November 06 Grocery Challenge

pigpen

thanks pandora.. that'll save my poor handies some work!

what would I do without you?

FTB83

pigpen wrote:

ftb83 .. hello and welcome!!

I am fairly new.. ok so this is my very first week of meal planning.. my life is so much more organised for it!! As cheesy as that sounds. I am useless at cooking most stuff but I am determined to learn before we all turn into chicken portions!

We need to eat more fish too and I have 8 dish filets in my freezer and some salmon and plaice... but no idea what to do with any of it! I shall learn!!!

I am really struggling to figure out exactly how much we spend each month but I know it was in the region of £600 for 10 of us... I hope to get that down to about £300/£400 eventually but I do like to aim higher than I know is possible.

Good luck!

Thanks pigpen. it's great to know someone else has just started embarking on this too!

Re the fish - I got a really good FREE recipe booklet from a fishmonger last week, it's put together by SeaFish (the industry body for fishing, I think). There are some fantastic recipes in there for all types of fish. I've just checked their website and they also have some great recipes online http://www.seafish.org/plate/recipes.asp .

I've also just looked to see if you can order the booklet I've got, and if you go to the Contact Us page http://www.seafish.org/contact/default.asp , there is an option on the drop down list (in the 'I wish to contact seafish regarding...') and you can select Seafood Recipe Booklets. It might be worth dropping them a message to ask if they could send you a copy.

Best of luck to you too. I'm going to start looking at a meal planner this weekend, quite exciting really, it's that first 'light bulb' moment when you realise you should just stop drifting along and actually do something about your problems! xx

pigpen

FTB83.. thank you.. I have some pollack in the freezer I might just dare to use next week now!!

just need a few bits.. but I'm away to asda later so might get them there.

Thank you!!

Peem

Hi

just to say I've discovered an unexpected moneysaving feature of shopping on line.

I merrily planned out next weeks meals and placed my order with Sainsbugs yesterday afternoon.

When I got home I realised DH was out on thursday night - so it's only me I have to feed. Don't need to buy anything for that night cos I'll raid the freezer or the bread bin and be quite happy. Then I also realised we're off to Mum's on friday so we won't need a meal for friday night - just sandwiches for in the car on the way.

So I went in and updated my order, deleting the items no longer required. If I'd gone to the shop and bought all the stuff I would have been stuck with it.
Things like the spinach I'd ordered for friday wouldn't have kept til monday (most likely) and so would have had to go straight in the bin.

So I'm really chuffed online saved me from my mistakes.

luckylukey

I am planning to spend £100 this month just for me. But this includes all household and shampoo etc. I moved into my new flat a month and a half ago with no basics and no food so am slowly building my supplies up! Have spent £49.46 so far this month which should last me until the 27th at least , so hopefully will come under this target.

EagerLearner

luckylukey wrote:

I am planning to spend £100 this month just for me. But this includes all household and shampoo etc. I moved into my new flat a month and a half ago with no basics and no food so am slowly building my supplies up! Have spent £49.46 so far this month which should last me until the 27th at least , so hopefully will come under this target.

Hi Lucky - you can save a bunch buying at £1 stores too - any shampoo, conditioner, sponges, detergent etc will just be £1 each then. Unless of course you can get BOGOF in the supermarket that works out at less than £1 each :T

We are aiming for another month at £120 all in, but I doubt it will happen - we haven't managed to hit the target in the last 3 challenges! It always ends up more like £135 but still, summer generally is worse than winter. Plus now with the meal plans that has helped alot, plus I have a whiteboard in the kitchen now and all the meal plans are on it, so Mr EL doesn't ask ' what's for dinner' - plus it means if I can get home late, he can start dinner by consulting the planner, eliminating the need to think...

JillD_2

well I did my weekly shop today and after subtracting some stuff for a dinner party (entertainment budget) and xmassy stuff, I spent about £20. I forgot the nappies though and some diet coke and spuds so all in all it will be about £30 so I am pretty pleased.
must update signature now .....

I think this is as low as we can go. OH is complaining about lack of shop bread, Asda peas, Asda marg, Asda tortilla chips. I buy diet coke, orange juice, veggie bacon, tortilla chips, and guacamole for him, these account for about 8% of the weekly shop but I just can't get him to give them up. He has hollow legas and eats tons. I try to buy fruit in season but I won't do the same with veg because we are veggie and I want to have the variety. I buy the Omega-3 milk for the kids, we spend about £4.50 a week on milk, thats another 8%. And I buy own brand of as much as I can - cereal, juice, tinned stuff, diet coke, tuna, tortillas, rice.
and smart price of flour, yoghurts, beans, hoops, biscuits, cheese, tortilla chips, pasta, porridge, fruit and veg,

I don't know how to cut it down more without hub stopping snacking and I think he would rather boot me out first :rotfl:

Maybe I just have to stick with this budget for now anyway
Jill

EagerLearner

Hi all,

Thought this may be useful - here's a weekly meal planner:

http://office.microsoft.com/en-gb/templates/TC010705571033.aspx

Hope it helps someone

x

EagerLearner

Hi Jill - have you tried buying long life milk? I tries for the first time a few weeks ago and have been converted ever since - can taste no difference and saves money and time buying milk as the pack I get is 1 litre - you can keep lots in the kitchen and it stops the 'must go to the shop to get milk' trip, in which you invariable end up buying more than the milk...

cheerfulness4

Well my month on the challenge is going so well. Can't believe it as I didn't quite make it the last couple of months.
I've got into the habit of never shopping without using coupons at Tescos. I've got £'s off my shopping each week by handing over a couple of coupons per week.

By batch cooking I've not only saved time and money but also I don't tend to do that - 'what shall we have, lets nip to the shops' thing that I used to do when I was just too tired to care. I'm getting so organized!

I now have learnt to always do a food inventory every Friday before shopping and then do a preliminary food plan - I say that because if an absolute bargain presented itself I would be flexible, but I think for a few secs before deciding to buy the item this month. (couple of disasters last month)

We're eating less sugary rubbish and have planned treats now instead of grazing round the kitchen so I can feel the difference to my weight on my knees.
This thread has been a fantastic help to me - as have all the people that contribute to it. Long may it continue!