June 2012 Grocery Challenge

savesummore

Kitchenbunny wrote: »

Hi Savesummore

It's not really a recipe I've found, although I've seen something similar on a menu and I want to give it a try. When I make a chilli con carne for the 2 of us, I always get enough for another meal left over. So...

1 portion chilli con carne (for 2, in this case)
4 rashers bacon, chopped
1 chunk of chorizo, sliced
Bit of tomato puree let down with water to make it a bit thinner
BBQ sauce to taste
Shake of paprika
Wraps

Fry the bacon and chorizo in a little oil and add any extra veggies you want to add to bulk it out. Add the leftover chilli con carne, watered-down tomato puree and a shake of paprika and add BBQ sauce until it is to your level of Tex-Mex BBQiness.

In a bowl or pie dish place a tortilla wrap. Layer it up like a lasagne with meaty layers and wraps. Top with a little grated cheese and warm it through in the oven or under the grill until the cheese goes bubbly. I'll be serving a slice with some salad. And the leftovers cold for packed lunch the day after...

HTH

K xx

Oh thank you this sounds great!!! :j:j Ill get this on my meal planner and try it out next week

adelight wrote: »

Okay, rant alert!!! So this time last week I was worrying OH wouldn't stick with the budget while I was away and organising a rough meal plan and snack shelf with him. I got back today and my worrying was right
He forgot lunch most days, forgot to eat some chicken breast which had to be binned(and chicken breast is precious and expensive and he desperately wanted it!), turned the firdge down so low the veg froze and is ruined and ate off plan: a kilo of cheese,
all the ham and chicken in the freezer for sandwiches,
two big jars of Branston pickle,
three boxes of Kellogs
and lost the receipts of the shopping he bought. I know it seems petty and all the branded stuff is bought on good offers, but we use it sparingly e.g. max one box of non-basic cereal a week which is mixed with basics cereal.
.

All i can say is :mad: how blooming frustrating for you and blimey your OH can eat :rotfl:

Claireybell78

So after lurking throughout June, I've decided to join in!

I started the year with really good intentions to bring our grocery bill down, then OH had a spell of unemployment for 3 months.

So with him back in work for the last 4 weeks I'm back to scrutinizing every penny. Our target is £40 per week, I get paid tomorrow and with 4 weekends till next pay day will go for £160 for July. Although we did our weeks shopping yesterday so are already stocked for this week!

jasmin10

ooh thats a good idea "mixing a box of branded cereal with a box of basic", definitely have to try that one.

Well I have had my final spend for the June GC, this being £2 on milk until my June finishes on Tuesday. I have gone over budget but forgot that it was a 5 week month. Never mind still good for first proper go at it and it is a lot less than last month £550.

So I will be signing June off with a total spend of £245.30 equating to £49.06 for each week. I want to aim for £40 per week but I think I will stick to £200 for July (£50 per week) but really try for £40 knowing that I have an extra tenner if needed.

Would just like to say how much I have enjoyed partaking with you all this month. I have throughly enjoyed reading all the threads, picking up lots of ideas along the way. A real pleasure to 'talk'to you all. :beer:

kj*daisy

Just gone over by £3 ish as sent DH instead of me and he got some multi buys, which to be fair we usually get and he doesnt know I'm trying to scrimp as much as I am this month. Am going to try not to shop now till Friday and count that as Julys first spend.

Hopefully this month will get us back on track after an expensive few months food wise. Still have loads in freezer as well. Not declaring just yet though just in case.

Well done to everyone who came in on target

MrsCD

Another NSD :T I think I'm getting the hang of this no spending lark at last!

Jasmin10 - you sound a lot happier today and you've done really well this month :T

Bluegreen143

adelight wrote: »

jumblejack that looks delicious, did you use tinned or fresh salmon? blackcurrants and raspberries, you are lucky to have them just springing up

fozziebeartoo fingers crossed for your dd


Okay, rant alert!!! So this time last week I was worrying OH wouldn't stick with the budget while I was away and organising a rough meal plan and snack shelf with him. I got back today and my worrying was right
He forgot lunch most days, forgot to eat some chicken breast which had to be binned(and chicken breast is precious and expensive and he desperately wanted it!), turned the firdge down so low the veg froze and is ruined and ate off plan: a kilo of cheese,
all the ham and chicken in the freezer for sandwiches,
two big jars of Branston pickle,
three boxes of Kellogs
and lost the receipts of the shopping he bought. I know it seems petty and all the branded stuff is bought on good offers, but we use it sparingly e.g. max one box of non-basic cereal a week which is mixed with basics cereal.
Now this weeks meal plan needs to be changed to accommodate it so all the meaty meals I planned will become heavily bulked out stews, tiny pieces of quiche with giant baked spuds etc. I've also froze the rest of the cheese and refilled a pickle jar with basic pickle, I usually just mix basic and brand 50:50 as I use it but will do it straight into the jar from now on.

Um anyway. £19.51 spend at Mr M today, including 24 tins of 20p toms and 24 of 20p chick peas. Not sure if it's national but it's a cracking offer.

Oh dear, sounds a bit like my OH (though in fairness, I don't think he could eat 3 boxes of cereal in a week!)!

Mr A delivery arrived today - £51.59 with only two subs, both of which I was happy with. I budget for groceries for the calendar month, so hopefully this will last us the week! If we do run out of milk or OH wants some snacks, we've got nearly £15 left in the budget so I'm pretty confident we can make it, will have to reduce the target in July I think.

Made AMAZING home made pizza for dinner with salad from the garden (so free!), OH was well impressed (I've made pizza before but this was the best base I've made by far). :j

sb88_2

Grocery wise we are doing good, I haven't spent anymore on food BUT yesterday we brought home a rescue dog. So I have bought her some balls, toys,a brush, and foodbowls etc for £11

She's a lovely 2 year old Belgian Shepeard I have been needing a dog ever since I moved out of my parents and left my family pets behind last year. Have spent the last 2 days settling her in, she is doing fantastically.


Slept on the couch last night to make sure she settled , I'm shattered tonight!

jasmin10

MrsCD wrote: »

Another NSD :T I think I'm getting the hang of this no spending lark at last!

Jasmin10 - you sound a lot happier today and you've done really well this month :T

I am thank you, Cant keep myself down too long when I look at my 6 mth old's big smiley face - that was the medicine I needed.

We have barely any food now, just enough for a couple of days til Wednesday. Amazing what sort of dinners you can pull out of thin air, and I think that sometimes they always turn out to be the best

System

jumblejack wrote: »

Found a huge patch of wood sorrel so have uprooted a handful to try and start off in my own garden:T Yummy
Also saw some wild honeysuckle so have pulled up a little root to try my luck with too. The flowers are edible (not called 'honey'suckle for nothing, you know!)

JJ just a heads up I think it's illegal to pull up wild flowers or plants

adelight

If you think that's bad the planned things he ate included 36 eggs, 2 loaves of bread, 12 pints of milk and an 800g bag of almonds. He has a fairly physical job, does MMA, lifts weights and wants to start running.
Do you understand the challenge I'm up against trying to feed my OH on a budget? :rotfl:

eta: i think sorrel is okay seeing as it's considered a weed?