January 2013 Grocery Challenge

lbnblbnb

Meal plan:
Potato & chickpea curry and swede spiced cakes
Quesadillas: spicy for us, plainer for the kids
Paella
Pizzas
Pasta, prawns, peas
Pasta bake with bits of veg
Risotto with whatever veg there is - add salmon for OH and kids

Lunches - we have bread and wraps plus pasties in freezer.
Breakfasts - bakes oatmeal/ weetabix/ cornflakes/ porridge
NO FOOD SHOPPING apart from milk til next Saturday at least.
Need to leave my purse at home! I might stash my diesel money in my car then that is that. Or an emergency/milk £2?

Solstice_3

Popped out to Asda this morning - it was busy! Spent 12.19 with my 21p off lol

Will update siggy then it's time for tea

jem1980

Mmmm, am very inspired to put soups and risottos into next week's meal plan after reading the last few pages!

Went to Mr A today, where I haven't been for ages but the weather was pretty bad and we had gone to the cinema which is right next to one. Usually an Ald* gal, I normally hyperventilate in the big 4, but Mr A seemed slightly less extortionate that Mr T to me (all personal opinion, I know).

Spent £36.54, which was higher than intended but included whoopsied Young's fish for £2.64 instead of £6 (v. exciting as we have 3 littlies and this pack size means we all get 1 each - normally everything comes in 4s...), also a big whole chicken (planning to read the rubber chicken info and roast it tomorrow, followed by whatever rubbering involves...), 2 pot noodles (50p each, "I'm not even sorry!!!" - v. rare guilty pleasure :-), 4x 4-pints milk, frozen chips, fruit, veg, 3x cereals, ice cream, eggs and lots of other stuff.

Was originally traumatised as the carrots on offer for 50p were such a small pack! (about 4 carrots a pack) ...but then found the SP ones 2kg for 92p, much better.

Did find that I bought a lot less fruit and veg that I do at Ald*, due to higher prices. Will make up for that next week, and use lots of frozen / tinned / dried instead this week.

Updated sig, and really have to work hard at meal planning if I'm going to come in on budget on the 31st, but as it's first month at least I'm learning about my mistakes!

Hope everyone is not too affected by the awful weather!

mossy

Hello peeps, hope you've managed to enjoy the snow a little this week.

I've started next months budget and have spent £78.41 so far!! Although that does include a DR order for 8 packs of steak mince (no horse included!!) and 4 packs of chipolatas!

I've started making a list of what food I bought that was unnecessary so that I can add it up at the end of the month, after yesterday's snow crazy Waitrose visit which included as much yummy things as we could carry back on the sledge I think I'm going to be pretty shocked!! :eek:

Also keeping a record of how much grocery challenge money I put in the sealed pot so that I can get a true figure of what I actually spent.

princess84

wow this post sure moves fast....Just checking in with a small grocery shop of £9.06. Struggling this month but luckily my MIL gave us loads of stuff from her overflowing freezer so through meal planning that has meant i have been able to miss a 'big' shop this week, only getting fresh things. Sold more things on eB*y so holiday saving pot filling up nicely....

mossy

wuvvies wrote: »

am desperatly trying to get an emergency fund together. at the moment i have 12 pounds in my emergency fund so hoping for v v small emergency

That made me chuckle! :rotfl:

freyasmum

Mrs_T_M wrote: »

By any chance have you checked the temperature in your fridge lately? If it's too warm, even by only a few degrees, it will cause milk to spoil extremely fast. Also, do not keep milk in the door! That's the warmest part of the fridge and the absolute worst place to keep milk, unless you go through....

Apologies if this message comes out a bit garbled - I'm writing it (literally) on my phone - It doesn't always pick up my writing :rotfl:

Thank you for your post, but the fridge is definately not toowarm - if anything, its far too cold-my cream froze!: o

Re eating out yesterday, I had creamy garlic mushrooms, which were delicious, and chicken wrapped in bacon and cheese with lots of veg. It cost £7.95 which, while not strictly in this budget, I am including it.

l also spent just over £4 in Lidl on frozen sprouts (for my daughter) and courgettes, flat mushrooms and spinach for breakfast.

Will update with the exact figures When I get home later

XSpender

Went to Mr T on the way back from taking DS to a party as DH wanted some crisps for tonight. I did get some items that were half price ant that we would normally buy like branst0n beans, a tinned pie, tinned soup and some things I couldn't get yesterday like pizza cheese for homemade pizza and GF teackakes and a couple of things I forgot like value w.up liquid, cereal and bin liners. I spent £28.84 and am still well under my budget for the month so far. We don' need anything at all until next weekend.

The store i went to is an extra one and was really quiet, the snow isn't that bad up here.

My meal plan for the week is based around my slow cooker which I do to use enough.

S - sausage and leek casserole (sc)
M - chicken and chorizo casserole (sc)
T - chilli and wedges (not slow cooker)
W - I am away over night so will leave something easy for him or defrost some salmon
Th - back late so jackets with cheese and beans
F - chicken with a cheese and leek sauce (from freezer)
S- pork loins in a BBQ sauce with wedges and corn on cob (sc)
S - chicken casserole

All meals are likely to get jiggled about but I have everything in for all of them.

lushlifesaver

No spend day today! finally

This weeks list is below - shouldn't need anything else as will use the bread, cheese and ham which was bought for the team at the tournament (which coincidinkally we are trying to claim some of the cost for back! might be wishful thinking).

Costings should be:
milk £1 Iceland
Aerosol cream £1 Iceland
Mixed veg £1 Iceland
Cauliflower £1 Iceland
sweetcorn 35p Co-Op
Porridge oats 2 x 75p Co-Op (will take one to parents for my breakfasts when there)
Bacon ?? can you get some cheap in lidl??
Tin minestrone soup - probably Iceland

Could do with some Options hot choc but will save up for that for a week or two (or buy after pay day) as it's £4 a tub pretty much :eek: small blessing that a tub lasts quite a long time as i keep half here and half at my parents

Roll on pay day (oh and possibly having a 'proper job')!

Rough meal plan (some not day specific)
Monday: spag bol - makes 3 servings (1 for freezer)
Tuesday: Cottage pie
Wednesday: spag bol for me, chippie tea for bf (£3)
Thursday: Savoury mince
Friday: chicken, rice and veg sauce
Saturday: Pizza
Sunday: Chicken dinner

Breakfasts: porridge/cereal/mini waffles
Lunches: pasta/ham sandwiches and fruit

katholicos

Not really eating a proper meal today, just bits and pieces, not feeling hungry that's all.

I have taken a chickpea curry out of freezer that we will have tomorrow with some rice.

I have put two large cans of pineapple chunks in the dehydrator and they will provide some healthyish and tasty snacks once dehydrated.