January 2007 Grocery Challenge

helen_caslass

can i join in too please..? first time for me will keep all jan shopping receipts for food and work out just how much i spend on food two adults both full time need to start taking pack ups again and two little kittens who can eat for the world...

mustafa_say_ving

We spend quite a bit on groceries at the moment ,so I'm going to set a budget of £50 per week , that's for 2 adults, 2 children ( the youngest can eat for England) & 1 cat (nearly forgot about her)....I really want to try to stick to this .



lil_me...HM sausage rolls or scotch eggs might be a good substitute for sarnies


catznine.....I managed to remove pen marks from DD2's handwash only top with stardrops, there's a feint mark left, but you'd have to look very closely.

miggy

moggins wrote:

Any idea what I can do with half a bag of fresh sprouts?

Someone else wanted to know that yesterday... must be something in the air
I suggest preparing them as if you are going to eat them, then blanch them (dunk in boiling water for three minutes then in icy water for three minutes before drying on a clean tea towel) and freeze them. They keep really well.
Someone else suggested a stirfry which I will admit sounds good. (Mmmm... with bacon?)

lil_me

He would probably eat the HM sausage rolls, thanks for that, but the other issue we have is routine, keeping some things the same help and a little ham and cucumber chopped isn't expensive, but the thought of maybe not having a sausage roll for him one morning hmmm doesn't bare thinking about. I am thinking more along the lines of maybe some cheaper dried fruits than what he has now etc, possibly yoghurt, going to start giving him his at home in a different tub that I can then put in his box, so I can fool him with cheaper/hm versions in his lunches. Maybe even hm jelly/mousse, just need a few small sealable tubs/pots that are small enough, wish I kept the ones he had as a baby now! A lot of the problem seems to be around packaging with him, I am going to refil his juice bottles (tropicana go) with fresh juice. Got a week or so to try new things with him (he still has his packed lunch at lunch times when at home).

loumac

I brought stardrops yesterday in poundstretcher, it was 85p I think for 600ml so I'll try Asda next time if that's cheaper!

mustafa_say_ving

lil_me wrote:

He would probably eat the HM sausage rolls, thanks for that, but the other issue we have is routine, keeping some things the same help and a little ham and cucumber chopped isn't expensive, but the thought of maybe not having a sausage roll for him one morning hmmm doesn't bare thinking about. I am thinking more along the lines of maybe some cheaper dried fruits than what he has now etc, possibly yoghurt, going to start giving him his at home in a different tub that I can then put in his box, so I can fool him with cheaper/hm versions in his lunches. Maybe even hm jelly/mousse, just need a few small sealable tubs/pots that are small enough, wish I kept the ones he had as a baby now! A lot of the problem seems to be around packaging with him, I am going to refil his juice bottles (tropicana go) with fresh juice. Got a week or so to try new things with him (he still has his packed lunch at lunch times when at home).

I've just bought some small tubs from Tescos for the girls' lunchboxes (value 79p for 3),they're just plain , perhaps he could put his favourite sticker on the lid to make it more personal to him( keeping some identical stickers spare just incase one peels off):)

lil_me

Thanks that sounds like a great idea, I will have a look when I am next in Tescos, I found one small tub which was from a set of 3 from Tescos a long while back (DP took the others for screws I think) so will make a start with that one tomorrow, going to have a look and see what I can put in it, he adores raspberries but they go mushy and are expensive, might use frozen ones to add to jelly, got my thinking of so many ideas now (trying to resist going shopping) Will also try the stickers idea, we have a book full of sealife ones he likes and that would keep him very happy. Pleased I mentioned this now Thanks for your help.

Penny-Pincher!!

Im hoping to not spend alot in January for food items as I have so much in. Have enough main meal items to probably last at least the month. I still buy a chicken or main meal item if its greatly reduced, even if I dont need ATM as this will do another meal or 2 at a later date.

We basically have 4 meals the same each week as they are items that I can always find reduced well. We always have a roast on a Sunday-normally a chicken but sometimes a leg of lamb or gammon if yellow stickered:o Always have Shepards Pie & Veg on a Thursday, a sausage meal (sausage/mash or cassarole-have to be decent ones though) and what we call a "free" meal-which is oven chips (tons of them) but when they run out will be normal chips and an egg and maybe some beans. We always have these in-so practically free! The other 3 meals are things like stew, chops, fishpie, pies etc-whatever is reduced:D

Have gone back to butter again recently, but still buy value one. Soups are Heinz as I can normally get 3 for a £1 etc etc.

PP
xx

Kimberley

I think i'll join this as well, i spend about £70 a week, thats about £280 a month for me, three kids and two kittens

I want to try for £50 a week what do i do, do i collect my receipts for Jan and go from there or start my saving from Monday?

catznine

Hi Kimberley! I just do it to cover 4 weeks and will be starting mine on Friday Jan 5th this month. I guess it is your decision really as to when you start.

Good luck!

Catz x