January 2013 Grocery Challenge

Lolkat

There is always a scales. Somewhere in the veg section. I discovered it at the local T@sco a few weeks ago by almost bashing my head on it.

It annoys me when some of the produce is priced per packet, some per item and some by weight. It means to really check it out, you need to weigh it all and have a calculator handy.

frankerooney

I've placed my last online order with Mr T for this month, to be delivered on Thursday. After that, we will only have a few pounds left for top-ups which could be a problem if DH comes with me to L!dl at the weekend. I told him we mustn't blow the budget and he sneered at the idea. Then I told him the budget for the month is 350 pounds and he was shocked that we spend so much in the supermarkets. Hopefully he will now be more supportive of my efforts to cut our spending. We have to, because my Maternity Allowance stops at the end of March :eek:.

jumblejack

A no spend day grocery wise but I have bought a sewing kit from Lidl for £3.99 for machines and a second hand singer sewing machine for £40.

It'll help me to get crafty!!!

Yay! Now I can start altering clothes and making things. Whoop whoop!!!

Solstice_3

Last spend of the January GC for me, my new one starts on Thursday and I shopped at work tonight so I don't have to go out tomorrow - it snowed again. Spent £9.88 on milk, lunch stuff and a few items needed for the next few meals. I was over my total budget but it was my first month so I'm ok with it, plus I under budgeted by mistake lol. See you over on February!

lottie3000

Does anyone know if the Aldi vouchers are in Daily Mirror this Thursday or next? I know it's normally the last Thursday but wondered if they might do it this week as it is the last day of the month next Thursday.

tessie_bear

hi i have been bargain baking as follows
225 g flour about 12p
50g stork 20p
50g trex 20p
half a jar mincemeat 5p

total 57p made 15 so less than 4p a pie (add in gas as well)
and they look as good as the ones tesco was selling 4 for a quid before christmas also made flapjacks

butter £1
oats 1lb 25p
brown sugar 8oz 25p (from big costco bag)
2 tablespoons golden syrup 15p

total £1.65 made 16 so just over 10p a time

i havent taste tested them yet shall do a bit of that later...i have a hm chilli for tea with rice and veg

take care and good luck with the snow bomb....im quite keen to see that
take care tessa

XSpender

I made the Chicken, chorizo and butter bean stew from the recipe index but in the slow cooker for tea last night and it was lovely. We had it with value rice. I used frozen chicken breast fillets which I have never used before and they were great so I will be definatley be buying these again. They were the discount brand ones from Mr T. DH liked it so much he has taken the other half for his dinner today.

Tonight DH will be fending for himself as I am away overnight but I got a tinned pie for a £1 which he loves so no doubt he will have that. It remains to be seen if he bothers to do some chips to have with it and I know he wont be bothered to do veg.;)

I am late back Thursday so will get DH to put some jackets in or sausage and chips for a quick and easy late tea.:)

I will not be spending anything on groceries until Friday when DH will no doubt want a bottle of wine and I will get a pack of pepperoni to top the HM pizzas we will be having for tea. I did have a pack of pepperoni and a pack of salami but DH scoffed the pepperoni so I froze the salami to stop him scoffing that too:eek:

I am hoping to keep the weekend shopping list to a minimum by sticking to the meal plan. I would have liked to go to the greengrocers for fruit but I am at work and then the hairdressers on Saturday so will try it out next week instead.

I also need to list the contents of my cupboard and freezer to help with meal planning especially since I bought 4 cans of tuna on offer in Mr T only to find I already had 4 and only DH eats it:o

xx_Jo_xx

Billie-jo wrote: »

The chicken and mushroom lasagne was a hit so will be doing that again at some point.

Hi, would you mind sharing the recipe please? I had a scroll back through the thread but couldnt see it anywhere... sounds yummy

Total to date: £133.00

Ald! super 6 spend - £3.25
A$da shop £12.28

Left to spend... £1.47! :eek:

I did by some YS bread, pancakes and rolls for freezer, fruit and Oxos but some things I didnt strictly need

I had a day off on monday and I made bolognaise, chilli and a yummy pot of lentil and bacon soup.

Teas are sorted for Me DS and DAD for most of the week, another lot of batch cooking today and there should be enough meals made to do till next week! I will post up my meal plan for the rest of the month in a bit

Billie-jo

xx_Jo_xx wrote: »

Hi, would you mind sharing the recipe please? I had a scroll back through the thread but couldnt see it anywhere... sounds yummy

Didn't use a recipe made it up as I went along using what had got. My original idea was to use a tin of condensed mushroom soup with the chicken etc but when looked it was celery soup so instead decided to make a cheese sauce. Maybe the celery would have worked as well may try it one day.

some chicken cut into pieces
1 onion sliced
Mushrooms (think I used about 8)
2 spring onions (only used cause they needed using else wouldnt bother)
Lasagne sheets
HM cheese sauce plus some grated cheese for topping.

Browned the chicken in a frying pan then then put to one side for a bit while fried the onion, mushroom and spring onion then added the chicken back and cooked till almost done.
Layered the lasagne sheets, chicken mix and sauce ending with a layer of sauce then sprinkled the remaining grated cheese on top. Finished it off in the oven.

I would have added broccoli florets if there had been any and we had run out of garlic as well.

Coxy11

Hi everyone,

Just back from T's. Got broccoli, savoy cabbage, sprouts, milk and spaghetti. Total of £4.10.

Sailing very close to the wind this month. I have reduced the budget by £25 and January included a NYE party we hosted, plus a dinner party for 6 on 5th January. If (when) I don't make it on/under budget, I will know why

I will be posting on here until 31st January as I run my budget calendar monthly. If you want to post a budget for February, please do so, otherwise do so on February's thread.

rellaella - I will add you to February's thread, hope that's okay?

Coxy