June 2013 Grocery Challenge

Suffolk_lass

WantToBeSE wrote: »

Where do you all buy your fruit/veg/salad stuff?

I also must get back to meal planning! So going to whip up a plan today.

I buy seasonal veg and fruit that is on offer, so rather than plan for broccoli and carrots (eg) I buy "veg" from my list. I've got white cabbage at the moment so will make coleslaw with chilli, carrot and onion added (always got these)

I also grow some F&V. I currently have young spinach, beetroot and ruby chard which is fine (scissor 1-2 leaves from each plant) for salad with some onion stalks, cut and come again salad leaves and shop bought cucumber, tomatoes, peppers and celery (radishes and pak choi soon too). I make a dressing of lemon juice, oil and a few drops of balsamic vinegar. Sometimes I add a teaspoon of shop-bought french (sweet, not dijon) mustard instead of the balsamic. My rhubarb is fantastic and the strawberries and gooseberries are setting fruit, and raspberries, blackcurrants and redcurrants will follow. We forage berries from the hedgerows too and freeze or make jam.

I also buy own supermarket brand low fat greek-style yogurt (plain) and take for lunches in a plastic snap-top pot with a generous teaspoon of jam stirred in - just like fruit yogurts but my own fruit/jam.

My food plan now stays loose - so "stir-fry" might include whatever we have with a bit of meat from the freezer rather than specifying what goes in. Last week I bought the stuff as the bags of chopped veg and noodles were reduced and Waitflower then reduced the price again as part of the 3 for £3 offer. I haven't shopped this weekend as too busy but we will need milk and fruit tomorrow and a visit to Pets place for litter and dry food (no wet food once the flies are around).

I still buy organic milk, F/R eggs and some premium brands but we spend less than £300 against £700 the November before we started this.

Hope this helps and good luck everyone - well worth reading post 1 for best approach
SL

pinkypig

Have had a few NSDs this week but had to get catfood and teabags. Got the 27p tea bags and got rid of the box quick smart and nobody has moaned yet so that will save a bob or two in future!
£2.04 spent as I had a voucher.

Will be shopping again on Wednesday to use 2nd Mirror voucher. This should see us through to the end of the month with only very small top ups needed.

PP xx

mumto2monkeys_2

I'm going to try for 250 for next 4 weeks. Given that I've been overspending every month at the supermarket, it might be tough, but I need to get my act back together.

This week's spend is less than £60, and shouldn't need to top up much through the week.

I am vowing to stay out of supermarkets!!!

Billie-jo

LaLa - I but my potatoes by the sack full from local greengrocers £11.99 per 25 kg then split them between ourselves and daughter. They work out at about 48p per kilo where as Te$co are 78p
Fruit & veg I buy mostly from Morri$ons as our local A1di has poor veg, it only lasts a day or two at most. If can get to the market then get it there but this doesn't happen that often.

AngelatGraceland - Sorry to hear you are having a bad time. Keeping track of the grocery budget isn't really top of priorities when things like this happen. Hope you are ok though and coping.

NSD today and we had turkey, mashed potatoes, green beans, carrots, cabbage and the others had peas. Brought a large turkey leg cut into two pieces for £3.25 the other day and we had the larger one today, it has done three meals another for mum to take with her and enough left for two meals of something like turkey & chips. The smaller piece has been frozen but will probably do it in a stew with lots of veg at later date. Also made a lemon meringue pie which I then dropped :mad:managed to save some of it and it was lovely but hence no photo. Also made two malt type loaves which sliced into 20 and most is in freezer for later in week.

Florenceem

NSD here today.
I have spent more than I intended this week - I blame having no kitchen and workmen here.
Day 21 of no kitchen here - we are having cooked pizza - FF with jacket potato and either baked beans or mushy peas.
When my kitchen is finished - I intend to pack the food back in to the cupboards and write a food plan as I go. I want to use up what I have in stock and start afresh.
I also want to have leftover GC money - to spend on the house renovations.
I am longing to bake and cook properly again. I will need to get used to my new oven as well. :eek:

XSpender

Another spend today at wait rose as we happened to be passing on our way home from our day out. Bought beer for DH, potato flour and some drinks for DS. Also bought 8 bottles of GF lager for me which cost £15:eek: good job I only want one now and again on a hot day. Bought 8 as not everywhere stops them and these will last until end of July I should think. The potato flour is so I can start to do some savoury GF baking as GF bread is minging:(

Just remembered also bought some tinned soup that is GF that the new Mr T didn't seem to stock.

Came home and baked the 4 biggest spuds from the bag rather than buy special baking ones, 12 mini crust less quiche Lorraine and a Sunday lunch. Loads of chicken left on the joint for tomorrows enchiladas which may end up being Tuesdays as I need to go pick up a dress I ordered to,or row night and try and find some shoes that go with it for a wedding.

Planning on no more spending on food until Thursday/Friday when I do the weekly shop. The only thing we might run low on is milk as only have 2 pints of skimmed left and I take it to work for teas and cereal. Also planning on no food spends at work which is always a struggle when I get the 3pm sugar slump::o

hattifattener

angelatgraceland wrote: »

Hi All-I have been AWOL again due to yet more family tragedies. Lost MIL a few weeks ago and now Step-dad has had a serious stroke and has been in hospital for about 6 weeks so far. Nearing the end now poor soul. So-the long and the short of it is I have not been keeping track but fairly certain that I am about in budget as it is such an old established habit!
I am going to start keeping track again from this month(I hope) so my end of year will be estimated based on six months of the year.
We now have 2 cats-so another mouth to feed-our dear old cat also passed away a couple of months ago-it just goes on and on!
However-the sun is shining and all is well generally-apart from having 2 kids at home-one on JSL and one on nothing at all because he lost his job through doing something daft(not bad just daft).
I am still working so that is a blessing and we can manage ok. I have been busy keeping the house together-getting repairs done since hubby passed away last year and that has all been expense. So a few jobs done and a few to go but I did treat myself to a garage door opener (I've waited 18 years for it)after I had decluttered the garage and had a new roof on it! Anyway-back on topic-I need to prepare dinner and do a little shopping!

Thoughts are with you and your family - sometimes life just throws it all at you at once doesn't it?! Make sure you are concentrating on yourself too - sounds like you're being the rock in your family at the moment. No harm in looking after you too.

lovefullshelves

Oh dear I went to makro and spent £81.84 out of my budget! OOps!
Larlar you need to check out the roadside signs..I sell veg from my ickle farm at the gate. Alot of OS old ladies visit me! A big 25kg bag of spuds lasts along time(and no sell by date!) If you keep them cool and dark they last ages (Ours have just finished from last years crop)

SAVVYMUMMY_2

2 spends so far, 1 yesterday and 1 today, total spent £16.85p so far, but was very good and only brought what was needed. I shouldn`t need anything for tomorrow as there`s half a belly pork in the fridge to use for tomorrows dinner and we`ve got enough milk and bread to last as well.
Off to update siggy now:wave:

meg72

LarLar wrote: »

Not been shopping yet as i still have some stuff left over. I'm wondering where everyone gets their potatoe's from? the ones i get you only get four and they're ridiculously priced and don't have far away use before date not that it matters as they only do for one nights worth of dinners.

If you ony get 4 I think you ar buying the Baking pototo, horrendous price, I bought a 5kg bag in Co-op this week for 2.50and sorted out the biggest ones for baking.