2014 Frugal Living Challenge

tatabubbly

Definitely another NSD today, hoping to have another one tomorrow until I head to the airport at 8pm as I have to get a taxi then!

OverRated

Frugalsod wrote: »

I found that it even beats SM pizza for taste even the premium brands. So I now very rarely buy pizza, preferring to make it instead. I found that using supermarket basic mozzarella is just as good.

Totally agree with you. Admittedly it took a few attempts for me to become happy with the dough but the OH loved it straightaway.

Made the mistake of trying low-fast mozzarella cheese once - yuck :mad:

Spent £5 today at the butcher on two large chicken breast and a lovely pack of bacon. Toasted bacon sandwich for breakfast using the 'simply' bread from Lidl which we haven't tried before - very good plus the bread is 1/2 the price of our usual bread!!

Staying home today and HM pizza on the menu later :T

pm2326

Didn't go shopping last weekend so have been to Al*i today and spent £22, hoping this will last me another 2 weeks minimum.

Spent more than I was planning but had to get in some toiletries and decided to restock my meat supply as only have diced pork left and that's going in the slow cooker tomorrow so ended up getting a chicken, some diced beef, belly pork and YS diced turkey. Should be enough to make at least 25+ meals so if I add this to the meals already in freezer and the pork I'm cooking tomorrow I should have the remainder of Feb and possibly the whole of March covered!

Also bought extra milk to freeze as I'm going to be working late and weekends for next 6 weeks so don't know when I'll fit my shopping in!

I'm loving this challenge, it's really making me consider every single penny I spend. I'm curious to know how much I can reduce the food bill this year so although I don't have any receipts for last year I'm going to trawl through the bank statements this weekend and add up the shopping bought by debit card and credit card. This wont provide the true cost as I cant count cash transactions but at least I'll have something to compare this year to.

I suspect I'm going to get a big shock when I add up last years food bill! :rotfl:

Frugalsod

OverRated wrote: »

Totally agree with you. Admittedly it took a few attempts for me to become happy with the dough but the OH loved it straightaway.

Made the mistake of trying low-fast mozzarella cheese once - yuck :mad:

Staying home today and HM pizza on the menu later :T

I only go for the SM value mozzarella and it is perfectly fine. Like you it takes a few tries to get the dough right. My first one was not great looking but tasted fab. I still have not mastered the base but I know that it tastes so much better than SM pizza so no need to worry about buying in.

skintygerlinky

pm2326 wrote: »

Didn't go shopping last weekend so have been to Al*i today and spent £22, hoping this will last me another 2 weeks minimum.

Spent more than I was planning but had to get in some toiletries and decided to restock my meat supply as only have diced pork left and that's going in the slow cooker tomorrow so ended up getting a chicken, some diced beef, belly pork and YS diced turkey. Should be enough to make at least 25+ meals so if I add this to the meals already in freezer and the pork I'm cooking tomorrow I should have the remainder of Feb and possibly the whole of March covered!

Also bought extra milk to freeze as I'm going to be working late and weekends for next 6 weeks so don't know when I'll fit my shopping in!

I'm loving this challenge, it's really making me consider every single penny I spend. I'm curious to know how much I can reduce the food bill this year so although I don't have any receipts for last year I'm going to trawl through the bank statements this weekend and add up the shopping bought by debit card and credit card. This wont provide the true cost as I cant count cash transactions but at least I'll have something to compare this year to.

I suspect I'm going to get a big shock when I add up last years food bill! :rotfl:

Evening Frugalites xx

Love this pm2326! Feel your post really sums up everyone's approach here on this fab thread! Getting the most out of our shopping, changing our attitudes and approaches to how we spend, looking ahead and planning and getting a real kick out of our Frugal 14 commitments.

NSD hurray!! Been tidying, cleaning and sorting today - I swear I have much more energy at the mo, which must be due to eating and sleeping better and swimming regularly. This has given me a calmer, quiet confident feeling too so even my previous 'panic mode' towards skinty situation seems to be on hold. All's good!

