April 2012 Grocery Challenge

HappyTorty

Hi was just wondering what would you consider a comfortable grocery shop for the month for three adults? First house away from family so have to be frugal.:o

Coxy11

Hi everyone,

I haven't posted for about 2 weeks but I have been reading along and keeping track of my spends.

DH started a new job this morning after being off since September so the house is feeling very quiet. Does mean that I can eat more cheaply during the day tho' now there's only me here. I'm happy with lo bits and bobs, whereas he wants something more substantial.

I will be over budget this month (month ends on 30th April) but I'm hoping not by too much. Visiting my Mum on Thursday and will be going to her A!di for some bits plus a water butt for Mum (she doesn't drive so will pick this up for her).

Well done everyone for this month. I always find it harder when the school holidays are here - kids eating me out of house and home lol.

Barbeduk

Hi all, it is absolutely carp here today, hasn't stopped raining. Luckily we have had bread pudding and weetabix brownies in the house which cheered up the kids when they got home from school.:)

Finished the last of the gammon yesterday so as well as a gammon and veg meal, it provided a fantastic pea and ham soup, packed lunches, plateful to take to friends for shared picnic and I also made a baked potato topping with some cheese sauce with added mustard, sweet corn and chopped ham. Not bad for £4.99!!

Two more spends to report of £2.72 in Mr M on medicine, fruit, pearl barley and £12.77 in !id! on veg, bacon, eggs, lemonade, milk and erm, rather a lot of chocolate and crisps!

Will update signature. Have a good Monday everyone.:D

abitofhelp

craigywv wrote: »

hi, just letting you know that i too have been using mr t cooking bacon in quiche etc but have foubd that past few weeks its been pure fat cut up into cubes not at all like the one we had before where you got a few rashers etc... I stopped buying it and went into li£dles the other day , they selling a massive 1 kg bag choice of smoked/unsmoked for 1.25 absolute bargain!!!! its a 100 times tastier than mr t one and hardly any fat on it.....i poked through ALL the packs and got 2 with hardly any fat in the packs. got loads of rashers also in the pack hope this helps.:)

i went to lidle yesterday and found the cooking bacon. it was £1.69 for a kg so we bought one just to try. not opened it yet but i was impressed with what i saw in lidle. dont go there very often but will start using it more often. also went to local farm shop, salad, fruit & veg seems to be cheaper than supermarkets. tray of free range eggs £4 for 24 & punnets of raspberries 99p. stocked up for next couple of weeks. will update sig at later date.

Florenceem

JIL wrote: »

Florenceem, you are an inspiration £41.97 out of £100 in April? Thats less than £10 per week, given its a long month.

Your photos certainly show me how it can be done, can I ask if its not too cheeky what you have for the rest of the day? I notice you said breakfast was the most important meal of the day so wondered what you did for breakfast and lunch? And if you have any snacks?
Just wondered if there are any tips you could share?

thanks in advance and hope you dont mind me asking.

Breakfasts
I don't like milk - as is - so cereal with milk for breakfast is a no no for me. I do have milk in tea but only a small amount. We have fresh skimmed milk. In order to get my milk/calcium for the day - I have custard for breakfast! I either have it on HM crumble - therefore getting 1 of my 5 a day or on a HM muffin - well actually half a HM muffin.
This is the rhubarb crumble I made in a 99p shop ceramic dish - big dish - you can see how much we had for breakfast - MR F and I.

Our brekkie - yummy! This really sets us up for the day. We don't have pudding after our dinner as too full up.

Florenceem

jumblejack wrote: »

Florenceem, I am so inspired by your spend :T

It is an incredible accomplishment as I hear many complain that to eat healthy costs a fortune.

I'm not too sure I will accomplish my target but I have been cooking for more folk than I had anticipated but I am not too disheartened. Not a bad monthly target for an average sized family

Gonna be making cheese n ham omelettes with side salad today for my parents with a 2 minute microwave syrup sponge with custard:

2oz butter
2oz sugar
1 egg
2oz SR flour

Mix together but pour a generous layer of golden syrup at the bottom of your bowl before you add the above cake mix.

Microwave on full power for 2 mins and VOILA.

Turn each scoop upside down when you serve with lashings of custard!!!

(So easy, my kids could do it:))

We will just be having leftover pork casserole with loads of veg.

Love the expression 'bendy' veg, by the way!:rotfl:

Do you use custard powder/ready made or real custard?

Ninno820

Day one of my May grocery month and its a NSD. Tea tonight is fish pie from the freezer (a left over meal from a couple of weeks ago - yay) and veg from the back of the fridge. This month I am trying the envelope / weekly money so will be shopping on wednesday.

Florenceem

I have tried to price up my HM crumble - fruit was free this time. We do have a weekly market - sometimes get a bowl of fruit for £1 - not bothered what I use for crumble - apples/rhubarb/pears/nectarines/peaches/blackberries/raspberries/strawberries. Whatever I can get at a good price. I do get fruit and veggies from Lid. & Ald. -good value.
I will let you know how many breakfasts the two crumbles I made last MR F and I.
Flour/sugar/baking margarine/oats or museli/ cinnamon or ginger for topping plus fruit/sugar/cinnamon or ginger for fruit layer -costed.
I use 3/4 pint milk which we buy 8 pints for £2 at Ice.... + sugar + custard powder - not bothered if own brand/Bir..
So breakfast - crumble with custard costs for the two of us - approx 52p a day. Depends how many meals we get out of those crumbles!
However breakfast of HM muffin with custard costs a lot less so we have some of each for the 4 weeks GC.

jpscloud

NSD here! I had a really low day today, I had no energy and felt grumpy and down all day. Luckily I had some "unhealthy" food (aka chicken nuggets!!:o ) in the freezer and indulged in those, instead of buying something naughty.

Just wanted to say thanks to everyone for posting and helping keep motivation up. I am trying to read more of the thread every day to keep me on the straight and narrow now.

Florenceem

I use a muffin recipe I got years ago out of a newspaper.
10 oz plain flour.
4 level tsps baking powder.
2 ozs baking margarine.
2 ozs sugar.
2 eggs.
approx 8 fl ozs milk.
flavouring of choice.

If you use paper cases - adds to cost. I often make lemon muffins - save the half squeezed lemon I used for a fish dinner. Use the rest of the juice and grate the rind.
Make chocolate chip muffins for DGC - grate own brand chocolate - cheaper than buying chocolate chip packets.
Makes 12 muffins so approx - 6p each.

Worked out that my breakfast - a muffin between Mr F and I plus custard costs 50p a day.
You honestly only need half a muffin each.