Grocery Challenge - February 2012

katylou6180

I hope you don't mind me joining you guys- I decided enough was enough and i'd fallen off the wagon again! I have been spending way too much on groceries and the prices just seem to be going up and up! I got paid yesterday, I have done a thorough inventory of what i've got and what I havent, and I am going to attempt to do the monthly budget for three of us, Me DH and DS (12 with hollow legs) on £200. I spent £130 at Sainsburys doing a big shop this week doing all the householdy bits, main meal parts that are freezeable, Packed lunch stuff and enough fruit and vegetables for a week or so. I am expecting to have to spend £10 per week on bread/milk/veg and the like, and anything else I've forgotten, so thats 3 weeks at £10. Which leaves me £40 to visit Aldi or somewhere mid month for a few treats in case the men whinge that they're feeling deprived, even though I've stocked them up with their fair share of junk!

I hope I'll learn stuff from you guys and learn how to keep things down a bit, that way we'll have more money to enjoy ourselves! Please don't suggest baking as I work full time and really can't fit it around the essential household duties, I already normally spend a couple of hours at the weekend batch cooking wherever I can, it all helps Pleased to meet you all

Ess-six

Hi

Just popping on to advise HelenJelly that I don't need to go on the list, am happy to just set my budget in my signature and update/declare there too. Thanks for all your hard work with this.

JIL

freedom2011 wrote: »

I bought lots of tinned tuna when it was on offer from AP mainly as a lunch box filler. I am now thinking up frugal ways for main meals. Apart from with jacket spuds, fish cake or pasta bake I have drawn a blank. Anybody want to throw me some ideas? The store-cupboard is full of olive oil, herbs etc so I will have most things to add to any recipe.

Does this site help?
http://allrecipes.com/recipes/everyday-cooking/convenience-cooking/canned-food-recipes/canned-seafood/canned-tuna/top.aspx

or this
http://www.cooksunited.co.uk/rs/s0/canned+tuna/recipes.html

Lovethenight

PennyGrabber wrote: »

I'm just shopping on Approved Foods, and they have 2550g of tinned toms for 99p, dated Dec of this year. Even paying the postage, that's got to be a saving, and you can fridge (or freeze?) what you don't use each time.

HTH

That's fab!! I've just ordered 3! Thanks so much - it's the equivalent of more than 6 tins for 99p :j:j

mummyyof5

HI..just popping on to report another NSD day...doing quite well with these this month...will be going to town in the morning as have bills to pay...and do need some chicken for tea...chicken noodle stirfry..think I have everything else I need already in for this...do need to pick up some choccie bits for teens and Los..treats and lunch boxes...we dont have any local shops so dont pop to shop for sweets etc and my 5 year old cant eat any sweets except chocolate due to allergies...DD2 has been asking for hot chocolate for over a week so will nip in £land and get some from there

I dont need to be on front page either...I keep my total in sig anyway...really like the idea of putting how many we are feeding in the sig too...makes things more interesting I think...will nip over and add that to mine now xxxxxx

Florenceem

I don't need to be on the front page as I keep my signature updated so I know where I am. When I set 22 NSD Feb - forgot it was a short month - will I make it?
Had a NSD. Tonight we had Salmon quiche/roast potatoes/swede/carrot and onion.



Made enough for three day's dinners for us two. One day's dinner is going to be squeezed into the freezer and the other put in the fridge for Friday's dinner.

Will be spending tomorrow as we need milk.

rosieben

blackandwhitebunny, I've added your Chilli, Tomato, BNS bake to the front page index :beer:
elsiepac, I've added your Chicken Risotto too :beer:

tigerfeet2006

PennyGrabber wrote: »

I'm just shopping on Approved Foods, and they have 2550g of tinned toms for 99p, dated Dec of this year. Even paying the postage, that's got to be a saving, and you can fridge (or freeze?) what you don't use each time.

HTH

These are the ones we got from Costco earlier, the tin we opened was absolutely fab. I used what I needed and then bunged the rest into an old ice-cream tub in the fridge. I managed to get three meals from the tin though depending on what you are doing you may be able to get four meals from a tin. I've ordered a load too, so I will have quite a stock pile when they come though I do use a lot of tomatoes so these are a brilliant saving and will last quite a few months.

I'm dead on my feet at the moment as they are replacing the line on the railway track along side our house. They can only do it at night and the noise is horrendous. It felt like a jet plane was trying to land on our house last night. They started around eleven and went on to six this morning. Not quite so bad tonight as they are a bit further down the track but it's still bad.

tigerfeet2006

Hi Katylou and welcome aboard. Have a look at Approved Foods and Rosspa for good deals on snacky things. I've got tons of stuff for lunch boxs and for when the tribe gets the munchies. Rosspa also look good for veggies as well, haven't tried them yet but will be when I do my next meal plan as several people on here say they are good.

hamish222

Declaring my spend this month at £279.81. Pleased with this was from 25th Jan - 22nd Feb. Good for me, hoping to keep my next month up until 28th March as near £300 as a can to make sure that still on track for annual budget.