Family of 5 'shop from home'food storage challenge...

D&DD

:beer: Yay I'm not the only one then!!!
Thats great to hear you lasted so long on your supplies lil_me must ask are you going to do a huge shop to replenish them all now once you are settled in and are you breaking out in a cold sweat at the thought of running them down like me :rotfl:
I usually have half a lamb in the freezer but meat stocks are lower this time of the year as I run it down for xmas stuff
I'll have a look through my indian cookery books see if I can find any other recipes for your flour maybe something you can freeze so it'll keep?

Update for day 6
Well today was a total washout..did the housework after returning from Lidls then had to take some shopping in for a neighbour by then it was time for the school run and ds3 decided to escape from school and met me halfway home!! Panic stations :eek: Its only the end of the road but I shall be having words after halfterm...:mad:

Breakfast was toast and blueberry and blackcurrant jam mmm...
ds3 had...well you all know by now!!!:o

Lunch was sausage rolls,cheese sarnies with apples and grapes.
DS3 had gf bread and butter soldiers,strawberries,and more strawberries...
Me and OH had cheese and ham toasties YUM

Dinner tonight was really late (tutor night) so had to sling in HM chickenburgers again with rolls I made yesterday but the boys had salad and a jacket so it was a bit healthier..

Had to post my ebay stuff too but made a profit of £37.67p this week so well chuffed,I couldn't list much as I was so busy but might list some more after halfterm,my pile of fabric is oooh about 4 millimetres lower now..another of my hoarding problems :whistle:

Tomorrow I have 3 hours respite so will use that (hopefully fingers crossed)to get the rest of the washing /ironing done and hopefully make some pizzas. I have this Schwartz salad sprinkly thing with red peppers,olives and mint in it and I've been mixing it into the dough recently and its gorgeous!

Total Spend today in Lidl was £2.60 for 2x4 pints of milk so running total for week 1 is £6.56:j

lil_me

Cold sweats and shaking when having to walk past frozen foods & other things I have too much of, coffee I still have 6 bags of ground, not bought any for 5 months, not going to the farm shop to buy meat I am really missing aswell, farmer was asking my Dad if I was ill I have said I will try not to let it get so bad again.

Cupboard space the new house has MUCH less of, still a lot but not the 13+pantry I had here, then hidden things on top of cupboards, 2x30litre storage boxes on the freezer etc.

I can't make the same promise with the freezer but plan to be better, downside is I will have more fridge and freezer space than I do now, taking my American style one with me (parted with the small under bench freezer) then there is a big FF half and half in there. I will try however.

My sons psychologist who I mentioned it to thinks I am right as to why I do it, we went through some very hard times where food stocks were always very low, now I am scared it'll happen again I stockpile.

If you can have a look for more recipes with chapati flour that would be great, suppose I could freeze some, will fill some space in the freezer which might stop me buying more. I've packed my cook books inc the Indian food one and can't find it anywhere! Saying that I am well known for phoning friends and asking them to store what I can't fit in Leaving things in the car is another trick. I remember DP going to use my car & being greeted by 48 loo rolls in the boot :rotfl: I did find that making extra bread and freezing it at first helped me with the psychological 'argh it's half empty' feeling at first. Panic really set in when I managed to empty the under bench freezer and only had the big one full Silly isn't it.

I also have a son with ASD, second they are 'curious about' so I know what it's like when they have same things all the time. I also panic buy with those, making sure I have what they like in and lots of it, just incase. Have had shops run out of things he likes before when I've had none left and ended up travelling miles to find them. Another silly one. Saying that 'local' shop where I live now is rubbish, only one here, overpriced & regularly stuff well past it's use by with nothing reduced. There is a coop where we are moving to aswell as fruit and veg shop etc, something I've not had the luxury of for a while, 8 years.... So I can buy things much easier once we move, good thing or bad thing, just have to wait and see, coop does some great reductions (1/4 of freezer full )

Worst bit will be getting his fruit things from Costco before they return to school, resisting bargain bulk buys, wonder if I just take limited cash it might help, that is what I have been doing so far. Saying that would be a shame to miss a bargain see here I go again!

D&DD

Nah not silly I call it insurance Sounds like your 'Adventures with food storage' started for exactly the same reasons as me..It is frightening especially when you have a family, to get to the point where you literally have nothing.I had to borrow money off my parents for food one week when ds2 was born,I was on maternity pay (used to be the main wage earner back then) interest rates were at 15.9 % and we were being reposessed.I vowed never to be without food for my babies again..now look where it's got me :rotfl:
I have really struggled not to look on Tesco.com and to walk in a foodstore without hunting out the bargains has been hell so I know where you're coming from with the farm shop etc,we top up from a local farm and he's probably thinking the same!!

