I'm eating out of the freezer and cupboards challenge

VfM4meplse

Edwardia wrote: »

VfM you should have a medal for eating Weetabix, it's either throat-irritatingly dry like pressed sawdust or wet like mushy babyfood..OH claims that's why people like it..

I made the mistake of buying it on a 3-for-1 offer last year (144 in total!), and then forgot about it. I don't mind it, but have had too much of a good thing now so can't see myself buying it again for a long time!

Lynsey

Hi all,

Back and drying off!!! Had a few days of torrential rain which spoilt things and glad to be back. The resort (Albufeira) is missing something at the moment, not how it used to be..........sadly.

Anyway, bought a few things today and still a bit needed (eggs and veg), but did manage to get some of the half-price stuff in Lidl's, an amazing amount of pork medallions late on and bought just the one pack and won't freeze, but have later in the week with a blue cheese sauce (bought double cream) - £8.46 spent in Lidl's.
Needed cheese and popped into Sainsbury's tonight and got some west country cheddar (BOGOG @ £4.15) and the Guy was just reducing a beef joint - brisket down from £7.66 to £2.99 - not great but the meat looked lovely - £7.14 spent there and £15.60 for the day and £25.10 spent on the week on only 2 days!!!!!!!!!!!

So today is week 13 and the last day of the 1st quarter and total quarter spend was £239.53 and just under the target of £250.

2nd quarter starts tomorrow and target for this quarter is £350 and should be feasible due to freezer stock, I'm going to stop buying meat now apart from decent Lidl stuff (half-price weekend) and only the very odd Sainbury's bargain.........if approx 70% off. Bacon and sausage will need to be bought, but only when reduced or on very special price/offer.

Start being a "veggie" for 2 days per week for this quarter at least and pretty short of veggie stuff, so veggie stuff is this weeks target, if only salad and jacket potatoes and cheese!!! Probably do a spag bol with Quorn mince.

Another coffee now and catch up reading and welcome to GarnetLady, fantastic chicken bargain.

Lynsey

VfM4meplse

Lynsey wrote: »

So today is week 13 and the last day of the 1st quarter and total quarter spend was £239.53 and just under the target of £250.

:T Well done!

Kirri

^ That is good, I've spent £255.93 so far this year and I was pleased with that!! (though a big proportion of that is on pet veg so would be quite a bit less, maybe almost halved if just me).

My spend for the same quarter last year was £435.36 :eek:

Edwardia

Well done Lynsey and Kirri ! ASDA has loads of Quorn on special offer according to website. Morrisons has an offer on Quorn mince.

VfM4meplse

I haven't totted up the food spend, but I don't think it's been as high as £150 for me this last quarter. I plan to spend even less btwn now and July.

Lynsey

VfM4meplse - £150'ish for the quarter is brilliant.

Kirri - I personally wouldn't count the pet food in "your" budget, I know it's an expense, but something you will be at a dis-advantage when comparing. No pets for us, just the birds!!!! Strange, but when hubby finds a £1 coin in the gym lockers, he spends it on bird seed and he finds quite a few, though not of late!!!

Last day of painting today - we hope - and just a bit of touching up!!!

Breakfast is bacon on toast (out of freezer) and sandwiches and cheese pasties for lunch for us and painter. lol A pack of biscuits to share also!!

I'll have to look at the Quorn offers and hopefully find a few veggie burgers etc. Possibly have a veggie day tomorrow with the spag bol, already have some Quorn mince??

Tomato plants have gone berserk since I've been on holiday and flowering away, ready to pinch the tops off shortly as only allowing 2 trusses per plant - don't want them to get too high and they are going outside soon - need to make sure all frosts have finished!!

Catch up later.

BTW - April Fools Day today - BEWARE!!!!

Lynsey

VfM4meplse

Lynsey wrote: »

Tomato plants have gone berserk since I've been on holiday and flowering away, ready to pinch the tops off shortly as only allowing 2 trusses per plant - don't want them to get too high and they are going outside soon - need to make sure all frosts have finished!!

Good result - but I don't think the last frost will be seen until after Easter .

Kirri

Thanks Edwardia, it's a reduction at least if not as low as others I will look out for those Quorn offers (Morries have had the fillets on offer, think they end after this coming week, very good value for £1 as I cut them into chunks).

Lynsey, shame about the weather but at least nice to get away whatever the weather, Portugal is one place I had to buy an umbrella when I went though that was on the Lisbon Coast, the Algarve was boiling!

I'm not quite sure how to keep the budget for the pets totally separate as it's just fruit and veg (their actual dry feed etc is on the specific pet budget though, that is an enormous budget, more than my car usually!) and although I wouldn't buy all that veg if just me, I do dip into things I have bought for them to improve my meals!! I keep two budgets going though, food just for food for me and another for all the fruit and veg but I add any veg just bought for me on the fruit/veg list as well so it's not really accurate. Out of my 1st quarter spend, £138.98 went on 'fruit/veg' and £137.95 went on 'food'. My bird food goes onto the 'allotment' budget as that's where my bird feeders are! I buy seed in bulk usually either at the horse feed place or online and fatballs from Wilkos. I do chuck any old bread out of my flat window though when no other residents are around!

Yep ^ frosts can continue into May even in the South. Haven't we got snow coming this week?! Bizarre, I've just spent the week in shorts and have a bit of a tan already!! My asparagus is coming through too, hope it doesn't get affected if we get snow though it will slow right down in the cold.

Fantastic spend V4M, I am hoping my spends will be lower too, I should have more veg growing soon though my lowest spends are always the 3rd quarter when I don't buy anything veg wise. I've probably spent a bit more than I should have as I've been going to lots of lovely farm shops and farmers markets lately..

GarnetLady, get your list up

Going to do some spring cleaning here today, bun for breakfast, pancakes for lunch and something from the freezer for dinner..

brighteyes1987

Good Morning,

Welcome back Lyndsey

Well mr sun is well and truly back here! Not a cloud in the sky and the washing I hung out about an hour ago is almost ready to be changed over!! :j

Toast for breakfast, dd had cereal
Lunch is pasta filled with tomato & cheese
Not sure on dinner, may even pop over to mum's for a free roast :T she cooks every week without fail (enough for a small army)

Today's plan is to clean up, dd will spend most of the day in the garden or the park behind my back gate, we have alley gates so only the people who live in my street and the street behind can access it through their gardens, makes is alot safer

Have to blitz my bedroom, not sure if I've mentioned but my new bed is being delivered 2moro :rotfl:

Well done everyone on the savings! Really impressive!

Have a great day!

BE X