January 2011 Grocery Challenge

Mothership

happycrafter wrote: »

these sound yummy and I can make them on my planc my mam bought me for Christmas to make welsh cakes on, those are easy to make and the kids stand and eat them as I cook them!

I don't know what a planc is LOL, if it has a flat base it should cook them. My daughter made her first batch on a griddle, and the scones got stuck in the grooves. Mine are all gone, my husband had the last 3 fried in sunflower oil for his supper. They taste completely different fried. Whatever you do don't try and fry them first, the scones seem to soak up the oil and are not as nice.
I'm away to make some xmas pudding scones and bread noo, will post those recipes tomorrow.

angelatgraceland

supersally01 wrote: »

Love all the ideas, gonna try the pizza bagette idea for DD, as she is always starving after school, yet needs independance , so this will suit, and the ribs sound yummy.
I noticed that a lot of people are buying liquid paracetamol for their children, not suprising as there is 'a flu epedemic' apparently, but do Engalnd and Wales run the Minor Ailments service that we have in Scotland? This involves you registering with a pharmacist, and you can obtain free advice and stuff like paracetamol/ibuprofen etc for free, without visiting your GP. I usually phone with the problem, then collect my product 30 mins later - so no wait!!! I too am registered, as I have an excemption certificate, and can get stuff free for women conditions too. Not much, but it all helps!
What are people doing with all the offers that the big supers are throwing at us? Both Mr T and Mr M seem rammed with 1/2 price or less stuff, are people stock piling, or is it just another ploy to get us in???
Just a £9 shop for me today, as working.

No such luck in England! Advice is free but that is all! It seems we have to pay for everything and Scotland has a definite advantage-except for the weather!
A lot of the halfprice stuff the shops offer us do tend to be rather processed products rather than meat fish and veg. We all need to find a list of what is/is not vat-able-perhaps we can all start searching and post it up? A good guide is the discount places like costco and makro as it says on your receipt-Ive n o idea as I don't use them. Surprisingly-fresh fruit juic has vat on it! Crisps I can understand but fresh fruit juice Id consider to be "real " food.

Made some chicken and veg soup tonight from yesterdays chicken Added some butternut squash, herbs,onions and frozen mixed veg to the chicken stock along with 4 stock cubes. That is tonights supper and tomorrows lunch for me-maybe dd will also eat some-doubt the rest will.

NickJW

NSD today - I had Toasted sandwiches with the last of the goats cheese and tomatoes. Dinner was Jerk chicken cooked by my flatmate.

Tomorrow and Thursday lunch I'll have a small plate of curry and then afterwards a small bowl of Xmas pudding with brandy sauce for lunch (it needs using up..........)

Not sure what I'll do for my dinners but I'll decide later.

Shouldn't need to spend anything until Saturday in actual fact since I've still got a lot of food in (famous last words!)

Lola76 wrote: »

2. stock take of my freezer - it had, 12 breasts of chiken, 2packs of mince, 2 bags of prawns, 3 packs of sausages, 8 (!) tuna steaks, Ham and 2 huggises (not sure what to do with them) they have been brought to us as a gift. large bag of freshly frozen bluckcurrants. 2 packs of tortilla wraps. a loaf of bread

Sorry - what are Huggises? I looked online but it asked me if I meant 'Huggies' and I presume you aren't planning on eating baby nappies :rotfl::o

jammy_dodger

Pixie_Fairydust wrote: »

Thank you SilverS and HappyCrafter for your tips, will take note, will try the baguette pizza idea, they love pizza!

I will try to cut back gradually as I think doing it in one go will be too difficult.

Would love to try some easy cakes/biscuits, will look at the beginning of the thread.

Am thinking of getting a bread maker, I've never had one and people at work have given me mixed reviews? What do you think? Have been told not to get a cheap one as you are limited to what you can make, is this right? Can you leave it running overnight?

Thanking you all in advance.

