July 2012 Grocery Challenge

happy_chick_3

£24.45 for me so far this month on an impulse dinner from the local deli last night and an organic veggie box delviered this morning. I know its a bit pricey but the quality is really great and I got brilliant things I would never normally buy - chives, wet garlic and a massive punnet of apricots. yum! Think this idea is really going to work for me!

Bit the bullet and finally went to Ikea yesterday (6 hour round trip!) but I do now have a large enough saucepan for batch cooking. A 5l saucepan cost £6.50. Not sure if this is usual but I thought it was a good deal. Also bought loads of other stuff that I have been putting off for a while but I've got to the point where I want my flat to start looking like mine, not a collection of hand me downs.

Heading to the pound shop and then sainburys for some value tomatoes so I can batch cook soups and sauces for the freezer today. Other than that I'm putting my feet up! Have a good day everyone!

Suffolk_lass

Possession wrote: »

A big meat order - £66.56 from our local butcher, but I did get a boned shoulder of lamb, 5 lb sausages, 5 lb minced beef, 20 chicken thighs, 24 1/4 pounders, 5 lb bacon. It will all be separated up and frozen and will last a while - longer than this month at least. In cases like this do people allocate some of the spend for another month?

In_it_not_to_giveitaway wrote: »

Possession - yes I've wondered about that too. In accounting terms this is called the matching principle, but on here everyone seems to talk in terms of cash paid.

I agree with you that a large order from a good butcher is worthwhile, exspecially in terms of quality. Would it be too time consuming to divide the items and cost them on freezing and including the cost of the used items in the GC spend? It would depend on whether the butcher itemized the cost.

Oh - where is the cheapest place to get re-useable freezer boxes in bulk (need about 30)?

Best regards to all,

Possession & In_it_not_to_giveitaway
I can see others have brought the second purse system to your attention for spreading the cost. I use it primarily if I pick up store cupboard items like laundry goo or water filters, jars and cans as I also like to have one spare of lots of things I use regularly. I have resorted to sticking a coloured freezer label on stuff I have allocated to my stores, with the price on it, so when I get it our, it reminds me to pay for it but I'm not 100% efficient (would we be here if we were?)

It comes down to what works for you and for me I have half a wire larder drawer empty at the moment because I realised I was paying the sm to store their stuff for them and had lost the stock-piling plot.

I think the important thing with bulk buys is portion-size freezing it. BTW In_it_not_to_giveitaway I find the old fashioned student bag-for-life in the freezer is great for keeping stuff together, and infinitely easier for playing freezer tetris when trying to insert just one more item :rotfl: - I also use flat plastic boxes lined with a plastic bag to freeze batch cooking or leftovers and once frozen I take the bag out of the box and just store the bag. I tie tags on strings to the knotted neck otherwise it is freezer lucky-dip as the sticky labels don't work on plastic bags.

I use my food processor to grate bendy veg, and dry with kitchen paper then freeze it in zip-lock plastic bags (loads of celery and carrots!) to add a lump to fridge sauces and bol, chillis, soups and stews.

If I buy bogof cheese (parmesan especially) I also grate this and freeze it (in an ice-cream box as you need to tap/bash it to separate it and plastic bags do split (it was carrots on Tuesday, but it was one big lump) - it's easier and quicker to use and you don't have to worry about the defrosted crumbly slimy texture.

I do the same with raw soft fruit (gooseberries, raspberries, rhubarb; not a fruit, I know)- apples, anything and also ready-made crumble or pastry dry mix - all in plastic bags in the freezer so a pudding can be mustered in the time it takes to cook plus about 30 seconds.

Reading back I realise my Suffolk siege preparations have merely moved to 21st century and my freezer should be renamed the tardis.

Some of these tips are things I've picked up on here over the last six months - and it took me two or three for the penny to really drop - when it does, you realise what you've been doing and either stop it or are conscious and keep an eye on it (me) - it depends on your financial circumstances.

Good luck everyone
SL

Aldahbra

JumbleJack - thanks I'm going to order that book from Amazon

Suffolk_lass wrote: »

Possession & In_it_not_to_giveitaway
I can see others have brought the second purse system to your attention for spreading the cost. I use it primarily if I pick up store cupboard items like laundry goo or water filters, jars and cans as I also like to have one spare of lots of things I use regularly. I have resorted to sticking a coloured freezer label on stuff I have allocated to my stores, with the price on it, so when I get it our, it reminds me to pay for it but I'm not 100% efficient (would we be here if we were?)

It comes down to what works for you and for me I have half a wire larder drawer empty at the moment because I realised I was paying the sm to store their stuff for them and had lost the stock-piling plot.

I think the important thing with bulk buys is portion-size freezing it. BTW In_it_not_to_giveitaway I find the old fashioned student bag-for-life in the freezer is great for keeping stuff together, and infinitely easier for playing freezer tetris when trying to insert just one more item :rotfl: - I also use flat plastic boxes lined with a plastic bag to freeze batch cooking or leftovers and once frozen I take the bag out of the box and just store the bag. I tie tags on strings to the knotted neck otherwise it is freezer lucky-dip as the sticky labels don't work on plastic bags.

I use my food processor to grate bendy veg, and dry with kitchen paper then freeze it in zip-lock plastic bags (loads of celery and carrots!) to add a lump to fridge sauces and bol, chillis, soups and stews.

If I buy bogof cheese (parmesan especially) I also grate this and freeze it (in an ice-cream box as you need to tap/bash it to separate it and plastic bags do split (it was carrots on Tuesday, but it was one big lump) - it's easier and quicker to use and you don't have to worry about the defrosted crumbly slimy texture.

I do the same with raw soft fruit (gooseberries, raspberries, rhubarb; not a fruit, I know)- apples, anything and also ready-made crumble or pastry dry mix - all in plastic bags in the freezer so a pudding can be mustered in the time it takes to cook plus about 30 seconds.

Reading back I realise my Suffolk siege preparations have merely moved to 21st century and my freezer should be renamed the tardis.

Some of these tips are things I've picked up on here over the last six months - and it took me two or three for the penny to really drop - when it does, you realise what you've been doing and either stop it or are conscious and keep an eye on it (me) - it depends on your financial circumstances.

Good luck everyone
SL

Excellent post thanks, really useful advice

sb88_2

July starts this weekend for us! Again, I am going to aim for £130

We also have just added a dog to the family, however her food will be paid for seperatley (£16 for a big bag of dog food) she is also underweight (we got her from the animal shelter, so buying offal to help feed her up)

I didn't do too badly last month, I did go over, so I'm going to really try and pull in the spending! New way of shopping : stop going shopping on sat/sunday, go during the week instead with mam and try and get as many reduced items as possible!

We usually shop in asda, however we did our shop in tescos last week and the meat tastes sooo much nicer!!

Good luck everyone

money_saving_hedgehog

I have joined these challenges before but always give up half way through, as was working found it difficult to keep up. I am now no longer working so as I now have the extra time and the now really need to cut down on spending as budget is really tight, I am determined to succeed this month, record everything and spend no less than £250. This is to cover two adults, three older children (plus one boyfriend, that we seem to have adopted) and a dog. It is to cover food, drinks, cleaning and toiletries. I am going to run my month from 1st July. Wish me luck.x

Possession

Thanks Suffolk Lass that's really useful. I have to admit I have looked quickly at the 2nd Purse thread and can't get my head round it at all. But I have allocated a portion of the spend to my August budget which more or less boils down to the same thing I guess. All the meat was portioned out and frozen the day it was delivered so I'm hoping this will work.

Suffolk_lass wrote: »

Possession & In_it_not_to_giveitaway
I can see others have brought the second purse system to your attention for spreading the cost. I use it primarily if I pick up store cupboard items like laundry goo or water filters, jars and cans as I also like to have one spare of lots of things I use regularly. I have resorted to sticking a coloured freezer label on stuff I have allocated to my stores, with the price on it, so when I get it our, it reminds me to pay for it but I'm not 100% efficient (would we be here if we were?)

It comes down to what works for you and for me I have half a wire larder drawer empty at the moment because I realised I was paying the sm to store their stuff for them and had lost the stock-piling plot.

I think the important thing with bulk buys is portion-size freezing it. BTW In_it_not_to_giveitaway I find the old fashioned student bag-for-life in the freezer is great for keeping stuff together, and infinitely easier for playing freezer tetris when trying to insert just one more item :rotfl: - I also use flat plastic boxes lined with a plastic bag to freeze batch cooking or leftovers and once frozen I take the bag out of the box and just store the bag. I tie tags on strings to the knotted neck otherwise it is freezer lucky-dip as the sticky labels don't work on plastic bags.

I use my food processor to grate bendy veg, and dry with kitchen paper then freeze it in zip-lock plastic bags (loads of celery and carrots!) to add a lump to fridge sauces and bol, chillis, soups and stews.

