I'm back! Trying to spend less on food!

mumtoomany

Hi all, @Siebrie, more of a surprise for the elderly neighbour than us! The last thing you expect to see when you go to see what the dogs are barking at. 
Hope your results are back soon, @sammy_kaye18.
Yes, @Katiehound, they eat everything! We had to dig out a Rhododendron bush when we had them, nobody had told them it was poisonous.
@beckstar1975, ours had 13 acres, many trees, bushes, shrubs, a stream. Goat heaven you would think. I now know that the billy goats gruff story is based on truth, they will always want to get to the other side.

Tea. I found a tub of bolognese in the freezer. So made a lasagne. Served it with chips and green beans. Cake (HM) after.

Hugs to all, mumtoomanyxxx

thriftwizard

Little goat story - about 8 years ago, I was helping to run a big kitchen garden next to a paddock with two Pygmy goats in it. Sadly the soil was very depleted; stony, dry & dusty, and had been in cultivation for many years without any feeding. In the paddock was a HUGE untouched pile of well-rotted horse manure. The owner, all of 4'10, was too scared of the fairly-tiny goats to use the manure, but I grew up next to goats, and at one stage some of my family were the UK's biggest goat farmers, so I wasn't unduly worried about taking the barrow round to fetch some.

Shoulda known better! Despite my efforts to sweet-talk them & distract them with some of the copious dandelions and other munchables on the garden side of the fence, I'd been butted fairly hard several times before I made my escape with half a barrow full of manure. It was only afterwards that we discovered that the goats had been given up for re-homing by their previous owner because they'd broken her hip...

Never take goats for granted...

euronorris

Great thread Mumtoomany! You've inspired me to watch those pennies more carefully for our groceries too (I'd let it creep up).

So I've meal planned for the week, and prepared the shopping list based on that and then used Trolley to determine the cheapest place to get it all from. I'll be shopping tonight. Should come in at £41.15 (with meals to spare for the following weeks), split between 3 supermarkets (thankfully all close by in my town).

beckstar1975

you're giving me the kick up the bum I need - I've been so slack on this. For tea tonight there's either chicken thighs, italian sausages or pork tenderloin, all in the fridge and needing used up

mumtoomany

Glad to hear it, @beckstar1975. We'll all be millionaires by Christmas at this rate. Or at least well fed.

Tea yesterday, I cooked one of farm foods small chickens in the slow cooker. We had some of the meat, there will be enough to stretch for another two meals. Served with cauliflower cheese, carrots and potatoes.

Did a big shop for February yesterday, I know if was still January but being short of milk and knowing iceland only do discount on Tuesdays we went yesterday. 

Lots of bargains in the vegetable shop again, including a box of garlic, probably around ten big bulbs. I've saved the biggest bulbs, around forty, to plant out. The rest I've peeled and crushed. Two jars full in the fridge, some to go in the freezer. Iceland had half price Christmas stock, including a 6kg gammon joint, reduced to £14.99 then an additional 10% off. Cash and carry had pate, 12 tubs for £2, also some cheap chicken and baby sausages. Total spent across five shops, £70.83. I have done a rough meal plan for the month. I'll only need milk, possibly fruit and veg, maybe bread.

 I shouldn't need to venture into a food shop now till at least 15th. I hope!

 Today for tea HM scotch eggs, probably with savoury rice and baked beans.

Total spends for the year to date are, £266.32/£2640.

Hugs, mumtoomany xxx

mumtoomany

So how are you all today? Both DD and I seem to have come down with a cold! A lot of sneezing and coughing going on. 

Last night I used half a pack of beef offcuts, they are the ends from when cooked sliced beef is cut for sandwich meat. They cost me £1 for a 1kg pack on tuesday, dated use by wednesday. I sliced the chunks by hand and heated them through with some gravy, from the freezer. The other half pack is now frozen. Served with potatoes, broccoli, peas and HM Yorkshire puddings. Roast beef dinner for around 40p per head. Dessert was HM jam tarts, made with HM marmalade.

Tonight I'm planning to stir fry lots of vegetables, add a shredded chicken breast, from Tuesday's chicken, some flavouring, and three packets of instant noodles. Easy, quick and loved by all the adults, the children will pick at it and moan! 

Hope you all have a good day, hugs, mumtoomany.xxx

euronorris

Sorry to hear that you and DD are poorly. I hope you both feel better soon.

Where do you get those offcuts from?

I have so far made batches of chicken casserole, beef stew and (today) chicken korma in the slow cooker this week. Excess portions in the freezer for another night

annieb64

I saw ham offcuts in Asda. Don't know if it's a regular thing as I don't shop there very often.

beckstar1975

Oh no - really hope you're all feeling better soon, DS (14) has been constantly ill since Sept, his iron is a bit low but I think it's just his immune system playing catch up since lockdown.

@euronorris I got some offcuts in Aldi, they had beef and ham (the beef ones, whilst delicious were mainly pastrami so not so good for a roast as the ones @mumtoomany had)

euronorris

Thank you. I shall have to keep an eye out for them. Admittedly, I have my list and like to get in and out of supermarkets as quickly as possible.