January 2008 Grocery Challenge

belfastgirl23

G-G wrote: »

Also, given boyfriend one takeaway night a week, I think I will insist that is is kebabs, fish and chips or pizza, the first two are about £6, pizza is about £12 but we can have leftovers for lunch the next day as we both work at home. Chinese is far too expensive! So i'm gonna have to say no to that!


Gem

Hi Gem and sorry this is so far after your post can't keep up these days...

It's worth thinking about making your own pizzas - see this info
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=354383
this has proved really MS for us (Pizza Express *4 times PM = £100, making HM pizzas = £10ish). And it isn't too hard either


Oh and Sunnyday, you can use this to find your nearest Lidl http://www.lidl.co.uk/uk/home.nsf/pages/c.service.s.sts.index

Lizzieanne

Hi everyone and Happy New Year!

I totally messed up my shopping budget in December and so have decided to start afresh this month with £400.

Good luck to everybody.

JoJoB

Does anyone else feel all itchy to spend something? It's like giving up fags, I need a patch or something. I feel good about not spending, but also slightly panicked. It's weird.

mumofcookers

Hi everyone!
I would love to join in, hope it is not too late!
There are 6 of us, 2 adults and 4 children.
I will be going for £250 for the month, that is to include nappies and baby milk! I have done it before it is just a case of getting into gear and sorting it out!!
Good luck everyone!!

nopot2pin

JoJoB wrote: »

Does anyone else feel all itchy to spend something? It's like giving up fags, I need a patch or something. I feel good about not spending, but also slightly panicked. It's weird.

Yes JoJoB...
I started the GC a couple of months ago... and felt, and to a certain extent still do feel like this. Although, the feeling is begining to subside.
I found that making something nice, from scratch, uses up your shopping energy.
It doesnt need to be anything expensive that you dont have the ingredients for. The other day someone posted a recipe for gnocci, so I shall be having a go of that today.
I also have some carrots that need using up... so that will be soup by the end of the day.... for the freezer. :cool:
Good Luck:D

G-G_4

belfastgirl23 wrote: »

Hi Gem and sorry this is so far after your post can't keep up these days...

It's worth thinking about making your own pizzas - see this info
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=354383
this has proved really MS for us (Pizza Express *4 times PM = £100, making HM pizzas = £10ish). And it isn't too hard either


Oh and Sunnyday, you can use this to find your nearest Lidl http://www.lidl.co.uk/uk/home.nsf/pages/c.service.s.sts.index

Thanks Belfastgirl..

The thing is, I do actually make my own pizza every week, and boyfriend adores them, so do I, and they are much healthier etc.. the thing is, he seems to have a tantrum if he doesn't get a takeaway now and then, usually one or twice a fortnight.. :rolleyes:

Everything I make is pretty much home made and he really likes it, but he still like dirty takeaway food aswell lol

I will have to wean him off it.. it just costs too much and we never get through it all. Also, I have gall stones and some things set them off..

Good suggestion though, and for anyone who doesn't make their own, you are so missing out!

I even make mine with stuffed crust! lol, just roll out the pizza as normal and put cheese around the edge about 1/2 an inch inside. then just fold the pizza over the cheese and push down until sealed. Works a treat and is really nice. I also use extra mature cheddar on cheese as you need to use a lot less.

Just waiting for my Tesco delivery woo!

WelshWoofer

Hi,
I really proud of myself today - last night instead of having what I fancied (bad for you stuff out of the freezer!) I forced myself to use up the runner beans, peas and new potatoes in the fridge and had what turned out to be a lovely "roast" dinner type thing with 2 lonely Quorn sausages found in the bottom of the freezer. Not that impressive you may think but a triumph for me!
It doesn't stop there!!!

I had tons of new potatoes that were starting to sprout a bit so cooked them too and then sliced them up, layered them in a dish and put layers of some Christmas cheese that needed eating/chucking (Double Gloucester with onion and chives) between and on the top, stuck it in the oven and, b*gger me, a potato bake type thing emerged!

This is unheard of for me! I can't cook/won't cook, am generally scared of the kitchen(!) and have no culinary sense.

So tonight I'll have the pototo thingy with some baked beans and thoroughly enjoy it - 2 "free" teas made from stuff I would have previously happily thrown away.

I'm just going for a lie down now!!!:rotfl:

dlb

First spend of the challange. £4.61 spent on potatoe,butter and 4 reduced price bread.
Hope your all doing ok

mrs-moneypenny

yesterday i did homemade mushroom soup at dinner time, and tea was a sort of quorn and various vegetables i found lurking in the fridge made into a pasta bake.--tasted better than it sounds

dinner will be jacket spuds (only me and hubby the kids are all back at school) the spuds can cook themselves while im out for an hour. tea will be some sort of quorn veggie shepherds pie.
probally mushroom soup again on friday as i brought too many mushroom so they'll need using up before the weekend. not sure about friday tea yet as its staggered, the boys eat early as they have a group to go to and hubby and me eat while they are out. might do a casserole so i can dish theirs out and leave ours simmering

I usually do a homemade pizza on saturday (i make the base in the bread maker) its a great way to use last weeks toms up that are too soft to eat uncooked.

havent been inside a shop apart from a condolence card i picked up this morning and still have £1.11 left in my purse so might start next week in credit:T

HappySad

I shop online with Sainsbury's each month (convience & time saving as mother of two under 5's) & locally for fresh milk+veg. I mainly shop organic. How can save while keeping to being organic?

My spend is about £350-£400 a month