I'm eating out of the freezer and cupboards challenge

ammonite

I'm completely off the hook with Christmas entertaining (thank you mini ammonite ) so apart from a few token nibbly evenings and the offer of producing a shop-bought pudding for xmas day I don't plan on spending much on food this year. Obviously I'll be spending the excess on the third person in the ammonite household instead

I've got a freezer full of meals that will probably do us until middle September, a healthy tinned cupboard and a depleted dry stores.

Lynsey wrote: »

I'll keep an eye on you.

Don't fail.

:eek: the master has spoken I cannot fail!

AlwaysHappy

Hello All - really must keep an eye on this thread for inspiration - I really seem to have a problem with buying food. I have done an inventory of my freezer (which is packed) and I have enough meat and fish for 67 meals (for the 3 of us) but I still have placed an order with ocado for monday (more stuff) and I have a pending DR meat order for (well a lot) coming in August. At this point there isnt any space in the freezer and going away for a fortnight in July so no eating there..... I'm not sure why I feel the need to keep the stocks so high? I can't remember who on here recently said that they had only a couple of items now in the freezer and were pleased that they could now just go and buy the things they wanted, and somebody else said they just shopped on an as needed basis. I can't imagine EVER getting to that position, but I am stupidly now stressed that I won't have enough room for the stuff that is coming..........

eleanor73

AlwaysHappy wrote: »

Hello All - really must keep an eye on this thread for inspiration - I really seem to have a problem with buying food. I have done an inventory of my freezer (which is packed) and I have enough meat and fish for 67 meals (for the 3 of us) but I still have placed an order with ocado for monday (more stuff) and I have a pending DR meat order for (well a lot) coming in August. At this point there isnt any space in the freezer and going away for a fortnight in July so no eating there..... I'm not sure why I feel the need to keep the stocks so high? I can't remember who on here recently said that they had only a couple of items now in the freezer and were pleased that they could now just go and buy the things they wanted, and somebody else said they just shopped on an as needed basis. I can't imagine EVER getting to that position, but I am stupidly now stressed that I won't have enough room for the stuff that is coming..........

I am exactly the same although it was me being in a similar situation whilst I was waiting for my Approved Food order with full cupboards, fridge and freezer that I thought I needed to do something about it. I am sure some psychologist would say it is a nesting instinct of some sort of memories of my Mum and Dad struggling with money when I was younger - who knows but I know it needs to stop. Can you cleverly meal plan until the orders are delivered so you have some room?? Plan to eat the bulkiest stuff first?

AlwaysHappy

eleanor73 wrote: »

I am exactly the same although it was me being in a similar situation whilst I was waiting for my Approved Food order with full cupboards, fridge and freezer that I thought I needed to do something about it. I am sure some psychologist would say it is a nesting instinct of some sort of memories of my Mum and Dad struggling with money when I was younger - who knows but I know it needs to stop. Can you cleverly meal plan until the orders are delivered so you have some room?? Plan to eat the bulkiest stuff first?

Indeed - I have done a meal plan for upto when we go away in 2 weeks and MUST stick to my shopping list - milk,fruit and veg only ( make my own bread). I don't remember us ever running out of anything when I was younger BUT having said that my Mum is a hoarder - she seriously could be on one of those programmes - so I must have a gene from her - though all my stocks are tidy!! My mum doesn't seem to have the ability to throw anything out - she has milk bottle tops since the arc, more egg trays than I care to think about - and for example - at the last count had 27 bags of sugar in her hall cupboard (she doesn't even bake.......) its no joke. I can't go in her kitchen as I know if I did I would never have another cup of tea there....... How awful - and yet - am I on the journey there??

quintwins

is there cambells vouchers again? how much off this time?

ammonite would you not considering making you xmas pudding, but possibly not an xmas pudding, i'm think pavlova or cheese cake, as i hate xmas pudding so thats what i have at xmas :P so much nicer and cheaper homemade.

I really fancy a tiger roll with sausages and brown sauce but i can't take proper bites so not impressed now. sheperds pies in the oven anyway .

katskorner

I have to enter receipts for pretty much all of June and July so far to see how I am doing (ok we were on hols so that will skew things a little).

Food today - had DS1's friend over for tea and used 2 giant jacket pots (fresh) with tin spaghetti and frozen chicken goujons.

I shan't need much as went for a bring and share lunch with friends (13 of us) so ate a decent amount at lunchtime and brought home food for hubby to eat tonight too. Took a pizza with me from the freezer so minor indent there!

OH got out meat for sandwiches yesterday and we still have some left so unlikely to be much more freezer movement today and already got chinese HM food out for us tomorrow (meant ot be for today but I am full). Will be getting out fishcakes for the boys at teatime tomorrow but not much else (maybe potato footballs as they haven't eaten chips this week).

I don't want to enter those receipts as I know I spent alot this weekend!

DOING RUBBISH with coupons now though as I have run out, no connected printer and OH working at home so no access to work printer for two weeks. What to do?

ammonite

I thought there was a 20p campbells voucher but i cant get any to print!

I really want to sign up for shop and scan if anyone can invite me please do!

katskorner

Ooh what is shop and scan?

ammonite

Just did my first YS shop of the challenge. After freezer Tetris I really can't get any more in now. Hit the bread aisle as the 10p stickers were going on used 50p coupon on wedges which were only £1 so 50p to pay and bought dairy lea 'try me free'

£700
- £21.41
= £678.59 left.

Lynsey

Popped into Sainsbury's for the Cravendale and quite a few "whoopsies" about ................. just no veg!!!
Loads of salmon again, BBQ chicken drumsticks, pork shoulder joint etc, but left them.
Did pick up a few chicken kormas, but put them back.
Bought a pack of 4 Cornish pasties for 49p, a carton of Covent Garden minestrone soup for 29p and a 300ml tub of single cream for 24p (wanted double!!!!).
£3.02 minus 2 x 50p coupons for milk, so £2.02 spent and £5.45 for the day ................ that's 2 days in a row now spending £5+!!!!

Froze 2 pasties and the soup and we had the other pasties as a snack with bits and bobs.

Took out some diced chicken breast for tomorrow and I'll cook in blue cheese sauce and fill some vol-au-vents again.
Definitely going to Ikea again tomorrow (day out shopping) for breakfast and will try and pop into Aldi for some cheese. May have to pay full price for carrots, but we'll see (Sainsbury's normally have carrots reduced every week - but not this week!!).

Spends this week are just over £13, but seemed to get quite a bit (probably due to smaller cheap items).

Lynsey