November 2015 Grocery Challenge

Dizzy_Imp

Oh dear. I'm over budget again. Yes, I have got some bits for the festive season, but even so, I spent £161.83 online, which takes my total to £419.49. So, £70-odd over, and I'll still need bread and milk later in the month I'm not very good at this. Any suggestions?

selloptape

Hi Dizzy Imp I find menu planning really helps, I do a week at a time as I find a months plan hard to stick to. Also if I have an expensive week then I can adjust the next weeks plan to have less meat and fish. Having cheap veggie meals really helps keep my budget down, I love lentil dhal and rice which costs pennies, jacket potatoes, omelette, sausage and mash are other cheap meals that we have most weeks. Not the most exciting meal plan but as I keep going with the challenge I'm hoping to find more cheap meals to add to the list

I've also cut down costs on puds and cereals by buying supermarket brands, I now only get the branded ones if they're on sale.

Hope this helps, good luck x

DuranGirl

Hi Dizzy Imp. I agree with Selloptape about the menu planning, although it's mostly in my head rather than on paper as it used to be. I'm doubling up when I cook from scratch (eg one cottage pie for that night and one for the freezer) and being very rigorous with using up my leftovers. I do one big Ocado shop per month, which forms the backbone of my month, and then I top up bread, milk and juice at Aldi, plus anything that they are substantially cheaper on than Ocado. I'm stretching meals by adding more frozen veg/tinned tomatoes than meat or Quorn to cottage pies etc. In the past when I've done this, I've even gone as far as using porridge oats to bulk out chilli and Bolognese sauce. I learnt that on here, and when I told my DD about it recently, she'd never even noticed!

NewShadow

Just spent £42 on a delivery to arrive on Friday. Really it's my first December shop as that should be it for me this month.

c. £90 all in.

I wanted to order and pay for this early as next month will be a hammer with three works do's - one the meal's paid for, but not the drinks.

But I don't have any family near by, and work over christmas, so it's my equiv. of christmas day (tiny violin)...

Love to all.

XSpender

Popped into Mr S for a non food purchase and picked up some YS gluten free sausages, a sarnie for DH, a drink for DS and crème fraiche which aldee don't sell.

Dizzy_Imp

Thanks for the suggestions Selloptape and DuranGirl - meal planning seems to be the way forward. When I do this I do tend to be less likely to overspend, so I'll have to sit down and work out some tasty meals for the next week, based on my delivery of today.

There is an added challenge that DH has ulcerative colitis and is a HUGE carnivore. Veggie meals are a definite no-no, unless presented as a side to the star of the show and his UC means I have to be careful how much fibre, seed, skin and "stringy" foods I give him, which means limited fruit and veg, only white bread, not wholemeal and a low level of nuts and dairy products. Oh, and he doesn't like salad...:doh:

He also shouldn't eat too much red meat, but I think he'd leave home if I rationed that! He also won't eat leftovers, which he associates with being poor as a child, so often perfectly good food goes to the dogs, which is crazy.:eek: I'm going to have to look at portion sizes and maybe freeze what would normally be surplus in advance of dishing up, maybe even bulking it out to make it go further, and be craftily creative :shhh:, presenting the food as "new" later in the month.

Oh Lordy...December next month - four birthdays, Christmas and NYE to celebrate. I think I'll set my budget at four figures now...

NewShadow

Dizzy_Imp wrote: »

Thanks for the suggestions Selloptape and DuranGirl - meal planning seems to be the way forward. When I do this I do tend to be less likely to overspend, so I'll have to sit down and work out some tasty meals for the next week, based on my delivery of today.

There is an added challenge that DH has ulcerative colitis and is a HUGE carnivore. Veggie meals are a definite no-no, unless presented as a side to the star of the show and his UC means I have to be careful how much fibre, seed, skin and "stringy" foods I give him, which means limited fruit and veg, only white bread, not wholemeal and a low level of nuts and dairy products. Oh, and he doesn't like salad...:doh:

I'm not sure how you feel about cheap meat - some people will only consider high welfare.

Iceland have an offer on two 1kg whole chickens £5

Roasted whole they're cheap enough, or jointed they're good for a few casseroles or curry.

I prefer to buy small whole chickens as I find if I buy larger chickens I tend to use them proportionally and the portion just costs more (I never have half a breast or leg left!)

I'm considering a couple for the freezer.

CountingPennies

Had LOADS of NSD this week! Thankgod as I don't have much left in the budget really. Must do a shop tomorrow though. Need meat, packed lunch food, bread and milk and some other basics.

CP xx

Dizzy_Imp

NewShadow wrote: »

I'm not sure how you feel about cheap meat - some people will only consider high welfare.

Iceland have an offer on two 1kg whole chickens £5

Roasted whole they're cheap enough, or jointed they're good for a few casseroles or curry.

I prefer to buy small whole chickens as I find if I buy larger chickens I tend to use them proportionally and the portion just costs more (I never have half a breast or leg left!)

I'm considering a couple for the freezer.

Thanks NewShadow - I understand what you mean about using proportionally as this definitely happens in our house. I have two stepkids who stay regularly and I've witnessed my 16 yr old SS eat an entire roast chicken on his own :eek: If I do cook a whole bird now, it has to be turkey-sized or two smaller ones. All the boys have big appetites, SD can hold her own, but us girls are in a minority here!

Animal welfare is important to me and I do buy directly from farmers I know and trust when I can, and actually I think I get a good deal when I look at the SM prices. We have chickens at home who lay our eggs and DH wants to keep some piggies, but I'd be sad to have to eat my 'pets'. I think I may have to look at some cheaper cuts rather than lower my welfare expectations. I don't know where Iceland buy their meat, but it sounds like I should look at them too...

selloptape

Hi Dizzy oops - sorry - didn't realise your OH has Colitis, my veggie menu would definitely make him a bit poorly

There's a Facebook page or group called (I think) Feed Your Family for £20 a Week. They often post offer codes for Muscle F00ds meat - again depends how you feel about budget meat but lots of comments on there raving about the quality and amount you get.

The left overs thing is difficult, love the idea to hide left overs in the freezer also might it work if you present it differently eg 'I love xxxxx but it takes so long to cook, think I'll do an extra one for next month to save time' then it's not left over but being organised for next week/month?

Hth xxx

PS sorry just seen your comment above about cheap meat, my internet is very slooow today