January 2017 Grocery Challenge. NEW BEGINNINGS!

lynnejk

snowfox wrote: »

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lynnejk Thanks I'm going to make a broccoli and stilton to use up some leftover Christmas cheese.

Haha - I've just made a big pot of leek and broccoli soup. I shall have some for my tea with some stilton crumbled into it. The rest will go in the freezer, as is because DH doesn't like stilton - strange chap :rotfl: Let us know how your soup came out.

Spends today in Al*i of £20.06, meaning I've spent just over 40% of the budget. However, apart from a couple of bits to pick up in the week I won't need anything now until next weekend :j

Hope you all have a money-saving Monday
Lx

Willowx

£18.65 yesterday spent across the Greengrocers, butchers and COOP yesterday. No meat though as I'm still good for that but cheese, jam and marmalade of all things at the butchers. Enough fruit and veg for the week including celeriac which I've not had in ages but is great in mash. Been enjoying the Cox's apples this week so enough for one each day next week.

I'm up to £52.15 out of £1,560 for the year, so currently running just below budget. Hopefully I can keep it up.

Islandmaid

NSD here too..

I've been making work soup as well, Sweet Potato and coconut here

FurryBeastOz

NSD today because I've been feeling crap and haven't left the house. Freezer indulgence for dinner - burgers and chips. Tonight's plan will do for tomorrow as I've delayed working to Tuesday so will have time to cook tomorrow.

Flexible meal planning is the way to go.

Florence_J

Today was going to be a NSD, but then some friends of OH and Mine who have recently become engaged were in town so we met up with them. Decided to use this spend day as an opportunity to replenish the fruit bowl and bought apples and grapes.

Doom_and_Gloom

OH needed a couple of items. £1.94 to add.
£49.91/£155.
£105.09 left.

GreenFairy

We're having a big potluck Christmas dinner for family in a couple of weeks, (SIL and family are home from OZ for first time in four years) and I've been nominated to do the turkey because of course someone has had a bloody strop and they were supposed to be doing the bird. I'm going to try lidl, Aldi and Iceland this evening to see if they have any stragglers in their freezers...otherwise it's off to the butcher for a special order

sitesafe

No more spends since last update.

Have made lentil bolognese with wholewheat spaghetti which was lovely - 2 days' meals.
Yesterday I made sweet potato and chick pea curry which will have made 3 days' meals (well maybe four but I don't have a freezer and don't want to eat it for 4 days)...
Tomorrow it's going to be Basa Fish with jacket potato and stir fry veg.
Then it'll be stir fry again with noodles and cooked meat as the stir fry will need using up by then.
Wed and Thursday it'll be chick pea curry - one day with rice and one day with cous cous.

I think I've bought too many fresh veg with not enough menu planning but I am loathe to throw any away - such as shame as I could make soups and stews and freeze.

I just wondered - this has happened to me before, when I've bought the growing herbs you get in a pot from the supermarkets - they seem to come with resident tiny little flies like fruit flies. You don't necessarily see them on the herbs but after a day or so of the plant in the house I notice them hovering. This happened a year or so back and has happened again. I'm guessing they come from the compost that the herb is growing in. I probably notice this more as I live in an open studio flat which is just one room. Just a thought.

freyasmum

2 NSDs here for us. Hopefully we can continue this for a few more days! We'll only need milk, bacon and fruit to top up though.

Spanish chicken is in the slow cooker and will be packed up for the freezer when it's done.

I made hoisin and garlic pork for dinner tonight, which was really delicious.

Also got sizzling chicken strips to make throughout the week, and chicken fried rice.


On the store cupboard thing, I too was brought up with cupboards that were teeming full - I was back at my mums recently and ended up breaking a jar of pickled onions because I had the audacity to open a kitchen cupboard; they are so ram packed that the minute you open them, everything tumbles out. It's actually really dangerous!

However, I too have the mentality that a store cupboard and well stocked freezer (I used to have a chest freezer) would see us through the leaner times (as well as allowing me to buy products on offer and so lowering the overall grocery bill!). I certainly don't just want to have one open jar of soemthing in the cupboard and will always, always have a store cupboard with spares - but I do try to keep it in check! Unfortunately, I only have a small four-drawer freezer now as I find this is where the real savings can be made.

caronc

Hi newbie to to posting though long time lurker. Adjusting to being an "empty-nester" so just me & elderly pooch. Budget for food, drinks (not alcohol), cleaning/toiletries and pet food is £35 pw. Housebound at present so reliant on on-line shops so NSDs not an issue and income will drop substantially in next couple of months if health doesn't rapidly improve and I know I've being going over budget most months since youngest son left home. Budget month runs from 30/12 to 03/02 so a five week month so £175 available this month. One shop so far totalling £54 and cupboards/fridge and freezers are well (over) stocked though will need fresh stuff and pet supplies.