Eating out of the freezer and cupboards challenge - part two

Older_But_Not_Wiser

Hi all,

Sorry I've been a bit rubbish at posting, life seems to get in the way sometimes. Still living on salads and ready meals while the house repairs are being finished but at least it means no wasted food. Starting to build up a supply of Christmas bits now to lessen the cost in December and lovely friends will make chutneys etc for me so all looking good. Could murder a home-cooked roast dinner now though

Viberduo

I am intending to do this now, been eating cheap take away too much(When its £2 for pizza chips and can of soft drink I was eating that) and going to supermarket around 6.30 getting 5p cakes, bread, soups, and also have about 5 packs of mince in there, some fish, about 10 packs of crumpets, 5 packs of wraps, pack of frozen chips, peas, etc.

Its a large freezer and full to bursting at minute so I need to eat some food, have been doing so since the weekend apart from pizza on Tuesday as trying to save cash as overspent last week so havent spent a penny since Saturday(apart from the pizza) so with my daily budget I just need to do it for 3 more days to be back in my budget and a few more days to pay for getting a aerial installed by local workmen

ms_night_ryder

Hey Older!

I did actually write a whole reply to you the same day you posted, but there was some kind of error when i tried to post, lost everything i written and was too annoyed to write it again! lol

Hope your well, this thread has gone a bit quiet, but i'm betting that in the run up to christmas which we basically are now in lol, it will get busier.

Great that youve started a christmas stash, i will be starting in the next 2 weeks as well, as soon as i get paid.

Ive run out of meat from the freezer now, so will need to restock.

Ive decided that i will start doing a quarterly online shop to get the cupboard stocked up and the heavy stuff out of the way, busy writing a list, should take about a week.

If anybody likes tuna, i did see some tins in the 99p store of john west no drain tuna in sun flower oil, thought that was a good deal tbh.

Older_But_Not_Wiser

Hi all,

I'm so jealous of your well-stocked freezers everyone! Was thinking of asking a friend/neighbour if I could store a duck or goose in her freezer as the price of them shoots up at Christmas, would be much more MSE to buy one now and freeze it. I've pondered yet again whether I can find space to fit a little freezer somewhere in my tiny house, but it just isn't possible without a lot of mess and hassle so I'll just have to make do.

MsNR, was wondering where you'd got to, you doing OK? Quarterly shop sounds like a good idea to me although I'm taking a leaf out of your book and budgeting now for a big Waitflower shop close to Christmas and buying other bits and bobs with my normal shop. Got a fab advent calendar from the Poundshop yesterday. Was going to donate it to niece & nephew but decided to keep it for myself in the end (am SUCH a kid about Christmas!). And thanks for tuna tip, as you know I love a tin of tuna

I've been scouring A Girl Called Jack's book this afternoon as I'm planning to shop and cook on a v strict budget for a while while I get my Christmas stash properly sorted. I liked her pasta & salmon paste, and the peach & chickpea curry, so will try some more recipes to see what else is good. Everyone says her bean burgers are worth a go but I have to say they don't sound terribly appealing to me.

Kirri, are you doing OK? Hope the horrible job is either over or getting better for you.

ms_night_ryder

Kirri where are you? Waitrose mag has a sample of loose leaf tea stuck to a page.

Hi older.

Not been eating out the freezers, they are a bit sparse.

Kirri

Hey MNR, I've not been near a Waitrose yet, hopefully this week, I can't miss a sample!

Older, I'm now skint again, but happier than when I was in that horrible job!!

Thanks Edwardia, I've been sleeping a lot since but bit better now!

Never seen this thread so quiet, what's everyone been up to??!! Or is everyone out of excess food?


I've been away trying to catch up on things, I'm back cooking now and been busy using up my plot produce as it's the end of the main growing season, I've got so much veg here!! Last night I had borlotti beans, rocket & garlic with a bought pasta sauce. Tonight I did roasted yellow beetroot and potato wedges with a bought nut cutlet and vegan mayo. Started supplementing my veg with a weekly bought fruit box too, to try and cut down my choc consumption.. and got a salad box this week to try and improve my lunches.. I need to cut back on food spends till I get more work so will be trying to make the most of the home grown stuff. I've got plenty of cupboard basics so shouldn't need to buy much for dinners.

Older_But_Not_Wiser

Evening all

Sorry to have gone AWOL again, been trying to get a few more house renovations done before the winter sets in. Almost done now, at least for this year so I'm going to try to get back into a routine of shopping and cooking sensibly and as inexpensively as possible. Like you Kirri, I'm now completely skint so will have to be careful with my grocery shopping and make more of an effort to find the bargains. I always mean to, but when I'm busy and tired I tend to just buy whatever is closest to hand and not worry about the cost. Until I check my bank account of course :rotfl:

Really love autumn though and I do think cooking and eating are generally easier because a few root veggies, a tin of tomatoes and some spices and that's supper for several days. Just need to practice with the new slow cooker so that I can ring the changes a bit with the odd veggie curry or chilli. That said, I have munched my way through two Christmas puddings already (they were those tiny little ones though, and were on special offer in Asda). Got three more in the cupboard and I very much doubt they'll still be there by Christmas

How's everybody else doing? MsNR, you OK?

surfsister

I am doing this challenge too and have taken lots of tins/jars etc out of the cupboard as once i see them I tend to use them!!

pm2326

Hi everyone ...can I join in?

I've been doing this since start of the month, didn't realise there was a thread though!

There's just me and the cat so no OH or kids to complain about weird food combo's. I have a ridiculous amount of food in the house for one person and a lot of impulse purchases that need to use up and not buy again. I throw nothing away, if something doesn't get eaten it goes in the freezer.

I stocked up on necessities on 25 Sept. Since then I've only bought:

2 pints milk
6 banana's (YS)
1 loaf bread (YS)
diced swede
2 pork loin fillets (YS from £5.50 each to £1.50 each - cut up into 6 pieces and frozen)

I have an A4 pad with a list of all the food in the freezer and cupboards. I'm crossing stuff off as I go.

I currently have a veg soup in the slow cooker which I'll take to work for lunches next week, so in addition to a tin of value beans and half a tin potatoes from the cupboard I've used the following from the freezer:

cabbage (last of)
carrot
onions (last of)
broccoli (last of)
garden peas

For tea today I'm having a pork chop and mixed veg from the freezer along with the remainder of the tinned potatoes with some gravy

pm2326

in -nothing

out- portion curried broth from freezer