October 2010 Grocery Challenge

skintbint_2

well am not doing too well another £15 spent - O/H decided he would like chicken fajitas for tea and so did the kids when they heard!!! so gave in but thats it - NO MORE - i'm in charge (when they let me!!!) think i should get through the next week or so without buying too much - am going to do batch cooking on sunday so they cant have just what they fancy!
Suzybloo can you use the boullion for Stovies as i use oxo cubes and find them a bit bland compared to the real roast gravy dripping.

Diflower

Another spend, as OH was able to get to the Coop and they did have the £3 chickens - no doubt the same ones Suzybloo paid 50p each for:D
Anyway, he got 2 so one in fridge and one in freezer, so will change sig again.
We don't have any cheap shops, the big MrT is just over 5 miles away, in town we have a good MrTExpress but otherwise its Wrose & M&S!
However, in NOvember a L1dl is opening, just a bit further than the MrT so at least we will have a chance:T

Btw made the ginger cake in breadmaker today and it's come out really well - figured it would last longer than a chocolate one;)

sofababe

95p on a half dozen eggs. I only wanted one though! lol

Hippeechiq

suzybloo wrote: »

I have just started using the small bottles of knorr bullion and think it is really good. I prefer it to the kallo and marigold ones, and even the knorr boullion paste. I suppose it depends on what your individual taste is, and what you are making. I find stock cubes are bland compared to what they used to be.

Awwww shoot!! and I've just bought 3 boxes of Kn0rr cubes as I couldn't find Kall0 or Marig0ld. I saw the stockpots and the Kn0rr Liquid, but I was in one of those moods where I just couldn't make up my mind, so went with the stock cubes

Ordering some Marig0ld in main shop but the cubes will have to be used up.....just hope they're not as bland as 0xo

~moneysavingnovice~

I will never buy my shopping online again- I pay £5.50 for delivery, they show up 2 hours late, ruining my Friday night. Half the stuff is missing- out of stock despite us living in central London. Seriously debating whether to go back to Me S at all. Grr.

cw18

Phone their C/S and complain.

When I had major issues with a Mr A delivery (granted several years ago) they refunded me the cost of the delivery and all the 'questionable' items (all the fresh meat, and all the pre-packed F/V were dated as use by my delivery date!!!) - and I got to keep all the stuff I was refunded for, most of which I managed to get into my freezers

suzybloo

I tried the stock pots and also the pouches of stock and I didnt like them at all. The stock pots just seem tobe the jelly from a cooked carcass with some seasoning, and the pouches were really watery. The ones I have bought this week are small brown bottles about 7inches high and it is like a thick gravy substance in them. I have used the chicken one in a casserole and also a quick pot of soup, the beef one I put a tabkespoon and a half in stew and it was loveky.Skint I do think they would make good basis for stovies if you cant get the proper dripping, but fry your onions off first in some trex or oil, as there is no fat in the boullion.

Moneysaving novice I would phone and complain strongly you should at least be refunded your delivery cost.

angelatgraceland

Craftyscholar wrote: »

Getting tempted by thoughts of a breadmaker - I did have one but it 'died'.
Someone talk me out of it!!!

When you say it has died do you mean it won't bake? Will it still make dough?
If it still makes dough then DON't BUY ANOTHER oONE but if it is dead as a dodo the maybe you do need to buy one. Have you checked the fuse if this is the case? Err sounds obvious but I'm hoping to save you money.:money:

Craftyscholar

angelatgraceland wrote: »

If it still makes dough then DON't BUY ANOTHER oONE but if it is dead as a dodo the maybe you do need to buy one.

Def. dodo (and buried) but I really don't use that much bread so would take a while to recover the cost.
So not spending!!!

angelatgraceland

try2bgood wrote: »

Hello all

I'm new here, but I've been lurking for a long time and I've been inspired by your efforts!

I've recently become responsible for our shopping and cooking, since my mother has been diagnosed with a serious chronic illness. I'm on a steep learning curve so I need advice!!

I've been shocked by the amount we spend on food and by the amount of food we waste!! I'm trying to cut down, and to get bargains wherever I can. I bought some reduced meat from Mr T today - lamb, pork and chicken, all of which have to be used today!!! I've put the chicken and pork in the freezer, but now I'm not sure if it will be ok. If I take it out, it will have to defrost for a day. Will this make it go bad? The lamb is in the fridge - will I be able to eat it tommorrow if I cook it tonight and eat it tomorrow, or is it then out of date? Does anyone have any advice as to how I should handle this meat?

Sorry if this is the wrong place to ask this, but I'm clueless! :- )

I agree with the advice you have already been given. Personally when I buy chicken if its on the last day I open it and sniff it before I get home as Ive had a few baduns! However-generally all is well and do not worry about it! When it defrosts you will soon tell by the smell if its ok! Lamb keeps well and posk ok too. I find beef keeps longest. I would use p chst(when you need it)then the pork and then the lamb as thats the order I find they keep best.
Someone mentioned chicken breast. The beswt value ones I find are Iceland frozen ones. £5 for 1.1 kilo I think. Sometimes on offer at less. Haven't checked country of origin(if it matters to you)but we thawed ours out last night in combi micro on meat defrost and cooked chicken wraps. If however you can get any of the Elmwood chickens for £3 each in Co-op then Id use these instead-the £3 for the breasts and the rest is free!
I bought 4 chickens tonight and 4 packs of Lurpack(2 for £1).
Squeezed 2 chickens in the freezer-had to remove a loaf of bread and have 2 in the fridge but too good to miss. Um yes-we have 2 fridges!
So it wasn't a nospend today after all-I spent £14 but it was a bargain!
Having a family friend up for dinner on sunday-an old chap- and he lives alone so we thought we would give hime a good feed. Im sure he will be pleased.
No stinky people here today-no garlic!:rotfl::rotfl:
Used up a couple of chops tonight and a box of fish I bought in Lidl. The fish is haddock in batter 500g for £2.59?? Something like that. Small pieces but nice fish. Also used up some sweetcorm dd bough(fresh ones) with peas and baked pots. DD made an apple tart with garden apples so that was a cheapie. How the hell am I gonna diet with a cook in the house?:rotfl::rotfl:

Craftyscholar-well I find that with the amount of reduced bread I manage to buy(for a family of 5)that it doesnt pay me to make it. However-I like the odd homemade loaf. Not sure if Id buy another or not to be honest. Go without it for a year and see if you miss it I guess.