October 2010 Grocery Challenge

boultdj

Hippeechiq wrote: »

Would any of you ladies - or gents - happen know if you can successfully freeze guinness?

I have been freezing wine for use in cooking for a long time now, and it tastes absolutely fine in cooking, but I'm just wondering if guinness would become very bitter if frozen and then defrosted?

I've found a recipe for a Beef & Guinness Casserole I'd like to try, but it only uses 150ml of Guinness. It's not something I/OH drinks, so the cheapest option would be to buy a single bottle of it but the smallest single bottle I can find is 500ml, so I'm thinking, if I can freeze it, I could get 3 recipes worth out of the 1 bottle

It's hard to tell by user names if there are any gents amongst us.....I have a feeling a couple of peeps on here are male, but wont say who, as I'd hate to cause offence and look a right pleb in the process if I'm wrong :rotfl:

I'v seen beer casserole's in the freezer section of the SM's, so using that as an example,I would think it'll freeze.

Hippeechiq

sharronej wrote: »

Perhaps a healthier way to look at this is to save any extra money up in a sealed tin and then after Christmas see what I've managed - if anything rather than disappointing myself if I don't manage it.
.

I think that's a good plan

brodie1 wrote: »

Hi,

just declaring my total for October £258.50:j:j:j
Really chuffed to come in under budget of £300 for the 2nd month.

I think it is the meal palnning!!!!!!!!!

Next month I am going to try to lower my budget:eek::eek::eek:

As I keep coming in around £250.00 for November could I try £250.00!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am hoping to improve my NSD as well as I think I over estimated them for this month:rotfl:

Brodie1

Way to go Brodie! :T

Jackie - what a lovely thing to do for your SIL, I bet he'll be dead chuffed if you're successful in getting the tickets

Thanks boultdj I'm wondering if it would freeze better that way as it's already incorporated into a ready cooked meal though, whereas I just want to freeze it, on it's own, "uncooked" so to speak.

Another NSD here, the first time I've managed 2 in a row this month. Bringing total to 10 out of my 11 target

We're on the final stretch girls!! (and gents if there are any )

jintyb

JackieO wrote: »

I am so pleased with how I have done this month.its been a bit odd some of the dishes I have eaten but the stores are going down slow but sure.I know I will have one more smallish shop before the end of the month but I can see that I hopefully will be able to halve my normal 'food purse spends' this month. more dosh to go into the holiday fund.:):)

November will be a spending month,not so much for food, but I have two birthday in Novemeber ,one of them my son-in-law and its his 40th I want to get him a really nice pressies as he is such a good lad and has cooked me sunday dinner for the past six and a half years.He insists that I eat with them every Sunday unless I am away or ill or the kids are ill.DD and he both say 'Don't argue its only an extra couple of spuds', as they cook for their tribe anyway.but I am grateful and feel very lucky to have such a smashing son-in-law.So I have my thinking cap on and I'm going to suprise him hopefully with something he has never done before I am hoping to get some tickets so he can go with his two little boys to see his beloved Liverpool FC when they play in London.He has never seen them play 'live' so it will be a lovely suprise for him .Fingers crossed that I can get the tickets.The other birthday is my DGS Danny who will be 20 ,haven't got a clue what to get him yet though.
Still I have done well with the GC over the past couple of months so whatever it is it won't break the bank.
I think we all have done brilliantly this month
Well done chums
JackieO xx

Jackie, that's a lovely idea for your son in law, he will be thrilled!
I really enjoy your posts - you're an inspiration to us all!:T

dazzle21

Hello, I've been MIA this month AGAIN! Have no idea exactly how much money we have spent...eek - just that we have about £20 left so i can assume we have spent £180ish so far! (we put the money seperately and when it's gone it's gone!). Need loo roll after our supplies have finally diminished, and I am craving icelollies..so either i need to buy supplies to make my own or buy some cheap ones.... Heavy frost here today and i am really not feeling inspired to move from the comfort of the house, but I need to go to the post so....i guess i will have to force myself!! I got a chicken out of the freezer yesterday morning but it wasn't properly defrosted so i am planning to cook it tonight, that's ok isn't it? i'm not going to poison us? - sorry feeling very pregnant and can't make my brain function!
Have alot of food in (for once) but i am reluctant to run the food too low as a) it is getting cold and b) I don't want baby to arrive early and us be unprepared so going to keep the stocks up (even though i'm not due until early Jan!) Need to do another meal plan, and a shopping list too! Have a good day everyone, stay warm!

Spiggle

brodie1 wrote: »

Hi,

just declaring my total for October £258.50:j:j:j
Really chuffed to come in under budget of £300 for the 2nd month.
As I keep coming in around £250.00 for November could I try £250.00!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Brodie1

Congratulations and very well done Brodie1!!! :T:T:T

I admire your determination to drop your budget but my, £50 is one heck of a drop in a single month especially with the seasonal event due. I wish you all the very best with it.

