I'm eating out of the freezer and cupboards challenge

Lynsey

Kirri wrote: »

Lynsey, well you have done well budget wise, would have been interesting to see how much the food you got was worth at full price!


Has anyone on here cleared their cupboards on this challenge?

What challenge is this!!

My biggest regret this year was not to keep a total of full price goods.
I won't be doing this next year, so opportunity lost, sadly.
Because of all the freebies and money off with coupon "glitches" (Heinz for eg.), I reckon whatever I spent this year will be at the most 40% of true cost, 40% max.
We eat generally well and no complaints. I have learned loads though and I thought I was pretty savvy anyway, but there's always bits to learn.
I know I shouldn't say this, but I will. We laugh at the tv programmes about the rising food prices etc., we have never ever lived as cheaply food-wise as this year (in real terms).
The sad bit is, too many don't know some of the tricks, never mind most of them.
JOIN MSE AND GET EDUCATED.

cheerfulness4 - having an empty/almost empty freezer would/could cost more for food. I'm buying ahead all the time, hence full freezers etc. I need to use up old stuff though which gets hidden.

Jane - how about a blue cheese sauce with that chicken??
Blue cheese sauce works every time when I'm stuck.
Leek and blue cheese sauce with lardons and juice over the top is very nice.

Oven baked Spam Fritters tomorrow it is - fingers crossed.
Think I'll bake some bread tomorrow also, use up some Wright's packet stuff.

Lynsey

recovering_spendaholic

morning all - thanks for the ideas on the chicken! I think I might do a chicken pie, but using filo pastry out of the freezer, and have it with some veg.

Off to hte hairdressers later on this morning - I had my hair streaked last week and it is really not very good - a different girl did it and it is really yellow and looks like all one colour - DD described it as "custard coloured" which is fairly accurate. Anyway I rang up and my normal hairdresser is going to try and fix it. Hope it looks a bit better!

Had a couple of rashers of bacon, half an egg and half a pancake for breakfast - I made yorkshire pudding the other night and had batter leftover and have been using it up for breakfast pancakes. I am not hungry at the moment so am just having a cup of tea - will be at the hairdressers through lunchtime so will take an apple and banana with me.

My cupboards are looking a bit over-full again need to sort them out again.

cheerfulness4

Lynsey - definintely I need to work out a better plan for defrosting the freezer annually rather than run it down. I was paying full price for proteins - can you imagine.:eek:

I can't afford not to have my stock pile in place as life is so unpredictable money-wise.
We may have to deal with some big changes next year dependent on some news DH is awaiting.

How on earth do you all remember all the tips, recipes ideas, glitches, etc? I've got stick-it notes all over my desktop to remind me and still I slip up and forget offers.

ms_night_ryder

Afternoon all.

Been out to do a job, it is a bit far, saw a huge tesco's stopped there and used x 2 reloaded coupons x 1 kit kat coupon and x 1 heinz coupon 50p to pay. this time i got the bigger pack of kit kats yay! reloaded will go to my uncle and cousin, will go to that tesco and get more if i do some jobs next week.

I am really suprised, i have had a apple in the fridge for 2 months and it was o.k to use,today with month old clems, squeezed in, waitrose strawberries, the whoopsied nectrines and a piece of ginger. enough left for breakie tomorrow.

Went to waitrose again today, got 5 beans, reduced strawerries, 2 packs of reduced fine green beans, i really love these and will freeze a pack x 2 on multi offer, reduced flora light, gave coupon, but the woman who was training the flipping trainee, did not understand what she was doing and checked the price which was 50p, then said you need to buy the 85p beans! lol i said what? it's not my fault they are 50p, she then said sorry these are not right, another manager happened to be walking past so she called her, she explained about me not buying the 85p beans, at this point i was chuckling to myself, i showed the manager the beans, she read the coupon and said is it the 415g beans, i said yes and she put the coupon through at 85p! lol will avoid the other woman.

Have plenty of fruit and veg to last me into the week.

Will be having the whoopsied stir fry, sauce,noodles and sauce along with mr w basil chicken breasts, love mr w lol.

Off to zumba at 6, will put the cream on for another try of the clotted cream, i have one more chocka cup cake left if all fails. lol

Kirri

cheerfulness4 wrote: »

Not my cupboards but I did clear my freezer. It was actually very scary. I'm not kidding. I was really out of sorts and shopping was costing me double nearly as I didn't have my bargains in the freezer to work into my meal plans.

It was incredibly satisfying though to defrost and start a fresh with new bargains and I'm much more organised about what I buy now.

The garage supplies are 2/3 depleted but the pantry is another matter. I'm working my way through it steadily and I'm guessing around Jan/Feb all my old supplies will have been used up. (thats including baking goods and herbs/spices).

I'm determined to have all fresh for 2013.

I love that last line ^^ I'd love to have all fresh for 2013 but will no way achieve that, especially with herbs/spices, I never seem to use them up!! Tins/jars will be gone though at least. Baking hopefully.

I need to find a use for half a pack of gram flour but not onion bhajis as they were not overly successful and a bit time consuming.. Got a pack of semolina I can't remember what I bought it for either, think it was baking related.

Well done for emptying the freezer, not sure when mine will be gone but more so as I don't fancy stuff that's in there now lol. When empty I will do the same and be more organised about what goes in.. Would be so nice to have it emptied by 31 Dec and start again new for January...

Lynsey wrote: »

What challenge is this!!

