January 2008 Grocery Challenge

mama67

nykmedia wrote: »

Mama67 - you will be the best person to tell me how best to store them. I've read so many different ways - in peat, in the ground, in hessian sacks, in paper sacks, cooked and frozen (experimenting with this just now). I know to basically keep them cool, keep them dry and keep them in the dark. Last house I lived in had huge earthernware crock pots and the potatoes lasted weeks in them so long as it was cold but I haven't decided on the best thing to do with this lot and am hoping to make them last long enough to grown some in the garden.

I used to store them in paper potato sacks in the garden shed sttod on old carpet and covered in old blankets.

I think by the time we got to the last bag I only had a couple of bad ones.

The main thing is to make sure they are dry if digging up from the ground.

If in a sack as they come from the farm shop they should be ok for a month, if your family is like mine then we can get through a sack worth in a month easily.:)

mhe

Well done Blushing Rose - you are off to a fine start! Doesnt it feel so good to have halved your food bill this week. Dont forget to put that money straight onto another debt or you may be tempted to spend it!

Rowan9

Ok, I can't face adding mine up but have gone over £120 budget probably by £100. However, I've had a great time with my sister being here (unplanned at beg of january) and am so pleased to have my DD back from Australia (again unplanned). So, I am putting this month down to being unusual but think I will up my amount a bit next month as OH will be home more (gone for 3 weeks of this month). At least i did well in the beginning so I know I can do this!! You are a very inspiring group of people!!
wen

In_Search_Of_Me

well I end the month slightly above budget which is due to wine & organic meat which I wasnt initially planning for! Going for £170 in Feb and hope to keep to this - still loads less than I used to spend so all good as I probably saved over £200 and wasted virtually nothing!

tattycath

Hi everyone. I have to say the other week it was heavily publicised that soapnuts were an economical environmentally friendly way of doing the laundry, so like alot of people I bought some of this 'wonderstuff' to try... I have tried them... It said on the literature that came with them that they were also good for dishwashers. I tried them in my dishwasher and personally I thought they were cr*p, I tried them in my washing machine-several times, and again I thought they were cr*p. It could be that I have some out of a bad batch. But I am reporting back on my personal findings and imho they were absolutely cr*p!!! needless to say I shall continue with my washpowder and dishwasher tablets. hth

Jacks_xxx

In_Search_Of_Me wrote: »

well I end the month slightly above budget which is due to wine & organic meat which I wasnt initially planning for! Going for £170 in Feb and hope to keep to this - still loads less than I used to spend so all good as I probably saved over £200 and wasted virtually nothing!

Not bad honey! Not bad at all! :dance: :dance: :dance: :dance:

It's a lot less than you would have spent which is the main thing cherub.

See you on the Feb thread!

Love Jacks xxx

Jacks_xxx

tattycath wrote: »

Hi everyone. I have to say the other week it was heavily publicised that soapnuts were an economical environmentally friendly way of doing the laundry, so like alot of people I bought some of this 'wonderstuff' to try... I have tried them... It said on the literature that came with them that they were also good for dishwashers. I tried them in my dishwasher and personally I thought they were cr*p, I tried them in my washing machine-several times, and again I thought they were cr*p. It could be that I have some out of a bad batch. But I am reporting back on my personal findings and imho they were absolutely cr*p!!! needless to say I shall continue with my washpowder and dishwasher tablets. hth

I didn't rate the either honey. We're a bunch of grubby items in our house and our washing is properly dirty when it goes in the machine. The soapnuts just couldn't cope. :rolleyes:

I'm glad I tried them though.

Love Jacks xxx

nopot2pin

Thats me finished for this month... Last day today... And wont be going out tonight.
So my final spends for the month is £117.23
First time I have managed to come under budget in the GC :T :cool:

See you all in the Feb GC

funkyfunkymonkey

Hello lil_me, could you please put me down for a final grocery spend for the 4 weeks of January of £326.36. I went over my budget by £76.36, but that is still £205 less than I spent in January 2007.

I think I will set my February budget to £250 again and try to come in a bit lower. That should be possible as I have been buying and stock piling bargains as I've been finding them.

See you all on the February thread.

FFM

Maisie_M

Well pay day tomorrow so thats the end of the January 2008 challenge for me. Final spend is £272.30 which is £72.30 over budget but as its the first time I have budgeted then I am quite pleased.

Will try for £200 in February although hoping I will need half of that or less as my cupboards and freezers are stocked.

see you all on the February challenge.