January 2013 Grocery Challenge

positivelypurple

Yikes we've had a weekend of spending at the supermarket. I lost track slightly of how much we've spent so am going to round up to £100. This means we are slightly over budget considering it's 13th today. The fridge and cupboards are packed now so hopefully things will right themselves as the month goes on. Am I the only one who finds January so, so long?

My total is now £207/£370

Hope everyone is well and doing well in this challenge!

loveasale

No ! I think we all tend to find Jan a long month, for some they just can't wait for shorter Feb and then it's almost spring so that may have something to do with it?

I have noticed that the last few days a few of us on here have started to struggle a bit or spend a bit more , maybe is that 'hump' in the middle of the month that we are almost to the top and from then (wed ) the end of Jan will be in sight!

Well that's how I see it and that's what I keep telling myself to keep the motivation up! :rotfl:

Kitchenbunny

OK, here's the recipe for the chicken and bacon lasagne - it uses a white sauce base rather than a tomato one, although they could easily be switched. The chicken and bacon part turns out more like a pukka pie filling and is the same one I use for pies.

This was enough for 3 people (2 for us, 1 to freeze)

3 chicken thighs, chopped
1/2 packet of smoky streaky bacon rashers, chopped
5-6 biggish mushrooms, sliced
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tsp garlic, finely chopped
1/2 tsp mixed dried herbs
1 tbsp flour
1 pint milk

Fry off the onion in a little oil (or if using a non stick pan, cook the bacon first then fry the onion in the bacon fat). Add the bacon if not already cooked, chicken and tsp of chopped garlic and lightly fry til all sides are sealed. Add the mushrooms and herbs and wait for them to cook a little (2-3 minutes) Sprinkle over the flour and mix in - it'll look mushy and sticky, but it's just waiting for the milk. Add the milk in small amounts, stirring all the time until it looks like a nice sauce. Cook it for another 10 minutes to let the sauce reduce a little, then taste. Add some pepper if it needs it, or a little more garlic or herbs, then use to layer up between sheets of pasta.

I just baked it then when needed (made at 11 o'clock, baked at 6 o'clock) topped with a final layer of the chicken and bacon sauce, and covered with a little grated cheese (optional). Served with garlic bread.

It would also work well with cannelloni (I would buy Value pasta and boil it so you can just roll up the sheets into tubes rather than buy cannelloni especially) or on top of normal pasta, Bolognese style. As I said, it's also the filling I use when making a chicken and ham pie.

Hope that helps.

KB xx

loveasale

I'm gonna try that!
Bought some ready made cannoli ages ago and never used it so thanks for the idea!
:rotfl:

lushlifesaver

I'm finding that January feels like it's dragging this year - we can't possibly only be at the 13th?!

We have a tournament next weekend which is down south so some of the others have chipped in for me to sort food for them for breakfasts (2), lunches (2) and snacks - which is awesome as it means our food costs are covered in that so whilst away we will pay for our room and evening meals

However I'm feeling the pinch this week (our weeks run Sunday to Saturday), my carers allowance will help but I have a loan repayment that goes out tomorrow/overnight so that zaps my balance! Then week after that I should feel a bit better and will be closer to payday! Realistically we're fine as we have plenty in the cupboards and we're away Friday-Sunday but I always stress and panic!

Another small spend yesterday (£3.50) on milk and a couple of bits we needed and then bf's mum insisted we go to the local carvery with them which was lovely as we haven't really seen them since New Year and they did subsidise us but another £10 out of the kitty which isn't too bad but not ideal in my head!

Will add the £13.50 to my sig in just a sec.

Got an interview/informal meeting regarding a job on Wednesday so just wishing over that for them to love me and hire me - full time, immediate start. Not what I would wish for with being so involved in rugby with bf (I'm publicity officer etc as well as support staff) but hopefully after a few months they may let me go flexi/compressed hours. I will use my holidays for rugby/tournaments anyway

Ahh sorry I've rambled! Off to do another inventory and try to meal plan for the week

MissOrganised1972

DD1 was in a swimming gala last night which means leaving the house 4:30pm ish which always messes up having a proper dinner & then we end up in the pub with fellow swimming families, buying food! I planned ahead, or so I thought! Made healthy ' fry' up for brunch, thought we'd skip lunch & then had prepped a lasagne ready to stick in oven about 3pm for an early dinner! We weren't hungry enough that early for a cooked dinner & so ended up taking a packed lunch for us all. That was all well & good but come 9pm, in the pub & we were all peckish again! We restricted the food to a combo between us all!

Yesterday we sold our old bathroom for £30.99 on eBay!! We decided not to worry & last night's pub jaunt was covered by the bathroom sale. I have yesterday's lasagne still in the fridge ready to cook which saves today's planned dinner (braised beef & red cabbage) for another day! That's a meal in the 'bank'!

Grocerywise, yesterday was a NSD & hopefully, today is looking that way too! In fact, if everything goes to plan, I should be on NSDs until shopping day on Friday! :j

Enjoy your Sunday everyone

Helsbels8080

Good morning everyone

Yesterday was a NSD for me but may have to pop out later for pudding for Sunday lunch with the family.

Have been reading the threads and am stunned! I have been shopping at Mr Ts for years and have only just found out about the Price Promise :eek: I'm sure all you savvy shoppers are fully aware of it ..... how has it escaped me :question:. Don't get me wrong, I'm not surprised as I knew Mr As did it but I am now gutted I may have missed out on months of savings.

Luckily I keep my receipts as most of my shops are online and paid by CC (so I hold onto them until the bill comes in) so I have spent a few minutes this morning putting in the codes. Just have to wait and see if I get emailed any vouchers.

Anyway, hope you all have a great (and warm) Sunday and will let you know if I get any 'rewards'. Thank you again to this thread for opening my eyes :j

meg72

Helsbels8080 wrote: »

Good morning everyone

Yesterday was a NSD for me but may have to pop out later for pudding for Sunday lunch with the family.

Have been reading the threads and am stunned! I have been shopping at Mr Ts for years and have only just found out about the Price Promise :eek: I'm sure all you savvy shoppers are fully aware of it ..... how has it escaped me :question:. Don't get me wrong, I'm not surprised as I knew Mr As did it but I am now gutted I may have missed out on months of savings.

Luckily I keep my receipts as most of my shops are online and paid by CC (so I hold onto them until the bill comes in) so I have spent a few minutes this morning putting in the codes. Just have to wait and see if I get emailed any vouchers.

Anyway, hope you all have a great (and warm) Sunday and will let you know if I get any 'rewards'. Thank you again to this thread for opening my eyes :j

Fingers crossed for you, every little helps.

Nicky_Noo_Na

Well NSDs achieved on Tues, Wed, Thurs. £1 on reduced sandwiches on fri then weekly shop y'day totalled at 29.38 - pretty good going and a few stock up offers purchased too. We also bought a new duvet, pillows and bedding using xmas gift money as MrA had some brill offers on and I'm pretty sure my current duvet is at least 8 years old - not good! Nice and fresh set for the New Year

Oh and ASDA also had xmas cards, tinsel and paper down to 20p so grabbed a few but included in GC as no other budget!

Hoping to keep the purse locked away till next weekend now!

KatyReed+5

Havn't posted for a few days so quite a lot of spends to report.

FOOD - £47.08

This includes,
- 10 x loaves of bread.
- 6 x 2packs of bake at home baguettes.
- 8 x 2 litre semi-skimmed milk.
- 10kg of potatoes.
- 1.5ltr squash.
- 3 x 300g crackers.
- 2 x 125g breadsticks.
- 18 x satsumas.
- big tub of blueberries.
- 12 x bananana.
- big bunch of grapes.
- 12 x apples.
- 3 x big bags of reduced crisps.

HOUSEHOLD - £18.50.

6 x huggies wipes - £4.58, great offer buy 1 get 2 free so £2.29 for 3.

8 x 9 pack toilet rolls for £13.92.

EATING OUT - £33.99.

FUN - £35.90

Seeing them written down it's actually a lot more than i thought, !!!!!!. But i do have a freezer rammed, acually no room for anything else, i don't need to buy anything else at all untill i run out of fresh fruit.

X