February 2024 Grocery Challenge

Blackcats

I have an underspend on this month's budget which I'm pleased about, however, we have had 3 meals out (from another budget and 1 meal out was a gift).
We have been using up freezer stocks and there is now some space in there.
I haven't been buying a bottle of wine each week which I think has helped the budget a lot.

£31.84 underspend 🥳

CoffeeSonata

Suffolk_lass said:

CoffeeSonata said:

Though the plan is to stock up on some tinned/frozen soups and also some easy freezer meals that are quick from the freezer and don't rely on me having remembered to defrost first. So either fish and chips type things, or homemade/slow cooker batch cooked things that are freexer-> oven in about 45 minutes safely. 

(Open to ideas there! I'm out of practice and overwhelmed with rest of life, is not helping.)  I have pyrex dishes with lids. 
Bonus points for things that can be first cooked in the slow cooker, or don't take much pre cooking/effort. 

Here is one idea

I put all the ingredients for a basic ragu (bolognese-type) into the slow cooker (add more liquid so a handful of red lentils will pad this out) and let it cook overnight (dual tariff off-peak electricity) and then divide it up - typically 2 portions that evening with penne pasta and I mix more of the cooked penne through, popping 2 portions into a shallow dish and freeze, ready to top with a white sauce (from a jar if you don't want to make one) and then a bit of grated cheese on top. You can defrost shallow dishes more quickly in the microwave, then pour the sauce over, top with cheese for a really comforting no-fuss pasta bake, a bit like lasagne but without the sheets pulling through when it is served. If you defrost it to cold it takes 30 minutes to bake and the cheese to brown, but if you make sure the base is warm after defrosting in the microwave, the sauce and cheese only take ten minutes under the grill.

I put two more portions into a take-away box and freeze, ready to make into a quick chilli by adding a tin of mixed beans and some lazy chilli to the defrosted base. Typically this makes 3 portions so I keep one back to have with a baked potato, half a portion each - so one batch of ragu does 8 portions, with four different dinners 

You can also do a vegetable or meat based casserole - eg chicken thighs in the slow cooker with a quartered onion, a chunked up carrot or two, maybe a potato in similar chunks, and a tin of soup. Put it in and cook low overnight and when you get home, separately pour kettle water over a small bowl of frozen peas and strain and add them for instant hot comfort food.

I hope this helps

 @Suffolk_lass: thanks so much for this.  I'm sorry for not replying earlier this month I did read it and was really grateful. I had some frozen bologense the week you wrote this, in a large pyrex. About 6 portions for us. So I used your ideas to change it up a little. I had no idea about lazy chilli exisiting (I did know about lazy garlic thanks to my nephew who lived with us in covid.)  I do tend to make bologense and chilli at the same time, separating at the ragu though and making from scratch. 
So we did 2 x bologense and then I bought some lazy chilli and added that, with some beans and smoked paprika and cumin and we used it with wraps for dinner and for lunch.  I bought some cheese sauce, but wraps were so popular we didn't have any left, so that's in the freezer ready for the next batch of bolognese to try your delicious sounding bake. I hadn't thought turning bologense into chilli after would work well (rather than separating and continuing to cook the chili with the spice as you normally would.). So I'd never really tried it. Inspired by the lazy chilli I did - and it was delicious, especailly in the wraps. And so much easier.  

I make a similar chicken bake sometimes, perhaps to your casserole (using celery soup) but I haven't tried in the slow cooker.  Nor would have thought to add peas like that, so that's on my menu plan for next week! Really helpful thank you.  

Also about the shallow dishes. I know this, I think but tend to forget. Then get frustrated with the pyrex. 

Declaring for Feb:  £320/£350. 

I had a £30 Morrison's gift voucher I was determind to not break in to last week so made it a challenge to not. 
I still have plenty protein in freezer and tins, pasta, dry goods  and some fruit and veg left. 
I am *amazed*.  It's been a while since I manage that low a grocery monthly spend. 
(I realise this isn't really low for two adults, but it is for us at the moment) 

Helped by being forced to defrost freezer (don't ask) and then have to eat some thinks early on in the month. But also so many of the ideas and encouragement here. Thank you all. 

I managed to mostly meal plan, and stick to it and remember simple meals/buy simple freezer meals for days of being unwell. And determination to get things in the slow cooker, even if a day in advance / make things up when well. 

I've managed to reduce despite a hellish month of migrianes twice a week. (Now have proper medication and it's working) , broken main oven (we have a microwave combi working only) and only one working hob ring. We haven't resorted to takeaway, or fast food or just going out becuase of challenges cooking/me feeling unwell once. There was one co-op pizza in there because I just couldn't cook.  It feels miraculous! 

This is down from an average of £400  just before Christmas, and I started the challenge in December at £400 (I think).  
Thank you @elsiepac for the thread and to everyone encouraging and supporting the last few months , and you all for keeping my motivation up! 

CoffeeSonata

Blackcats said:

I have an underspend on this month's budget which I'm pleased about, however, we have had 3 meals out (from another budget and 1 meal out was a gift).
We have been using up freezer stocks and there is now some space in there.
I haven't been buying a bottle of wine each week which I think has helped the budget a lot.

£31.84 underspend 🥳

I hope you enjoyed your meals out and the gift!  Congrats on the underspend.  Also with you on the using freezer up. I'd forgotten what space is like and not having to try to work out can I jam something in or not, or batch cook without fear there's no room! 
I have also cut down on the alcohol we were buying- though I was using some in cooking  -  and it's absolutely helping.  

Angelica123

In total my spend was  £260 from a planned 250. 

Overall, it's a step in the right direction as I was spending much more a few months ago. Next shop today so will go on my March shopping. Been trying to stretch until first day of next month for my Lidl shop as my most useful Lidl plus freebie is the bread after £50 spend. 

PipneyJane

CoffeeSonata said:

Suffolk_lass said:

CoffeeSonata said:

Though the plan is to stock up on some tinned/frozen soups and also some easy freezer meals that are quick from the freezer and don't rely on me having remembered to defrost first. So either fish and chips type things, or homemade/slow cooker batch cooked things that are freexer-> oven in about 45 minutes safely. 

(Open to ideas there! I'm out of practice and overwhelmed with rest of life, is not helping.)  I have pyrex dishes with lids. 
Bonus points for things that can be first cooked in the slow cooker, or don't take much pre cooking/effort. 

Here is one idea

I put all the ingredients for a basic ragu (bolognese-type) into the slow cooker (add more liquid so a handful of red lentils will pad this out) and let it cook overnight (dual tariff off-peak electricity) and then divide it up - typically 2 portions that evening with penne pasta and I mix more of the cooked penne through, popping 2 portions into a shallow dish and freeze, ready to top with a white sauce (from a jar if you don't want to make one) and then a bit of grated cheese on top. You can defrost shallow dishes more quickly in the microwave, then pour the sauce over, top with cheese for a really comforting no-fuss pasta bake, a bit like lasagne but without the sheets pulling through when it is served. If you defrost it to cold it takes 30 minutes to bake and the cheese to brown, but if you make sure the base is warm after defrosting in the microwave, the sauce and cheese only take ten minutes under the grill.

I put two more portions into a take-away box and freeze, ready to make into a quick chilli by adding a tin of mixed beans and some lazy chilli to the defrosted base. Typically this makes 3 portions so I keep one back to have with a baked potato, half a portion each - so one batch of ragu does 8 portions, with four different dinners 

You can also do a vegetable or meat based casserole - eg chicken thighs in the slow cooker with a quartered onion, a chunked up carrot or two, maybe a potato in similar chunks, and a tin of soup. Put it in and cook low overnight and when you get home, separately pour kettle water over a small bowl of frozen peas and strain and add them for instant hot comfort food.

I hope this helps

 @Suffolk_lass: thanks so much for this.  I'm sorry for not replying earlier this month I did read it and was really grateful. I had some frozen bologense the week you wrote this, in a large pyrex. About 6 portions for us. So I used your ideas to change it up a little. I had no idea about lazy chilli exisiting (I did know about lazy garlic thanks to my nephew who lived with us in covid.)  I do tend to make bologense and chilli at the same time, separating at the ragu though and making from scratch. 
So we did 2 x bologense and then I bought some lazy chilli and added that, with some beans and smoked paprika and cumin and we used it with wraps for dinner and for lunch.  I bought some cheese sauce, but wraps were so popular we didn't have any left, so that's in the freezer ready for the next batch of bolognese to try your delicious sounding bake. I hadn't thought turning bologense into chilli after would work well (rather than separating and continuing to cook the chili with the spice as you normally would.). So I'd never really tried it. Inspired by the lazy chilli I did - and it was delicious, especailly in the wraps. And so much easier.  