""I also have a son with ASD, second they are 'curious about' so I know what it's like when they have same things all the time. I also panic buy with those, making sure I have what they like in and lots of it, just incase. Have had shops run out of things he likes before when I've had none left and ended up travelling miles to find them. Another silly one. Saying that 'local' shop where I live now is rubbish, only one here, overpriced & regularly stuff well past it's use by with nothing reduced. There is a coop where we are moving to aswell as fruit and veg shop etc, something I've not had the luxury of for a while, 8 years.... So I can buy things much easier once we move, good thing or bad thing, just have to wait and see, coop does some great reductions (1/4 of freezer full )

Worst bit will be getting his fruit things from Costco before they return to school, resisting bargain bulk buys, wonder if I just take limited cash it might help, that is what I have been doing so far. Saying that would be a shame to miss a bargain see here I go again!""


OOh yes the fear of running out of 'the favourites' is mindblowing..I have also been known to travel to 5 different stores before midmorning break to get his strawberries lol..And the worst thing is when they change the packaging (robinsons and Capri sun)..thats a no-no I have to hunt down stocks with the same design until I can persuade him to try a replacement.See we DO have a valid reason don't we!

lil_me

We've never been without food for them but close, left other things unpaid inc the rent, I didn't eat so knew was enough left for them, scary enough for me.

I must also set my homepage for something else, it's on Tesco.com now as had to change it recently because a webpage I used closed, remove temptation!!!

I think how I might be able to combat it is, save cash instead of food, I've been putting the extra money I have saved from GC away and I know it's there if I need it. Shopping with cash only has helped but 'leaving the card just incase' in the car is bad! I always take it in. Must leave it at home. Oh and have reorganised cupboards better so I can see what I have in, instead of hiding it all.

D&DD

We must resist Tesco's :rotfl:
I did ask our psyc if she thought he got his obsessional behaviour from me..she just smiled..

If I can keep out of Mr T's grasp for a whole month we will have saved between £250 and £300 :T possibly more as my food bills were starting to creep up each week again.Seeing that much being saved is a good feeling I just can't get over the 'gaps' appearing :eek: There's no hope for me,we should start up groceries anonymous :rotfl:

thriftmonster

Hi - just to say I did the apple braid yesterday - but with half wholemeal (thanks to the Doves Farm tip), left out the sultanas and spread the centre of the dough with raspberry jam before adding the apples - it's gone down a storm!

I also tidied out my larder yesterday and thought " we could have a storecupboard challenge for Nov" but I also know that my comfort level would be seriously challenged if I had much less in. I have a small walk in pantry and it is stuffed - but I get twitchy otherwise.

It's genetic in my case - my Nana always felt caught on the hop by the Second World War and so after the war was a serious food hoarder - she obviously passed it onto me ( and bypassed my Mum!). I am trying to run down the freezer a bit for Christmas - but my larder - NEVER!

kethry

D&DD wrote: »

Kethry we sound like twins the boys friends always say 'We've told mum not to cook us any tea' when they arrive lol...they know they'll be well fed here!I've bookmarked your blog as I'm going to do the onion marmalade it looks gorgeous,and I have a few onions to spare

we *do* sound like twins.. OH is muttering dark things about having to deal with two of us.. LOL. the onion marmalade is *definetly* worth doing. its gorgeous. I made the mistake of putting the lid on when i was simmering mine for the 3 hours so its a bit too liquid - i have to reboil it to get it down to a better consistency. so do be careful of that. I made bread and butter pickles yesterday too, which are gorgeous (definetly making those again - i had to stop OH scoffing the lot last night). they only use up 2 large onions though.

D&DD wrote: »

ah yes Kethry I'm in Surrey so it's pretty good for growing most things,we can get away with an awful lot and where my garden is really enclosed and down a dip its pretty sheltered in some ways,BUT we live on an old airfield LOL so most things grow sideways... Must have a better look round Lidls when OH's not with me..I'll try their breadflour when I run my stocks down a bit (only about 39 bags to go...)I have more pics of my cupboards but think most people have an idea of my hoarding with just that one alone!!!

you're lucky (with the enclosed bit). Our garden is a sort of L shape and when the wind comes down from the north it fairly whistles, unimpeded, around the corner. fortunately it doesn't happen very often but when it does.. brrrrrr! I'm also fighting a *major* battle with slugs - just about anything i sow into the ground seems to get eaten as soon as it pokes the first leaves above ground. The only way i get any success is sowing elsewhere and then transplanting, which of course, some plants don't like. I think i've more to learn as well about spacing, can probably get more in. ah well. time will teach me that one!

