August 2017 Grocery Challenge

[Deleted User]

BrassicWoman wrote: »

Instant mash and ketchup is the 2 minute comfort food of the gods. Head high, please!

Lol, lots more where that came from - I have a shelf of 'shame' in the pantry - 'Falafel Mix' - it will make an appearance soon !!!

pipkin71 wrote: »

How do you make the oat milk, Save Dosh, and how long does it last for, please?

I would play around with it, as the recipe calls for twice as much water than I use and soaking, which I now don't bother wth and I find it works just as well, but I prefer this, as its thick and creamy.

1 cup of oats (I use value)
1 1/3 cups of water
I add a shake of vanilla extract, you could add a tiny squirt of maple syrup/golden syrup, but not needed
BLEND for about 10 seconds (no longer).
Sieve and bottle.

It really is that easy. I'm not sure how long it lasts, I would think possibly a week in the fridge, but I have been making small batches up every few days, as its so quick to do. It does sink in hot drinks, but I just have a spoon sticking out of my coffee and just give it a quick twirl - no biggie - and its really tasty. Shake quiickly before use. I also use the leftover pulp. I add fruit to it (blackberries) mashed and sweetened, but you could also fling in smoothies. Please let me know if you try it and what you think.

pipkin71

Save_Dosh wrote: »

Lol, lots more where that came from - I have a shelf of 'shame' in the pantry - 'Falafel Mix' - it will make an appearance soon !!!


I would play around with it, as the recipe calls for twice as much water than I use and soaking, which I now don't bother wth and I find it works just as well, but I prefer this, as its thick and creamy.

1 cup of oats (I use value)
1 1/3 cups of water
I add a shake of vanilla extract, you could add a tiny squirt of maple syrup/golden syrup, but not needed
BLEND for about 10 seconds (no longer).
Sieve and bottle.

It really is that easy. I'm not sure how long it lasts, I would think possibly a week, but I have been making small batches up every few days, as its so quick to do. It does sink in hot drinks, but I just have a spoon sticking out of my coffee and just give it a quick twirl - no biggie - and its really tasty. Please let me know if you try it and what you think.

Thank you

I don't buy alternatives often as I never manage to use a whole carton and it goes to waste. I drink black coffee anyway and only drink tea if I have a milk substitute already open.

I will give it a try this week as I have some cereal that needs using up

zafiro1984

I've just done an online shop from Wait...... Bought dishwasher tabs, coffee, toilet rolls, dogfood - all things that I can't overuse.
Total spend £163.50, however I paid £81.99 with a saving of £81.51 - 50% off.
I used a delivery voucher of £20, and only bought items that were on offer and on my 'pick list' saving another 20%.

Really really pleased, I've enough dishwasher stuff to last well into next year. Coffee, toilet rolls and dog food to last until Christmas.
Not an exciting and popular shop of biscuits, cake, wine, and chocolates but at least it wont disappear quickly. :j

lynnejk

armchairexpert wrote: »

Thanks Lynn. There's four of us (kids are primary aged), plus cat food for two, dog treats (not dog food, which I get in bulk from a speciality provider) and cleaning stuff. I meal plan, I batch bake when I have time, and yes I only buy in season. I shop at Ald! when I can manage it, which helps, but it's a bit of a drive away and the last two weekends have meant squeezing in a grocery shop where and when I can. I also live in an expensive part of my city, so there's a $2-5/kg mark up on fish and meat compared to inner urban shops.

But after all of that, this week has been really good! Because I got down to the markets where everything's cheaper I picked up some bargains, and spent $150 all up. I also realised I'd done my calculations wrong - I thought I'd spent $604 but in fact it was $450, I was adding the wrong things together. So in fact I'm at $590/950, about which I am very chuffed! I will need a top up shop because I was on foot with weight restrictions, but shouldn't be too much.

