April 2014 Grocery Challenge

cw18

Nipped to A1di for veg yesterday, and ended up spending £7.25 which got me a LOT more veg than I needed for the weekend (plus a pot of single cream).

I'm trying a new tack in the battle to empty my freezers. I've started a long term meal plan having done a stock take last Wednesday (it's going to take a while to use just the 177 sausages I found!), but I know that I get the jitters as soon as spaces start to appear - and I end up buying stuff I don't need (often stuff I already have plenty of) just to fill them. So I'm going to stock up on veg (especially what's on the Super 6) which will be quicker to use up when I'm close to everything else being able to fit into the standalone freezer (need to empty the built in so I can replace it, as it's not working as well as it should - especially the fridge part of it).

So yesterday I picked up a bag of green beans (even though I already have some in the freezer), using about two thirds of the bag and blanching / freezing the last portion (I now have 11 portions for future use having got a load Whoopsied in Mr T earlier this month). I picked up one pack of baby sweetcorn for yesterday, and another that I blanched / froze as 4 portions (the last couple of weeks it's not been looking as nice, so I grabbed while it looked good). From the Super 6 I got two bags of Chantenay carrots, using part of 1 bag and blanching / freezing the rest as 6 portions. A Super 6 cauliflower has given me another 5.5 portions of veg for the freezer. I've also sliced / frozen a green pepper left from a pack I bought earlier this week, and a green and yellow from the pack I bought yesterday (needed a red one for tea tonight). I've still got a bag of sprouts to process (having already frozen the last 2 portions from my last bag earlier this week).

I know a lot of people think I'd be better off buying bags of frozen veg (I've been told many times), but I don't like anything apart from peas and corn kernels bought that way as they go very soggy when cooked (although frozen sliced mushrooms are OK in casseroles and bolognese). So doing it this way suits me for now, and hopefully I'll have longer runs of not needing to go the shops as I'll not be needing fresh veg like I do just now.

Frizzle_2

lynnejk wrote: »

Thanks - yes I see what you mean and I'll give it a try


Sorry Frizzle - know it was a mis-type but it made me laugh :laugh: just imagined your pudding jumping about in the dish :rotfl:


Had a NSD today. Made a salad for tea with prawns and eggs and a rose marie sauce, followed by HM LO oxtail n bean soup with part-baked baguettes.


Hope you all have a super Sunday. Think DH taking me to garden centre fingers xd
Lx

Lol! Not quite so exciting! A lovely jam sponge not a lively one!!!

Chi-me

Hello, I'm new, I would love to join this group. My OH has been on statutory sick pay and I work part time only as I'm disabled and can't cope with more. Money is tight but he's back at work next week :T However, I've quite had my eyes open to the waste we normally create recently whilst budgeting, freezing food rather than slinging it out and worrying about getting into debt.

I'm committed to this and although I'm joining late I hope to achieve my goals and build up our savings, which are now at nowt!

I would like a budget of £360 but hope to spend less than this amount obviously. I've based it on our previous outgoings for everything, food and provisions for two adults a chihuahua and cat who are both on a raw food diet. Every Sunday we increase our numbers to anything up to six adults and some or all of my adult children come over with various OH's for dinner. I love it but it can be pricey! I'm also appalled at the sum we previously spent on eating out and take aways :eek: It has to stop!

looking forward to 'meeting' you all and my second shop of the month tomorrow.

lovefullshelves

£7.85 in aldi today More bread, rolls and milk!! The freezer still isn't emptying!

Frizzle_2

A spend of 38.93 in aldi but stocked up on washing powders and stuff. Used my £5 voucher. Will aim to spend £40 on Saturday to use up my last one and then hopefully as cheap as possible the following week! It hopefully should only be fresh fruit and veg etc so I am hoping £20 max which will bring me under budget! Fingers crossed

amiehall

I'm hoping to follow this thread this month then maybe jump in next month.

I've been focussing on losing weight recently and making sure I'm basically buying healthy low calorie foods. While I've had a lot of success on the weight loss front (2 stone woooo!), my food budget has been spiralling out of control. I really want to be able to manage both.

It's great to see what's been working for other people.

newthrift

Checking in with my last spend on my April GC. £39.07 which is good going for us. I still went over the monthly budget of £220 that I set but only by £27.32 which is looooads better than last month and I haven't had any 'extra' spends this time when I popped in to the SM for something, I just brought what I went in for. Will be setting myself at £220 again for next month and will see how I go again (should come under if I am good).
Need to add up how many NSD's I had, estimating at 8-10.

Ladyluck1

Spends of £3 on sone bargain YS items from coop!
2x 2 cod fillets 75p each from £3
A pack of 2 breaded haddock 75p from £3
Mushrooms 25p from £1
Loaf of bread 50p from £1 (tomorrow's date)
That's at least 3 fish dinners for this month sorted

minicooper272

So far I've spent £26.70 of my £80 target. I estimate only needing a further £30 to get me through the month, so expect to come in well below target.

I have actually been trying really hard to eat fresh and un-processed foods lately, and I expected my food costs to spike sharply. Some items of food are a lot more expensive (e.g. replacing cereal bars with nuts and seeds), but overall it's not as bad as I expected. I'm still buying some ready-made things, but it's hard not to sometimes.

lynnejk

kayester wrote: »

OH bought takeaway last night as i was too ill to cook.

chicken chasseur for sunday dinner with stuffing, hm roasties veg hm yorkshire puds, mash and gravy

Hope you soon feeling better kayester. Your dinner sounds lovely

Chi-me wrote: »

Hello, I'm new, I would love to join this group.

looking forward to 'meeting' you all and my second shop of the month tomorrow.

Hiya :hello: welcome to the thread and sure you'll find it helpful

newthrift wrote: »

Checking in with my last spend on my April GC. £39.07 which is good going for us.. Will be setting myself at £220 again for next month and will see how I go again (should come under if I am good).
Need to add up how many NSD's I had, estimating at 8-10.

Well done Newthrift :T Very good going


Had to go shopping today so Mr T took £5.08 and another £4.08 to Al*i. I also did a Morrys shop but a huge gust of wind blew the receipt out of the bag. It was £16 something so I will add £17 to be on the right side


Didn't get to garden centre but balcony all painted and back to normal :T Will get some plants in the next week


Hope you all have a marvellous Monday
Lx