January 2008 Grocery Challenge

lil_me

Batch cooking storage - freeze it in whatever you cook it in, once it's frozen turn it out into a freezer bag, when you want to reheat pop it back in the container it was cooked in. That saves on having loads of tubs, they stack really well, space saving in the freezer and storing them. You can of course freeze it in the freezer tub then turn it out. Oh and masking tape makes great cheap labels.

How about a challenge Jacks, of trying to cook something new once a week/month etc? I could certainly do with improving meal choices.

Joyce's_Daughter

Hi all! This is an amazingly popular thread.....may I join? I've had a nasty shock at the bank and now have £150 to spend on groceries from Jan 6th to Feb 6th. This is just for two of us but unfortunately it is less than half what I normally spend so am in need of expert advice on how to stretch it. Plus I think joining the challenge will keep me on the straight and narrow rather than making my situation worse with credit cards:eek:

nopot2pin

lil_me wrote: »

Batch cooking storage - freeze it in whatever you cook it in, once it's frozen turn it out into a freezer bag, when you want to reheat pop it back in the container it was cooked in. That saves on having loads of tubs, they stack really well, space saving in the freezer and storing them. You can of course freeze it in the freezer tub then turn it out. Oh and masking tape makes great cheap labels.

I also do this lil_me. It does help if you have limited storage containers.
I also line the container with cling film... makes it easier to get it out of the container when its frozen

Jacks_xxx

nopot2pin wrote: »

Jacks,
I bought Tesco value branflakes yesterday... just to try. They are 70p for 750g. I couldn't tell the difference between them and the branded / tescos own. I know its only 60p saving... but thats almost an extra box
How big is this cat that your feeding ??:eek: :rotfl:

I too post to keep me going

Ooh I know! This blimmin' cat costs us a fortune - wait 'til he catches on that he hasn't had any Tesco value Prawns in living memory! There will be much sulking then I bet. :eek:

Is it possible to be bullied by your own cat? Cos mine's definitely the boss of me (and I'm only half joking!)

Mulder is 12 and skinny as a rake. He had some digestive troubles a few months ago and now he can't eat dairy or cat food. The vet recommended IAMS and plain meat and fish. (He can keep IAMS down, but he's quite disgusted by our shameful neglect if we dish it up, and he would rather go and suck up to the old lady over the back who gives him a rather better class of food I think!)

He ate IAMS a few times, but generally he looks at his plate, looks back at me, looks at his plate again and walks to the back door to ask to go out! (sometimes with plaintive miaowing as well!)

If I dish him up tuna whan he can smell chicken in the fridge he politely ignores the tuna and takes up a vigil staring at the fridge. He starts up a pitiful mewling every time one of us opens the fridge door - and one of us will give in eventually. (That'll be me then - probably)

He has a tin of Tesco tuna a day plus a little of whatever meat I'm cooking for us, some IAMS and lots of water - plus whatever he can cajole out of my neighbours!

A few days a month I do him some coley just for a change - and I did always keep some Value Prawns in the freezer for him for when he's poorly as well.

I know - what are we like!

Love Jacks xxx


PS Got carried away with the cat and forgot to say Tesco Value Branflakes are what I buy. (I prefer them!) They're 85p for a 750g pack in our Tesco though. They must have different prices for different parts of the country I think.

Jacks_xxx

lil_me wrote: »

Batch cooking storage - freeze it in whatever you cook it in, once it's frozen turn it out into a freezer bag, when you want to reheat pop it back in the container it was cooked in. That saves on having loads of tubs, they stack really well, space saving in the freezer and storing them. You can of course freeze it in the freezer tub then turn it out. Oh and masking tape makes great cheap labels.

How about a challenge Jacks, of trying to cook something new once a week/month etc? I could certainly do with improving meal choices.

I never ever thought of that lil_me. That's genius! :T :A

I'm deffo up for a challenge honey. It's one of myOS resolutions to learn to cook something new every month and do it a few times until I've got it off by heart - cos I hate cooking with a book open, and measuring stuff properly!

I'm going for Goulash this month and so far I've got a vague idea that I'll need paprika, stewing steak and a big pot but I haven't really looked up an actual recipe yet!

A challenge is a great idea honey - I'm a grown woman! I should be able to cook more than 9 things!

Love Jacks xxx

lil_me

When you get a recipe send me a PM with it or post it in here Jacks, I have 3/4 bags of stewing steak in the freezer bored of stewed steak in gravy, that can be our new meal to try will need a couple of days notice incase I don't have some of it in.

If he's into chicken and you don't want to buy full ones I think Aldi does frozen skinless chicken breasts for £2.99 for abut 750g, think that works out cheaper than fresh then can just defrost as you need them. Can of course buy thighs, legs etc cheap in some places.

Bobbykins

Hi Jacks/Lil-me

great idea for a new challenge ......PLEASE post the goulash recipe on here when you find one Jacks.:A

I pride myself on being a pretty good cook normally but I seem to have got into a real rut and just keep rotating the same old things all the time. It would be a real inspiration to try something different if you guys are doing it - especially if you can find a good money saving OS recipe!!;)

belfastgirl23

Jacks I'm wondering if you'd have any way of getting a card for your local cash and carry? The quantities you buy stuff in suggests to me that you might do better there? The other thing that occurred to me for the rice was a chinese/asian supermarket where you can buy in bulk? You might also get cheaper meat for the cat (sorry veggie so no use on this at all ). And you often get cheaper fruit and veg, especially things like peppers and aubergines.

On the milk front I buy long life skimmed at 44p a litre (I think they do full fat in this too but for the sake of my waistline I've not investigated).

Tesco and sainsburys both do value range potatos for £1.98 for 5 kilos. I think they might be whites? Never got to grips with potato names really but they are fine and they keep okay (just steer clear of Lidl potatoes, they're rubbish). It's also possible here to buy them in what used to be 4 stone bags, probably now 25 kilo bags if you have somewhere cool to keep them - it's mostly farm shops etc that sell like this.

And if the cat was mine I'm afraid she would be mostly eating at the old lady's across the road

Joyce's_Daughter

A question for those of you more experienced MSE's. Is it better to have a menu plan that a lot of you seem to do or is it better just to see whats on offer when you shop?

(this is probably stupid question but I'm new to this lark):o

lil_me

I have a Costco card, but to be honest sometimes find it no cheaper, the price book helps in there as I can compare rather than just thinking it must be a bargain. They don't do any 'value' ranges so if you're a brand snob it's great as you will get the big brands cheaper but other than that nope, usually somewhere else works out cheaper. I also could have just screamed as I had a massive pack of cheese slices I got from Costco, must have a little hole in somewhere as I just went to open it and found it all to be mouldy, grr! £5 worth of cheese in the bin. I usually buy fruit nuggets for my sons lunches from there, cheese slices and grated cheese (it works out cheaper per kilo and find less gets used, I'm not just lazy honest!!) most of the meat is no cheaper than the farm shop I use for the lamb and beef, sausages are ok, chicken is sometimes cheaper.

Joyce's daughter, it really does depend what is best for you. I usually meal plan every week, writing down what is in then a shopping list of what I need to add to it to make meals, for lunches etc. Unfortunately we've all been ill over Christmas so meal plans haven't been used. I do find it saves me money as I can prioritise what needs using first aswell, meaning less waste. I will say however my meal plans are not rigid and will change if I do get a bargain, if we are out/busy and I need to swap things round etc. I usually put in 2 'easy meals' a week for when I have limited time, usually something I've made a batch cook/one for the freezer of like tonight which is lasange then something like sausage, beans, eggs and chips.