**Quick question - how long should a baked sweet potato go in the oven for? Compared with an ordinary, humble potato??**

Re: homemade pizza, another fan here. Haven't made it in yonks, but used to and loved it. So tasty and used to cost hardly anything to make.

Had leftover puff pastry tart thing for lunch and now off to make tuna steak with my sweet potato and veg stir fry with leftovers.
Delish!

What's everyone else having for tea tonight??

SarahB1989_2

skintygerlinky wrote: »

**Quick question - how long should a baked sweet potato go in the oven for? Compared with an ordinary, humble potato??**

Re: homemade pizza, another fan here. Haven't made it in yonks, but used to and loved it. So tasty and used to cost hardly anything to make.

Had leftover puff pastry tart thing for lunch and now off to make tuna steak with my sweet potato and veg stir fry with leftovers.
Delish!

What's everyone else having for tea tonight??

Depends on size - sweet potatoes seem so variable in that regard! On average I put them in for about 40mins, rub the skins with a bit of oil first. To be honest I mostly just throw them in the microwave though, 4 mins each.

Your tea sounds delicious! I'm having pizza - feel awkward after all this chat about homemade but it's straight out of Tesco's freezer! Goats cheese, spinach and red onion for toppings, will put half aside for lunch tomorrow.

skintygerlinky

Cheers Sarah!!

Just pulled it out the oven dead on 40mins and it's perfect!

Enjoy your pizza, think I've had that one before, it's lovely.

Buffythedebtslayer

Went to the supermarket today,


Wasn't pretty!


Came to 56.36 (originally 61.69)


I did buy extras such as


a paper = 1.80!
hot cross buns = 60p
deodorant = 1.40
rinse aid = £2.50 for two
headache tablets = 1.50
labels = 2.50


I had to buy dog food and treats which came to £8 + 1.49 + 1.59


I also treated myself to steak for 3.45, well 3 Beef Escalope - not sure what that is but you can grill it and I haven't eaten red meat since the start of the month.


I think normally my shopping just for lunch and the piggies. Mum buys the rest out of the rent I pay. ie dog food and dinners.


I think I have to look for some alternatives. Right now I am v hungry so I am off to make dinner, "steak" jacket potato, spinach and sweetcorn.


it is WAY over my budget of 30, which now I am feeding the boys I am going to up to 40 a week.


Although to keep in the new budget that means next week will have to be done for £23 - minus 8 for the dog food which leaves me 15 pounds........hmmmmmm


Orange label all the way! plus using up what is in the cupboards a bit more.


xxxx

Just_be_2

Yes! I totally agree that this thread and the people posting on it are so encouraging and inspiring. What I like the most is that you guys actually care and understands the significance of a NSD or sticking to the shopping budget- people in my real life, lovely as they are, just don't seem interested! It's so nice to have support

I had NSDs yesterday and today and will be having another one tomorrow Will be cooking a big roast tomorrow for family (I love Sundays for this very reason) and it will be very frugal as the lamb, parboiled roast pots and carrots and parsnips and lamb stock for gravy are portioned off in the freezer from the batch cook I did at the beginning of the month along with frozen peas and yorkies and packet stuffing. I haven't calculated exactly but I think it costs under £15 for me to do plentiful Sunday roasts for the whole month! I actually feel proud of myself when everyone says how nice it was and how full they are!

Goldiegirl

Good evening!

Yesterday and the days before were NSD's and today was a low spend day.

We had HM pizza for lunch (it's very popular on this challenge). I really fancied having pepper as one of the toppings. We walked down to the local supermarket, with the intention of buying one pepper. Of course, the 3 pack was better value, so I bought that, chopped up all the peppers, put them in the freezer, so I now have peppers for many future pizzas.

We had homemade yoghurt for dessert, and had HM rolls for tea with the last two slices of a cake that I had in the freezer.

It really seems to be coming together now.

I'll be doing a grocery order tomorrow. I didn't do one last week, and I don't feel as if I'm in desperate need of anything. Maybe soon I'll be able to leave even longer between orders.