with chorizo and bacon
Potato layer bake (Teisen datws)
Potatoes - Lemon Potatoes
Potatoes - Twice Baked Potatoes
Potato Wedges, Home Made
Quiche Lorraine
Refried Beans
Russian Salad and Russian Salad
Salmon and Dill Fishcakes
Sausage and Rice bake
Sausage and Stuffing Plait
Sausage and Tomato Spaghetti
Sausage Bean Stew
Sausage Casserole or Sausage Casserole
Sausage Meat Patties
Savoury tarts - pastry-less
Smoked salmon soda breads
Smoked Salmon - Tagliatelle with Smoked Salmon
Spaghetti Bolognaise
Spaghetti with courgettes, tomato and brie
Spicy Bacon and Tomato Pasta
Spicy Bean and Lentil Loaf
Spicy Bean & Sweet Potato Stew
Spinach pancakes
Steak and Kidney stew/pie filling
Steamed Oriental Buns
Stifado - Beef Stew With Tiny Onions Recipe
Stuffing - MrsMcawber's recipe
Suet crust pie with quorn
Super Tasty Bacon, Bean and Sausage
Sweet & Sour Chicken/Pork
TexMex Skillett
Thai green curry
Toad in the Hole
Tofu burgers
Tomato paste (external link)
Tomato sauce for pasta - batch cook recipe
Tuna Fish Mousse
Tuna Fishcakes
Tuna Lasagne
Turkey and Bubble and Squeak Pie
Turkey Pasta
Turkey Pasta Cacciatore
Vegetable Casserole
Veggie Chilli and some variations
Veggie Haggis
Yorkshire puddings

Soups
Bacon and Carrot Soup
Broccoli and Cheese Soup
Carrot, parsnip and lentil soup
Celery Soup
Cheats Minestrone
Chicken & Sweetcorn Soup
Cream of Tomato Soup
Curried Parsnip Soup
Gammon and lentil soup
Ham and Lentil Soup
Iced cucumber soup
Leek and Lentil Soup
Leek and Potato Soup
Moniker’s Leek and Potato Soup
Leek and sweet potato soup
Moroccan Chickpea and Broad Bean Soup
Onion Soup
Oxtail Stew + Oxtail Soup
Parsnip & Apple Soup
Pea & Ham Soup
Real Tomato Soup
Slow Cooker French Onion Soup
Soup - Red pepper, carrot & lentil soup
Spicy Carrot and Tomato Soup
Spinach Soup
Split Pea and Courgette Soup
Vegetable Soup

Bread
Bagels
Baguettes
Bara Brith (Welsh Tea Bread)
Basic white bread recipe (makes a 2lb loaf)
Bread - Mrs McC's recipe for Remoska
Breadsticks MrsM's / angelnikki's (No Salt Recipe)
Chapatis
Cheese & Potato Bread
Cheesy Bread Rolls
Chewy Soft Flour Tortilla
Chocolate Bread
Courgette Flatbread
Focaccia
Garlic Dough Balls
Herb Quick bread
HM Bread
Irish Soda Bread
Lahmachun
Malt Bread
Naan Bread .. see also .. Curry Queen's ...... Mrs McCawber's ...... OrkneyStar's
Oatmeal bread
soft bread rolls
Super Seedy Bread

rosieben

Dips, Jams & Chutneys and Drinks
Alioli / Traditional allioli
Bean Pickle
Beetroot and Apple Chutney
Chilli Jam
Elderberry cordial
Feisty Rhubarb Relish
Jams & Preserves
Lemon Squash
Miser's Marmalade
Onion - Caramelised Onion chutney
Onion Marmalade
Pineapple Salsa
Riata - Mint, yoghurt and Cucumber Dip
Tomato/Chili Salsa
Red Tomato Chutney
Tomato Chutney
Mango Chutney
Xmas Chutney

