June 2012 Grocery Challenge

jumblejack

I totally understand your point.

I am really wary of damaging the environment. I woukd never pick bluebells or suchlike

The sorrel was a really vast thick patch so I pulled some individual plants to thin a little area. You can see on the pick that it only covers a palm sized area when planted together. Wikipedia classes creeping wood sorrel as "creeping woodsorrel (O. corniculata) – are pernicious invasive weeds" That's why I didn't mind encouraging it in my shaded spot.

I really want a meadow lawn next year. Whilst bird box making and seed planting at a local nature reserve, I asked the ranger who was staffing the class for my home ed group about the possibility of harvesting some of the seed from the meadow there. She said it would be fine as I wouldn't require much for the size of area I specified. She even advised which month is the best.:T
I saw online where a guy improvised a sweep net using a pillow case and a wire coat hanger. Will try that as it seems easier and less damaging. Any critters can easily be released too.



Edit:
Just as an afterthought, I am hoping to juice more nettles n dandelions than my garden currently can supply. I will be using wild areas such as canal walkways etc to obtain them. I will also be using the dandelion root (just gotta try the coffee next ) but again, it will be done with care and these are plants that are not protected.

Thanks for bringing the point up as I would hate folk to read my post then get the idea to pick any plants to bring home.

In_it_not_to_giveitaway

Found this website by accident while searching for discount vouchers for shopping online. It is proving to be addictive reading.

Trying to make inroads into a monthly spend of about £250-£275 of monthly food-only spend - for one person!

Joined too late to fully participate in the June GC but having had a day off work through illness on Friday, I decided to get myself prepared for July.

Following the advice of many, drew up a spreadsheet with a stocktake for cupboards, fridge and freezer.

Downloaded several weekly meal plans - going to try one week at a time at first.

My aim initially is to spend £40 per week.

Here goes ....

[Deleted User]

Hi Chums almost the end of June and still under budget -just-.I have changed my shopping habits a bit and found that I have a little more cash to stash in the holiday money.I started going only once a week to the shops (fiscal fasting )and now I am stretching it out to almost two weeks and making do with alternatives from the store cuboard if I run short.Buying the bare necessaties from my shopping list and sticking to it also helps.Only two more pension days until our holidays so belt-tightening is on the cards.DD is also on target as well and we are all looking forward to our summer holidays.Its been quite an experiance over the past few weeks but actually quite good fun as we vie to see who can come up with a meal for the least amount thats both tasty and nutricious.Certainly stretched our powers of invention.Hope all of you are doing well and keeping a tight hold of your purses .I shall have a budget for July of £100.00 again and what i have left in my food purse at the moment will more than streeetch until next week-end.
Take care everyone
JackieO xx

jumblejack

Juicing nettles n dandelions (first attempt)

Soaking them to clean first:


The finished product (too strong for me as it is):



Mixed with cloudy lemonade:


Tastes lush. Will make my own lemonade next time I get some whoopsied!
My eldest said I ought to mix it with coke so that folk will think it's dandelion n burdock!

Have a fab n frugaltastic day, peeps.

Dinner today is beef curry and the rest of the crumble for afters.
I might make a loaf with the bread mixes as they need using up.
I'd like to use some more of those nasturtium leaves up on sandwiches for lunch.

:wave:

Mrs_Addicted_to_Spending

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.

How annoying :mad: sometimes you feel like you are (a) banging your head against a brick wall or (b) dealing with a child, or a mixture of both - at least I do anyway .

sneakyspender wrote: »

Reading not rding sorry phonemakes it difficult to change. I.am beging to wonder if 325 is too ambitious, we will see. That was £22 butcher (chicken jointed,rack of lamb,sausages and mince) £26 in Mr A (washing powder,fabric conditioner,coffee,ice cream, juice and toliet paper).£44 in L fruit,veg,cereal, cold meats and yogurts. Amazing how it adds up. This is for 2 adults and 2 children aged 38,36,8 &5.

Welcome to the challenge Sneakyspender. You could start off with £325 and just see how it goes. After a month you'll have a better idea if it's realistic.

Claireybell78 wrote: »

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!

Welcome to the challenge. Glad to hear your OH has work again - what relief!

Mrs_Addicted_to_Spending

Welcome to the challenge In It Not to Give It Away!

Jumblejack - can you have the dandelions out of my garden - we have loads?!!

Made a Victoria Sponge yesterday for the first time and it was lovely . I'm really getting into this baking lark - it's cheap and more tasty than shop bought and I enjoy doing it too!

PS - where is Florenceem - I haven't since any of her dinner pics for a while?

DebtFree2012

Morning all

Well today is day 1 of my June's wage challenge so this will be July's in MSE terms. I have a budget of £150 to last me until 25th July.

This includes nappies and wipes as well. We get our milk delivered as I support the local farmers however this is a different budget and costs me £10 a week (for info).

So for July's challenge I will spend no more than £150 on groceries. :j

Tonight will be my first shop - Aldi. I have already bought 2 hams and 9 large chicken breasts which cost me £21. I am going to use the meat in my freezer too so should be ok for main meal meat. The ham will provide sanrnie and salad meat. I may need to buy roasting chickens actually - however we shall see.

So now I am £129 left.

Thanks for everyone's posts - I love reading them.

xxx

XSpender

NSD yesterday.

Hungover DH fancied a takeaway last night so I made chicken curry, rice and chips for tea and he said it was much nicer than any takeaway:D i have the leftover curry for my lunch today.

I have forgotten to take the pastry I froze last week out this morning to make a chicken pie for tea so I may change the meal plan or better still I will make another batch and use half for the pie and make a quiche lorraine with the other half for my lunches this week.

My GF sponge cake ended up very flat and a bit overdone but still tastes nice so won't go to waste and I will try to make a chocolate one next time.

Suffolk Lass - thanks for the heads up about the maccy dees chips. I had checked previously on the Coeliac UK website and they are suitable for a GF diet.

Spoke to DMIL about the dogs this morning and she says they still think they are on their holidays and every time the door opens they think it's us come to take them home:( I am going to ring the local shelter this week as I think it will be too much for them to manage with their own dog.

Dipndo

I still have until Saturday for Junes challenge,hopefully will have a small spend this week as I have meat and stuff in the freezer.I keep thinking my total should be more than it is but its right,yippee.biggest difference has been not visiting SM everyday and ignoring all but what is on my list.
Chicken curry tonight.( made with left over from last nights roast chicken)

NickJW

Spend of £2.45 in Mr S today on some sugar and squash.

£1.50 in M+S on a couple of reduced lunch items yesterday

Having bolognaise for dinner tonight - using up the very last of the food in the fridge and freezer and holding off (finding it hard) to wait until next week for an online delivery!