I'm eating out of the freezer and cupboards challenge

bramble1

my, lots of posts to catch up on when i have a moment!

we went out for dinner last night, i hope the beef i defrosted is okay for today, OH will have curry, I will have egg - either omlette or scramble on toast.

Think i might need to do a shop tonight, i just need to check lidl's site for my half price offer!

cheerfulness4

gailey wrote: »

keep anything nice under lock and key so

crisps,. biscuits, choc, pop and booze and when they can be good and respectful then maybe they get a treat or they go hungry!

recovering_spendaholic wrote: »

Yes DD1 does work and is also at University studying to be a pharmacist. She probably has more money than me but, even though I charge her keep she never pays up!!

Jane - I reckon gailey's suggestion and your comment are really your answer to DD1. When she pays up then you can 'afford' the treats. Till then its basics and she buys her own.
Course you can enjoy your treats when you like.

Its a minefield with kids, particularly when and older one plays up because the younger one/s soon learn their tricks and start to mimic if not careful.

If its any consulation (which it probably won't be) my DS1 who just left home was always wittering about my penny pinching ways and taking rise out my yellow stickered stuff.
Hardly in his house 5 mins and what is he doing at 5.30pm at Morries??
Loitering with intent around the reduced bays.
Never thought I'd see the day. :rotfl:
See, they do finally grow up!

bramble1

I forgot to mention! i am moving offices temporarily, and the village has a co-op, greengrocers and bakers! Excited, hopefully co-op does good reductions, there 2 within spitting distance of the office!

Bacon this week at lidl, going to do a small essential shop tonight for washing powder and things at sainsbobs and hold out till the weekend for food shopping.

Kirri

Afternoon all

Breakfast - drop scones out of freezer and maple syrup from fridge.

Lunch - making some ciabatta bread rolls (Wright's mix with coupon, used half a pack and got 7 rolls rising at the mo). Also got some butternut squash (allotment) in the oven to roast at the moment, making a squash and red lentil soup, using a combo of about 5 recipes! Going to serve it from mini pumpkins - just scooped those out too and no flesh in them but I will wash and save the seeds for bread. Will probably be eating it mid pm at this rate, am already starving. Still got a 7kg pumpkin here to use and I think my mum has more of my spare stored squash as well.

Dinner - no idea yet, probably something easy with all the cooking for lunch.

Decided I will only re-buy mainly essentials stock cupboard items, ie the lentils are nearly gone but I will replace, but won't replace condiments until I want to use them again otherwise they sit in the cupboard and they are also expensive items on the weekly bill.

Am wondering what my normal monthly budget should be for the future, once the extras are gone? I don't think it should be that much really as I will cook everything from scratch.

Lip_Stick

My quiche has leaked. It's only the 2nd quiche I've made, and both have leaked. Thought I'd get away with it with using jus-rol. I need more practice. Will make the pastry myself next time as the first quiche I made, the pastry was the best bit lol, only used the shop one for the flan dish offer.

Starting to snow lightly here and it's blinking freezing. I need to get milk on the way home. Wouldn't mind trying the chocolate philly either so will look out for that.

Had warm weetabix for brekkie, apple for dinner as I forgot about it and it was too late for anything else. Tea is either the quiche or chicken kiev.

cheerfulness - agree with your points about the younger child copying the older one. Lay the law down with the older one, and the younger should follow.

Lynsey

Lip_Stick wrote: »

Lynsey, the bar code on the bottom left of the coupons, is that for the product, and the bar code in the top right is the coupon identity?

Yes, that's right with the Safe Coupons, so the top right-hand corner ones would have two separate codes (one per coupon) to show it's NOT a duplicate (copy or multi-printed one).

Hope your son controlled himself in the staff room today.

Lynsey

Lynsey

Lip_Stick wrote: »

Starting to snow lightly here

I bet you can't wait to get that brand new sledge out.

Please, please, please, let your son have a turn on it.

Lynsey

Ilona

Lynsey wrote: »

Morning and welcome Ilona, are you just buying for yourself as it looks that way??

Hi, and yes I live alone, much easier than having to deal with a family who all like different things. When I was young we were all given the same, sit down and eat it or go without. So now I am not a fussy eater, except I won't eat dead animals.

Your £10 must be an average if you stocked up spending £26?? Very low average though and you have obviously highlighted the aisles you miss, low value food items, using the term "food" lightly.

I think you've cottoned on to my drift there. I don't consider things like crisps, sweets, chocolates, biscuits, fizzy drinks, cakes etc, as food at all. They do nothing to nourish your body. They are a quick fix to make us feel better, but the feeling only lasts as long as it is in your mouth. After that it just piles on the inches. I'm not saying dont eat any of these, but only have them ocassionally as treats. Last night I bought a packet of Value choc digestives, the first biscuits I have had for several weeks. I deserve a treat, and they were cheap.

BTW, do you use coupons??

I only use the coupons that Tes&co send me, and even then I only use the higher value one out of the sheet of six. My shopping very rarely reaches £30 or £40 anyway. I do look out for coupons, but they are always for things I don't normally buy. They seem to be for branded goods, I can find supermarkets own brand cheaper, so why would I bother to use the coupon just for the sake of it.

Lynsey

Not sure if I am allowed to say this but I am documenting my food spending on my blog, every item I have bought for the last 16 weeks is there on the food diary at the top of the page. I shall continue to do this for another 16 weeks. There are also posts on my meals. I don't do proper recipes, I make them up.
Keep going everybody, I am loving reading what you are up to.
Ilona

Lynsey

Thanks Ilona.

Please have a look at the coupons thread, branded stuff yes, but sometimes free. You don't need educated obviously, but massive savings to be made with toiletries/non-food items especially.
Being a veggie like Kirri, you are limited with some food coupons, but there is/was/will be coupons to use.

Good luck though, I admire and appreciate what you are doing. I'm just a tad concerned you may compromise just to stay on budget, and it's a low budget.

I will have a look at your blog, I'm always reading to learn and pick up tips.

Take care.

Lynsey

Lip_Stick

Lynsey wrote: »

Yes, that's right with the Safe Coupons, so the top right-hand corner ones would have two separate codes (one per coupon) to show it's NOT a duplicate (copy or multi-printed one).

Hope your son controlled himself in the staff room today.

Lynsey

Thanks for the coupon info, and yep ds behaved himself. He's actually a really good boy, so it rather surprised me when the therapist said that.

Lynsey wrote: »

I bet you can't wait to get that brand new sledge out.

Please, please, please, let your son have a turn on it.

Lynsey

ha.....ha.... ha.....I earned my tea that day, dragging that thing home with me. The only consolation was when ds tipped over into the snow and took about 10 mins to get to his feet. It was like watching the Michelin man drag himself up with the amount of layers he had on. :rotfl: