January 2019 Grocery Challenge

tighteningthebelt

caronc dishwasher tablets are on specialbuys at ald! this week (started yesterday) 70 magnum all in ones for £5.49 and they get great reviews. I know this because I'm going to get some for my dishwasher that has been ordered but isn't even delivered yet!!!

elsipac 'bowls' I just love that!! The no-nonsense of it has made me smile. I'm going to have 'bowls' from now on. Thank you for all you do.

VickyV

New week starts today. Small spends yesterday on milk and cat food took me to £52.59 for the week, leaving £12.41 for the slush fund!

Off to do the weekly shop now, list in hand!

Vicky x

Chloris

Weekly shop has been done. I am now up to £413.91 so it is looking tight. I stocked up on pulses and my dh may get feed up with curries and stews as I start a big batch cook up. I have been slightly hampered by the element breaking in the oven. I've realised we put the oven on almost everyday! Puddings might need to be purchased for the foreseeable. Anyone got a vegan microwave sponge pudding recipe? Pretty please. The only other thing I can think of is Welsh cakes in the pan. I'm hoping the element we ordered arrives soon.

Over half way through the month now. Good luck everyone! Xx

Ginmonster

Another £8.32 spent yesterday. I went in for just bananas but I also picked up some storecupboard bits we'd run out of but didn't desperately need. It's all stuff we'll use but I'm still having trouble just sticking to the list. I think it might be because it seems a waste of effort to only carry one item home and while I'm there I might as well carry a bag full.

83.14/120

elsiepac

Chloris wrote: »

Anyone got a vegan microwave sponge pudding recipe? Pretty please.

Chocolate Covered Katie is my go to dessert website - she has loads of recipes for mug cakes which are usually done in the microwave see link! MUG CAKES

tighteningthebelt wrote: »

elsipac 'bowls' I just love that!! The no-nonsense of it has made me smile. I'm going to have 'bowls' from now on. Thank you for all you do.

I love a bowl! You just need to have an idea of what you want for each component:
1. Grain (this is your carby element, so it could be quinoa, cous cous, pasta, rice, jacket potato, mash, bulgar wheat... I could go on)
2. Protein (for me this is a bean, lentil, tofu, shop-bought something)
3. Veggies - At least two different types here, raw, roasted, boiled, steamed, grilled, whatever!
4. Greens - Spinach, broccoli, kale, chard, salad leaves, cabbage etc
5. Sauce or Dressing - whatever floats your boat!
6. Toppings - fresh herbs, toasted nuts or seeds, capers, pickles, chilli flakes, nutritional yeast and so on

Budgets updated to here

K9sandFelines

£7.27 to add

sinkorswim2018

Also looking for ideas for cold lunches for my meat eating daughter to take to college. Pesto pasta is a hit so far. Caved and gave her £2 this morning. Quite happy to cook in advance, thinking cheese scones may be a good idea.

pennywisepoundstupid

sinkorswim2018 wrote: »

Also looking for ideas for cold lunches for my meat eating daughter to take to college. Pesto pasta is a hit so far. Caved and gave her £2 this morning. Quite happy to cook in advance, thinking cheese scones may be a good idea.

My daughter often takes cold pasta salads her favourite is pasta mixed with mayo and wholegrain mustard with some chicken and sweetcorn mixed in, humous and bread sticks/veggie sticks is another, tuna pasta, does it need to be cold could she take a small flask with HM soup and a bread roll, I saw some small flasks in wilko this week I think they were around £5 and food flasks which were large mug size which would be good for stews or baked beans but cant remember how much they were.

piglet27

This weeks spends £5.86 mostly milk. We are desperately trying to use up stores especially the freezer.

Total so far for Jan is £85.36, my usual by now would be around £240. I'm really amazed what a small amount of planning and eating from stores can achieve.

OH has started commenting at how empty the fridge is looking, little does he know we are eating mainly from stores next week too. :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Lifeisforliving19

Went to Mr M this morning. Bought a couple of things that weren't on the list, but things we actually need and I had forgotten to put on the list...:rotfl:
Quick stop in the local discount store on the way back and total of £36.87 for both shops
This brings my monthly total so far to £123.39/£200
Pleased with that, although will aim to do even better next month. Just got a few veggies/fruit to pick up tomorrow in local greengrocer and that should be us done for the week.
Fancy starting some batch cooking, but think that will alter my weekly/monthly spends a bit as may spend more one time and then a lot less the next time. This will also obviously mean that I use the oven for a lot of stuff in one go, which has to be more economical. I do sometimes batch cook soup, but that's about it. I must try harder.