January 2012 Grocery Challenge

rising_from_the_ashes

Tracey12 thanks for the fantastic flourless choc raspberry cake recipe ... being Wheat & Lactose intolerant it's often hard to find easy / nice desserts .... add in a severe allergy to Strawberries & things get even more complicated:o (Raspberries are my favourite fruit!:o)

If anyone is Lactose intolerant and wants to try this - I came across a recipe for making lactosefree creme fraiche http://www.foodnetwork.co.uk/recipes/lactose-free-creme-fraiche-ru326862.html HTH It's not always easy to find lactose free cream or yoghurt (especially one that's not strawberry!:mad:) - but the larger sm should stock them).

HTH

Islandmaid

Hi all,

NSD,s all this week - so chuffed with myself.

Am running dry of veg now so will have to pick up a few bitsthis weekend, but the freezers are stuffed with various meats:)

Hope your all well x

rising_from_the_ashes

Having a dilemma .... whether to incl lunches or not - stuff I've bought to make & take for lunches, I obviously do incl .... but should I include lunches I have to buy too?

I've always had a separate allowance of £3/week for these as I do usually treat myself to lunch on a Fri - usually as I've run out of stuff & it's not worth opening new packs of ham etc when they won't be used over the weekend!

I did unfortunately have to have the Fri treat today as ran out of bread ....... mmmm decisions - will add it in this time but will have to ponder for the future ones! So ... £3.70 to add for today (and now have something for lunch tomorrow too)

123budget

jollymummy wrote: »

It is now clean and tidy, I've put a list on the door of what we have, along with a pen so we can amend the list and write on it things we need to replace.

It's nice to feel in control of the situation again and hopefully we won't over buy for the next few weeks.

Hi Jollymummy
I did the same a couple of days ago - it's amazing how much there was in the freezer especially. I too put a list up and am crossing off as I use things up. I think I will also add freezer items too it as I buy them and that way I should always know what I have got in.:)

mrs-moneypenny

eggmans been so added another £3 to my sig as i didnt pay for last weeks so owed him £1 for those

SueP19

OMG just updated my spending for the end of last year

£5092 on food/dog food/toileties etc :eek::eek::eek::eek:

Am in total shock as I thought I was improving towards the end of the year

Linz4383

hey guys have been havin a flick through this page over the past couple of days! i think its fab found loads of new recipes that i want to try!!!!
i was goin to join but since theres only me and my lo (whos at her dads half the week) and i have a cupboard and freezers full of food (i work at Mr T and grab the bargains) i dnt think theres any point
although i did want to share with u all that u get better bargains from the smaller Mr ts reduced down more after 6ish take a lot more off than bigger stores
good luck everyone

piggeh

I don't think I'll set a target for the challenge, just going along and making sure I don't waste food, don't order takeaways, for a start (and dont make anything that ends up too pricey!)

Not sure what to have for dinner tonight though. Have Tesco Express and Coop a few mins walk away. Tesco has a habit of packing all their veg into packs of 3/6 which seems a waste! No point doing a stocktake. I have some spaghetti, dry noodles, beans and a bit of milk. Really not that much :P Will try and get some essential stuff (rice, pastas, tinned veg of different sorts, etc) in for next week. Wil skim through this for some ideas for tonight

JIL

JackieO wrote: »

then I went into M&S and bought a few bits in the food hall for us as a treat, and got my beloved King Edwards spuds.

I asked in Sainsbobs and was told we don't bother stocking them much as its cheaper to get 'vivaldi or other potatoes.Well I'm sorry but I find that strange to me the best potato although maybe a little dearer is a King Edward and I won't be co-erced into having what supermarkets tell me to buy.
I told the 'suit' in there as well and he probably thought I was a grumpy old woman, but who cares, he looked about 12 to me, and maybe I am, but I am also a customer without whom he wouldn't be able to walk around telling women old enough to be his Mum how to suck eggs
lady on the till in M&S agreed that she too preferred KE spuds so its not just me then

JackieO xx

I am another who loves KE spuds although during September I discovered the prince of potatoes i think they were fontana. They were huge but lovely as mash, roast, jackets chips etc.

Something else I have only just discovered and cannot believe it has taken me so long to do, is to buy the potatoes from a farm shop either in 12.5 kg sacks (King Edwards were £2.99) or in larger sacks of 25kg. They are still dirty but that seems to help them last much longer.

So much cheaper than the supermarkets.

LittleMissHappy_2

Went to Mr T's today for a top up shop (haven't spent this year apart from some deodarant) from my grocery budget but did a big shop on 31st Dec as it is DS's birthday on 1st Jan and I always do a family party for him (for about 16-18 people). Anyway, went about 5pm, I never normally go this time but will be from now on!!! Got 4 bags of food for £16.09!!! Mainly bread items, but all stuff we use regularly so now in the freezer and all half price or more - some of it even has a couple of days left in the date.

So adding the deo onto the shopping today and my total is £17.45 which leaves £282.55 for the month and £3582.55 for my annual budget