December 2013 Grocery Challenge

laura_hoggle

Oh dear... An impromptu shop at Mr S this evening after finding out there's potentially another family member at my parents for Xmas, and we hadn't got her a gift. Thought I'd check out the clothes offers again as think the offer ended tonight, got some bargains but also bought food... DH is on his own Friday and Saturday so I treated him to some pizza that were on offer (he was planning on getting a takeaway!) and also got some micro rice packets, good for emergency lunches, and a few other bits.

An accidental spend of £17.72 on food today, eek!!! But DH won't be getting a takeaway, and I'm sure he'd have spent more than that... The ways I justify things hey?!

mooomin

Less than £4 spent in Morrisons today...I have put the receipt somewhere safe!

I got a couple of good bargains too...a snack pack of grapes, a big bag of satsumas and some green beans for 20p a pack.

I also picked up a chocolate Santa and two packs of walnut whips for nothing from M&S thanks to their recent Christmas Facebook game. Free chocolate is the tastiest kind

lynnejk

[QUOTE=mooomin;64019137
This is probably a daft question, but normally I make pea and ham soup with a gammon shank which I boil up for a while to cook it/make the stock. If I already have cooked gammon, do I just add it in with the peas and just boil/bubble till they're cooked? I have both veg and ham stock cubes - which would be best to use? I really wish I was a more instinctive cook sometimes [/QUOTE]


I think I would go half and half with the stock cubes and just add the cubed gammon about 10 mins before the end of cooking.

BlueMoo wrote: »

Hi.
Sorry for no updates - been ill with a dreadful stomach bug and been off for the last week or so.
.

Hope you feeling better now as not the best time of the year for any bugs - especially stomach ones.

shiningfaery wrote: »

What a week I have had....spent last night at hospital with my lil guy who has really bad Croup

I do hope you little one's getting better. Horrible thing croup and makes you feel helpless eh



I had an NSD today and just eggs, chips and b. beans for tea.


Hope you all have a Terrific Tuesday
Lx

just_the_two_of_us

Morning all - I didn't get free biscuits from Mr T but did receive 12 extra vouchers for money off or extra points - all of which will be very useful for my New Year stock up!!
Planning on shopping on Friday this week to get a large Xmas gammon joint from the local butchers before they run out!

lushlifesaver

Hope you are on the up BlueMoo

NSD yesterday as the parents treated me to lunch whilst out Christmas.

Looking at another NSD today as all I need is a little token something to take in to the groomers tonight when pup has his appointment. That said we do have a wrapped box of Thornton's chocs in the cupboard so I may give those. No word on the dreaded secret santa at work although I'm thinking of putting a little something together for the lovely ladies in my office - nothing swish though!

BlueMoo

Thanks everyone for the well wishes. I am pretty much back to 100% now.

*****
Can not seem to locate my receipt which is very frustrating - I have a sneaky suspicion it is in a coat/jumper pocket.
However, rough guestimate is that I have about £5 left of my budget.
Not too worried as just some potatoes to get before Crimbo.

*******
Have found out when we will get paid in December. Very early for my OH so we will be poppping his salary into a different account and then 'pay' ourselves on the normal day.
Otherwise, it is just too easy to spend

*******
Lots of Christmas shopping done over the weekend, so only 1 and a half presents to get.
Still waiting for a couple of online bits to arrive. Fingers crossed.

******

Supper last night was sausage, mash and veg.

NickJW

Hello!

Took me a while to catch up with posts, but I would like to optimistically aim for £130 again this month...not sure how I will go when this needs to include Christmas food but we'll see.

Anyway, spends so far this month have been

02/12 - £2.59 in Mr S
03/12 - £3.35 in Mr S
05/12 - £1.39 in Mr S
06/12 - £1.55 in Mr S
07/12 - £7.28 in CoOp
07/12 - £2.59 in CoOp
07/12 - £20.37 in the butchers
09/12 - £1.55 in Mr S

Total = £40.67

Was going to make use of a £8 off £80 spend for a Mr T delivery but just couldn't find enough to bring up to the total. Quit it and went to the butchers instead as a 'day out'.

Hope everyone is well.

sefilby

Friday shop of £67.15, after using various vouchers & saving stamps accumulated over the year paid £14.80!!! Feeling really chuffed that by scrimping my change & religiously collecting £1 a week that it made such a difference :-)

2childmum

Meal plan for this week -
Mon - roast chicken, roast sweet pots, cabbage and cauliflower with cheese sauce - this was made with with soya milk and frozen as an experiment and it defrosted fine! This was a very tasty dinner, and I used the carcass to make stock.

Tues - turkey meatballs in tomato sauce with pasta and spinach (wilted into the sauce )and carrots

Weds - not sure as the engineer is coming to mend my cooker (fan not working and only half a grill ) and they haven't let me know when they are coming, so I don't know if I will be able to cook or not. They are supposed to let me know this evening so I will decide what to cook once I know,

Thurs - spag bol and past with carrots and broccoli.

Fri - veg curry with indian bits - friends coming for lunch and then school friend for dinner, all vegetarians, so I will make a huge batch at lunch time and use it twice!

Sat - hoisin pork fillet and wedges with peas and sweetcorn

Sun - sticky salmon (as long as the grill is working) with couscous.

Most of this is out of the freezer as I'm trying to make stuff for boxing day dinner in advance and freeze it but the freezer is a bit full!

Today I made red wine gravy, 27 stuffing balls and a huge vat of braised red cabbage and apple.

Spend yesterday of 64.19, after 8.32 multi buy savings and 1.55 coupons.
I was expecting it to be more so was rather pleased - i must be getting better at making more economical choices.

Had an interesting conversation with DH about food budget - he hadn't noticed at all that I was cutting it back! Go me!!!!!!

want2Bfrugal

Oh dear, I've spent more than I should.

Spent £120 on wine for Xmas and New Year that I didn't budget for. So, I might run out of food this month but I guess I won't care as I'll be completely sozzled. :rotfl: :T