Pavlovs_dog starting as she means to go on...

CathT

I shopped in M&S this week, not very MSE! I was shocked at their fruit prices though and bought very little. DH said we're not going there again, maybe I have converted him to MSE ways!

Good luck with the grocery challenge, lots of us seem to be doing it this month. I think we'll have to get inventive at the end of the month and share ideas!

pavlovs_dog

I certainly think a lot harder about the value for money offered by items that find their way into the trolley than I used to. I will definitely have to pull my finger out and plant the salad seeds I bought for last summer this year too to help keep costs down. I wish our garden was big enough that we could afford the space for a little allotment area. We'll have to do our best with one of those PVC greenhouses on the patio

want to do cut-and-come-again type salad leaves, cherry toms, not sure what else. We didn't have enough success with courgettes and peppers when we tried them a few years back to make it worth the effort. Will have to get out my idiots guide to gardening book and see what's easy but will save us £ss. Any suggestions?

Frugaldom

Catching up on your thread now, too. Well done with the overpayments!

Tilly_MFW_in_6_YRS

Hiya PVD, courgette - make sure you water really well. Always plant rocket, coriander, lambs lettuce to add to salads, easy to grow, expensive to buy and fab for salads. I marinade courgettes in lemon, garlic, onion and then BBQ lightly - quick, tasty and healthy.

I have raised beds, small but highly productive and I can feed the whole family for a good 5 months just from the garden. Others can do far more than that but I am happy. Obviously meat, dairy is on top but that covers fruit and veg so I am more than happy.

More than happy to help if I can

Best wishes Tilly

macgirl

Glad I popped in here, Hi PD :hello:
I'll join you in in your green fingered activities if that's ok? I've ever grown toms before, but since moving have decided an old rockery bed will be my new veg plot.

Look forward to picking up tips and joining in the chat!

Tilly_MFW_in_6_YRS

Hi PVD and MacGirl, I would just get a basic veggie gardening book from the library and put your feet up. My best advice would be to (back to spreadsheets sorry:eek:) set a spreadsheet up of what to plant, when and if soil needs adjusting.

I set a rotational plan up as, when growing anywhere, you can't grow the same thing there, the following year. I happen to have 4 raised beds, so I have a year 1, 2, 3, 4 plan for what goes in. Saves having to think and does save time.

It really does the soul good to pop out in the winter and pick your veg and using plastic cloche covers enables me to do that. However, when the weather is quite mad like last year, then the crops suffer. This winter though, has been great and we should have enough lettuce under cover to do us until end January.

Sorry this has turned into a longer post, but I love gardening. Garlic, tomatoes, herbs etc all easy to grow and don't be out off by people saying things fail. Depends on your garden, direction etc.

Have fun.

Tilly x

aliasojo

pavlovs_dog wrote: »

Will have to get out my idiots guide to gardening book and see what's easy but will save us £ss. Any suggestions?

Dare I say.....cucumbers?

Dead easy, get loads from one plant, cucumber with your salad, cucumber sandwiches for lunch etc etc etc......:D

macgirl

Thanks you two. My problem is I want to grow it all! Last year I was too late so just prepped the ground. Now I don't want to be too late so will get my books out and get on the internet and make a plan.
Look forward to swapping stories

pavlovs_dog

aliasojo wrote: »

Dare I say.....cucumbers?

should I be worried by your obsession with them?! Are you planning on growing much in your new place (or is another move still potentially on the cards)?

I have an idiots guide to gardening book, shall have to put it on my nightstand as I only really seem to find time to relax with a book when I'm winding down in bed. Forward planning doesn't feel high on the agenda ATM if i'm honest, first week back in work has been exhausting, we have a short but very busy term ahead and I have a MOUNTAIN of marking to catch up with because being ill over Christmas has scuppered my good intentions of getting organised at a leisurely pace. I don't generally *do* stress, by my skin has gone loopy over the past few days so clearly by body is feeling the strain on some subconcious level :cool:

squeezed in a quick shop today. 19.77 in costco on toothpaste (works out 75p/tube) and loo roll (26p a roll for triple velvet. I'm not a brand snob but the posh stuff creates a lot less dust which cuts down on cleaning, so it's worth the extra as far as i'm concerned). Then on to asda for a top up shop. mostly fresh stuff to help make meals from freezer/cupboard supplies and tons of fruit/salad/veg, but stocked up on a few bargains that were very competitively priced.

meal plan for the week (some rolled over from last week as I'm still training OH in the art of meal planning)

SUN: Roast pork and veg (pork split from a 3-4-£10 deal ages ago, leftover veggies)
MON: OH's bottom of fridge concoction (smells gorgeous, gawd knows what's in it). Might become soup or served with cous cous as we had it last week.
TUES: whoopsied Burgers (might be beef or minted lamb, both in freezer)and wedges/chips & salad
WEDS: Fish Pie & veggies
THURS: Pesto pasta creation, garlic bread
FRI: veggie burger things, savoury rice, corn on cob


in a bid to cut yoghurt costs (you want HOW much :eek:?!) I've bought a cheapo pot of greek yoghurt to see if it is palatable. It is much cheaper per gram than a lot of the other yoghurt offerings (how sad is that sentence?!:o) if I can learn to like it. Better still if i can convince OH to do the same.

on that miserly note, I think I'd best log off

pavlovs_dog

using up the contents of the fridge/freezer/store cupboard still going well, resulting in another very low spend this week for groceries. The plan is to continue running stocks right down, using up the bits that have been there since we moved in in particular (some of which moved house with us )

quite hard to believe that we are already half way through the month. It's very much been a 'just keep swimming' few weeks. Been feeling run down (tired, spotty and snotty, not a nice combo) a lot, have spent most of the past 2 weekends sleeping and finally feel like I'm getting back on to a slightly more even keel. Hard to motivate yourself when it is pitch black and freezing cold outside.

looking forward to pay day and making my first big OP of the year (normal Jan + spare council tax money as they make us pay over 10 months) :j As payday and direct debits here all happen on the 28th, means I can really start playing about with my budgeting spreadsheet too. Who'd have thought being an MSEr could turn you into such a geek?!