JackieO wrote: »

I am so pleased with how I have done this month.its been a bit odd some of the dishes I have eaten but the stores are going down slow but sure.I know I will have one more smallish shop before the end of the month but I can see that I hopefully will be able to halve my normal 'food purse spends' this month. more dosh to go into the holiday fund.:):)

November will be a spending month,not so much for food, but I have two birthday in Novemeber ,one of them my son-in-law and its his 40th I want to get him a really nice pressies as he is such a good lad and has cooked me sunday dinner for the past six and a half years.He insists that I eat with them every Sunday unless I am away or ill or the kids are ill.DD and he both say 'Don't argue its only an extra couple of spuds', as they cook for their tribe anyway.but I am grateful and feel very lucky to have such a smashing son-in-law.So I have my thinking cap on and I'm going to suprise him hopefully with something he has never done before I am hoping to get some tickets so he can go with his two little boys to see his beloved Liverpool FC when they play in London.He has never seen them play 'live' so it will be a lovely suprise for him .Fingers crossed that I can get the tickets.The other birthday is my DGS Danny who will be 20 ,haven't got a clue what to get him yet though.
Still I have done well with the GC over the past couple of months so whatever it is it won't break the bank.
I think we all have done brilliantly this month
Well done chums
JackieO xx

What a lovely post JackieO!

And how wonderful and inclusive your family sound. Your plan for the SIL's birthday just goes to prove that a little kindness and thought reaps great rewards. :T

So, the start of my week off. It's very cold and frosty here but the washing machine is on and I hope I'll be able to line dry it. I'm going to have another cuppa and then brave the outdoor temperatures to clean my windows. Not a job I'm relishing but planned to do it last weekend and didn't then had mates and work colleagues telling me how lovely theirs were as that's what they'd done. :mad: I could only hang my head that I hadn't done them. So today must be the day as the forecast is for rain tomorrow when I can start attacking the indoors. :cool:

I may have to go with DD to pick up her new (old) car today so I need to get on. Right off to put the kettle on and then get wrapped up for the windows. Mind you it'll warm me up I suppose.

See you later,
Spigs

LannyLee

GC this month was a comlete disaster, but after a freezer tally & with the help of my new veg box I'm aiming for £50 this month :eek:, which includes cat food/litter, all cleaning supplies & toiletries.

It will be tough, as I am addicted to whoopsies, but I'm thinking if I buy my milk from the £ shop & make my own bread I won't have any reason to go near a shop, so it should in theory be doable.

So please put me down for £50 in November GC

& keep your fingers (& toes) crossed for me

sharronej

Please can you put me down for £325 for November?

Thank you, was considering lowering it but have decided to just include Christmas food into the normal budget. I've already got a couple of presents and this morning I've used some clubcard vouchers for part of MIL and FIL's presents - so just a small joint present to get for them now.

Left to buy;

Nine childminding presents (approx £67.50)
DH, DD, DS1 and DS2 - (although DD has already had Katie Perry tickets) approx cost for these £450 :eek:
DS1 want driving lessons so this could come out of January's money (and probably will)
5 Great Nephews and Nieces (£75 aim)
MIL + FIL £30

Also need to fund
Boxing Day party and New Year's Day Meal - alcohol is the killer here!

Hmm was feeling quite pleased with myself before I started adding up :rotfl:

XSpender

LannyLee - What did you think of your veg box?


I have lost the plot a bit with the way I was trying to include everything in my budget so I won't be budgeting like this again.

Spent £64 on £92 worth of nappies on offer at C0stco and £3.79 on an enourmous box of oats. Twinks anyone?:p:D

The nappies should last about 4 months I think so I am leaving them out of the budget rather than splitting it across the months.

I am trying to decide if to use cash in a seperate purse in November or stick with using the debit card? The cash makes me more aware of what I am spending but I often buy bits at the SM that are not in this budget so it gets a bit complicated.

My November starts on Wednesday and I do not intend to buy anything between now and then, now and Friday I am hoping for. I am going to give us a quite generous budget next month, it is still a lot less than we have been spending and I am hoping to use up my freezer stocks so would ideally like quite a bit left over.

Please can you put me down for £350 for November. Thank you.

This is food, alcohol (max £20/week any more comes out of personal spends), baby formula, dog food, toiletries, cleaning, meals/coffee out together, takeaways, over the counter medicines, weekly organic veg box. Any Cmas spends will be seperate as I am saving Mr M vouchers towards these. We are 2 adults, a baby about to start weaning and 2 small dogs.

LannyLee

XSpender wrote: »

LannyLee - What did you think of your veg box?

I LOVED it - thanks for asking XSPender, and we celebrated by having a veg curry on Friday. Now to most people this doesn't sound like much of an achievement, but DH mindset is "if it doesn't have meat in, it's a side dish & not a meal" Grrrrrrr:mad::mad:

So I was gobsmacked when he suggested it, although I've got a sneaking suspicion that it might of had something to do with Jamie making one in his 30 min meals prog last week either way I'm not complaining, veg is cheaper than meat, lets hope it continues!

rosie383

I'm so glad I joined this challenge. I had a limit of £240 for October for 4 of us, and I have about £50 left with just a week to go. That includes a car boot sale yesterday and paying my allotment fees from it.
For November I am going to have a limit of £350 as we have Eid in the middle of the month. If I can just spend an extra £100 I think that will be ok. Do you guys include pressies in your December spend for Christmas? If I'm not including presents, then maybe I should just add an extra £50 to my budget. What is best?