January 2014 Grocery Challenge

physicsgirl

jammy_dodger wrote: »

did buy a heap of treats to send to my DD in uni she is studying very hard and manages a very tight budget so i thought a wee hamper of goodies will cheer her up
heavens knows what the postage will be when i send it tomorrow but it'll be worth it

Royal mail parcel postage is crazy expensive, but a tip for next time - I got a free graze trial and kept the box it came in, then used it to send some treats (HM brownies, HM marshmallows, his fav choco bar) to my bf last year. Because of the size of the box it is classed as a large letter (as long as it weighs less than 750g) so the cost for second class postage ranges from 69p-£1.90 depending on the weight (or max £2.30 for 1st class).

Taken from the RM website:

2nd Class

0-100g 69p
101-250g £1.10
251-500g £1.40
501-750g £1.90

1st Class

0-100g 90p
101-250g £1.20
251-500g £1.60
501-750g £2.30

Large Letters Size (up to) Length: 35.3cm, Width: 25cm, Thickness: 2.5cm
Weight (up to) 750g

Hope this helps someone

FrugalLina

Hmm, that sounds kind of odd, but I just might try it, LOL!

physicsgirl

Anzac_Biscuit wrote: »

As of today I have a good reason really work on being frugal as I found out this morning that my job is being 'disestablished' in July and I'm being made redundant

Still a bit shocked but I'm so thankful that I had rediscovered this forum recently - and now I will be extra motivated to use all those fabulous tips! My goal is to save as much as I can before I leave at the end of June. Hopefully I'll have found another job by then but you never know - I figure it's best to be prepared

Sorry to hear that, but fantastic time to discover the forum - you'll have enough time to practice all the tips on here! Good luck with the job hunt.

I spent £3.80 in T3sco this morning after dropping my OH off at the station, unfortunately Ald! doesn't open till 8 otherwise I would've gone in there, but I might be able to pick up an Ald! 49p butternut squash when I pick him up this evening (if there's any left).

Coxy11

Hi everyone,

kiwiblue - hope all okay, sounds scary!

Anzac biscuit - sorry to hear your news.

meg72 - is that an omelette?

NSD yesterday. Did roast pork, Yorkshires, roasties, cauli cheese and savoy cabbage for dinner followed by hm apple crumble. I got the apples from a client's garden (I'm a gardener and she allowed me to scrump) and I prepared them and froze them in November so only had to add the topping and bake. Delish!

Small spend today of £3.54 in Ts - needed single cream for tonight's dinner, some mushrooms for spag bol on Weds and a bag of pink lady apples.

Mealplan for this week:
Monday - chicken and chorizo pasta
Tuesday - lo roast pork in sweet and sour sauce, egg fried rice
Wednesday - spag bol
Thursday - tuna pasta bake (from the index)
Friday - breaded haddock with French fries, peas and sweetcorn
Saturday - out at friends for dinner - children will have A!di ravioli and sauce
Sunday - roast chicken, Yorkshires, roasties, and veg

Looking at the list I will only need some potatoes and veg for Sunday plus milk for tea/coffee/cereal.

Have a great day all
Coxy

franby64

Hello

Just bought beans, veg cubes, bananas and oranges today. Total is up to £294.13.

poppycracker

happytails wrote: »

What's the quickest way it defrost mince beef?

Stick it on a metal baking tray on the kitchen counter or in the sink (on the sink bottom). The metal conducts the cold away from the frozen item.

First_Trouble

Starting to only buy value ranges or own brand products now. If I can't tell the difference then they stay. So far have switched to value washing powder, Deodorant, shampoo & Conditioner and cupboard basics. Haven't noticed any difference except the cost. Going to think about how to bring down the budget further for Feb but don't think I can get it any lower than £90 that's for two people including food and cleaning products. I don't drive so tend to just get my shopping delivered from one place namely Mr T. We have a L*dl within walking distance but not being able to drive means I could only buy what I could carry.Open to any suggestions though.

meg72

Coxy11 wrote: »

Hi everyone,

kiwiblue - hope all okay, sounds scary!

Anzac biscuit - sorry to hear your news.

meg72 - is that an omelette?

NSD yesterday. Did roast pork, Yorkshires, roasties, cauli cheese and savoy cabbage for dinner followed by hm apple crumble. I got the apples from a client's garden (I'm a gardener and she allowed me to scrump) and I prepared them and froze them in November so only had to add the topping and bake. Delish!

Small spend today of £3.54 in Ts - needed single cream for tonight's dinner, some mushrooms for spag bol on Weds and a bag of pink lady apples.

Mealplan for this week:
Monday - chicken and chorizo pasta
Tuesday - lo roast pork in sweet and sour sauce, egg fried rice
Wednesday - spag bol
Thursday - tuna pasta bake (from the index)
Friday - breaded haddock with French fries, peas and sweetcorn
Saturday - out at friends for dinner - children will have A!di ravioli and sauce
Sunday - roast chicken, Yorkshires, roasties, and veg

Looking at the list I will only need some potatoes and veg for Sunday plus milk for tea/coffee/cereal.

Have a great day all
Coxy

Yes its a mushroom omelette. picture not to good as havent really got the hang of using the camera on phone yet.

laura_hoggle

£3 spends in Mr T today while waiting to pick up a prescription. I didn't really need to spend it as there is plenty of food in the house that needs to be eaten before we move, but for some reason couldn't resist an enchilada kit and Mexican rice... Will get some chicken out the freezer today and that will be dinner tomorrow.

bmma

Hi spend today £8.48p x