I'm eating out of the freezer and cupboards challenge

santer_2

When everyone returns to the shops, do any of you think you could re-stock for the long term just getting half price, buy one get one free and reduced items only?

Lynsey

That's the plan santer.
I'm planning on sticking to a £100 monthly food budget (December excluded due to Xmas) and see if I can just tick over with reduced items and Lidl half-price meat offers (long may they continue). I'll continue into next year also if I get the chance. Gone are the days of wasting money on food, most of biccies and crisps have disappeared, though I do buy crisps from Home Bargains now and again for 59p per 150g pack. Biccies is my biggest cut back on "junk food". I'm definitely eating better, apart from the reduced cakes from Sainsburys and the reduced pies from Morrisons.

Cooking a chicken and saugage pasta bake now and having with my 10p Anya potatoes (really nice and nutty, but wierd shape for a potato) - Sainsburys finest.

Lynsey

cheerfulness4

If Tescos is SO of their 3 for 1 deal on cheese then there is always the back up of lidl's £1.44 mature cheese offer. Works out just 3p more for 3 pks I think. Sure it was this weekend it was going on offer.

Gigervamp

Hi everyone, I'm going to join you as I'm having trouble closing the drawers in both of my freezers.

So, for tonight I've taken out some roast beef slices and gravy that I froze from a sunday dinner, a single beef pie, and a portion of fish. That'll be for my boys and hubby. Not sure yet what I'm going to have.

I've also taken out some beef mince for tomorrow. Haven't decided yet whether that's going to become cottage pie or burgers. I'll see what the weather's like in the morning.

Folly_D

hi guys, I'm new to this site but have been immediately drawn to this thread - a few weeks ago I found out at work that my job is under threat and this really kick started me to action something my hubby has been moaning about for months.. ie; stop stacking the cupboards and freezer with food!!
I dint know about this thread then but started trying to live out of my fridge, larder, and freezer, and only buy absolute essentials like loo rolls/washing powder/ basic toiletries etc , plus milk, butter, eggs.. nothing else! admittedly I do grow a lot of salad veg and some soft fruit but more often than not wasted that as well....

Anyway, I'm absolutely amazed (and proud of myself as well), I can honestly say that i haven't bought any food/meals and I'm just starting on my THIRD month now! What a shock! I though to start with that maybe the food would last 2-3 weeks max, but I can easily do this month and then maybe a couple more weeks as well! I really cannot believe how much food I had hoarded, needless to say I couldn't get my freezer shut either and had to put a weight on top which is why my hubby was moaning..!

I started with a food inventory (shock!!) and then menu planned to avaoid much repetition, then thought about what we were prepared to eat as opposed to what we wanted to eat - an example of this was that previously eggs and bacon were a breakfast food whilst now they become an omelette with salad etc.. I made some small and some quite drastic changes just by thinking in this way, and the benefits are.. 1. my budget is looking a lot healthier and now I'm really going to try to take on your challenge 2. I've drastically reduced down to almost nothing the food we throw into the wheelie bin 3. Ive lost just over a stone in wieght without even trying or realising! Down side? I do seem to spend an aweful lot of time washing up now that I'm preparing more food from scratch.. but it's a small price to pay as long as I can find some cheap but efficient washing up liquid. One of the staff in my local Morrisons asked me if I had moved because she hadn't seen me in so long lol! Soon I'll have to get rid of one of my two freezers I expect and I can actually see the back of the larder now...!

keep it up all and I'll try to join you as best I can, Folly )

quintwins

hi all i'm back to join you all, my freezer is bunged again, i got a few bits from iceland (like pizza ,fishfingers and lots of lollys that we don't usually have but thought it would be a nice treat) i also stocked my on the cheese and juice offers in te$co they have gammon half price until sunday there massive i got 2 for around £10 each and have just split them into 9 roasts 8 of them are around the size of the 3 for £10 offer and one is slightly bigger when i will prob invite my mum to tea it was a difficult game of freezer teris to get them in, tesco also have half price prk shoulder roasts but i still have some left from the last time,i also got 5 packets of mince with last weeks shop i split 4 into 8 and put a whole pack in for making burgers and meatballs, so have plenty of mince since i've only used one

anyway this mornings breakfast as pancakes(reduced to 44p for 8 and theres 4 left for tomorrow) for the kids and serveral oranges and grapes and a banana each, there all eating crazy amounts of fruit at the mo i'm struggling to keep up, i didn't have any cause i was too busy so at half 11 i had a pitta (reduced to 6p for 5 and i still have 1 left) filled with cheese and ham it was yummy, kids just had sandwichs for lunch and tea is cheesy taties and bacon bake, using a packet of approved foods cheese sauce a packet of cooking bacon a handful of frozen sweetcorn and peas and a few spuds, should be yummy and around £1 to make

lynneee

we are having a 'slow cooker' tea so bunged in all sorts of random bits of veg from the freezer and garden and some reduced to clear turkey. had half a packet (not sure why only half!) of gravy mix so thrown that in too. Yorkshire puddings to go with it. Yum!
Been giving the kitchen a good clean, got one big cupboard cleaned out. Would love to have got more done but with two kids and a baby it will take some time
I am writing down what I have as I go, so can meal plan.
I have £50 to last 2 weeks for food (for 5 of us) so might just manage it, thanks to this challenge.

sock-knitter

just turned a bag of quorn in the freezer into a curry, half for tea tonight, and rest to go back in freezer for next week.

quintwins

morning all todays breakfast was sausages, beans, fried bread and egg and me and oh had the last wee bt of bacon left from yesterday it was yummy we had it quite late so will just have sandwichs this afternoon then tea tonight will be pasta for the kids and pizza for me and oh all from the fridge/freezer/cupboards

Lynsey

Had a bad day so far........and last night.

Got some diced pork, packs of vacuum packed haddock fillets, jumbo prawns and some salad stuff all for under £3.
Stocked up on veg and sunflower oil from ASDA and bought lots of 22p chocolate and some olive oil spread (on offer at 89p) at Lidls. Also a few pack of custard creams for 30p per packet (Aldi do these for only 23p but not as nice I find).

Had free SPAM with egg and tomatoes with toast for breakfast and having a casserole for later.
Roll on the 1st of the month to start a new monthly budget!!!!!!!!!!

Lynsey