January 2024 Grocery Challenge

JingsMyBucket

Happy new year everyone! The thread is steaming ahead nicely and there’s already so much good info in here too. Thank you @elsiepac for keeping us all going x. For this month I’d like to do 

£330 for Jan 1st — 31st for two adults.

That works out to £70/week x 4.5 weeks = £315 + £15 bulk. I’m looking to rely less on cheap carbs and return to eating straight up meat, fish, fruits, and veg. I slipped last year and let too many carbs in last year and it has dramatically affected my health. 😕 Nonetheless, onward and upward! 

JingsMyBucket

nellis10 said:

To show how committed I am to this challenge, I have made a "Spaghetti Offalese" this morning in the slow cooker.
2 Pig Kidneys, Beef Heart Mince and some Beef Mince in the slow cooker with fajita seasoning, tomatoes, onions and passata! 
No idea if it will be edible, but they are now out of the bottom of the freezer! 

This actually sounds really delicious, rustic and authentic @nellis10. I have some lamb hearts in the freezer that I’ve been meaning to make tacos with them. 

AnimalTribe

Wow 11 pages already. It's going to take me a while to go back to page 1 and catch up. I aim to spend £50

for the month for 2 adults and 2 dogs. This will be for fruit, milk and salad. The amount is so low because I usually build up a stock pile for winter as our house has been snowbound so often in past years.

nellis10

JingsMyBucket said:

nellis10 said:

To show how committed I am to this challenge, I have made a "Spaghetti Offalese" this morning in the slow cooker.
2 Pig Kidneys, Beef Heart Mince and some Beef Mince in the slow cooker with fajita seasoning, tomatoes, onions and passata! 
No idea if it will be edible, but they are now out of the bottom of the freezer! 

This actually sounds really delicious, rustic and authentic @nellis10. I have some lamb hearts in the freezer that I’ve been meaning to make tacos with them. 

I was really surprisingly happy with it. The fajita seasoning really was the winner, made it very tasty!!!

wishus

HNY, and first shop of the new year done. It came to £75.76 - though £6 of that was OH chucking in some pens for work. Never mind...

Main meal plans for this week:
NYD: Caribbean lamb curry and rice (Pinch of Nom)
Tue: Tortelli al magro (Jamie Oliver/ Genaro Contaldo)
Wed: Chickpea stew with bulgar
Thur: 50/50 bolognese (Jamie Oliver £1 wonders)
Fri: breaded fish, wedges, peas
Sat: veggie pasta - probably spinach and ricotta cannelloni to use up the ricotta. 
Sun Chicken Vesuvio (pinch of nom)

We had a lot of sausages in the freezer, and chestnuts in the nut bowl (both reduced) so yesterday I made this, and it's great! Sausage and chestnut pasta. 

It made 6 portions, enough for three meals for 2. When it was cooked I didn't think it looked like a lot, so I was going to ignore and just save half, but when I portioned it out as per the recipe into thirds, then put one third back in the pan with the pasta, it coated the pasta perfectly. Never trust your greedy eyes! We have rosemary in the garden, and you know what, I like it in pasta with tomatoes now. Didn't think I'd be a fan! So a recommend from me!

Florenceem

I was given food goodies as Christmas presents so well stocked. Only plan to buy milk and fresh fruit/veg when needed.

Crazycatlady2

I probably spent a disgusting amount in December and I don't want to even add it up.

I hate cooking and meal planning and all 5 of us can be quite fussy. I also think I struggle to stock to a budget as I don't have to and I prob include alot in it that doesn't actually belong in it so from today I'm going to try tracking better what I'm spending and focus on using up what we have not just keep buying more. I'm definitely set for pet food and booze for January and freezer and cupboard is full so other than bread I'm not buying anything till the weekend

Aiming for £600 and see what happens 

LadyWithAPlan

Hope all are well and ready to marshall  our grocery budgets in order this year. 

Track my Grocery spending  £27/£175 +   £0/£50bulk  Jan

I popped to Co*p today and they had loads of YS meats and fish so took one/two of each thing and most is now in the freezer. Also bought kale and some YS mushrooms and YS potatoes - I fried up from the freezer pork chops and served with kale, potatoes, and mushrooms for a return to healthy food.
I had a HF meal left from pre Xmas - a mac and cheese dish with sweet potatoes - I used GF pasta and ignored the breadcrumbs but it was v tasty.. Had some yesterday, today whilst hungover  with peas added and a small portion for tomorrow. It has cheese, creme fraiche, dijon mustard, ... but the calories I refused to look at. Perfect hangover food.

I am also planning to eat less junk this year - no sweets or choc for me is the big NY resolution - I have done it before for whole years  and its easy once you decide,  I know if I break it I am back on the sweets so I will be disciplined. My dairy allergy is really bad at present - excema so once whats left in fridge is gone I will be off the dairy strictly for a few months to clear my system.
So more fruit veg and lean proteins along with getting back into my gym.

I was bought the Panason*c breadmaker I really wanted for Xmas as the GF recipes on it always turn out perfectly and only takes 66 mins plus cooling,.
 So looking forward to trying some fabulous GF bread. I have seen GF  Rye flour so I will order some to try,

I do need to do a proper Mr Lid SHOP  as I need oils. I have also been bought an Al*xa so I am trialling that shopping list on there - you can keep adding to it.and then view on the app in the shops - I am always losing my bit of paper..

I have my last to pay for HF box with the £10 off which will arrive  Sunday so £24 there and then I have the £30 credit I  can finally access,. so I may use that this month as well or Feb as  a cook different things treat.



Dec spending was low as I was away for 10 days with various family over Xmas so 
Dec Grocery  ended  up £37.63 (was away  for 10 days but I  also had 2 x HF boxes  which is £55 but in voluntary spending so really £92) and loads in fridge/freezer I needed to eat down. 
I did buy the FR turkey for my parents but I count that as a xmas food gift so.

Bulk             £37.43 - mainly coffee...

Soontobeoap

Bought minced beef/pork for £3.99 and today I made 3 lasagnas and one shepherds pie for 2  by using store cupboard lasagna sheets, cheese, cheese sauce, onions, stock cubed and oats +tinned beans for the shepherds pie. Also used home grown stewed tomatoes from freezer. The lasagnas have been frozen for future meals. 

Meal plan for this week. 
Saturday- roast chicken, sausages and the cranberry sauce that we had in a hamper for Christmas. 

Sunday - chicken, bubble and squeek and baked potatoes

Monday - cold chicken, salad and chips.

Tuesday- shepherds pie and veg

Wednesday - tuna fish cakes chips and salad
Thursday - pizza for DH and a toasted cheese wrap for me with any salad left.

Friday - half price gammon (bought before Christmas) with tinned baby potatoes, sweetcorn and peas.

Saturday- gammon, egg and chips

I held off making more cake for freezer because I forgot to buy cheap margarine. We usually have flora proactive and it is 3 times the price so ot seems wasteful to put it in a cake. 

nannygladys

I've had the lurgy over Xmas so only just back to eating more normal, so I'm allowing myself just £5, a week this month to get me to use all the food up. That will mainly buy milk, cheese and yogurt but if I need toilet rolls etc it'll have to come out of it as well! ,so today I haven't spent anything as I haven't been out!!