March 2015 Grocery Challenge

oldtractor

have found a stash of cleaning products in an upstairs cupboard. this will help the shopping budget must remember to use them up.UPDATE have poured the bicarb and vinegar down the plugholes in the kitchen and bathroom. the washing machine has bicarb washing soda in it and is now on a 95 degree wash to clean out its tubes.

scotmumof3

NSD for me today whoop whoop :j:j
WantToBeSE this s one of my faves.
Spiced veg rice and beans
Finely slice 1 onion and crush 2 garlic cloves. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a large pan and add the onion, garlic and 1 tsp of crushed chillis. Fry gently for 3-4 mins. Add 4oz uncooked brown rice, 6oz tinned mixed beans, 3oz frozen peas , 3oz sweetcorn, 1tsp cumin and 2tsps stock powder or 1 stock cube.Stir and pour in enough boiling water to cover. bring back to a boil and simmer until rice is cooked. Drain off any excess water, fluff with a fork and serve. it serves 2-3 depending on appetite. I like it with a nice salad but it's also good with broccoli or green beans HTH

Soworried

A spend of £9.09 tonight in MrM, I only called in to get milk but they were just doing the YS to stupid prices. I got,
Steak and kidney to make a pie= 15p
Fillet steak down to just 65p :j
Lamb chops x 3 65p
Streaky bacon 60p
Back bacon 39p
Bernard Matthews Escalopes x2 59p
Youngs fish fillets x2 45p
Meatball skewers x 3 55p
T cut gammon steaks 69p
Roasted vegetable sauce 9p
French sticks 9p

I'm over the moon and my freezer is full again

[Deleted User]

Soworried wrote: »

MrM, I only called in to get milk but they were just doing the YS to stupid prices.

Wow, now thats the way to do it.

wannalot

GRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!

I went in to a pound shop after work and spent a tenner which would have been better spent elsewhere.

I got some sweeties and biscuits, but i did also get some stuff i really need, including a laundry bag, bleach, and some plastic storage tubs.

This is the first month I have done this challenge and it is actually making me think about what I am buying, which is good, but I have realised I have a problem with impulse buying. Next month I need to plan more, and avoid shopping as a hobby. I enjoy walking round shops, but my income won't nreally support that any more as a daily activity!

m1nk1e

Anzac biscuit and Save Dosh

Thank you both for your words of wisdom. I really like the idea of playing spot the marketing ploy:) which instead of falling for should make me think twice.

I have made a real effort to not go shopping whilst hungry and you are right it does make a difference, I also try not to take kids or hubby!!

I am also going to make a note of what 'extras' tempt me and then factor some of them into a regular shop as you say that might then stop me seeking them out.

Fingers crossed, I shall report back and let you know if the coping strategies work for me.

Ridiculous but I have some stupid fear of not having stuff in or that it will suddenly run out. When the cupboards or fridge get low I begin to get a bit nervous - completely irrational I know! But it does seem to make me buy more than I need that week!!

Anzac_Biscuit

Glad to have helped, M1nk1e! Good luck, and let us know how it goes.

I did a big shop yesterday, which seems normal for me every two weeks or so. Got a load of meat so will parcel it up and put it in the freezer! Some is for next week but some is for later in the month.

DH told me a few weeks ago that he does actually like to take lunches to work (I thought he didn't) so this week I've tried to make my meal plan reflect that. Previously we were using up all the food for the week in that week, so starting the next week with no lunches made up (cos we had them for dinner :rotfl:) Actually I'm really pleased though, as it means it's less likely he'll be filling himself up with sugary junk at work. Also, if money gets tighter I'll have a lot more control over what we both eat (and spend). Mwa ha ha. Me, a control freak??

For those who do weekly meal plans, do you ever do a big shop and then start on a rough meal plan for next week if you got a lot of extras? I'm wondering if I should...

Hoipolloi

£15 on fruit and veg today. So £20 spent so far :beer:

joedenise

Anzac Biscuit - I do a rough plan for a month and try to buy all my meat and fish at the beginning of the month and freeze in meal sized portions (apart from bacon which I'm not keen on after it's been frozen).

My DH also likes to take LOs to work for his lunch and just pings them in the microwave. It's quite helpful that a lot of the food we eat can be reheated. When we have meals which won't reheat (anything with chips basically!) he'll take sandwiches.

He also always takes a pot of natural yoghurt and some fruit, so he gets a healthy lunch as well as dinner. It's also far cheaper than buying stuff when he's out and about as all he can get near work is stuff from the burger van - so burgers or hotdogs!

Of course, my monthly plan isn't written in stone and changes happen all the time but it does provide a basis of what to put on the shopping list.

Denise

PS just wanted to add that today will be another NSD - now up to 9 this month so doing quite well.

Anzac_Biscuit

Awesome, thanks joedenise! I've been toying with the idea of a monthly plan but haven't quite managed it yet. I like the idea of buying all the meat and fish at once though - I'll give it another month or so and then give that a go