I lurve good news ! Well done and with the market as well :T :T

Maybe you'll have to bite the bullet and get a shopping trolley on wheels - I've just bought a really trendy looking one and it's great for buying the heavy stuff (I don't have use of a car in the week).
Lx

lynnejk

zafiro1984 wrote: »

I've just done an online shop from Wait...... Bought dishwasher tabs, coffee, toilet rolls, dogfood - all things that I can't overuse.
Total spend £163.50, however I paid £81.99 with a saving of £81.51 - 50% off.
I used a delivery voucher of £20, and only bought items that were on offer and on my 'pick list' saving another 20%.

Really really pleased, I've enough dishwasher stuff to last well into next year. Coffee, toilet rolls and dog food to last until Christmas.
Not an exciting and popular shop of biscuits, cake, wine, and chocolates but at least it wont disappear quickly. :j

Brilliant savings :dance: :dance: and you sound well stocked up on some of the essentials for life
Lx

BrassicWoman

£11.66 today between the Range, Homesense and Tesco

- grout cleaner - I seem to be stocking up for a deep clean next weekend, hadn't planned on it but that is what my brain is shopping for! Microwave and washing machine cleaner already in the cupboard. I know others will vinegar and stardops stuff but I'm an idle cleaner :-)

- diet sodas - has been really hot, fancied a wee treat
- some reallly posh mushroom pasta, will do me for about 3 meals
- bread
- bananas
- hummus
- chopped tomtoes and chilli (have veg balls, makes a lovely vegan meatball and pasta)
- razors

Also went to M&S who had loads of YS bakery goods, but I'd just have been shopping for the sake of it. I'll drop by at YS time later in the week and see what there is; some stir fry veg would be good, I have some tofu needing used up.

I'm feeling like I'm going to make it this month. If I have any spare I will get some laundry supplies ahead of next month - the September budget elsewhere is really tight so any grocery savings are welcome!

YorksLass

Week 3: total spend of £44.02 and 5 NSDs.

Week 4: a small Friday spend of £8.14.

We'll be going off on jollies next Sunday and all meals between now and then have been planned to use up what we already have so, although there might be some odd combos going on, there'll be a healthy surplus of dosh. :):) Not declaring just yet though .... just in case.

Doom_and_Gloom

Save_Dosh wrote: »

Been meaning to get Lidl for their 'Veggie/Vegan' event. What did you get - anything interesting.

It was four packs of the organic vegan mince, one pack of organic vegan chicken style pieces and a pack of organic vegan gyros style that I got. I haven't tried any of them, really hoping the vegan mince is good now :rotfl:. One pack of vegan mince will be made into fajitas and burritos at the start of next month I know that much, not sure about anything else though. Maybe stir fry, wraps or something. Froze three packs of vegan mince. Didn't say you could on the pack but couldn't see why not. Will likely change the texture a little but that's fine. The other packs are in the fridge. They had dates of 2nd September.
The amazing thing was they are gluten free as well. Usually items like this are wheat and soya based. So any veggies or vegans that are celiac or intolerant to wheat/gluten products can have these also!

BrassicWoman

Was aiming for a NSD today, but as I had to go to waitrose to collect a JL parcel, I had a wee look. £12.46

- loads of avocados, vegan food of the gods! £2 for 6, happy with that.
- YS freefrom brownies, one pack out now, one for the freezer
- pastry to use up my vegan cheese which does not taste great (not buying again!) but is fine in a sausage roll stuffed with pickle too
- YS very fancy italian bread that I love for beans on toast - freezer bound
- potato scones
- the laundry detergent I wanted to buy ahead of next month

To make room for stuff in the freezer I've taken out veg which is now cooking with rice and will make a nice dinner with yesterays YS hummus stirred through it

£10 to spend next weekend on fresh fruit; now I rifle throught the freezer, I'm not needing veggies for a good while except maybe an onion. But I hate slicing onions, so maybe not.

dangerbadger

A further £16.09 spent today in L1dl on fresh fruit and veg, taking my total up to £92.17