I'm eating out of the freezer and cupboards challenge

Kirri

Spent a lot today, about £25 :eek: on easy, ready prepared, healthy stuff and it looks really tempting (M&S) so I may well eat some this weekend before I go in! May have to re-buy some things.. Got lots of veg, stir fries, salads, yoghurts, fruit and some healthy snacks. Couldn't afford to buy things ready prepped all the time though, it seems such a waste of money!!!

Lynsey

katskorner wrote: »

spent a good half of the monthly budget already this week but really stocked up.

Kirri wrote: »

Spent a lot today, about £25 :eek:

That's cheered me up, in a nice way. I feel so, so guilty today and I shouldn't be really.............but I am!!:(
I've been out and bought my Linda Mc sausages from Asda, 2 packs @ £1 per pack. So 1 meal sorted for Monday, a veggie brunch, just need to sort evening meal out!!

Bought some parsnips from Lidl for 29p and treated myself to some butter fudge (my Easter egg) @ £1.25, so £1.64 spent there.

Lastly, £1.88 spent in Home Bargains on crisps, pretzels and 4 sachets of stir fry sauce (4 for £1)

Total days spend = £5.52 and that's it!!! No more shopping today!!!

Next week I'm going to be much stronger and concentrate on fresh stuff mainly, buy some more salad stuff and maybe some ham from Morries deli counter.

EDIT: Total weekly spend was £25.99 and last 2 weeks have both been just over the £25 mark!!! Only one other week this year was over £25 and that was week 6 (£27.05) - wonder what happened there?? Must have stocked up on something??
Need to put Lotto on, but doing it online to save going out!!!

Lynsey

Kirri

^ that sounds positively frugal compared, Lynsey, I'd be pleased with that spend ^ !

This food is SO nice I am beginning to feel less guilty for buying it I've already opened the M&S santini salad with french dressing (on offer for £1.17 so not bad at all as plenty really for 2 portions) and it's lovely... fresh and so tasty I started eating it out of the dish straight away. Then my last 2 of the Wright's bread rolls had gone furry so just had to put them in the bin but I've opened the wholemeal M&S pitta, again lovely! and I've put the M&S frites in the oven... not healthy as such but couldn't resist, they were a treat to tempt me to eat! Nearly opened the houmous but I had 2 slices of cold Quorn beef to use up. Got yoghurt, pineapple, bananas and oranges to snack on. I will now have to go shopping again to replace what I've eaten though..

This shop today has given me a kick up the backside as I feel on this challenge I've eaten more stodge than I should and I tend to eat less fresh stuff in the winter anyway, the fresh food is so nice and I now want to increase my salad and fruit intake so will try and budget to spend a little more to add this in alongside using my stocks up going forward.

Some great reductions and offers in M&S as well, think I will go there to shop a bit more often now!

Lynsey

I'm looking more at salad stuff now Kirri and may pop into M&S to see what they have. I haven't ventured in there in ages, trying to be as frugal as possible, but a little more spending power now and buying meat for the freezers has temporarily stopped.

Got MIL coming for Easter lunch tomorrow, £2 odd reduced turkey breast joint, 25p swede, 19p carrots, 10p potatoes and 29p parsnips. Apple crumble made with reduced priced apples. lol
Hope she doesn't notice.
A nice expensive (not) Easter meal for 3 of us and meat left over for tomorrow night!!

Probably some great bargains to be had tonight.............not for myself though.
Hope the other bargain hunters post some great reductions, cheer me up even more.

Lynsey

VfM4meplse

Kirri wrote: »

Going to Waitrose/M&S later probably to find some appetising but healthy, veg heavy, easy ready type meals for next week. £££ :eek:

Try not to let it affect your weekend Kirri, enjoy the moment.

I was reflecting earlier, this thread has helped me lose so much anxiety about food planning, esp having to rush to the supermarket before it closes earlier on a Sunday just in case I have to go without for a full 18 hrs lol. It's definitely wisened me to a make do attitude, and I know that nothing bad will happen to me if I skip dinner! As with many things in life, if only I'd known sooner...!

Today I defrosted one of the falafel loaves I made last month, tried a bit and it was delicious although I would have preferred a crispy falafel. I've got half a loaf of bread defrosted, some fruit (plums finally ripening :T) and didn't get round to eating the minestrone I defrosted earlier in the week, so there's more than enough to keep me fed until Tuesday at least.

I'm supposed to be going out for a meal this eve, but don't feel like it in the slightest. Yesterday was a useful reminder that I don't like spending money on food I don't enjoy. Sadly the last time I had a meal I appreciated out it wasn't in a restaurant...it was caterer's food, at a funeral.

Kirri

^ Was thinking the same, V4m, after eating out yesterday, the food on offer is just not good enough to warrant the prices, I can usually cook something better myself.

I think we get so conditioned to shopping when most people I doubt are so short of food they would really miss out by not going. I like having the time back instead of going to the shop.

I enjoyed the food tonight but still feel like I am going to my doom lol.


Lynsey, if you do go, let me know what you find in M&S - in my local one that was mid pm and they had plenty of reduced excellent condition veg etc, was very surprised though it was quiet in there, a much more pleasant experience of shopping than Morries at a weekend!

Bargain dinner by the sounds of it!!

VfM4meplse

Kirri wrote: »

^ Was thinking the same, V4m, after eating out yesterday, the food on offer is just not good enough to warrant the prices, I can usually cook something better myself.

So true - but when I say this I immediately worry that I am turning into my mum!

Not such a bad thing as she is an excellent cook now! It wasn't the case when she was my age though - her epiphany seems to have come when we all left home.

Lynsey

VfM4meplse wrote: »

I was reflecting earlier, this thread has helped me lose so much anxiety about food planning, esp having to rush to the supermarket before it closes earlier on a Sunday just in case I have to go without for a full 18 hrs lol. It's definitely wisened me to a make do attitude, and I know that nothing bad will happen to me if I skip dinner! As with many things in life, if only I'd known sooner...!

I don't know about the anxiety side of things, but know what you mean regarding rushing about for something............easier just to make do. We eat a lot less now and often just have 2 meals and just snack on bits. Often only single meals also, not 3 course meals any more - all money saving of course.

Funeral buffet?? lol
I promise I'll put on a good spread when I "pop my clogs"!!

Sorted and took out stuff I need for tonight and tomorrow, took out some bread and cleared almost half a freezer drawers worth.

Back on track.

Lynsey

Florenceem

VfM4meplse wrote: »

So true - but when I say this I immediately worry that I am turning into my mum!

Not such a bad thing as she is an excellent cook now! It wasn't the case when she was my age though - her epiphany seems to have come when we all left home.

I an relate to your mum - I cook differently now to when my children were at home. It was a case of having to cook each day for at least 10 - now I just cook for 2!

Lynsey

Florenceem - well impressed with your March grocery spend - well done. :T :T

Cooking for 10+!! WOW - well impressed there also. :T :T

Must be a "doddle" now?? lol

Lynsey