39 bags?!! good lord! okay yes, it'll be a while before you try Lidl's flour.. but then given the way the prices of flour have shot up i think you're the one laughing! I wish i could hoard more. Like you were saying to lil_me, its a security thing.. while i haven't been left with nothing in the cupboards, as a teenager who went to boarding school, my food supply was always subject to other people's control - not only what i ate, but when, and how much.. i didn't get a great deal of pocket money and there wasn't always the option for other foods if i couldn't stand the food that they were serving (not to mention other reasons why i couldn't always eat, i was quite badly bullied) so there are a lot of bad memories around food and eating for me. A lot of good ones too (in more recent years) but i still hoard.. makes me feel better, like i'm the one that has the control.

*hugggggsss* good luck with using up some of your stores!

keth
xx

kethry

thriftmonster wrote: »

I also tidied out my larder yesterday and thought " we could have a storecupboard challenge for Nov" but I also know that my comfort level would be seriously challenged if I had much less in. I have a small walk in pantry and it is stuffed - but I get twitchy otherwise.

speaking of pantries/larders (what's the difference btw?) does anyone else drool over Nigella's pantry? that lil room she has, stocked to the brim with jars and packets of things, all nicely lit? I want that room!!! i want to move in there!!

keth
xx

givememoney

I must say I am the opposite to the full stock cupboard people here. In fact if I ended up with a lot of something I would try to use it up. I am the same with loose change, I hate it and try to get rid of that.

If I use one i.e. tin of tomatoes, I put 1 on the list for next time.

I do buy extra bogoffs if it something I use but even then, although I know it would be advantagess I generally only buy 3 or 4 lots at the most.

I did buy a large supply of honey because I read it would be in short supply because of some disease wiping out the bees but ever since it has been in the shops and I have now dug in and used it all.

sammy_kaye18

Ok I blame D&DD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. I was so busy watching and keeping an eye on your thread that i forgot to do my own shopping and now im sat twitching cos all our bill shave gone out and I forgot to do the major food shop!!!(and oh hospital visits and son being ill didnt help either!! So Im hot flushes and all here at the minute, i think the list of what i have in may send soem of you into a shock state so desperate help needed. (again i warn my paragraphs dont work so if anyone needs it in list form then could someone oblige please!!!).............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ok the cupboards first. 3 x tins of sweetcorn, 2 tins of hotdogs, 9 tins of spaghetti, 6 tins of baked beans, 1 tin of meatballs, 2 tins of chicken curry(bfs), 4 tins of curry sauce(bfs), bisto granules, sugar, bag of smash(bfs), 2 pasta bakes, dolmio stir in sauce, chicken oxo cubes (lots) jar and a half lemon curd, coffee, pack of savoury rice, 3 sachets fo chicken noodle soup, 2 3kg bags fo pasta shapes, s/r flour, plain flour, bread flour, 11 sachets of yeast, dried apricots, raisins, icing sugar, dram topping (x2), tinned sponge pudding (bfs), custard powder, ketchup, jelly granules x3, 1kg rice, tin of rice pudding, 1 tin ready to eat custard, strawberry whip, jam, potatoes, baking chocolate, and 1 and a half loaves of bread and some homemade tablet.................................................................................................................................................................The fridge...butter, baking lard, carrots, 2 baking potatoes, lettuce, cucumber, cauliflower, brocolli, grapes, bens yoghurts, some cheese, my yoghurt (natural), 10 rashers bacon, 2pts milk, some ham...................................................................................................................................................The freezer (dont laugh) 1 garlic baguette, 1/2 bag of green beans, 1/2 bag of peas, a whole chicken, 3 chicken breasts (been in there about 5/6 months! never defrosted though), sausages approx 6, 4pt milk - SHAMEFUL!.....................................................................................................................................Cereal. I have half boxes really of ready brek, cornflakes, rice cripies, wetabix, fristed flakes, muesli, and abotu 3/4 bag of porridge oats, also have some kidies iced gems too....................................................................The fruit bowl..2 pears, 5 apples, 5 oranges and a bag of satsumas...............................................................................................................................................................In all seriousness i have about £2.40 to my name and it has to last me until the 27th. Ive got some left over cocktail sausages too which i was about to put in the oven as bf tends to nibble alot but it seems ashame to jsut use these and heat a whole oven - any ideas waht else to put in there?? Im thinking the jacket potatoes as bf will be due home about 5/6 oclock and i can put beans and cheese on top. Ben has jsut had some cheesy pasta for tea - HELP I NEED IDEAS!!!!!!