I'm eating out of the freezer and cupboards challenge

Florenceem

blackandwhitebunny wrote: »

I need to keep out of Sainsbobs on Sunday afternoons if I'm ever to reduce the freezer.:o
4 x 2 lamb chops 94p each (and they're nice big chunky ones)
2 x 6 chicken drumsticks 59p each
2 x 2 big gressingham duck breasts £1.64 each
1 small beef roasting joint £1.64 from £6 odd
2 each Punnets of peaches and plums, 1 melon, 4 pack organic pears, organic baby gem lettuce and bags of 8 oranges all at 25p each so plenty for me and my friends at work.

We managed to get everything in the freezer by taking it out of the packages and rebagging.
They need to make freezer tetris an olympic sport. I'm sure we can get a winning team off this thread. Florenceem sounds like a likely captain:D

Oh yes! Bossy Florenceem will be captain! :rotfl:

Florenceem

recovering_spendaholic wrote: »

Lip_stick - i absolutely love mince and mash all mixed up - haven't had it for ages! kids are both out today so might even make it for my tea tonight!

The weather today is absolutely vile! It's like winter and the rain hasn't stopped pouring down since last night.

Haven't had anything to eat today yet - wasn't hungry, but am feeling like something to eat now! Will probably have some beans on toast.

Another nsd for me today but hopefully I will be able to get to the shops tomorrow and get some basics that we have run out of.

Just had soup and ryvitas asnd cheese for lunch and have just gone into the kitchen and put on a pan of mince for tea - that way there will be loads left for when DD2 gets home if she hasn't had any tea.

I decided last night that I am going to see if I can go for a month without eating any bread - I eat so much bread and it stops me eating other healthier foods. We'll see if I can mange it!!

Why not limit yourself to 1 slice a day - I do. You will so enjoy that slice!

Lynsey

tiff - welcome and good luck.

Jane - forget to ask, what does your budget include?? Mine is limited to just food and hot and cold drinks. What do you realistically think your budget should be??

Florenceem - thanks for the support. BTW, my Xmas pressies fund is already sorted (don't buy for many though) and don't have a Birthday fund.

NSD - took a look in Sainsbury's but stuff hardly reduced and walked out. Definitely be spending tomorrow though as need milk and doing Brothers shopping.

Lynsey

abitofhelp

i dont know what i'm doing wrong but there doesnt seem to be much room in the freezers. oh bought takeaway on friday evening, a big box of all sorts of stuff, he knows the owners so they pile extra in. i have saved the garlic bread to go with this saturdays meal. took a joint of beef out of the freezer for todays lunch but will now have to find space to fit the cooked slices and 4 hm yorkies, wish me luck. i really dont think this weeks meal plan is going to make a huge dent. regards to all.

recovering_spendaholic

Florenceem wrote: »

Why not limit yourself to 1 slice a day - I do. You will so enjoy that slice!

I didn't need much persuading Florenceem!! I had a small roll toasted for my tea. I had actually cooked mince but when it was ready it seemed to have no taste at all. I decided to leave it for tomorrow as stuff often seems to improve if you leave it for a day.

Lynsey wrote: »

tiff - welcome and good luck.

Jane - forget to ask, what does your budget include?? Mine is limited to just food and hot and cold drinks. What do you realistically think your budget should be??


Lynsey

My budget includes food, cleaning stuff, laundry stuff, dog food, school dinner money (if I don't make a packed lunch), pocket money for DD2 (not a set amount - about £10 a week on average), takeaways, toiletries and feminine hygiene stuff (that costs LOADS as there are three of us!!)

I reckon that I spend about £100 a week on all of that, but I am trying to get it down to between £60 and £70 and put £2 a day away for Christmas. I put £2 away the year before last and it quickly built up but the tin I had it in was stolen when I had workmen in doing my central heating, so i haven't bothered again.

I am just watching Delia Smith making toad in the hole with onion gravy and it looks devine!!

Earlier on I made a tray bake and cut it up and froze it for lunches. I just made it up but it turned out really nice - i just blitzed a pack of marzipan, 200g flour, 2 eggs, 100g margarine, 50g sugar, 2 chopped apples and a pinch of mixed spice and put it in a traybake tin (lined) and topped it with 75g of oats mixed with a bit of sugar and oil. Came out really nice and cut up nicely - not crumbly at all. I used up some of the marzipan I have from all my Christmas cake kits.