Cakes, Biscuits, Sweets, Snacks & Desserts
Apple Braid
Apple delight
Apple Charlotte
Apple - Microwave Autumn Apple Cake
Apricot Flapjack bars
Baileys Chocolate Truffles
Bakewell Tart
Banana and Honey bread pudding
Banana Cake (bread)
Banana and lemon drizzle cake
Banana Muffins (wholemeal)
Banana Muffins
Banana and Walnut cake
Banana Ginger Parkin
Blackberries - Grated Blackberry Bake
Branflake cake
Brownies
Bounty Balls
Bran Fruit Loaf
Bread & Butter Pudding
Bulk pancake mix
Buttercream topping
Butterscotch squares
Caramel Shortbread (Millionaire's Shortbread)
Caramel Shortbread (2)
Cheese n marmite twists
Chocolate Biscuit Thins
Cheesy Biscuits
Chocolate Concrete
Chocolate Coookies - Cheap and Easy
Chocolate fudge
Chocolate Fudge Cake
Chocolate Krackolates
Chocolate pudding (microwave)
Chocolate pudding - self-saucing
Chocolate yoghurt cake
Coconut Cake
Coconut Flapjacks
Coffee Fudge Frosting
Cookie Dough
Cornflake Tart
Courgette Tea Bread/Muffins
Cranberry And Chocolate Brownies
Currant Loaf
Custard Cookies
D&DD’s Apple Braid
Date, Nut and Oat biscuits
Easy Syrup Sponge Pudding
Eggless Chocolate Cake
Fifteens
Flaky Bars
Flapjacks and Flapjacks and Microwave Flapjacks
Fudge Tart
Fruit and Mascarpone dessert
Gingerbread Men
Ginger Raisin Crunches
Golden Syrup Tart
Healthy Snack Bars
Honey Frosted Buns
Iced Buns
Impossible Coconut Pie
Jam Buns
Jammy Buns Jammy Buns
Key lime pie
Krispie marshmallow bars
Lemon cakes
Lemon Curd Cake
Lemon Curd Ice-Cream JeniD's / MoneySavingDiva's
Magic Lemon Pudding
Malt Bread
Marshmallow Squares
Mascarpone and Lime Torte
Mascarpone Ice-cream
Millies Cookies
Mince Squares
Miini Krispie Christmas Puddings
Muffins: Basic Recipe / Chocolate Orange Muffins (1) / Chocolate Orange Muffins (2) / Gingerbread Muffins / Kiwi Muffins / Sticky Date Muffins / Strawberry Muffins / Toffee Apple Muffins
No fat sponge
Oaty Pancakes
Oaty Shortbread Biscuits
Orange and Poppy Seed Cake
Peanut Butter Cookies
Pineapple, Fried
Rhubarb and Orange Jelly
Rock Buns
Scones
Scotch pancakes
Spiced Apple Bars
St Peter's Mud Pie (no cooking required)
Sticky gingerbread
Sticky toffee apple crumble
Teacakes
Twink’s Hobnobs
Weetabix Brownies
Weetabix Cake
Weetabix Fruit Loaf
Wonderbites
Yoghurt: Homemade yoghurt, Slow Cooker Yoghurt
Yoghurt Cake (the easy way)

Pastry
The best mince pie pastry ever
Pastry economics
Making pastry
Basic pastry
Flaky Pastry (BBC Food)

Home Made Dog Biscuits
Home Made Dog Biscuits (2)


Top Tips (OS threads)
Batch cooking ideas
Cheapest recipes? links to various OS threads, thanks Pink!
Complete Menu Plans Collection
Cooking for the Freezer
Frozen food safety - misconceptions
Grocery Challenge Top Tips
Laundry Washing Gel/ Gloop, Fab conditioner, vinegar.....
Meal building blocks for the freezer
Mr Badexamples Cooking Index

External links
Batch Bake Minced Beef Recipe
Easy and Cheap Biscuits (DowntoEarth forum)
How to feed your whole family a healthy, balanced diet... (Webook)
List of conversions
Love Food Hate Waste website
Show Jamie How To Cook On A Budget Champagne Contest

Homemade Play Dough

annieb30

Have blatantly not tracked for February but can you put me down for £200 for March - determined to stick to it!! :-)

Winged_one

Am not finished Feb yet, but can you please put me down for €500 again for March, Mrs macawber? I have some stuff in, but need other stuff that I'm rapidly running through in freezer. And I will be over for Feb as I got some veg and olives at market yesterday, only leaving €65 odd for the weekend, and I need a reasonably decent shop this week (including wquite a bit of meat).

Fi27

Am declaring Feb at £210.23 so a bit over but i dont really care. It's still less than i used to spend.

Will budget £200 for March please.

Thank-you to all who post, i do enjoy reading how everone is getting on.

Fi.

peskie_pixie

I'm declaring on £78.15. But i actually had half my budget left so have bought next months shopping (exc f&V & fresh stuff). Mr A had some good offers (exp 2nd Mar) on store cupboard stuff so stocked up while they were still available.

Can you put me down for £80 again in March


Thanks Mrs M for the thread and to everyone else who posts, it really has curbed my excess spending:T

Loadsabob

Oh dear - declaring £96.76 (out of budgeted £80) for February. Don't know what happened. There was only one veg box, not the usual two, and I was in Berlin for a week, when my spending didn't count, as it was 'holiday' funds. It should have been miniscule spend! This is a rotten state of affairs! Frugality will definitely be the buzz word for March...which is five weeks, and for which I will budget £100 (March) please.

And I'm sorry, I haven't kept up with your lovely community conversations and support in this thread at all

earthmother

Declaring for February (and picking myself up off the floor) at £230.64 - that's £49.36 under budget!

Don't ask me how it happened, I have no idea - the menu plan went out the window half-way through the month, which is usually a bad sign. I've checked and rechecked in case I missed off a receipt, but it all looks in order - I think I actually cracked it! :j And I'll say what everyone else is thinking - about time too! :rotfl:


Same budget of £280 for March please (4 weeks). I have two birthdays (DS3 and DH), so I won't get as low, but hopefully I'll still stay within budget again (£50 should be more than enough for two birthday teas)