My biggest regret this year was not to keep a total of full price goods.
I won't be doing this next year, so opportunity lost, sadly.
Because of all the freebies and money off with coupon "glitches" (Heinz for eg.), I reckon whatever I spent this year will be at the most 40% of true cost, 40% max.

cheerfulness4 - having an empty/almost empty freezer would/could cost more for food. I'm buying ahead all the time, hence full freezers etc. I need to use up old stuff though which gets hidden.

Lol I think I was in the minority on this thread in using up supplies!! Don't think I could ever eat my way through all the supplies gathered by posters on this thread :rotfl:

Huge cost saving at that percentage..

What are your plans for next year, are you giving up the bargain hunting then? :eek:

zafiro1984

Have I emptied a freezer yet -well no. The sad thing is I had 2 freezers neither of which was small plus the freezer in the American fridge/freezer, occupies about a third of the space. I then had to find space for a whole pig so what did I do - go out and buy another freezer - how sad/stupid is that. My daughter reckons I have a years supply of meat frozen. Trouble is I have found a really good abottoir for my hens, really good on the welfare side so I don't mind taking the 'spent' hens there (I think ringing necks is cruel) I have about 80 to go in the next month, no doubt they'll end up frozen. There is just no hope for me.
No mystery parcel today, too busy, we're having a pre made shephards pie from the freezer.
Scones and clotted cream. The clotted cream was not as I remember clotted cream, a bit like a cross between cream and butter, however it tasted good on the scones. I think I may have had the settings too high on the SC. Will try again next week.
Must go and get the washing in and put chooks to bed before we eat.

Lynsey

Kirri wrote: »

What are your plans for next year, are you giving up the bargain hunting then? :eek:

No, never give up bargain hunting, that's what MSE'ing is all about, getting the stuff at the cheapest possible prices.

Next year?? Think I'll just eat out of the freezers and cupboards. :rotfl:
This year was always intended to eat out of the freezers and cupboards within my budget, but after a small panic early on, it's been a cinch really. Both freezers are still full and cupboards and stash places have increased alarmingly ..................... a great start to next year. lol
Seriously though, next year will be much more relaxed and hopefully more NSD's. I will "bulk buy" on great offers, something my budget has restricted this year, though I've had my moments.

Freebies today:
6 x Reloaded
2 x Heinz 5 Beanz

Bought:
4 x Packs 8 x 2 finger Kit Kats @ £1 = £4
1 x Spread cheese (offer) @ 50p = 50p
1 x Blue cheese triangles (offer) 62p = 62p
1 x Packet soup (reduced) @ 15p = 15p
6 x Carnation rice puddings (reduced) @ 19p = £1.14
2 x Finest burgers (reduced) @ 87p = £1.74
2 x Birds Eye Premium burgers (reduced) @ 65p = £1.30
Sub total = £9.45
Used 4 x 50p Kit Kat coupons (minus £2)
Total = £7.45

Charity food:
5 x tins pear quarters @ 15p = 75p

Fish and chips were really nice done in the breadcrumbs, much better than batter.

Jane - hope you got your "custard" hair sorted and it hasn't turned into a "rhubarb" colour.

Kirri - forgot to ask, how is the allotment going??

cheerfulness4 - no post it notes here, I study from just after 6am until late. I am now brainwashed!! lol

Lynsey

Kirri

^^ Ah right, Lynsey, was going to say it would be difficult to go from MSE back to totally free spending! You could probably live off your stash for a couple of years albeit it would be a bit repetitive/dull..

Allotment has been very difficult, too cold/wet and not enough bees to pollinate. I've had enough to eat still but not the variety or excess to freeze like in previous years. Though in some ways it's been less stressful having less veg to deal with!

Lynsey

Kirri - I won't have a budget as such next year, but I will bulk buy certain offers. Nescafe, I would love to buy the years supply when cheap and forget about it. The quality Lidl offers will be maxxed also (steak mince, chicken breast etc), 12 packs at a time.
I won't be popping into supermarkets as much for vastly reduced stuff, but this is where the savings are made along with couponing, using coupons with offers is probably the best way of saving.
One thing I'll never stop is couponing, savings made there really offset other things.
When I first came on MSE, it was to learn about free mobile contracts, then Grabbits and free hotel rooms/cheap holidays etc. and this year food.

MSE should really be on the school curriculum, it's so educational.

We've just tried a free Reloaded (lemon) and tastes a bit like bitter lemon. Maybe we'll keep some and not give them all away??

Lynsey

Edwardia

Evening all re: the clotted cream making suggest using stuff that's not homogenised - methinks it would mess with the basic butterfat structure.

I copied 50p, £1 ASDA offers and Morrisons offers onto threads earlier. Am reminded that house will have to be scrubbed to a shine before my mother arrives for Christmas :eek:

Bought some Kilrock Big D descaler from B&Q as recommended in London Evening Standard. OH looked at instructions to wear protective gloves, eyewear, clothing etc etc and had minor meltdown saying !!!!!! is in this stuff is it nuclear ? I'll let you know how he gets on

After your posts, was thinking about what I've learned. personally...I'm glad that I went organic and in doing so, discovered Ocado and Abel & Cole because trailing round Lidl, ASDA, Waitrose,Tesco and Sainsbury's with my mother in one afternoon was exhausting.

My husband is very happy that he gets stuff to take to work instead of having to brave the canteen and I enjoy finding him things. Sometimes it's additive free rather than organic admittedly but I've been able to get him mountains of stuff with offers for £10 pw

The freezer will be a year old in December so I hope to defrost after Christmas if it needs it. The larder is considerably emptier !

Kirri - didn't know Wilko did Ecover will look thanks