Anyone got a nice spaghetti and meatballs recipe?

carolt2

Hi I would like to do challenge again this month. Am trying for budget of £200 again and hoping to stick to it this time and hopefully coming under budget. Cupboards are full and I am going to try and just go to the supermarket once a week. I get paid 4 weekly so my budget started on friday 25th and will last until 22nd of feb.

lainz

Put me down for £40 this month - I'm the same as Casper - stuffed cupboards, freezer and fridge, just fruit and veg to buy (for me) & food for the cat to turn her nose up at!

Little_Chicken

I'm up for it but with a slightly different goal to everyone else. My nearest supermarket is Waitrose :eek: - lovely yummy food but pricey. So for February I will be going to alternatives. This is guaranteed to save me wonga! :T

nopot2pin

Hello All....
Im in again this month:D

I am going to try and reduce my budget this month.
So I hope to keep to £100 for 4 weeks starting on 29 Jan.

Good Luck every one

oldMcDonald

ness_w wrote: »

Old McDonald, I would be really interested to see what your weekly shopping/meal list looks like, as your family is so similar to mine but you are doing it on so much less!

Ness.

Hi Ness

I think you are doing really well aiming for £400, considering you were spending £200 a week a little while back

For a start, you have a bigger expense that I dont have in the form of nappies. As I said on your thread, when ours were in nappies we used washables which saved huge amounts, but you said your DH isn't too keen on this
(We have 1 child in nappies, but this isn't in our budget as he is 7 and disabled so we get them free)

Our next biggest saveing is in cleaning products. I no longer buy 'box' laundry powder, I grate 4 bars of (ASDA) Smart Price soap (19p)and use a little of this in each wash with some washing soda if items are very dirty or borax if items are white, the soap lasts for around 2 months - vinegar for fabric conditioner. Bicarb and vinegar are all we use for cleaning the house.

We are veggies and go through a lot of fruit and veg a week, the bulk of which is delivered to us buy www.gsfruits.co.uk, we get a huge amount for £19. In the summer we don't get this box but grow most of our own on an allotment, supplementing both summer and winter with items bought for silly prices from the market as the stalls are shutting. We also forage loads and eat, freeze an turn into wine or jam anything in season. This also saves us quite a bit

We get through quite a bit of milk, I buy UHT (we are used to the taste, but I know some people just don't like it!) If you buy UHT in bulk packages (10's or 12's) it saves loads.

I also never buy branded, always value / smart price first, own brand if there is no cheaper alternative.

All our food is made from scratch. I make our own bread (with free yeast from ASDA), yogurt, wine, jam, cakes, cookies etc. We have one soup meal at the end of the week to use up any veggies left over and throughout the week I add any veg offcuts / excess cooked veg to a pot in the freezer - this provides us with a 'free' meal! Three times a year we do a bulk purchase of pulses from SUMA and for convenience I try to keep a selection cooked and frozen so I don't have a panic when we need protien in a meal and I forgot to soak the beans.

It is hard work and the way we live isn't for everyone. We home ed, so I have time to work the allotment, the kids take what they are working on with us and they sit on a patch of grass working whilst I dig (when they are older they are so helping me dig!), they also love to help with the planting. When we go foraging the kids love it, they are really excited about eating free, as nature intended food and again, as we home ed we have time for long walks foraging. We are lucky to have kids that are rather laid back, not all kids would go along with this!!

the_cat

Well I've no idea how, but in the shortest month of the year I have a 5 week month! (due to payday I suppose):rolleyes:

So will set budget at £250 to compensate for this - for 2 adults and 2 teenagers (well more adults really, they both eat more than me or OH!!)

curly_cabbage

Well my january challenge donsn't end until Thursday, but, so far only 47p over my £80 buget and i don't intend on spending anything between now and Thursday. februarys challenge will need to be slightly higher than £80, as last month i used alot of the old store cupboard stuff. So put me down for £120. Good luck everybody.:beer:

loumac

Hi all,

Count me in again. We were just over on Jan's plan so I'm going to stick to that budget as it's a long month and see how we do.

Lil_me put me down for £150. Thanks!

Good luck all with your personal challenges. :T

sparklewing

Well last month I aimed for £250 for 3 weeks on food, cat stuf, cleaning and toiletries and spent £258 :rolleyes: not so good, but was my first month so the only way is up.

This month I'm starting today until the end of February so 5 weeks and aiming for £350 for everything for 2 adults and a cat.

Got an Asda shop today for £79.31
Went to the butcher- £29
Ordered a load of cat stuff- £59.50(enough dried food for at least 6 months and enough cat litter and wet food for a month or so)

Our freezer is full to bursting and there should be loads left at end of month.

So, so far have spent £167.81:eek: and should hopefully only need bread. fruit and veg throughout the month.

craftycrofty

So will set budget at £250 to compensate for this - for 2 adults and 2 teenagers (well more adults really, they both eat more than me or OH!!)[/quote]

I am up to £252.34 for January against a budget of £250. Slightly over. Thats for 2 adults DD 12, DS 10 & 2 rabbits!

It should be possible to do it for £250.00 - others are doing it for £250.00!!

So I am keeping the same target for February. I'm a little concerned that £250 will not be enough as I have used up lots of Xmas bits during January, but I'm gonna give it a go!


Lil-me Budget of £250 for me please!

Thanks & good luck everyone!

CC