March 2012 Grocery Challenge

PennyGrabber

lisakay wrote: »

Ugh, pennygrabber, glad I'm not a teacher. Es[ecially glad I'm not my daughters school teacher, what with parents evening coming up and us not seeing eye to eye;).
My month starts on 25th, so I have had a spend out of this months budget, but only £50ish.
I've been trying the fiscal fast and it's easy...dont go to a shop and you cant spend money...what's not easy is finding meals out of whats in:p, cupboards and freezer looking a bit sparse and my big american style fridge contains 10 eggs, tub of marg, 3 1/2 pints milk, 6 bulbs of garlic, 1/2 swede and a red pepper. It might be omelettes for tea tomorrow:rotfl:. i still have a stock of pulses/rice/pasta/tins/frozen stuff so none of us are going to go hungry, but it's personal now. i really want to see how long i can go before i have to shop. 14nsd and counting!

Yeah, I actually teach my daughter for one lesson a week!!! That was hard at first, but it's ok now.

I have a huge fridge freezer too, but I don't think it's ever been that empty. I dream of it, though, and I'm getting there slowly!!

tigerfeet2006 wrote: »

So was I Meg Meant to say I also used three tins of tomatoes instead of the usual three.

Thanks for the idea about plant pots. My mum has just given me all her blue and green Planters as she has decided to change from the medeteraen (how do you spell that?) look and go for a deep reddish brown. So I can use them in the bottom of those. I have some lovely compost in the bin and I am sure I can source some nice plants cheap.

Mediterranean!!!

supersally01 wrote: »

Evening all.

Not posted all weekend, as been away in Milan. Just popped by to update today and yesterdays spends.

£14 in Iceland, on breakfast products. Did a nice breakfast for my mum, sister ans OH to chat about my weekend away.

£19 in M&S, usual £6 meal deal, and 3 for £10, with a few extras that OH threw in. Used my £5 MOC.

£2 in ASDA, could not find cheap block butter, so got the spreadable for £2. Will hunt out the price check coupons at Mr T's to hopefully stock up (JTD?)

£5 in Mr T's on cheap cheese, bottled water for DD and other bits.

Total £40 to add.

This is good, as OH has been home and costs a lot to keep!!! Even he has been suprised about the small amount of money we have spent. He seems to think that if there is a £200 budget, you must spend it!! Oh well, I'll keep trying!
Have a good evening all!!
Sally

Milan! Ooh, how lovely!

My ex OH thought that you had to spend it as soon as you got it, and I ended up using my own personal savings to bail us out. til I ended up with nothing myself...


Ofsted went well, I have done my teaching bit now, and just have to get through tomorrow. I'm off to bed soon, with a glass of something and my kindle. Oops, just looked at the clock and it's not even eight yet!! Oh well, by the time I've fed the cat, done the lunchboxes and had a quick tidy round, I'm sure it'll be ok! I deserve it, seeing as how I was up at half 5 marking!

Oh, other good news - nsd today; leftover pizza for dinner from work. And, my boss told me about the jobs going at my place for Sept, so I may be lucky, although there are two jobs, and already three internal candidates, before even being advertised!!

Night all,

PG x

DundeeDoll

Campus day. Normally buy several cups pf tea @£1.20 but today went to lidl to buy water. They had buy some teabags and get free mug so i did cos the water bottle was huge. I also bought sandwich bags cos i went to a seminar at lunch with free lunch sure enough loads left over so now have 6 lunches in freezer and 8 slices millionaire shortbread. Spend in lidl £3.26 (less than 3 cups of tea) and still have big box of teabags, mug and 117 sandwich bags

LavenderBees

Evening Everyone,

woke this morning with a bit of an anxiety attack and felt jittery all morning, so, when the sun came out at lunchtime, I got away from my desk and had a wander over to Mr A's for some wee treats to be kind to myself...£25 later....:eek:. Ah well, I'm worth it...:o

BUT my mini challenge to myself for next month (which starts next Friday 23rd) is that I'm going to try to avoid SM shopping in Mr M's and Mr A's (apart from the fuity tea that is cheap and lush) for all of next month...can I do it, yes I can!:rotfl:

L1dl here I come for every shop!

