April 2013 Grocery Challenge

Bluegreen143

lbnblbnb - aawwww thank you! Making me blush!

Glad you're having a fab time at your mums getting spoilt

K9sandFelines

Florenceem wrote: »

Spend of £6.24 today.
Want to pop into Al.. tomorrow - may get one of the pink mixing bowls.
For dinner we had pizza with HM wedges and stir fry cabbage/onions and garlic. First time I have cooked cabbage this way - it was yummy.

If you do buy one, can you let me know if they are quite big please as they look it!?

MrsCautious

On the subject of kitchen paper, I haven't bought any since starting this challenge, I have a list of things I randomly decided were no longer necessary and this was one of them. I just might have used a (cough) tiny bit of loo roll (the cheap stuff seems less fluffy and more papery iyswim) in its place now and again.

NSD for me yesterday, coming to you from a lovely warm (centrally heated )caravan. My mum is looking after us and her shopping bill last week was the same as mine for last month! She has stocked up to feed us and won't hear of me contributing, I'm able to take her out to some of her favourite places to walk and have bought her a DVD, but will be thinking of other ways to pay her back. I'm doing my best now to relax, I have been so very anxious, I am trying to accept that grief isn't a straight and narrow journey, memories of my wonderful husband are everywhere but at least here they are happy memories and not the vile trauma my mind has been taking me back to so very much in recent weeks and months. Thanks for letting me ramble a little xx

meg72

Florenceem wrote: »

Spend of £6.24 today.
Want to pop into Al.. tomorrow - may get one of the pink mixing bowls.
For dinner we had pizza with HM wedges and stir fry cabbage/onions and garlic. First time I have cooked cabbage this way - it was yummy.

I love stirfried cabbage and sometimes add carrot too.

meg72

pinkypig wrote: »

Hi Meg. I use the paper for draining excess fat off things sausages and bacon and to cover things in the microwave. I agree with you washable and reusable are much better for cleaning:)

Thanks I can see how useful paper would be for that, I use a George forman healthy grill so dont drain anymore off. Though probably should as trying to loose some weight.

MrsCautious

Along with kitchen paper, some of the other things I have chucked off my shopping list with no mercy to keep costs down are air freshener, any newspapers or magazines and all fizzy drinks/ready prepared potato products or oven chips. I'm also using up an eclectic collection of bath, shower, shampoo and body lotion concoctions stored from years of being bought presents before parting with any cash for those. I'm sure there are various other things I've simply stopped buying. I know this isn't rocket science for many wise people here but it has been a very beneficial step for me, I think - especially where I now make my own instead such as pasta or roux based sauces.

Welsh_Poppy

Florenceen

I fancy one of the bowls I but wanted to know how big I have a collection of M&C bowls and love them.
7 NSD on the trot using up what we have although we are out of eggs and bread and 2 things we cant live without.

Dinner today will be roast potatoes,swede and carrots sausage and gravy.
I spent most of yesterday mashing a sack of potatoes for freezer as well as 2 tray wedges.

Eyebright

MrsCautious wrote: »

Along with kitchen paper, some of the other things I have chucked off my shopping list with no mercy to keep costs down are air freshener, any newspapers or magazines and all fizzy drinks/ready prepared potato products or oven chips. I'm also using up an eclectic collection of bath, shower, shampoo and body lotion concoctions stored from years of being bought presents before parting with any cash for those. I'm sure there are various other things I've simply stopped buying. I know this isn't rocket science for many wise people here but it has been a very beneficial step for me, I think - especially where I now make my own instead such as pasta or roux based sauces.

Although my OH would never allow me to chuck kitchen roll off the list (he is the only one who really uses it, I also only use it occasionally to absorb fat off food), I have also come to the conclusion that I can do without magazines (I only ever used to buy food mags anyway and the internet has so many recipes available for FREE), I now make all of my own sauces, and my own chips. I've also got a carrier bag full of lotions and potions from crimbo's past that I am going to use up before I start buying stuff.
It's only recently that I have realised these simple first steps to being more frugal and cutting down on the grocery bill, so maybe it isn't as obvious as you think! :rotfl:

Kitchenbunny

Morning, have had a couple more NSDs and it looks likely we'll not spend anything today. I've got to work out our mealplan for the week as yesterday was busy helping SiL move house. Right, I'm off to scour the index at the beginning of this thread for meal ideas for the coming week. Have a lovely Sunday everyone.

KB xx

medsdemon

I'm a bit late as I'm only just home from hols. Could you add me for £350 please for April. I spent £15.30 at Sainsers yesterday on our return on milk, fruit, teabags etc but trying to use up what's in cupboard and be frugal as I have carpets and housey stuff to save up for and we're trying to cut down and be healthy so we'll see how it goes. Planning a NSD today.

Mealplan:
Today:Something with the duck I'm thawing from freezer
I will also make a mushroom risotto, a veggie chilli, lentil soup, something with leftover duck bits (stirfry?? in sweet chilli sauce) and my challenge is to replicate a warm quinoa salad I had on my hols which was delish. Will need to buy milk, cheap fizzy water, veggies and fruit, green tea and shampoo/conditioner this week. Might make an apple and blackberry crumble for pud tonight too as have blackberries in freezer and 2 apples to use up and since OH is marathon training he eats sooo much.