January 2008 Grocery Challenge

Sassamac

dlb wrote: »

Im trying to add at least 2 new recipes a month to my meal plans and i am getting some great suggestions from you guys! Thank you.
Only added small change to a old fav recipe this month as had already done the plan before deciding to do new recipies.
I had sheperds pie ( family fav) on meal plan, but have found a recipie for same sort of thing adding baked beans, does anyone else add baked bean to your shep/cottage pies?
Just thought its a cheap way of changing a meal.

I add baked beans to loads of things now. I tried it once in shepherds pie to give it a go and now it wouldnt taste teh same without it. BB are also great in sausage casseroles, hotpot type dishes.

peony40

dlb wrote: »

I had sheperds pie ( family fav) on meal plan, but have found a recipie for same sort of thing adding baked beans, does anyone else add baked bean to your shep/cottage pies?
Just thought its a cheap way of changing a meal.

Hello, I added left over baked beans to my shepherds pie for the first time last weekend, I was impressed with how much further it made the meal stretch, and it was tasty!

I am doing OK with the Grocery Challenge thus far, although when I went to the the Co-op (my local grocery store) after work all the special offers had already been snapped up. I will try and see if I have more luck by going to the shop before work at 8am.

I have been working through my finances (:eek: ) and I think I will have to reduce my weekly spend but I won't change any figures yet, I'll just try very, very hard to stretch my pennies.

Good Luck everyone, I have learnt so much over the last few days that my head is spinning. I need to find a notebook to record everything in, as I am currently surrounded by scraps of paper with notes scribbled on them.

kazmeister

Hi

will make an attempt to do the grocery challenge this month as from OH's accounting we spentwell over £3500 last year on groceries for 4 of us equating to £10 per day. This is way too much so am trying to cut back and trying to get OH to comply as well - as he usually goes in to Mr T with DD on way home from school every day :eek: . Am used to meal planning and keep a freezer and cupboard list which makes it easier to use up.

So far we have spent about £40 and several bits went in freezer, but have NO veg at all in now apart from a few bags of green beans left in freezer from allotment.

I am going to attempt a budget of £250 which should be plenty really.

Wish me luck

bails

Thanks for the tip about mozzarella freezing well, I've just rung mum to get soem more in while it's so cheap! how long do you think it'll be okay in there for?
And forgot to say that Tesco didnt give me the reduction on my grapes so will be asking for that back too! And my mum, bless her, gave me loads of things she didn't think she'd get round to using - goats cheese, Rivita, runner beans and broccoli, bag of potatoes...the list goes on, so that's an even bigger bonus! Anyone know if there's an offer on Iams cat food at mo? (still haven't got on to comparison site, on my to do list!). Thanks.

lil_me

Freezing cheese I've left some in the freezer for 9 months before and still used it and it's been fine. I've frozen every cheese we use fine, I don't buy 'furry' cheese like stilton etc as I don't like it but all hard cheeses I have frozen without problems. Couple of years ago where my Mam worked they overstocked on cheese so sold it to staff at 20p a kilo, so I had loads, just divided into parcels as it was a catering size pack (useable sizes to save waste when defrosted) which were either grated or sliced ready to use, lasted my family of mice (DP is the biggest mouse!) ages.

I think I might have to add kaz's pea and bacon risotto she posted on another thread to my new dish to cook this month list. I love rice and have been wanting to make a risotto for ages, got bacon and peas.

mrsdoyle1981

Im starting to flail a bit and have found myself going to Aldi and Tesco each day for the last 3 days, buying lots of things that we dont really need. I think the reasoning behind it is that im also trying to lose weight so i convince myself that we need it....ie reduced mozzarella to put on our home made pizzas tonight, despite having plenty of cheddar at home.

Anyway, to try and curb my impulses i bought a large notepad in which i am going to write down every single item i buy, along with the price. Hopefully my laziness will prevail and discourage me from writing down hundreds of items a day! :rolleyes:

I just needed to get that out of my system! Thanks for reading, if you made it this far! :rotfl:

mrsdoyle1981

the last 3 days all the shops were open, obviously i didnt pop in on new years day!

lauradora

I know i'm a bit late but having just spent hours in the kitchen batch bakingm i'm ready to finally give this challenge a go!!

I usuall spend around 20 quid a week so i'm aiming for 50 quid this month. It'll be a squeeze thats for sure but i'll give it a go and see how I do!

xxx

lil_me

lauradora consider yourself added

mrsdoyle you are not the only one who has been to the shop every day, I didn't go from 24th December then have been every day since the 31st, not good!

arbroath_lass

I've spent 75p on a sample of soapnuts after reading another thread on this forum :rotfl: