Time to slash the shopping budget and use up the store cupboard

pippilongstocking123

Goodluck with it all, following along with interest.

Safe travels. 

threepenny_bit

We are home and I started the grocery shopping. Went to costco and spent the $100 voucher on things to use during the year that were on offer - got a box of 96 dishwash tablets, 2 x 2kg bag raisins for the overnight fruit loaves I make, 2kg coffee beans, the spiral ham which had an extra $10 off as they only stock them for holidays, a  box of minute rice which was less than half price and too good to leave , large box of multigrain crackers split into 4 packets .
Then I spent $138.85 of my monthly $208 on 4 loaves bread, milk, potatoes, carrots, onions, apples, bananas, jar jam, maple syrup for breakfasts, mushrooms, grapes, cucumbers, tomoatoes, 2.5kg frozen peas, 2lb butter, pack of naan breads for curries and to make pizza on.
I also called at the zero waste food shed and got another box of milk which is short dated, a bag of mixed salad leaves, tin of chick peas, tin of chicken stock, pack of bread rolls for burgers, and a box of shredded wheat crumbs which i have never seen before - the box shows them being used as a crumble topping or to coat chicken and they look breadcrumb size. I might try them in meatballs instead of breadcrumbs or to coat chicken . 
Now to update my store cupboard and freezer list and to start meal planning - too tired tonight after travelling all day. 

threepenny_bit

pippilongstocking123 said:

Goodluck with it all, following along with interest.

Safe travels. 

Thankyou - always lovely to travel but we are home safely and nice to be in my own bed

threepenny_bit

Did my meal plan for 4 weeks starting monday, going to use the fesh veg and salad first along with freezer items. Rather than allocate dishes to a certain day I am going to simply plan 5 meals for a week and have leftovers or freezer meals for the remaining 2 days; I find this easier to plan this way just incase things change during the week. I will make 2 large batch meals and use them as a meal either for the freezer or portion up for hubby to have as lunches at work and these have an asterisk next to them to remind me to make extra. I will make a soup in the slow cooker or soup maker each week for my lunches and have lots of mixed bags of vegetables, both cooked or raw, ready for this. 

 During the month i will have to buy milk, some fruit including bananas as hubby eats one a day, eggs, salad etc. but i have $68 left at the moment. 

week 1
1- jacket potatoes, salad and corned beef
2- fish, chips and mushy peas
3- *chicken curry with extra veg added, rice, naan bread 
4- *shepherds pie base from freezer, add mash and veg (enough for leftovers)
5- salad, ham, chips

week 2
1- *maggi bag butter chicken and rice
2- salad, breaded chicken strips and chips
3- steak, mushrooms, salad
4- *spaghetti bolognese
5- frozen prawns stirfry with noodles or rice

week 3
1- *chilli con carne and rice, cornbread from freezer
2- jacket potato, *chicken breast in jarred sauce
3- *chicken meatballs in pasta sauce (make extra meatballs and put away not in sauce)
4- fish and chips and mushy peas
5- chicken stew

week 4
1- *chicken curry and rice, naan bread
2- *home made pizzas using bases from freezer, wings
3- pasta bake or spaghetti bolognese
4- breaded chicken, potatoes and veg
5- salmon protein bowls with beans/chick peas/rice and salad.

threepenny_bit

Another NSD today so that makes 5 this month lol! 
Used a premade freezer meal yesterday and another today for tea - I need the boxes to pack new meals next week. I had 4 boxes dried peas in the pantry so got them ready and will cook them tomorrow, will use a couple of portions and then freeze the rest to use with fish and chips. 
I found some ground chicken in the freezer so am going to use that to make sausage rolls as I also have puff pastry in the freezer; will add some paxo, extra herbs and some diced onion and use for lunches. 

threepenny_bit

@MoneyDany thankyou for telling me about the supercook free app! I added many of the pantry staples and meat into it yesterday and it has generated some great meals, side dishes, cakes etc. I like the feature also that says you could make dish x with one more ingredient. 
It will be an app I use a lot on my money saving journey this year

threepenny_bit

Another no spend day today, was going to get eggs but decided I didn’t really need to panic buy any; I have 3 left and no plans for egg dishes this week. If I had gone to buy some I may have spotted something else to buy. 

I went to the free food rescue shed and took a bag of mixed lettuce, some samosas and a chicken sandwich with tomorrows date, a box of scones with todays date, a bag of macaroni with a small tear that had been taped up, a box of stuffing mix, and a bag of werthers caramel popcorn that expires later this month. The sandwich, a samosa and a scone was wrapped for hubbys lunch tomorrow, all other perishables added to the fridge or freezer. Not sure if the sheds are in the uk but I remember someone mentioning an app where you could collect short or out of date items. 

I also cleaned the hydroponic unit and planted 3 lettuce and a basil pod, I have a box of new lettuce pods but thought I would try the old ones from last year and see if they would germinate. 

Hope everyone has a great week 
xx

threepenny_bit

Back to work today; I only work mornings right now. I am waiting for a double knee replacement operation and finding it tough to be honest. Surgeon is thinking I will get the first knee May/June so am ready for that but once I have the op I will lose my salary and stop work. I am self employed and will have no benefits for not working; I am trying to save $ now where I can ready to pay bills later on. 
Shepherds pie for tea tonight and I will put some away either as 2 portions for hubby at work or for a meal both of us another night. 

ETA while I remember 
I also need to start working on the $1000 emergency fund and am going to sell items to raise this. I have lots of craft things like stamps and dies, wool, etc as well as some household items and toys. Just need to take photos and list on FB market place . 
Wish me luck!! 

threepenny_bit

Another no spend day yesterday, just ordinary bills going out today including prescription which needs renewing. 
Very cold here and is currently minus 21, think we may have chicken stew and dumplings for tea to warm us up!  It gets colder with the windchill tomorrow and Friday too may change the menu a little to have warming comfort dishes; I do have to use up the lettuce from the zero waste shed so made ham and salad sandwiches for hubby lunch. 
I am going to start talking photos this afternoon to list items to sell and start to save for the EF. 

Hope everyone is staying warm and dry today

threepenny_bit

Another cold day here today with windchill of minus 44 right now, tomorrow will be windchill minus 50 which means preschool is closed. Today and tomorrow I will be home and that gives me time to get paperwork done, I also did a Pro****c survey which is my 1st this year. 
I sent some money yesterday but not on groceries; just normal bills and prescription.