February 2014 Grocery Challenge

Upsy_Staffordshire

russetred wrote: »

Just updating my total which shows what I have left not what I've spent! Feeling miserable with a cold so catching up on here with a hot water bottle on my knee. I just cant warm up today.

Hope you feel better soon! There seems to be lots of colds going round at the moment.

NSDs Sunday and yesterday. OH had to buy a sandwich and drink in between jobs yesterday, but I'm not counting anything he buys when working in our GC anymore because he is always being sent to different jobs at the last minute and often he has no choice but to grab some food whilst on the go.

Did myself some pasta with veg, chorizo and hm pasta sauce from the freezer last night, and made enough for tonight for dinner for us both too so we just need to cook the spaghetti so easy dinner :T Also made a loaf for sandwiches for the week.

I might have a go at making some biscuits or bars of some sort this afternoon if I have time after doing all the hoovering and cleaning, 2 cats and a dog seem to make so much mess!! Have a good day everyone x

Tillytrotter1

A nsd for me today. Popped to Sainsbugs yesterday so well stocked for the week but it will sneak into January's budget which end on 5th Feb. Have been experimenting with the Basics range lately and have found them to be very good. Baked a lovely fat free fruit cake which was posted by a lovely member a few days back and made Jack Monroe's granola. Might make a few Twink's hobnobs and that should be us right for the rest of the week. Using up our leftover chicken with a chick and broc pasta bake and then making a chick and mushroom pie :-)

downshifted

Week one - £47.69/£45 - I knew I would go over, as I am fully stocked on cleaning materials etc for the month - should only need perishables going forwards

BMG

I decided to go out for a walk around local shopping centre. I bought a few things whilst I was there.


Card factory £0.58 (2 birthday cards)
S**nsbury's £2.65 (£1.65 grocery & £1 personal)
McDees £0.89
The chicken shack £3.60 (2 trays of KFC style chicken. 6 portions in total) now bagged up individually and in freezer

Total spends today £7.72. That is good for me. I would normally have at least 2 drinks out and my lunch. Today I only had one to take my medication. Came home for lunch


Have updated signature.

lushlifesaver

Havng read about the Morries offer on the 4 packs of tuna I went out on lunch and got some (and after the walk felt a whole lot better - think it's moved baby into a move comfortable position!) Also got chocolate bars for bf's treat drawer - he's away next week and I shouldn't need much so taking these from the GC budget.


So:
1 x tuna 4 pack £2.50
4 x 4bar packs of chocolate £3.80 (on offer at 95p each rather than £1.55)


£6.30 added to sig (also picked up some tuna for my parents but not counting that as I will get the money back!

seemasfriend

beth2242 wrote: »

Hi seemasfriend

Have you tried The cheap curry sauce? I also love an Indian or Chinese but other half doesn't eat any kind of curry so I batch cook my curry sauce and freeze it - I've had it with chips, rice, chicken etc etc what you like really! I'll tell you the recipe and it sounds disgusting - I turned my nose up at it straight away when I saw it but I made it and it's absolutely gorgeous!, better than most takeaways I've had-
2 tins chopped tomatoes
2 tins mushy peas
2 tins baked beans
2 tablespoons of medium curry powder


Throw it all in a blender til it's smooth then heat it up! It's amazing!




You can half the ingredients to make a smaller batch but this recipe makes for about 6 people easily!
I think it's a fab recipe cos it's as good as a takeaway but you only need store cupboard ingredients!

Thanks for the recipe Beth. I have to agree it sounds gross! However, in the interests of money saving I am willing to experiment. Will need to buy mushy peas as don't normally like these. I assume you don't really taste them? Will report back. Watch this space......

Did myself out of 40p yesterday when I reported my shop -found it was £11.30 not £11.70 when I was stashing the receipt. Today it's been £1 on half a doz eggs ( free range and huge)

MissOrganised1972

beth2242 wrote: »

Hi seemasfriend

Have you tried The cheap curry sauce? I also love an Indian or Chinese but other half doesn't eat any kind of curry so I batch cook my curry sauce and freeze it - I've had it with chips, rice, chicken etc etc what you like really! I'll tell you the recipe and it sounds disgusting - I turned my nose up at it straight away when I saw it but I made it and it's absolutely gorgeous!, better than most takeaways I've had-
2 tins chopped tomatoes
2 tins mushy peas
2 tins baked beans
2 tablespoons of medium curry powder


Throw it all in a blender til it's smooth then heat it up! It's amazing!




You can half the ingredients to make a smaller batch but this recipe makes for about 6 people easily!
I think it's a fab recipe cos it's as good as a takeaway but you only need store cupboard ingredients!

I use a similar recipe to this too but slight variation.....
2 tins mushy peas
1 tin chopped tomatoes
1 tin baked beans
Sliced mushrooms
Onion
Clove of garlic
1/2-1 tsp chilli powder
1tbs madras curry powder

I serve it as it is or I have also added chicken, chickpeas or prawns
It's known as mushy pea curry and is very popular on Slimming World as it is free on the EE plan.

MissOrganised1972

Today should have been a NSD but got a text from DD2s brownies asking if we could contribute Chinese food for tonight's New Year's celebration! Couldn't find anything under £2.50 in the fresh section at Mr T so checked out the frozen section. Managed to get some spring rolls for £1! Might even use my 'pot' to pay for it (small incidentals pot of money). Whilst there, I got a packet of pasta as well as a YS chicken pie (will do for an emergency meal) & a YS red cabbage which I'll cook & portion up on Saturday. Total spent was £2.83 but will definitely repay my grocery bag of money for the Chinese food, so £1.83 added to signature

Ayeshalush

£3.97 for me yesterday in Spar on Cheesy Pasta (my guilty pleasure, and in my defence I have not been well since before xmas and am only now starting to be able to eat normally and I had a real notion for cp) and an air freshner for the car (could prob have got this cheaper elsewhere but car was starting to smell of dog and it's embarrassing when anyone else gets in to it).


Ali
xx

First_Trouble

SarahB1989 wrote: »

Thought I had a genius idea to stop me overspending - was going to get a Tesco gift card with my budget on so when it's empty, so will the kitchen be. Then read the small print and discovered you can't pay for groceries with it! Glad I noticed before I bought one. Still, will be moving at the end of Feb to a Sainsbug's area and they do have grocery gift cards, so might try it out then. Anyone know if I'd still get Nectar points if I paid with a gift card?

I got a tesco gift card though the sun promotion and I managed to use that for in store purchases only. You can't use it online which did annoy me a smidge.