I'm eating out of the freezer and cupboards challenge

Kirri

Florenceem, did you have a massive stash of food to start with, given you have very low monthly spends?


Nothing used from freezer again today, too much nice fresh food in fridge to eat first

Had fried egg on toast for breakfast/lunch

Mediterranean veg risotto again for dinner.

Banana snack mid pm and will have an orange later, missing my daily cakes

Florenceem

Kirri wrote: »

Florenceem, did you have a massive stash of food to start with, given you have very low monthly spends?


Nothing used from freezer again today, too much nice fresh food in fridge to eat first

Had fried egg on toast for breakfast/lunch

Mediterranean veg risotto again for dinner.

Banana snack mid pm and will have an orange later, missing my daily cakes

You could say that! :eek: Ridiculous amount of stash here to work through.
We had to empty the cupboard under the stairs for the workmen this week - loads of food stashed in there. :eek:
Then I take one thing out of the freezer - make 3 days meals from it - so that is two back in stock. I so want to get the freezers empty. Mr F wants me to make some crumbles using fruit from the freezer - fine but then the crumbles go in said freezers.
I do have some spends to add to this week's total but house in complete chaos - will I find the receipts?

Kirri

Ah right, think I missed the background of your shopping stash before so did wonder - at least you are doing well on spends whilst using it up! What's the plan for after it's used, will you keep smaller amounts in stock in future?

I've run out of rhubarb so will have to wait for it to grow, but same problem, I previously had 2 portions of rhubarb to use up but ended up with 3 pots of crumble topping going back in.

Florenceem

At the moment it is lovely spending so little - I can do with the left over grocery money for the house renovations. :j
Old habits die hard but my plan is to have less stash in especially as I am having a lovely new kitchen. Decided not to have wall cupboards so room has a less hemmed in feel plus I am getting too old to reach up/climb to the top shelf! I will have less storage space in the kitchen but - I am having cupboards in the utility area.

Lynsey

Evening all.

On top of the £3.47 spent in Lidl, I spent £1.78 in Farmfoods (2 x bags of onions @ 39p each and the bargain 2 x Cadbury's bars of chocolate - low code but silly price). Also spent £1.74 in Sainsbury's on throat sweets and a bargain large apple pie (30p from £2) and a Warburton's loaf (34p). Froze the apple pie and 4 x 4 slices of bread.
No bread needed for toast for a while.
Took out Quorn mince and made a spag bol for tomorrow. Also took out a pack of teacakes.

So days spends were £6.99 and weeks spends were £19.95.
Only fresh stuff needed next week and must resist the temptation for "whoopsies" and that freezer will be empty completely by the weekend - that's if meal planning goes as planned!!

Next week will be £20 max and I'm ending all the counting at the end of this month as "mission accomplished" when that freezer is switched off .................. at last.

Florencem - great low spends. Not that easy to achieve week after week unless organised.

It's getting scary having almost cleared a freezer (only a 4 drawer one) and lots and lots of meals have "vanished". Lowest level of "stash" in over 18 months, but that "stash" has saved many, many pennies.

Lynsey

Kirri

Florenceem, sounds lovely and spacious the new design ^ and yes you won't want to clutter up a new kitchen!

Lynsey, well done on almost having it empty! Not sure I will ever stop counting what I spend now, I would always be wondering! Would save me some time though... How much do you have in your other freezer?

Lynsey

Kirri wrote: »

How much do you have in your other freezer?

At least 3 months worth of food with a heavy bias on pork it seems!! Some fish to use up also.
Obviously fresh stuff needed to make meals with it.
I don't really want to switch back on the "empty" freezer until I'm able to get some of my Lidl half-price targets (chicken breasts, meatballs and steak mince). But gone are the days of buying just anything, though we have ate some things we would never have bought at full price. I'll still take any Sainsbury's 70%+ off meat I think.
TBH, I think we'll eat out more during the "summer" and I still haven't had that M&S £10 meal deal yet!!

Lynsey

Kirri

^ Could get dull if having pork every day! I find I still buy stuff to give me some variety, I can only take so much stash eating..

Just updated spreadsheet and it's looking better! Lot less out of date stuff in the cupboards, less multiples of the same things and quite a few bits used up and not replaced.

Things I'm struggling to use:
Bran (huge jar, only use max 1 tbsp at a time)
3 jars of Quinoa (keep trying recipes and not liking them)
3 jars of hot choc (I just drink water all the time, should have used it over winter)

Spends this month are better:
£71.76 so far, of which £57.88 was on fruit and veg and £13.88 on food (albeit with £6 of vouchers used). Probably another £20 spend this week with another organic delivery, so should at least be under £100 this month. Am only buying what I need for the coming week and trying to be fairly strict.

Lynsey

Morning all.

Kirri wrote: »

^ Could get dull if having pork every day!

Absolutely. Just glad I've got bacon and Cumberland sausages.
Pork is generally always on offer or available "whoopsied" and even though I don't need any, it's hare when you see a great bargain to just leave it.
That's why I need chicken beasts, steak mince etc to balance things out.
I won't have pork more than twice a week though ....................... don't want to start "grunting".

Easy day today with toasted teacakes and spag bol.
Popping into Sainsbury's or Tesco later (maybe Tesco to see if there are any £1 bags of almonds left).
Tomorrow will be pie and h/m wedgers for main meal.
Tuesday earmarked for stir fry (need a carrot or 2), garlic prawm for myself and hubby can have last of diced chicken breast (make curry also for next day).
Then we'll see how it goes. A fish day could also be on and there's a pizza to use up.
Bread in freezer for toast. Fruit loaf also for toasting and apple pie and sticky toffee pudding to use up.
The vol-au-vent cases weren't that nice (used 12 yesterday) and they will probably be donated to the birds. I uses to love vol-au-vents, but seem to have gone off them!!

Lynsey

Jelly_Biactol

Kirri wrote: »

3 jars of Quinoa (keep trying recipes and not liking them)

I haven't cooked with quinoa but can offer this slow cooker recipe for Hot Quinoa, Tomato & Egg Salad (which could probably be easily adapted for hob/oven cooking):


http://postimg.org/image/6v2vea8nb/
Click on weblink for full-size version to download or print out.