So £25 on some alcohol and chocolate (considered essential today), some on offer cheese, a whoopsied chicken (hardly any money off though), aforementioned teabags, and a huge bag of onions - 3kg for £1...anyone know any good onion recipes? ?

There's only me, so I think I'm going to be going some to use them/freeze them all. Ideas very welcome as I definitely won't be wasting them.

Off to update my siggy now..will try not to look at how much over budget I am. I'm wubbish

You all seem to be doing so much better than I am. Keep up the good work :T

LB xx

P.S. On the plus side, I've been car sharing so have not used my car for 5 days...:T

PennyGrabber

DundeeDoll wrote: »

Campus day. Normally buy several cups pf tea @£1.20 but today went to lidl to buy water. They had buy some teabags and get free mug so i did cos the water bottle was huge. I also bought sandwich bags cos i went to a seminar at lunch with free lunch sure enough loads left over so now have 6 lunches in freezer and 8 slices millionaire shortbread. Spend in lidl £3.26 (less than 3 cups of tea) and still have big box of teabags, mug and 117 sandwich bags

Now that's my kind of maths!! Well done!

JayJay14

meg72 wrote: »

Dont think there is any truth in this, at least regarding the boxes,these are almost indentical to the ones that are sold as mushroom kits and are intended to grow in. I have a friend who has done this for years and gets his boxes from the chippy,their fish is delivered in them, also when I had my allotments a lot of the oldies used them.

I would not however use the small moulded packaging pieces
as have noticed that these go soggy and slimey when wet and could well leach chemicals into the soil.

Interesting though I will have a Google and see what Ican find out.

Just popping in to say that these small pieces may be potato starch which is why they go gooey - they look like polystyrene but they are sort of inedible wotsits and are often totally biodegradable.

EverTheOptimist

:eek::eek::eek: Big Spend Today. :eek::eek::eek:

Not really sure how it happened. I do know actually, have stocked up on some bits. Lots of fruit and veg (some expensive fruit for hubby), a few bits for bunny, some freezer bits and some store cupboard bits. Shouldn't be shopping other than milk til at least next Thursday now.

Should be able to make it. Should have enough bits and pieces in the freezer to get me through. Maybe.....

elsiepac

PennyGrabber wrote: »

My ex OH thought that you had to spend it as soon as you got it, and I ended up using my own personal savings to bail us out. til I ended up with nothing myself...

Are you me?! Depressing that this happens to a lot of us. Are we too trusting? :cool:

LavenderBees wrote: »

and a huge bag of onions - 3kg for £1...anyone know any good onion recipes? ?

Try the Onion and Potato Soup from Cheap Family Recipes. It uses 800g onions, which is roughly 3 big onions, and 2 medium potatoes, the bacon makes it taste good, but when I go veggie around April time I'll start leaving it out and I know it will still be yummy, specially if you use a good stock cube (I use Kn0rr stock pots, the weird gel type things that are insanely expensive unless you get them only on offer like me!!!) Link HERE

Also as A1d! have swede for 39p on the super 6 this week, maybe some of us will be trying the swede cloddies? I might do next week..... if I feel my OCD will let me change my meal plan :rotfl:

LC

ModestyB

DH went to Mr M's today and spent £9.32 on dog food, oven chips, ys salmon x 2, ys bbq wings and mince pies :eek:. It was supposed to be an nsd.

Hugs to all.

tigerfeet2006

I did Cottage Pie for last nights dinner. 500g of mince bilked out with three grated carrots. I also cut some carrots into rounds to put in as normal. Made it up and put it in the SC and then when I was ready for it bunged it in a Pyrex and topped it with LO cheesy mash and into the oven. Served it with broccoli and cauli. Kids wolfed it down.

Have loads left over for the freezer.

OrkneyStar

Been away for ages, but been reasonably good .
OH paid 15th of month so our new month starts today, and coming back just for some help to keep on track. Been doing ok with main shop but downfall is treat shopping, the odd takeaway sandwich etc. Technically this comes from another budget, but want to reduce it. Thought if I came on here you guys might help me stick to my homemade lunches and only treats once in a while. [STRIKE] So what can I have for lunch today.... ? not buying anything and have the usual eggs, cheese, bread, flour, condiments, toms, lentils etc in....[/STRIKE] Edit that, me and DS having leftovers for lunch and DH sent off with hm spicy carrot and parsnip soup.