March 2014 Grocery Challenge

bmma

nsd today = 12 - online shop delivered,more than half of the items were out of stock-although available when ordered-money owed back in a holding account-should be back in account within 7 days-pity they weren't as quick paying back as they are taking it ! rant over-9 more days to april challenge-may go weekly for april try and get the spending really down

joedenise

SazzleDazzle1 - love the name by the way! - I agree with cw18 and would count the spend as a March spend as that is the month you are actually spending in, even though most of the month is actually April when it will be eaten. If your're anything like most people you'll be buying stuff that will last longer than just the week anyway so difficult to see how else to split spends.

Denise

Billie-jo

Welcome Sazzledazzle - hope the GC helps you to spend less.


A!di this morning and spent £25.47 Noticed milk had come down from £1.48 to £1.42 for the 6 pint one.
I usually but the sausages at 6 for £1.99 but today picked up the butchers choice ones 8 for £1.55 so will see if they ok.
I brought some lamb mince (2 packs) to make lamb kofta with tonight but have only used one so had to really squash it into the freezer to get it in and the door shut. The other pack has had the spices and onions added to it and is now chilling in the fridge for tonight. Grandson is coming to stay overnight after school. Have some strawberries and a few marshmallows which he will love.


I will need a few things tomorrow but shouldn't be much.

marris

just sitting at £50,50 so not very bad at all.freezer is going down slightly

Frizzle_2

SazzleDazzle1 wrote: »

Hi all,
I know it is incredibly late to join this month but I have been reading for a while and only just got organised enough to get my logins. I have pre christmas been spending in excess of £650 a month, and throwing away so much food. January I decided to cut back and monoitor what and where I spending and then set a budget of £400 a month to follow from March. There are 4 of us, children 7 and 2. I hope to cut the budget further by following some of the great tips on here but slowly so no one really notices, so far this month I have spent £291 so I am on track.

I am not sure how to manage my budget dates though, we get paid weekly and I shop on the weekend. Should Sat 29th shop be included in March or April? I am hoping it is a small one as I have slowly been building up stock so this week I should get by on a few fresh items but we shall see. I have recently swapped from Wa1trose to A1di and that has cut my spending hugely.

Any tips/advice most gratefully received and I look forward to getting to know everone over the coming months

I shop at weekend too and had the same dilemma about the end of the month. My plan was to include it in this month but things are getting tight. So. Have decided if I go over my budget I will take it off next months budget. This way half will probably be in this month and half in April!
HtH!!

Frizzle_2

I have 1kg of mince in the sc with three onions, 4 carrots, 2 tins of toms, a tin f value baked beans, some frozen peas, a handful of red lentils and a handful of porridge oats.
I have lots of potatoes so just peeled loads to make a shep pie topping! Had all the food in.
The original recipe (500g mince) was to serve 4. We are two adults and two wee ones. So I am hoping with the padding put this will make three meals! The mince was 3.25 so nt a bad price for three meals!

Have also just made a batch of biscuits! The recipe made about 50 so I am going to freeze a handful so I will know for next time. We have all just had 1 or 2 each. Except for hubby who has had 5!, now I just need to hide them! When I told him off, I said 'I've spent ages on those... Don't eat them!' His reply ' why did you make them if we aren't allowed to eat them!' MEN!

cw18

Frizzle wrote: »

I have 1kg of mince in the sc with three onions, 4 carrots, 2 tins of toms, a tin f value baked beans, some frozen peas, a handful of red lentils and a handful of porridge oats.

My last mince meal consisted of
500g (very) lean mince
2 medium onions
freshly ground black pepper
heaped teaspoon Ox0 granules
40g porridge oats
50g red lentils
2 tablespoons tomato puree
2 tins baked beans
I also had to add some water early on to stop the mix sticking to the base of the pan due to the oats and lentils sucking up what was available. (the baked beans don't get added until close to the end, but by then it was getting close to needing more liquid anyway!)

The resultant pan of 'mince' was then split into 5 good sized adult potions (2 used that evening and 3 in the freezer for later), and each one gets served with 80-100g dried pasta.

When my OH uses mince he cooks 500g at a time which gives him 2 servings. When he's here he gets a mix like the above which appears to be plenty for him, but whilst he's aware I make the mince go a lot further by padding it out (and is also aware he's to say nothing around my son who loves his red meat and "doesn't know if he likes lentils") he doesn't seem to be prepared to 'mess around' padding out at home!! I keep trying to convince him it's a lot better for him padded out (we both have high cholesterol, so the less meat and the more protein from other sources the better), but I may as well hold my breath

Crowdpleaser

1.70 added for a tub of anchor butter as my contribution to toasties made at work. I use spread at home but girl at work cant have spread so thst was ok. Anyway budget creeping up. Hoping to get by on bananas and milk buys next week. Hope so. X

Coxy11

Hi all,

Small spend in Asda on 8 pints milk, malt wheats, jordans bars for DD and ys stuff pork joint. Total of £8.68.

Just writing out a list for the weekend. Ideally would like to get all food for the week (which includes DHs birthday tea!). I have a £4 odd price match coupon plus £36.83 left in the budget. Will need to be very savvy when I go tomorrow

Meal plan for next week:
Saturday - chicken fajitas (need peppers and cheese)
Sunday - roast pork, Yorkshires, roasties and veg (need veg)
Monday - bacon and cheese puffs, veg (need veg)
Tuesday - pasta bake
Wednesday - chicken curry, rice and naan
Thursday - DH birthday - his signature pasta dish (need veg, crème fraiche and parma ham)
Friday - lo gammon, cauli cheese, veg (need cauli/veg)

Also need packed lunch bits, fruit and orange juice.

Have a good evening all
Coxy

Florenceem

NSD.
For dinner we had HM Fish Pie + cauliflower/carrots.

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