I make a similar chicken bake sometimes, perhaps to your casserole (using celery soup) but I haven't tried in the slow cooker.  Nor would have thought to add peas like that, so that's on my menu plan for next week! Really helpful thank you.  

Also about the shallow dishes. I know this, I think but tend to forget. Then get frustrated with the pyrex. 

Declaring for Feb:  £320/£350. 

I had a £30 Morrison's gift voucher I was determind to not break in to last week so made it a challenge to not. 
I still have plenty protein in freezer and tins, pasta, dry goods  and some fruit and veg left. 
I am *amazed*.  It's been a while since I manage that low a grocery monthly spend. 
(I realise this isn't really low for two adults, but it is for us at the moment) 

Helped by being forced to defrost freezer (don't ask) and then have to eat some thinks early on in the month. But also so many of the ideas and encouragement here. Thank you all. 

I managed to mostly meal plan, and stick to it and remember simple meals/buy simple freezer meals for days of being unwell. And determination to get things in the slow cooker, even if a day in advance / make things up when well. 

I've managed to reduce despite a hellish month of migraines twice a week. (Now have proper medication and it's working) , broken main oven (we have a microwave combi working only) and only one working hob ring. We haven't resorted to takeaway, or fast food or just going out becuase of challenges cooking/me feeling unwell once. There was one co-op pizza in there because I just couldn't cook.  It feels miraculous! 

This is down from an average of £400  just before Christmas, and I started the challenge in December at £400 (I think).  
Thank you @elsiepac for the thread and to everyone encouraging and supporting the last few months , and you all for keeping my motivation up! 

@CoffeeSonata glad you’re feeling better and that the new medication is working.

I feel your pain re the stove.  Our combi oven was our only working oven for 7 years.  Largest thing I have roasted in it was a duck, one Christmas. It’s still our primary oven, since it’s more efficient than the stove which is showing its age.   (We already owned our stove when we bought this house 20 years ago - gas burners, 2 electric ovens - and the kitchen didn’t have wiring for the ovens.  We spent 7 years saving up for renovations.  Now, one oven doesn’t work, the grill is broken and the fan oven takes for ever to heat.  It will be replaced, but not before the second half of the year, once I’m recovered from lymphoma and am back earning a salary.)

- Pip

SausageDogSandwich

Morning all, big Tesco shop yesterday, some missing items and only small bottle of milk delivered. I am going to try not to buy anything and just use what was delivered though. I’ve just had to pay for my nans funeral with almost all our savings, then of course the car breaks and they’re saying over £1k to fix it after already spending £600 to “fix it” so definitely need to be really extra careful what we are spending unfortunately. 

Declaring at £320.69/350. The left over money will be kept to one side so I can stock up on cereal bars/crisps/anything else for the kids when I can get to ald or farmf if said car ever gets sorted. 

PipneyJane

SausageDogSandwich said:

Morning all, big Tesco shop yesterday, some missing items and only small bottle of milk delivered. I am going to try not to buy anything and just use what was delivered though. I’ve just had to pay for my nans funeral with almost all our savings, then of course the car breaks and they’re saying over £1k to fix it after already spending £600 to “fix it” so definitely need to be really extra careful what we are spending unfortunately. 

Declaring at £320.69/350. The left over money will be kept to one side so I can stock up on cereal bars/crisps/anything else for the kids when I can get to ald or farmf if said car ever gets sorted. 

So sorry to hear about your Nan, @SausageDogSandwich.  My condolences.

- Pip

SausageDogSandwich

Thank you so much @PipneyJane

Blackcats

@SausageDogSandwich - sorry to hear about your Nan.  Sending condolences on your loss.
@CoffeeSonata - the reduction in wine buying is helping the budget, sleeping and weight loss.  I have found it much easier over the last few months - no idea why but I'm pleased about it.

see you all over in March challenge thread. 

Suffolk_lass

I'm so glad that helped a little @CoffeeSonata. Thankyou for taking the trouble to reply. 
That is really hard @SausageDogSandwich - it always all comes at once. My condolences for the loss of your Nan, but also the financial impact. If you've got the basic ingredients, I can recommend Twinks hobnobs recipe that is in the recipes at the front of the thread, I'll just find it...Twink's Hobnobs it's a lot cheaper than buying snacks. Dating back to 2007, it's one of the classic recipes on Grocery Challenge. I make half the recipe and use a teaspoon for the balls as they do spread out on the sheet when they cook