January 2014 Grocery Challenge

Mystikia

Been very poorly over last few days... Ashamed to say ended up with Takeaway meals last few nights as couldn't face cooking... A waste really as I couldnt eat much of it. Oh well, still poorly but determined to stick to meal plans from now on!

camNolliesMUMMY

£54.24 spend so far so please total this up for me? I feel I'm doing well so far.

XSpender

I was made redundant today but still got a job for a few months so not all doom and gloom but still had a bit of a splash out in M & S. I paid £21(used a £5 off £25 voucher) for £39 of stuff and got 60 GF sausages on 3 for £10, 2 YS GF chicken crispbakes, a huge jar of pickled onions for 49p cos they were Xmas ones and DH loves them, 4 big cans of st3lla and the dine in for a £10 including a £7 bottle of wine to replace the one I will open tonight;)

It was DH idea to get something for tonight from there and now he says he isn't hungry:rotfl: oh well it will keep and since I am munching my way through a bib bag of value tortillas I might not be in a while either;)

If we live on sausages for the next 3 weeks I might just come in under budget:rotfl:

Living_proof

I am really trying hard to think "what can I use up" instead of "what can I buy"? I will do a meal planner tonight and tomorrow just buy anything needed between now and midweek in order to achieve it. Today spent just £4.69 on a few basics - loaf of wholemeal bread, four litres of long life milk (on offer), bag of new potatoes and a net of onions. Tonight I am having soup and dumplings using stock made earlier in the slow cooker, and scraps of veg from fridge and freezer. At this rate it will take months to get through my stash!

mags50_2

Spent £1.30 on milk and that's it today
I blitzed up some bread and put breadcrumbs in the freezer, and made some cauliflower cheese which has gone in too.
Had sandwiches for dinner and sea bass and rice for tea. I'm still using food from the freezer and store cupboard and thoroughly enjoying sitting down in the evening and crossing items off my list....am I weird?!

flyinggiraffe_2

A spend of £13.37 today. I've not been as impressed with lidl recently. No matter what time of day I go the fridges seem to be bare. But I managed to get some fruit, bread, milk and some veggies to keep me going for the next week provided I stick to my meal plan!

The plan for the week is:
Saturday: shepherds pie with broccoli and carrots
Sunday: chicken and chorizo pasta bake
Monday: fajitas
Tuesday: bolognese with mushrooms and courgette "pasta"
Wednesday: jacket spud, tuna and salad
Thursday: stuffed chicken wrapped in bacon with boiled potatoes and veg.
Friday: something from the freezer that doesn't take too much effort, probably pie and chips.

I need to get some toiletries but think I will go to town and nip to the pound shop and wilkos tomorrow.

Magpye

NSD yesterday but spent £3.24 on 3 punnets of fresh raspberries in Sains after work today. Planning to make a raspberry and rhubarb gf crumble tomorrow, if the raspberries last that long... ~yum~

jammy dodger I am in the same boat as you with half a tin of corned beef in the fridge - thinking about making corned beef and potato cakes, unless anyone can inspire me to greater things.

BlueCow1975

Just updated with a "£10 odd" spend made by DH while I was in work as he popped to Aldo as wanted to experiment with chicken legs and sweet potatoe wedges in our new actifry. Initially not impressed as he had strayed from my meal planner (as this is my first week doing this I am a little obsessive about it!). Anyway, I have to forgive him as the chicken was delicious and the sweet potatoe wedges cooked to perfection. Stir fried chopped leek, frozen green beans, chopped garlic with a twist of salt and pepper as an accompaniment. Can re-schedule tonights original planned meal to Monday.

Also had the slow cooked chicken thigh casserole earlier in the week (recipe from first page). Really simple to make and the whole family (including the not keen on anything that resembles casserole kids!) wolfed it. Will definately make it again, but maybe take the skin off the thighs first as the healthier eating plan starts on Monday (have put 7lbs on over December :eek:)

Hope everyone has a good weekend.

meg72

3
first spend of the month for me, DGS is staying overnight and I needed sausages for his breakfast, struck lucky and got 3 packs reduced to 80p from 2.50 and 4 packs butter reduced to 5op from 1.50, total £4.40 a saving of £9.oo so well pleased, but having trouble getting it into freezer.

Florenceem

Spend of £3.40 today. They were selling packs of Shortbread reduced to 50p at Asdo so I got 4 packs - BB Nov 2014. I put them in my store box upstairs.
We had HM Fish Pie + LO baked Beans + Mushy Peas for dinner.