If I buy bogof cheese (parmesan especially) I also grate this and freeze it (in an ice-cream box as you need to tap/bash it to separate it and plastic bags do split (it was carrots on Tuesday, but it was one big lump) - it's easier and quicker to use and you don't have to worry about the defrosted crumbly slimy texture.

I do the same with raw soft fruit (gooseberries, raspberries, rhubarb; not a fruit, I know)- apples, anything and also ready-made crumble or pastry dry mix - all in plastic bags in the freezer so a pudding can be mustered in the time it takes to cook plus about 30 seconds.

Reading back I realise my Suffolk siege preparations have merely moved to 21st century and my freezer should be renamed the tardis.

Some of these tips are things I've picked up on here over the last six months - and it took me two or three for the penny to really drop - when it does, you realise what you've been doing and either stop it or are conscious and keep an eye on it (me) - it depends on your financial circumstances.

Good luck everyone
SL

XSpender

I am so glad I wasn't at work yesterday as I would not have got home for hours due to the flooding. One end of the estate is 4 foot deep in water and is still closed off and there are abandoned cars everywhere. A lot of the shops, including Mr S, have been flooded and are still closed or have opened late and are still cleaning up.

I have ventured out to do the weekly shop as DH was paid today. Spent:

Asda - £17.30
Aldi - £49.95
Sains - £9.99
M&S - £12.47
Hobbycraft - £2.59 (dressmaking pins to take some curtains up)

Total spent is £92.30 which is a lot better than my recent efforts and includes a big FR chicken and enough cheese and nappies for the month as well as tea bags and some cleaning items that will last a few months. Oh I also got 4 lagers and 2 bottles of wine.

Stag chilli and Branst0n beans are on offer for a £1 in Mr As. DH loves this chilli so I got a couple of tins for when I have my lentil/bean chilli which is already in the freezer.

I did treat myself to some GF maple cereal which is expensive but I had wanted to try for a while.....Oh my it's gorgeous. I will have to ration it or it will be gone by Monday. I love maple syrup.

Still off work today so I am planning to make some GF double choc chip cookies and some GF cheese and olive scones. I am also going to attempt to list the contents of the freezer and cupboards as they are chocca block.

I was pleased to see that my ALD1 has started selling 4 pinters of skimmed milk as this will save me having to go to another sm to buy milk and then end up spending more on other stuff.

1/2 gammon steak with saute pots, peas and pineapple for my tea tonight and something sausage/burger/omlettey for DH who is travelling home tonight and will be very late in.

katiegirl

Well I am two days in and yet to spend any money.

However its an inset day and the sky is looking very dark so me and dd are going to stay in and make cake pops this afternoon! Need a basic sponge cake for that and we also need milk so going to pop to Aldi after lunch. Will meal plan for the next week and get what we need when we're there.

ETA
I sold my first item on ebay this morning, so I now have (or will when the buyer pays) £1.20 toward a £30 Approved Food shop!

Aldahbra

I was thinking about asking for a new breadmaker for my birthday as the one I have I got of freecycle a few years ago and have never really liked the bread, it is a really old panasonic one. I used to have a breville one and loved the bread that made.

Do you need a special glutin free program to make decent glutin free bread or will any old breadmaker do it?

Can anyone recommend a budget priced one which makes nice bread?

wannabe_sybil

I hope I will be able to stick to this.

My grocery budget this month is £200 and I really need to start working on this.

This includes all cleaning materials (have stock pile) loo rolls, food etc. It is for three adults and one child. I am prepared for it to be revised upwards next month.

My tactic is this. On one day per week I get an all day bus ticket for ds related stuff, so that is the day I will be doing all my errands. I will not be in the house much lol. I have found a Morrisons within reasonable travelling distance on one bus - this makes things a lot easier for me and as there is no cafe then there is no temptation to overspend on a snack. I can also only buy what I can carry on the bus.

I have ordered £200 of Morrisons vouchers from MyFamilyClub, and including paying for special delivery that cost me £195, so I saved a fiver there. Some of that is for petrol for OH's car. The rest of the vouchers are what I will be spending in the supermarket. Bread and milk are from local shops. I can also walk to a Makro and have a card and a shopping trolley,

This target is a really generous one as I have a lot in the cupboards which I need to run down, I have a lot in the freezer, which I need to run down as it needs defrosting, and my father buys us a takeaway every week. I just need to stick to it.

As the school holidays are starting at the end of the month I will be running a separate 'treat' budget of £20 per week, stuff like icecreams. Staying home a lot is not really an option.

The challenge for me starts 1 July.