Tiff - hi!!

blackandwhitebunny - very jealous of your Sainsburys bargains!!

katskorner

having lidl lamb shanks in a min for dinner so hope they are going to be ok! never made it in the freezer as dated july - got 4 packs on weekend deal.

EDIT - gotta say that the lamb shanks were very very nice! Didn't look much in the packs at all so I was a bit worried - but very tender, plenty of meat and loads of jus (ok gravy) - so yes they get a big NOM NOM!!

Didn't make lidl so no kabanossi (just couldn't find time as took kids swimming instead).

Spent £2.28 in morries and treated us to a couple of fresh cream lemon sponges - only £1 each.. nom but oooh fatsy.. lol
EDIT - very NOM, glad I bought two as can have more tomorrow - lol

Asked hubby to get out mince for tomorrow so I have options but he is grumpy so it may or may not happen (wait till he has had tea - he will be better then )

kids had salmon lasagne from freezer with fresh veg and new pots plus cake and choccy dessert thingys then crisps before bed - so they are all full! They loved the lasagne and now it is gone - yay!

Lip_Stick

Evening all. What a horrid day! Damn it was cold and blowy outside. Had a nsd today, and tomorrow shall be the same, since I've NO money. Don't need anything. Will plan meals in the morning for the week but haven't got a clue what to do really.

Had the lovely black pepper and sea salt crust pork at mam's... would never get tired of that. YUMMM. Ate the rest of a cherry pie with custard for tea and feeling pretty full up now.

tiff... hate people like that who grab everything and leave sod all for anyone else. Greedy articles. lol. Welcome to the thread tho!

kittywight - Meatballs from before Christmas? :eek: Haven't you got anything older you could use? Hell, that's fresh compared to most of what's in my freezer!

Jane the mince I had was lovely. Probably the first time I've done it without using a packet of the savoury mince spice mix or whatever it is. Just added onion, stock cube, garlic, salt, black pepper, gravy granules, fresh thyme & flat-leaf parsley and dried oregano, and not forgetting the lentils, worth putting in to get more out of it as you can't tell they're there at all. Tasted much better than anything I've done before.

blackandwhitebunny

recovering_spendaholic wrote: »

blackandwhitebunny - very jealous of your Sainsburys bargains!!

I'm lucky in that we have a very nice young lad who works the butcher's and fish counters at our big local sainsbury's. he takes his job very seriously and seems to know a good few of the regular customers. he knows I'm always on the lookout for ys bargains and will often reduce stuff a bit more for me.

Florenceem

So much for planning not to open freezer in the garage until Monday evening - forgot - peas in there - needed them for dinner! Plus I found a portion of curry in the fridge - :mad: I will have to fire Mr F again!

We had Chinese chicken, rice with peas and side salad - celery, cucumber, onion,rocket and tomato for dinner. Enough salad left for Mr F - tomorrow lunch time.

Lynsey

Jane - difficult to work out a budget for all that, obviously you know what you spend on a regular basis and can decide what corners to cut. Difficult with children at home, you still need the "goodies" which add up.
FWIW, when deciding my annual budget, I tinkered with £2500 for the year for everthing, but decided it would be easier to concentrate on the food side of things as this is an area I know savings can be made ............ with effort.
We still spend on other things and even last week hubby spent over £30 on Hoegaarden!!!!!!!!!! 72 bottles via the Tesco offer and even used a £3 off £20 voucher to reduce the cost. It's an investment though ........... according to him, I don't drink the stuff.

I'm lucky in that I have washing powder/liquid to last over 1 year, fabric conditioner to last a few years, shampoo and conditioner to last well over 1 year, shower gels for over 1 year, toothpaste for over 1 year and toilet rolls to last for about 6 months - probably forgot something. lol
Deodorants is probably my shortfall and next target.
That's my comfort zone and would have made an annual budget of £2500 pretty easy. I think £1500 of food and drinks stuff (not alcohol) is still a challenge, even starting with a decent supply.

I hope you find your level and start saving, sad about the theft of your tin, hope it was on the empty side.

Shuffled the freezers about a bit, took some bits out and have a little space. Thinking of actually using Farm Foods tomorrow to get those mushrooms and probably some sweetcorn (if cheap), maybe, just maybe I fit them in.

Lynsey