April 2012 Grocery Challenge

euronorris

Thanks to this thread, and me reading yesterday about using the local greengrocers, I remembered we have one around the corner from us. So I headed to them last night, to pick up some apples and banana's! It was cheaper than the place I picked them up from last week - by almost €3!!!! AND, it was better quality - I ended up throwing away the apples I bought last week. They were pre-packed and when I got home, I realised they had all been chomped on by something (caterpillar or the likes), and were rotting in places!

AND, the new place sells the really ripe fruit at a knock down price! I could get a full bunch of ripe banana's for just €1!! I decided against it, as I need my bananas to last for my work lunches. But......I might get some at the weekend, and make a banana cake or something.

I am already almost 2 weeks into my month (as I get paid around 25th, and always get a food shop right after payday), I won't join this month. I am doing well though, and should be able to stick to the budget I set this month. I'm certainly doing a lot better than on previous months.

I do want to get better though, and reduce the amount even more! So I'll be joining you guys from next month onwards!

fozziebeartoo

franby64 wrote: »

!

Does anybody have a recipe for chickpeas as I have a jar which I've just not got round to using. I also have an ageing bag of cornmeal and keep meaning to have a go at cornbread - I must do this before it goes out of date!

Hope the month is going well so far.

How about oven roasting the chickpeas to make them a crunchy snack, lots of variations on the internet but here is one version:-

http://vegetarian.about.com/od/vegetarianappetizers/r/Oven-Roasted-Chickpeas.htm

You can vary the taste depending on the seasonings added

Becks81

Another £1.75 to add to my total spends for some sweetcorn and spring onions. Still haven't done my big shop for the week and I must do this by Sunday as have a voucher for Tesco's for £5 off on a £40 spend.

blackandwhitebunny

I spent just over £20 yesterday on ys chorizo and meat things in sainsbugs. I got a whole chorizo (the great big ones from the deli counter) and another half of a slightly different one for under a tenner. I was a bit cheeky, we often buy a large chunk or a whole one if they're marked down a fair bit but yesterday I got her to cut one in half, weigh and price the half, then weigh and price half of a different one which was also marked down, then pretended to think about it and decide that I might as well have the other half of the first one for my neighbour (I will really give it to her) but this meant I had three packages and its 3 for 2 so one huge bit was free:T as well as being marked down to start with. I do always get some for my neighbour if its cheap so I'll divide the total cost by three. She's from the Ukraine and will eat salami type things for breakfast, lunch and dinner if she could.
I also got four packets of TTD sausages for 90p each and small packets of smoked salmon for 80p each.
I have to do a freezer dive in a minute as PIL coming for dinner and I have no idea what to make.

jumblejack

Regarding chick peas, you can make a brill curry with chickpeas! They are also fab to bulk out a casserole.

I have no idea what we are having for tea today as OH is at home which means defrosting meat
Will try and incorporate as many veggies as are languishing in my fridge. Been pretty good though for weeks. All the whoopsie veg have been used up in wonderful ways with no waste whatsoever :T

Need to reminds myself repeatedly today "must only buy milk, must only buy milk..."

mrs-moneypenny

morning all
yesterdays lasagne turned into shepherds pie in the end so vegan DD could have some as well (forgot shed run out of vegan cheese)
not sure what todays meals will be probally do DH omlette for dinner and have a use up in the fridge for tea see what vegs are looking a bit sad and incorporate them into something.

is cornmeal the same as cornflour or are they two different things? im thinkng corn meal is not as fine as cornflour. DD has a recipie that needed cornmeal she mentioned it last night but we only had cornflour and i didnt think that would work, when he wakes up ill ask what it was for.

tessie_bear

hi...been to the dentist this morning...£168 for 4 checkups...when did they start charging for kids ??? so will need to be spending even less on gc...that sais we have guests for easter so will have to start the penny pinching after they have gone...will make good use of the leftovers if there are any

got quiche for tea and planning some fish for good friday....might make a fish pie....and of course hot cross buns

have a nice day tess

mrs-moneypenny

tessie_bear wrote: »

hi...been to the dentist this morning...£168 for 4 checkups...when did they start charging for kids ??? so will need to be spending even less on gc...that sais we have guests for easter so will have to start the penny pinching after they have gone...will make good use of the leftovers if there are any

got quiche for tea and planning some fish for good friday....might make a fish pie....and of course hot cross buns

have a nice day tess

we only went last month and kids didnt get charged under NHS are you sure your dentist hasnt gone private without telling you?:eek:
our 17YO DS didnt pay anything, our 19 YO DD got charged £17 for a checkup off the top of my head it then goes up to £42 if you have fillings xrays etc and dentures or crowns are in the top price band of £204.

Need2bthrifty

1st spend of the month for me and oh dear went a bit daft in @ldi and the Chinese supermarket stocking up on fruit, veg, store-cupboard staples and spices - total spent £20.37 - thats 40% of my budget gone and its only the 5th :eek:.

Really need to concentrate on the NSD's now, review my menu plan and live out of the freezer for a couple of weeks - at least, cause I'm determined not to go over again this month!!

Florenceem

DundeeDoll wrote: »

First spend of april £4.18 on night-time medicine for my horrid cough. Then i forgot to take it d'oh and slept through hooray, but feeling rubbish again this morning so will have to buy some cough sweets to get me through this avo's meeting. If anyone knows of any OS cough cures i'm all ears

I tried this one - helped me - rub vick decongestant - you can get a generic one in 99p/£1 shop - on the soles of your feet at bedtime. Put on some socks to wear in bed. Also put some fresh/squeezy lemon in cup - add boiling water plus small spoon of honey - stir - drink while warm - just before bedtime.