Anyone got a nice spaghetti and meatballs recipe?

mummygems

Just thought I would mention this as its Easter soon and I for one needed to watch what I spend on eggs - Woolworths are selling the smaller type eggs (i.e. buttons, smarties, crunchie, high school musical etc) for £1.50. I have not seen any of the 3 for £5 deals so this is the next best thing for me as I have a fair few to buy.

Hope this helps someone else too.

carolt2

Afternoon all,
Called at MR T's last night.
Just bought what we needed
2x6 tinned cat food, 2x 4 pints of milk
(cravendale is on offer 2x 4 pints for £2).
Two tubs of clover and a bag of crisps. Total spend £10.78.
Signature updated.

I get paid tomorrow so we are in budget for this month.

We will probably stick to the budget of 200 for next month.

mummygems

Here is my menu plan for the month. Its not very exciting but my hubby is a fussy eater bless him and he likes basic foods. My 19 month old daughter eats more or less what we do although she eats whatever we have i.e. fish fingers, HM pizza, HM nuggets, pasta bake etc so I dont buy anything differently for her.

Week 1 (starting Monday 3 March)
Spag Bol
Mac Cheese & Mash/Fish Fingers & Mash with veg
Toad in Hole
Chicken nuggets, beans & chips/Chilli Con Carne (from freezer already made)
Shepherds Pie & Veg
HM Pizza & Garlic Bread
Roast Chicken & Trimmings

Week 2
Cold chicken & salad
Omlette/Pork Chop & Jacket with spaghetti
Chicken Korma & Rice
Spag Bol
Macaroni Cheese & Mash/Fish Fingers & Mash with veg
Pasta Bake
Sausage, Egg, Chips & Beans

Week 3
Shepherds Pie & Veg
Chicken Kiev, Jacket pot & Veg
Salad (i.e. mash, boiled egg, pasta, cheese, lettuce, cucumber, carrots, pickled onions and corned beef)
Chicken, Veg & Chips
Sausage Casserole, Mash & Veg
HM Pizza
Chicken Tikka Wraps & Salad

Week 4
Ravioli & Mash/Fish Fingers & Mash
Chicken Curry & Rice
Pie, Mash & Veg
Pasta Bake & Garlic Bread
Spag Bol
Sausage, Mash & Beans
Chicken Casserole, boiled pots & veg

Where there are two things for one day its usually because one of the meals is for husband and one is for me as we dont always eat the same thing.

I hope that by planning so far in advance we can stick to our budget this month and save a little bit more before this baby arrives in April. I will have to make sure I am just as organised for the April challenge/meal planning!

belfastgirl23

Ooops confession time for me. I needed to do a trip to Lidl and it took me over budget....I spent £33.53 but this did include 17 packs of oatcakes which even at our rate of eating them should last easily till end March. I also got enough tins toms, marge, butter, plain flour and olive oil to do till then. Plus fruit and veg for this week coming. My only real impulse buys were breakaways (66p) and several tins of prunes which were down from 59p to 39p!

Anyway ramble over, I'm at £153.17 now and will NOT go over £160...should add that weekdays are nearly always grocery NSDs for me since I'm not in shops

I think I do need to think about a mealplan for March. I'm actually away for a week and then there's Easter to consider too. I'm also a bit fed up with all my normal MS meals so might use easter to experiment a bit which would have knock on budget effect.

Anyway well done to all of you who are staying in budget and good luck for the last push.

Cruiksl

Well after a few days of nsd's, I drove down to Morpeth from Midlothian. On the way down, there's a good butchers in Wooller so stopped off and spent nearly £30 but got the best tasting steak pies, sausages, pork chops and beef olives. I reckon I got at least 14 meals for that though.

Did my fruit and veg shopping at Lidl today and still managing to get within budget. Have managed to put quite a bit of money aside for Toronto.

Thanks for the ideas for March - going to go and try and work out my budget and menu plans

cheerfulness4

carolt2 wrote: »

(cravendale is on offer 2x 4 pints for £2).
.

Thanks for the heads up on that. And I've got a 40 extra points voucher in my tescos clubcard statement if I buy cravendale.

earthmother

Here's my much delayed update

I've gone over - it wasn't altogether unexpected though as my budget this month was £100 less than my usual.

The plus side it that I have actually stuck to my menu plans and shopping lists, apart from two Tesco deliveries (one earlier this week, one due next week) - both of which use codes to cover the delivery charge, and are/were full of some really good multibuy stock-ups. It means that I have getting on for an almost 2 month supply of tins and packed lunches, and the freezers are fully stocked (about 3 weeks of full meals, with another 3, or more, weeks of meal parts).

For the rest of my month I should only need milk (Cravendale of course, lol), a couple of loaves, and fruit, so it shouldn't be too bad. Taking the bulk shopping into account, I should end this month somewhere in the region of £260 (my normal monthly budget) - not great, but not the end of the world either.


Total spend to date £187.40, original budget £160

purpleivy

belfastgirl23 wrote: »

Ooops confession time for me. I needed to do a trip to Lidl and it took me over budget....I spent £33.53 but this did include 17 packs of oatcakes which even at our rate of eating them should last easily till end March. I also got enough tins toms, marge, butter, plain flour and olive oil to do till then. Plus fruit and veg for this week coming. My only real impulse buys were breakaways (66p) and several tins of prunes which were down from 59p to 39p!

Anyway ramble over, I'm at £153.17 now and will NOT go over £160...should add that weekdays are nearly always grocery NSDs for me since I'm not in shops

I think I do need to think about a mealplan for March. I'm actually away for a week and then there's Easter to consider too. I'm also a bit fed up with all my normal MS meals so might use easter to experiment a bit which would have knock on budget effect.


Anyway well done to all of you who are staying in budget and good luck for the last push.

I'm away for Easter too, so I need to get the rest of the Ivies organised so they don't need to raid the shops! They're basically lazy, so won't go and get in stuff if I leave a meal plan...... I hope! I haven't done this since starting with grocery purse. Am reducing this months ££ accordingly as well, I'm away a week, ds away for a different week and dd is away four days, reducing pro rata, based on whether person is around for main meal or not.

egon

Hi,

I've spent another £11.30 today. I am now officially over budget. But, I am not too worried, as some of it will last me over the next few month to come. It eventually will hopefully level out.

I have feeling a bit down the last few days. Two kids under 3 can really exhaust you. I feel like, I haven't got a live anymore. Hubby is at least 2 weeks a month away because of work. So everything seem to rest on my shoulders. The house constantly seem to be a tip. I like it tidy (It doesn't has to be spanking clean, just tidy. But I don't even seem to be able to keep up with that!)

I still have to make a meal plan for march and do the Mr T delivery as well. But first I have to do a stock take.

I have some leftover Roast Beef. Can anyone tell me what to do with it? I don't really eat sandwiches, and the littles don't really like chewing beef....

Egon

MrsBartolozzi

Well,another NSD today so doing well, but need to do shop tomorrow for next week, and I will be underbudget!!
I am definately in for March £220 I think, as I will have really run the freezer down by then, but OH is away for 5 days so me and 2 boys will have cheaper meals that OH is doesn't eat - eg baked tatties/pasta bake. So that should keep the costs down a bit.
It's really been an eye-opener this month. I have come to hate spending money now, and have been accused of being a bit stingy when I come home with the shopping and there is only 1 pack of biscuits or treats lol . Still, keeping a right hold of the purse has meant that we have coped with several unexpected financial drains this month.
So a well done to those who managed to come in on budget, and hugs for those who didn't, but remember there is always next month!

MrsB.