I'm eating out of the freezer and cupboards challenge

Always_after_a_bargin

Hi, Hope you dont mind me jumping on the thread. I have for the last few months, lived off the freezer last week before pay day. A couple of reasons one because i used to do a new shop and everything at the bottom of the freezer use to get hidden again for another month, Secondly looking over over food spend in a month was silly. I used to budget as we had money problems a year back but now we are ok finanically i have got lazy if that makes sense, I want to get back in the swing of it. Like i said i have been living off freezer last a few months just before pay day but in the month otherwise our food shops have been 160 quid a time. Just buying what we fancy, Now my husband has just left for afghanistan for 6 months and we want to go to disney early next year. I thought this is the right time to get the food budget under control.

I have done a food shop for delivery thursday. I have written down evening meals for two weeks using all ingediants from scratch ( been lazy before and used jars etc) plus cut out pop and bought fizzy water and squash. Lots of fruit and veg and no crap. crackers, dried fruit and healthy snacks. That food shop came to 95 quid and i spent 41 quid in co op this morning, Was shocked as alot of veg was reduced, Was shocked how much co op reduces stuff at this time of morning, So in between to stock up will pop down there. I have cut down loads now and with cooking from scratch. I have written down recipes for scones etc and will make a nice treat for the kids and ingediants works out hardley anything. We dont have to worry about out food budget but the amout it comes to is shocking, I want the money i save to go towards a holiday for the kids and we need a new car when hubby gets back, Aiming to save quite a bit and the first thing that need sorting is the food budget. There is some great threads on here, with some fab ideas, I am following slimming world too so have to now cook from scratch. Made a massive batch of soup which ingrediants was hardly anything as gthey were massively reduced in co op. The soup is for my lunch now for the next week. My budget is 250 for the month. I dont need any toiletrees as with glitches etc that i have found on here will last ages, I also been going into homebargins and B&m etc, So hopefully 250 can be realistic for us. May have to go up to 300 once hubby is home as he a greedy giant lol x

cheerfulness4

Always_after_a_bargin wrote: »

A couple of reasons one because i used to do a new shop and everything at the bottom of the freezer use to get hidden again for another month,

Isn't that the truth? Then you find things months later and they're looking a bit ropey after being crushed for months. (hope that's not just me )

Hello by the way.

VfM4meplse

Welcome to the thread, Always after a bargain! (aren't we all ).

Soup is an excellent, healthy and delicious money-saving meal, but I always make it in such bulk that I can get 20 portions for an outlay of less than £2 (or even lower if I find reduced price veg), most of which goes straight into the freezer. One of my best investments was my jumbo Tefal stockpot, which I bought reduced from £80 to £28 in Debenhams some years ago.

lyra

Always_after_a_bargin wrote: »

Was shocked how much co op reduces stuff at this time of morning, So in between to stock up will pop down there.

Welcome & I love the co-op reductions!

Have a fab holiday Lynsey. A friend has suggested us renting a cottage with a few other friends during the summer so may be going away afterall :T

Popped into the co-op as I was waiting for my prescription at the chemist next door. Got lactofree milk reduced by about 20p, not great but was going to get it anyway. Got a steak pie reduced by a pound, which will please my dad because it's 'proper' food (i.e not the light, healthy stuff my mum normally cooks :rotfl:). Didn't get much else, so not a lot spent & am busy tomorrow so should be a NSD day.

Edwardia

Hi y'all

Thanks recovering spendaholic I shall have a good nose and btw that's a great screen name

Lyra I will get OH to look in Co-op too as he works nr a largeish one thanx

Not quite as sunny here but yay summer is on the way !

Last night gave us Waitrose NZ lamb burgers with mint from freezer as a treat for OH , much better than the beef and Cheddar ones. Lots of flavour, high lamb content and didn't dry up or shrink. Sat eating on trays in bed watching Airwolf Season 1 DVD I found in Oxfam

bramble1

lunch with friends cancelled, so chicken tikka wrap for me. I think i will have possibly 2 drawers cleared in time for my food shop next week!!

Started work on my garden today so hope to grow some veggies and herbs to further reduce my expenditure this year too

VfM4meplse

bramble1 wrote: »

Started work on my garden today so hope to grow some veggies and herbs to further reduce my expenditure this year too

Good luck with that, it's a great idea and very rewarding. Kirri is the great expert on this thread so I'm sure will be able to share some tips.

I was quite successful with herbs on my kitchen windowsill last year, but the only thing that thrives in my east-aspect back garden is grass . Much as I love my home, I am determined that my next move will be to a home with a south or west facing rear garden.

brighteyes1987

Afternoon all,

Ahh I missed Lyndsey but hope she has a great time

Lipstick, re. cheese spread- I don't mix it in lol I'm not that good I just put a great big dollop on the side of my plate and add a bit to each mouthful!! :rotfl: yummy though

Toast for breakfast, dd had yoghurt
No lunch
HM Lasagne from the freezer with lettuce, cucumber and bread & butter for dinner

DD's drama show is tonight :j so will a late one for her, should get her home by half 9-10ish but she's only 6 so will prob hit her hard. But I am really looking forward to it, she has a main part and is a little star on the stage, (she's not fussed on singing though just acting)

Nearly a nsd, I haven't spent anything on food etc but I am sick to death of waking up with a bad back because of my horrible, hard, springless bed!!!!
SOOOO yes I ordered a new bed, yay so excited!! With memory foam mattress!! Yay so excited :rotfl:
Had a really good price though £475!!! Works out at £9.13 a week 0% apr :T
It's a nice big comfy leather frame, with big cushions at the top which look like sofa cushions, so I can sit up and read in bed & be comfy, should be here by 10th april.

Let the countdown begin :rotfl:14 days to go

Have a great evening all

BE x

cheerfulness4

Exciting about the bed Brighteyes. Since we bought our new one a couple of years ago I can honestly say there is not a week goes by that I don't wake saying I Love This Bed. It makes such a difference to your happiness does a good night sleep.

Ended up making a quiche with bits of bacon and cheese left in fridge as visitors had to have the pizza. Got caught out with nothing quick to offer them so they had our pizza tea.

Fancy making chips tomorrow night. Haven't had any in ages and I've a fair few potatoes to use up. Noticed that Morries is doing there 12.5kg sacks of tatties at £2 again, (which I'm still using from the last offer) so I may stock up again. Its potato salad season for us now!

VfM4meplse

VfM4meplse wrote: »

having assessed the contents of my freezer and cupboard, as long as no-one pops by unexpectedly for a cup of tea in weeks 2-4, I think I could easily manage w/o shopping at a supermarket for 4 weeks.

Edwardia wrote: »

VfM4mepls if you buy UHT tetrapaks of milk from Lidl they are 62p whole milk or 49p for skimmed.

I am now completely convinced that I won't have to spend at the supermarket for the next month, plus! I was dragged out by my sister to the supermarket this evening as her carthorse, and was repaid with several bottles of longlife milk for my trouble (thanks for the inspiration Edwardia!), more than enough for tea and coffee. The rest of my meals will come straight from the freezer, bread included.

Gym membership resumes on Sunday, no wheels atm which means a 50min walk each way, so I am gonna be one skinny b*tch by May!