October 2007 Grocery Challenge

mothershipton

October is over and I managed to come in at £347 so Novembers target is £350. We have been eating up the contents of freezer and cupboards to have had weird meals this week!

Off to Tesco this morning with a long list, gulp...

In_Search_Of_Me

oh dear...have failed miserably and am actually seeing a bit of a pattern! I do really well until about now and then on the cusp of the month do a big shop! Its not irretrievable though!! Good to note the pattern if nothing else! Am also noticing that Tesco seem to be tha main recipient of my dosh!!

kaleoma

Back from a few days away-all I can say is thanks God challenge started 1 November as went wils in the aisles (£108.36 worth of wild!) :eek: of Asda when we were on holiday so I have got a few things in resever now for this month. Have even got my son working out which are the best yoghurts value and pricewise for his lunch box! All I have to do now is reign Al in and stop from buying bits and bobs which end up getting thrown away! Doing ok so far this week have been delving in the reduced fridge of my local co-op and making up batches of soup and stews for the freezer like everyone has said you just have to be methodical and plan it out!

Olliebeak

I'm still on my October challenge - so please forgive me for resurrecting this one. (Roll on payday 15th Nov! - which will include a 'back-dated to April' pay increase!:j )

Noticed yesterday that we are right down on milk, eggs and margarine - right down on the pennies too . Have sent OH out with strict instructions to get milk, eggs and marg and NOTHING else at all.

Decided to check out and list the contents of my cupboard, fridge and 2 freezers (am trying to clear small chest freezer for defrosting!). Can't believe how much stuff we are still left with - when I thought we were pushed for meals!

Chest Freezer

4 x 1/2lb packs of mince beef
2 loaves (1 granary and 1 white)
2 x 1/2lb packs of bacon
1 pizza style cheesey garlic bread
1 frozen Asda Lasagne
1 pack Chicken Chow Mein
1 pack 4 Cauliflower Cheese Grills
1 pack Garlic Mushrooms
1 Marlin Steak
1 pork steaks
2 Red Pepper and Courgette Meals (yellow labelled)
1 Duck and Mushroom Meal (yellow labelled)

Freezer Drawers
1 Turkey Drumstick
1 tray diced turkey thigh (frozen before I could split into smaller packs)
1 small bag diced turkey thigh
1 Ham shank
1 Asda Fish Pie
1 Margharita Pizza
small amount of frozen mixed veg (2 portions)
small amount of frozen oven chips (1 portion)
1 portion Sausage Casserole (home made)
1 large portion home made veg soup
1 small portion home made shank soup

Dried Goods
4 packs Savoury Rice in various flavours
3 packs Pasta in various sauces
1 pack Coriander and Lemon Cous Cous
12 packs of noodles in various flavours
1 Large Bag of pasta
Bag of Soup and Broth Mix
2 packs of casserole mixes
1 pack of soup and broth mix
1 pack of instant mash
1 pack of whitworths dried vegetables
plus various stock cubes, herbs, spices etc.
2 x half boxes of bran flakes
half box all-bran
1 bag porridge oats
half box of shredded wheat
half box of muesli

Tins
13 tins of chopped tomatoes (garlic/herbs/peppers and chilli)
2 tins Macaroni Cheese
1 tin Spaghetti
3 tins Baked Beans
4 tins Tuna
1 tin Mackerel fillets
1 tin Woodmsoked mackerel fillets
1 tin hotdogs
2 tins Liver and Onions in gravy
few tins of veg (peas, carrots etc)
1 tin kidney beans in chilli sauce
1 tin mixed bean salad
Bag of Egg Fried Rice (microwaveable)
2 jars stir-through pasta sauce

plus bag of potatoes, fresh carrots, fresh leeks, parsnips, onions


think I will have to seriously look to be using fresh and frozen stuff up in next few days.

Need to double check receipts in my purse from this months challenge - there were some birthday presents for DD's b/f plus items for DDGD2 when born. I'm not including those in my grocery challenge.

Think one lesson learned is NOT to stock up on tinned tomatoes with stuff added (33p a tin on offer). In future will get value chopped tomatoes and just add a teasp of herbs, crushed garlic, shake of chilli power! Stoopid woman that I am - I can't BELIEVE that I didn't think of this when getting carried away with that ASDA special offer (normally 42 p per tin down to 6 for £2.00).

rosieben

Olliebeak wrote: »

I'm still on my October challenge - so please forgive me for resurrecting this one.
...
Think one lesson learned is NOT to stock up on tinned tomatoes with stuff added (33p a tin on offer). In future will get value chopped tomatoes and just add a teasp of herbs, crushed garlic, shake of chilli power! Stoopid woman that I am - I can't BELIEVE that I didn't think of this when getting carried away with that ASDA special offer (normally 42 p per tin down to 6 for £2.00).

I agree about the tinned tomatoes, much better to have plain and tart them up as the mood takes you.

I'm trying to use up freezer stock, not much left now; I want to defrost and clean out ready for the christmas bird which I have on order for tomorrow and stock up again on frozen veg etc plus my winter stock of grated cheese and milk. best be going to do that now then......

you have lots in stock though, maybe you could do a weeks freezer challenge for yourself, not to buy anything but use up what you have in? (actually I think you could do more than one week!!!

Olliebeak

Thanks for that Rosieben! think what I really need is a kick up the a**e!! Managed to shift the two lots of soup for lunch - defrosted in microwave, put into one big bowl and then blitzed with my 'whizzie-wand' before warming through. Real concoction and tasted good - OH shook the last dregs of his tabasco into his and then rinsed out the bottle and added that as well :mad: .

Jacket potatoes tonight with tuna and sweetcorn mayo. OH brought a tin of sweetcorn in with him earlier when I sent him out for milk, eggs and margarine! He also got two mars bars (but not telling him off for THAT!).

MInced beef chilli with pasta tomorrow.

Ham shank stew with dumplings for Sunday.

rosieben

your OH did good - we all know mars bars are one of life's absolute essentials!!! :T

I'm probably not close enough to give you a kick up the a@se but would if I could! I'm very good at organising other people

Maybe you could go through your list - particularly freezer meat etc - and write down a meal list, then incorporate that into your meal plan for the next couple of weeks. I did this (although my freezer list was much shorter than yours as I live alone and dont keep much meat etc in) I used up most of it, including the last pack of sausages last week (they had been in there a looooooooong time!) so I can make a fresh start once I've cleaned it out.

maybe with the money you save on shopping you could treat yourselves to something you would all enjoy?