Will do my Jan gc myself then may go public in Feb, see how I get on! :T

ive had a bread maker for 3 years now and apart from the occasional whoopsied loaf i havent bought any bread , i buy my flour from lidl 50p at moment ( mkes 3 loaves ) and i invested in a panasonic bread maker shall try and put link in to breadmakers as there is a wealth of information about them , i did have a "cheaper" bread maker before the panasoninc but i didnt like the bread it made am Very happy with what i have now and make naan breads tortillas and different flavoured loaves in it

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/448840

NickJW

angelatgraceland wrote: »

No such luck in England! Advice is free but that is all! It seems we have to pay for everything and Scotland has a definite advantage-except for the weather!
A lot of the halfprice stuff the shops offer us do tend to be rather processed products rather than meat fish and veg. We all need to find a list of what is/is not vat-able-perhaps we can all start searching and post it up? A good guide is the discount places like costco and makro as it says on your receipt-Ive n o idea as I don't use them. Surprisingly-fresh fruit juic has vat on it! Crisps I can understand but fresh fruit juice Id consider to be "real " food.

Made some chicken and veg soup tonight from yesterdays chicken Added some butternut squash, herbs,onions and frozen mixed veg to the chicken stock along with 4 stock cubes. That is tonights supper and tomorrows lunch for me-maybe dd will also eat some-doubt the rest will.

I only realized on Saturday that they put a star next to VAT products on supermarket (well Mr T and Mr S) receipts. I guess everyone else knows this already though! :rotfl:

I know that's not much use because you've got to buy it before you know...but I did feel a bit silly that I had never realized it until now (I guess I just wasn't looking until I started to monitor my food spends even more closely)...:o

buddiebabe

Went to MrT after work and managed to get some woopsie tortilla wraps for 3p and 2pts skimmed milk for 55p so spend a grand total of 58p today :j

The wraps are in the freezer so don't need to worry about them and the milk still has 3 days on it before it needs used up and i plan to have some frosties for breakfast and possibly mid morning snack for the next few days.... if i remember to take it to work.

Will go get all work stuff ready just now so i don't forget anything in the morning!

Buddiebabe x

kalojac

Spent 29.76 in Tesco and 13.03 in Lidls today mainly stuff for meals to last us til the end of the weekend. Also the kids are back to school tomorrow so needed snacks, juice boxes etc which was an expense I didn't miss over the festive period. On the upside my mam bought some sweets, 2 packets of 12 thick sausages and 2 packs of 6 sausage rolls so that will help eek out the grocery budget:T.

Will update sig now.....

Rebelle

Hello

Wasn't going to post again today, just update sig - but had to share my excitement (it's sad I know!) at getting 12pts milk at MrA for a grand total of 6p! :j They had loads of 4pt cartons with Display until date today, Use by next Tue at 2p each, so bought 3. If any needs using up next week will attempt a HM rice pud, all the talk of it on here has got me craving some, not had it for years and never made my own before.

Spent £7.22 altogether, more than I thought but got another 6 tins cat food so now have a fortnight's worth of petfood in with what I've already got, plus the milk, bread and w/up liquid I needed, and with the money saved on the whoopsie milk I got 3x Ainsley couscous for £1 and 2x Pot Noodle for £1, both on offer. :T

£50 target definitely looking a bit dodgy now, will have to take my cue from you lot and try to be strong and not even look at offers in the SM, just get what I need and get out! Even if I blow the budget will carry on posting, it's eyeopening how much I actually do spend, even when trying hard to cut back and with loads of food in anyway. Am already agonising over my Feb budget! :rotfl: Thinking £200 but will wait and see how I do this month first...

Gonna stop waffling now and get to bed, night all xxx

angelatgraceland

NickJW wrote: »

I only realized on Saturday that they put a star next to VAT products on supermarket (well Mr T and Mr S) receipts. I guess everyone else knows this already though! :rotfl:

I know that's not much use because you've got to buy it before you know...but I did feel a bit silly that I had never realized it until now (I guess I just wasn't looking until I started to monitor my food spends even more closely)...:o

My thinktank must have gone wrong as years ago I knew that and have since forgotten! Too sidetracked by the figures I guess! Thanks for that-as all of us with our receipts can now check what had vat and what didn't! Thanks for telling us!:T

Missus_Aka

Hi can i join please?

Aiming for £150 (Jan 1st - Jan 31st)

This is for myself, DH and DS3