I'm eating out of the freezer and cupboards challenge

Kirri

Lynsey wrote: »

It

Had hubby on the [STRIKE]hamster wheel[/STRIKE] treadmill for 30 mins and read what he needs to eat. Munching on Thornton's myself, but he's not getting any ................... his health comes first. lol

Lynsey

Lol you make me laugh

Edwardia wrote: »

I have an idea for a challenge we could all do.. eat veggie for a week !!

I'm in! maybe a no fake meat challenge week would make it hard work for me..
I'd be in for a £10 week also.
Could have a different challenge week each month..
Could have a 'totally no spend week' challenge too, that would be scary

Jellybaby wrote: »

oh quick question before I forget. Those that keep spreadsheets, what do you record? I keep a notebook in my handbag and record all food shopping purchases each month - date, supermarket, amount spent. I was thinking of transferring this to a spreadsheet but it works well and at the moment all I want to know is how often I shop and how much I'm spending each month I feel it's pretty pointless but I'm interested to see if there's something I'm missing and can pinch!

I record EVERYTHING! Probably too much... I have multiple worksheets within an Excel spreadsheet. It's interesting to see how various costs compare ie what is the most expensive per year - last year it was the car which was fine as I can't cut that down but I didn't want food spend to be more than other things and also conscious not to let bills go up each year if poss.

On the food side I log all food bought and cost and price per/kg if known and split it into food and fruit/veg and the columns auto total up. Also interesting to see how healthy (or not) my spends are.. I tend to remember the prices of most stuff I buy though so don't really need to log so much detail! Also on that sheet I log all household spends ie toiletries/cleaning stuff/lightbulbs etc (and the odd book or unplanned household item spend that sneaks its way in).

That shopping worksheet links to the main household spend worksheet where I log all bills and everything from mortgage/electric/phone bills etc down to variable spends like car, travel, hair appts, gardening spends, days out, pets, clothes etc etc.. Everything is also analysed at a yearly spend, whether it's up/down from previous year and average per month. That all links in to a possible salary amount all itemised out as to how much I am allowed to budget... presuming I'm back in work that is!

Have other worksheets for projected 5 year spend, debts (growing..), savings (nil lol), freebies etc, things to do, places want to go etc etc... even the pets don't escape as all their treatment, costs, weight, health issues are logged.

Also have a store cupboard worksheet listing all items split into fridge, freezer, baking, dried items etc and a list of recipes and meals I can make from them.

Once set up it's quick to update... honestly


Back to food, cheap eating day:
Breakfast - toast and marmite
Lunch - toast and garlic mushrooms
Dinner - tofu stir fry
Got 1 clementine and 1 mince pie left I will probably eat at some point today too.

MNR - rice milk is supposed to be the best tasting fake milk for vegans so I've been reading.

Mrs_T_M

Jellybaby wrote: »

oh quick question before I forget. Those that keep spreadsheets, what do you record? I keep a notebook in my handbag and record all food shopping purchases each month - date, supermarket, amount spent. I was thinking of transferring this to a spreadsheet but it works well and at the moment all I want to know is how often I shop and how much I'm spending each month I feel it's pretty pointless but I'm interested to see if there's something I'm missing and can pinch!

Keep up with what you would like to keep up with! For me, I keep up with the date, store, item, quantity (how many packs/tins), the price, and the size (weight, volume, count, etc.) in my main grocery only spreadsheet. I have an additional spreadsheet for everything, groceries included that I keep up with the date, store, payment method, total of the receipt, and which category it was in.

This way I can quickly see what we've spent on just groceries (and what on and if prices have dropped or risen on our typical purchases) and I can also keep up with how much money we have going out and where it's going (and when).

ms_night_ryder

Kirri thats interesting about the milk, might try some by itself after all.

Lynsey would die on a no spend week lol.
I'm up for the challenge a month thing, I did vegetarianfor a month, but allowed myself fish, my grandma was terrible for the support, every time I went round for dinner and.requested rice and veg, she would ask me 4 times if I didn't want a little chicken gravy! Lol she's so bad.

Kirri

^ even works well in tea/coffee apparently though I don't drink either to have tested it myself!

Rofl @ Lynsey comment ^ no window shopping either..

^ ditto, my mum is always trying to give me dairy stuff.

Edwardia

A no spend week would have me drooling over my laptop looking at Ocado.. I'd then probably overspend the next week.

Kirri, the only people I know who do that many Excel spreadsheets away from work are investment bankers.

If I did a veggie week before the 23rd I could get 20% off an Ocado organic veg box

Ms_Night_Ryder I go round supermarkets with my mother and I spend my time saying: " It's cheap but it's not organic ", " It looks lovely but it's not low carb" "I've got that on order" etc Or she gets excited because she's spotted something low carb and organic and on special offer and we don't eat it I almost feel like I should buy the organic kiwi fruit just cos she found them

Been blogging today.. good excuse to waste time I mean do research on YouTube. Never seen so many bad videos in supermarkets !

just_trying

Afternoon all, hope all are well and welcome to the new ones. It's freezing here. We've had snow, still lieing, ice and freezing fog and if anybody wants it your welcome to it !!.

Edwardia don't think i would beable to join in the veggie challenge as i have some fussy eaters and it would mean cooking seperate meals everyday, i could join in with Lynseys idea of the spend per adult/child idea that would be better suited to me, though if you all decide to do the veggie challenge i would be interested how you all got on.

I haven't posted in a few days though have been following the challenge, honest. No i have really.

The food plan today is brekkie was cereal, lunch was homemade soup and bread and dinner is going to be chicken bakes Costco ones, chips and veg.

Keep warm and take care everyone.

Lynsey you made me laugh i could just imagine you siting there eating chocolate and him running away, oh your funny.

Kirri

Edwardia, I wouldn't be so skint if I was lol, just a lowly PA when working but I do like things organised!!

Was looking at the Ocado org boxes yesterday, pricing up against A&C (great variety of non veg add ons) and Riverford - though keep thinking it would just be cheaper to get on a bus to Waitrose to just buy the few things I need *sigh* so fancy a box. Trying to justify it by thinking I could make the spend cover 2 weeks.

My mum hates shopping with me as she says I put her off everything by reading too much on the labels..

blueybug

Still living out of the freezer & cupboards fine, I had to go and buy bread, butter milk this morning from Mr T but the Bread was on reduced trolley for 60p so I brought 3 and froze two.

Anyone know why Tescos prices are different in other stores?

I paid 1.09 for butter in a larger store last week but in the smaller one is was 1.19 same everyday butter.

Last night I had egg/cheese omlette ( eggs from my own hens ) cheese was a buy one get two free deal.

Tonight I'm eating the frozen sainsburys pizza which was one a half price deal a few weeks back.

And Ive treated myself to a bag of cheap midget gems! LIVING THE DREAM!!!:cool:

Kirri

^ I queried that with Tesco years ago as huge price hikes in the Metro stores but they just said it was down to the rates/etc in town centres.. more so they just have a captive audience and know they can get away with it..

Welsh_Poppy

Hi Jak welcome to the thread.

Edwardia...I think we could all manage that challenge easy peasy:-)