Grocery Challenge - February 2012

abitofhelp

helenjelly thanks for putting me on the front but if it helps i dont need to be on there i'm doing a yearly budget and now my signature is showing i am happy to update that

mi_jardin

I have just been spending again, and it has taken me over my budget! My month finishes on Thursday, and I all need is bit of fruit and veg from the market tomorrow.
Nevermind, it was mainly things that will be stored; 3 bags porridge, mince meat for Xmas (half price), vinegar, laundry tablets & custard. Plus I managed to use some vouchers which meant I got a comfort for 25p, sanitary towels for 25p and chips for 50p.
I also popped into the farm shop to buy my granary bread flour for next month.

FrugalLina

Oooh, is that the drink or the confectionery?

Barbeduk wrote: »

Hi all, just noticed on one of the other boards that this weekend coming !id! have got their milk chocolate reduced to 17p. Think I might get a couple of trolleys worth! oh, and the mince is half price too.:D

coldcazzie

Hey everyone, updating with second part of my weekly grocery shop - went to Morrisons and spent £43 something. Budget is £45 so I'm happy with that.

I had tomato and mascapone sauce on my list, but I've been thinking for a while about making my own... anyway the price was £1.40 for a 350g tub! Even with the 2 for £2.50 offer it's still more than I'd like. So I bought some bits and this afternoon have done some research followed by experimental cookery and made some myself. Here's my recipe:

1 large onion, 1 large carrot, 3 large garlic cloves, 2 tins of chopped tomatoes, 1 tin of tomato puree, 400ml veg stock, 250g tub of mascapone cheese, 150ml tub of double cream, 1 tsp dried basil, 1 tsp sugar, salt and pepper

I blitzed the onions and garlic cloves in my food processor, then grated the carrot in there too. I heated some olive oil and gently softened the onion, garlic and carrot for 5 minutes. Then I added the chopped tomatoes, veg stock and tomato puree and stirred until well mixed. I added the sugar, basil and seasoned it, then left it to simmer for about 20 minutes. I added the mascapone and stirred in until melted, then the cream and stirred that in too. Then I left it to simmer for another 10 minutes, and tasted to check the seasoning.

I reckon I could've added some red peppers at the beginning too, but I don't have any!

I estimate I've got 5-7 portions. Cost was as follows:

Mascapone £1.50, cream 65p, chopped tomatoes 84p, puree 25p, carrot 8p, onion 27p, stock and garlic and seasoning perhaps 20p altogether = £3.79 divided by 5 would be 76p per portion, by 6 would be 64p per portion, by 7 would be 54p per portion. It would be cheaper if I'd used market veg instead of sm veg and had used Tesco/morrisons chopped toms (I happened to have sainsburys in).

I've not portioned it up yet as it's still hot, but even if I only get 5 portions from it, I've still saved 50p per portion on morrisons best price, and it's got carrot in it which means more veggies!

For the record, I serve this sauce with 350g pasta and 1 pack of chopped fried bacon, all mixed up together, with grated cheese on top, and it serves 5 of us (you can easily up the quantity of pasta for more/hungrier people)

Edited to add: got 5 ~400ml portions from this. 4 in the freezer and one in the fridge for this evening.

mummygems

Helenjelly I dont mind being a name or a number lol.

Can you please put me down for £500 for March please. Thank you.

sprozza

Just updated my sig, I did a huge online shop at mr s last night after working out all of our meals up until payday 6th march. I spent £63.77 out of my £80 budget so I am really happy I will probably need a bit of fresh fruit and salad next week but I should easily be able to do that and still be within my budget. Off to attempt a spreadsheet now.......wish me luck!

nicknack

Afternoon all,

Going away with work for the next 3 days so should hopefully be 3 NSDs - good job too cos I need them!

I'm still trying to work out what is the best time to go to MrT for reduced items, so I'm going to get OH to call in on his way home at 10pm to see what the shelves are like then - he'll be thrilled

Helen Jelly - No need to give me a number or include me on your list, I'll just update my signature as I go along if that's ok with you?

Nicknack

p-pincher

Hi Everyone, hope everyones having a good week so far

Helenjelly, im fine not being on the list, i can keep my siggy updated, thanks for all your hard work!!!

Had my last spend of the month, and im bang on target. 2 more days to go but tomorrow is definitely a NSD as im not at work so will only leave the house to do the school run and Thursday I will just not let myself enter the supermarket. New month starts on Friday when Dh gets paid. Not going to tempt fate and declare just yet though.

I just had a root around the freezer and my store cupboard and im gobsmacked how much food is still in there at the end of the month, I know we all like a stockpile but its getting a bit much so i'm going to try to run it down and just stock up on things that are a bargain. Every time I go shopping I always buy a certain amount of things like pasta, rice and passatta regardless of whether i need them or not but now ive got a mound of pasta and about 10 cartons of passatta (at least 2 months worth), so ive really got to try to only buy what we need instead of what i'm used to buying.

Ive also decided next month to try a weekly shop instead of a big monthly one with top ups', not sure if it will work but its worth a try. i've only been doing the GC for a couple of months but for the first time ever i will not be in my overdraft at the end of the month which is the first time in years and that's even after buying dd's ipod touch for her birthday, I dread to think what i was actually spending before i started this.

AlwaysHappy

Helenjelly - I don't mind not being on the list either if its easier - I can just keep a tab on my signature ( and of course on my shiny new spreadsheet!!). Thanks for all the effort you put into the thread.

Ninno820

Helenjelly - I am happy with not being on the list as well - I update my signature and never look at the front.

Its another NSD here at Ninno towers - I am limping along until payday - thursday!!! I still have so much food stored that my target for March will be a measley £60 and I aim to stay well out of the supermarkets!