February 2014 Grocery Challenge

charlies_tribe

Afternoon all. Thought I would give an update after the weekend.


DH spent £7 on some cans on Saturday night. Sunday we did a mr T shop which came to £39. Called at the farm for a sack of potatoes and tray of eggs, another £11. Couldn't get any bread and dh offered to go to shop but told him we just had enough for school lunches otherwise he would have some more cans. Fetched 4 loaves this morning, another £4.


I'm going to try some of the recipes from this thread, think we have got into the habbit of the same meals all the time. I think our grocery shop is high due to portion size too. Your pictures of meals look fantastic but I think DH and DS would leave home if I handed them those portion sizes. Think I might have to start reducing them slowly (it could actually do some good)


Off to update my sig.

lizziebabe

Hi everyone

I know I am late but please put me down for £ 165 this month, as it is a bit shorter.

I was just under last month, but have already reached £99 so far :eek:. However have plenty of food, just need some cleaning stuff.

Does everyone know that there is a Poundshop online now:
http://www.hereforapound.com/?gclid=CLTV_r_qwbwCFQgOwwodek8A2Q

Oops not sure if I was allowed to post the link. Anyway, I think that you still have to cost items as they are not always cheaper in these shops.

Made soup this week for lunches - carrot, swede and celeriac, yummy. Will last 5 days.

BMG

I have just had some bad news that I am going to have to find £1000+ from somewhere.
I need to cut my budget on everything as far as I can as quick as I can.


I am struggling to make cheap hearty meals. I have never been one for preparing a meal plan for a week ahead and I am struggling to come up with meals.


Breakfast and lunch are the same most days just with different fillings on the sandwich


Dinners I have problems with. I am allergic to fish and shell fish. OH is allergic to curry of any description. Neither of us eat many vegetables apart from cauliflower, broccoli, peas and sweetcorn


In the freezer I have the following:
sausages
minced beef
minced lamb/mutton
lamb steaks
chicken
pork chops


In the cupboard I have the following:
tinned tomatoes
baked beans
sweet and sour sauce
pasta
rice
tuna
various casserole mixes
and not much else


Can you help me work out a menu plan for evening meals please. I am not coping too well and my illness and depression is beginning to take over.

The evening dinner always has to be a cooked meal.

babes21

I went shopping on Friday and spent £69.81 bringing my total to £133.94, not sure if I will reach my £200 target but I'm going to try my best!!

lushlifesaver

BMG wrote: »

In the freezer I have the following:
sausages
minced beef
minced lamb/mutton
lamb steaks
chicken
pork chops


In the cupboard I have the following:
tinned tomatoes
baked beans
sweet and sour sauce
pasta
rice
tuna
various casserole mixes
and not much else

Are you able to estimate how many meals worth of each thing you have in meat wise? and tell us how much of each of the cupboard items? e.g. 4 portions of sausages / 3 tin of baked beans etc
That way all the helpful folk round here can make a plan based on that first then budgeting in for anything else needed

craigywv

BLUEGREEN, have a wonderful day xxx take a deep breath BMG and we shall help. xxx nsd here really runnin out of fresh stuff veg/fruit and yogurts so will be shopping tomorrow or wed.made bread rolls turned out kak could put windows through with them, seagulls having fun with them. wasn't in mood to bake so shouldn't have expected anything else ho hum

Soworried

BMG wrote: »

Dinners I have problems with. I am allergic to fish and shell fish. OH is allergic to curry of any description. Neither of us eat many vegetables apart from cauliflower, broccoli, peas and sweetcorn
In the freezer I have the following:
sausages
minced beef
minced lamb/mutton
lamb steaks
chicken
pork chops
In the cupboard I have the following:
tinned tomatoes
baked beans
sweet and sour sauce
pasta
rice
tuna
various casserole mixes

Sweet and sour chicken with rice
Tuna pasta
Mince beef hotpot
Pork chop jambalaya
Sausage, egg and beans. One of my favourites :j
Burgers
Lamb steak dinner
Cottage pie

Try to batch cook these when you are feeling a bit stronger if possible, it helps on down days to know you have meals already made

BlueMoo

Thanks for all your help with the recipes so far BlueGreen. Wish I could take over, but as you know I'm only a month behind you!

*****

BMG - do not panic. If you feel up to it, try to spend maybe 2 hours prepping some foods - such as peeling potatoes and chopping ready for mash, marinating meat, etc. etc. Then when you come to cook it will feel a lot more manageable.

*****

Had dinner at relatives last night, and the night before we had Spanish Omelette.

Not a lot in the fridge at the moment so really on an odds and ends use up till Feb 21st. So meals are a bit repetitive, but glad we are slowly making a dent in the freezer.

Looking forward to my lamb shanks tonight - yummy.


*****

Still NSD.

bmma

today's spend £17.08
Feb's running total £40.25/£200.00

cw18

BMG wrote: »

Can you help me work out a menu plan for evening meals please. I am not coping too well and my illness and depression is beginning to take over.

The evening dinner always has to be a cooked meal.

Two possibles that I make jump straight out at me from your list of available goods

Mince & Pasta : Brown mince (with a chopped onion), add a small amount of liquid if needed (but only a small amount) and leave to cook through. Once cooked add a tin of baked beans, and while this heats through cook pasta in a separate pan. Once mince mix if hot and pasta is cooked mix the contents of both pans together and serve up. My kids used to love it with a sprinkling of grated mature cheddar, but these days I just serve with tomato ketchup or brown sauce of choice to taste.

Tuna Pasta : Cook pasta in a pan along with frozen peas and sweetcorn. Once cooked, drain, return to pan, add one 400g tin chopped tomatoes and one drained tin tuna (either 185g or 200g pre drained weight). Heat through and serve. (Tin sizes per 2 portions of pasta). Again my kids liked this with grated cheese as they weren't keen on tuna when they were little. I sometimes make a 2 portion batch of this for myself, having one hot in the evening and the other cold with salad the next day.