March 2011 Grocery Challenge

123budget · 4 March 2011 at 7:08PM

Is there a thread anywhere where people post suggestions of weekly meal plans? Have just started to do my own on Word doc. showing evening meals, weekend lunches, and packed lunches for each week - really just so I don't repeat meals to often. I am also trawling through all the lovely recipes at the front of this thread for new ideas

roger_ramjet · 4 March 2011 at 7:46PM

Another NSD closes. That's number 4 done and dusted!

freakyogre · 4 March 2011 at 8:02PM

£7.45 spent today.

£4.78 in Asda on a pineapple, some clementines, garlic, a stew pack (veg bag), Stork and some burgers that were on offer. My dad also gave me some of his bananas in return for a couple of burgers

£2.67 in Farmfoods on milk, frozen peppers and crabsticks.

Forgot to get oil so will need to get some at some point and some cotton buds, but I have everything I need for meals next week.

laineyc_2 · 4 March 2011 at 8:29PM

I spent the most of the day at eye hospital with youngest son for his yearly check. He was very tired and we only had time to wolf down a sandwich between tests. We had takeaway fish and chips this evening, no spend on groceries though. Will make the planned ham & cheese pie for tomorrow's dinner.

misscreditcrunch · 4 March 2011 at 8:41PM

spent £74.36 in Mr T's yesterday

to add to my £129.00 spent so far already this week and I've still not done the weekend shop yet!!:( somehow I don't think £600.00 is going to stretch the whole month. I need to do some serious meal planning, there is little left in the freezer, fridge and cupboards so might do a trip to icel**d tomorrow and Al** to see if I can find some cheap and cheerful stuff to fill the empty spaces:) Have been to the Library today for some inspiration and have managed to find lots of cook books:) 4 ingredients 2, The thrifty cook, the ministry of food, the lazy cook's family favourites and Delia's frugal food, so now I am off to make a much needed cup of tea, read my socks off and prepare a plan and shopping list for the morning. Will update my spend tomorrow afternoon!!!

PennyGrabber · 4 March 2011 at 9:02PM

3rd NSD of the month, and still not been in a sm! That's 13% of the way through the month! I've actually spent 35.5% of my budget, but that's ok, as it's meals for most of the month. I've got loads of pasta and loads of jars of sauce, so I feel that's a good way to have a few cheap meals.

Going out for dinner tomorrow night with my best friend (diff budget), so I'm just off to make a cauliflower cheese pie for bf, otherwise he'll eat things I've planned for other meals, as he doesn't really think long term! Eg, he'd eat things that are ood in 2 weeks, over stuff that's ood in 2 days!! Have tried explaining that to him, but I don't think he really understands! At least if I give him a dinner that he just has to put in the oven, and TELL him what to eat, I might have a chance of keeping all the other stuff intact ready for when I want to use it!!

Some good ideas for menu planning - I must admit, I used to have a calendar-type page, and write every main meal on the relevant day, but last month, didn't have a single dinner on the right day! This month, I just have a list of meals, and we choose as a family which one we want the next day. Hope it works a bit better!

PG x

rosieben · 4 March 2011 at 9:19PM

123budget wrote: »

Is there a thread anywhere where people post suggestions of weekly meal plans? Have just started to do my own on Word doc. showing evening meals, weekend lunches, and packed lunches for each week - really just so I don't repeat meals to often. I am also trawling through all the lovely recipes at the front of this thread for new ideas

there's a new one every week, here's the current one

rosieben · 4 March 2011 at 9:26PM

I've just added Bacon and Onion dumpling to the recipe index

hamish222 · 4 March 2011 at 10:33PM

I really need to join this again as my spending is out of control. Hubby commented today that everytime I go out that I come home with at least 6 a dozen bags(and I go out a lot). I could not fit a thing in my freezer as jam packed. Going to try and spend very little this month and use everything up. Going to New York on 24th for 5 days. So will set a monthly budget again in April. Off to do a meal plan for next few weeks.

mummyjane · 4 March 2011 at 10:50PM

NSD today :j hoping to have another one tomorrow although I will be buying a gift for my sister as it's a big birthday tomorrow (I don't include gifts in my gc).