October 2024 Grocery Challenge

Suffolk_lass

O.M.G. just inventoried both big outdoor freezers. Enough for the next Suffolk siege, even if I never shop for anything except dairy again. For example, 26 bags of prepared courgettes - that will be soup lunches for the winter then. 3 large courgettes to a bag, enough soup for 3-4 days each! - A good job we like courgette soup!

zafiro1984

Suffolk_lass said:

O.M.G. just inventoried both big outdoor freezers. Enough for the next Suffolk siege, even if I never shop for anything except dairy again. For example, 26 bags of prepared courgettes - that will be soup lunches for the winter then. 3 large courgettes to a bag, enough soup for 3-4 days each! - A good job we like courgette soup!

I know exactly where you are coming from, I've a frozen apple mountain from last year, all the damaged ones ended up processed and in the freezer. Hope you don't go off courgette soup!!  Just a thought: have you ever done courgette and ginger preserve? I did it with marrow one year and it was delicious.

PipneyJane

JingsMyBucket said:

…. 

My quest for a bone-in ham hock continues. I checked in person at Tesco today and they’ve completely eliminated that from our store it seems. This is frustrating. I loved that piece of meat and bought it frequently. I’ll have to look in Morrisons, Lidl or at a push, visit a local butcher. Phooey. 

Hi @JingsMyBucket

The thought occurs to me that it is well worth visiting your local butcher and having a chat with them.  If they don’t have a bone-in ham hock in stock, they should be able to order one for you from their mates in the trade.

HTH

- Pip

Blackcats

Nelliegrace said:

The chickens have given DH their egg money to go shopping for a sack of their favourite wild bird seed from the farm feeds merchant. They like a handful in the afternoon. It used to cost £8 for 20kg but is £14 now. 

@Nelliegrace - what responsible chickens they are.  Made me smile to think of them having their afternoon treat.

carboot_karaoke

Evening all, ...yep ive been to the shops again !!

Tesco £11.49 for some things you cant get elsewhere like chipotle paste, Lidl £31.49 mostly fruit and veg but £10 of the spend was on a large block of cheese and toilet roll. Total spent £42.98.

This brings the new total to £434.54 / £650
Food 275.99 / £430
Petrol/Insurance 158.55 / £220

On the plus side l have all the ingredients for the weeks food plan consisting of ;

Tuscan Chicken with wholemeal spaghetti
Caribbean Stew, rice, salad, coleslaw and fried dumplings 
Chilli and rice
Jacket Potatoes (with leftover chilli, coleslaw, cheese)
Beef Stew with mash potato
Jerk Chicken rice and veg
Brunch
Chinese Chicken Curry
Roast

@JingsMyBucket I hope you feel better soon. Cant beat comfort food, especially with the colder weather. 

thriftwizard

Ooops - a sudden jump in weekly spending to £101.16 has left me in a little danger of busting my budget this month. I just bought a few little treats for OH, things he really likes, as he's had a few hard things to come to terms with in the last few weeks. So just under £70 left and a couple of weeks to go... though that's only one weekend shop. If I really, really had to, I could do it as there's plenty of stuff in the freezer & store cupboards, though we're in need of a couple of staples. But luckily it's not completely necessary & I think it's important to keep morale up just now. Let's see where finding the balance leaves us...

PipneyJane

Probably off-topic, but related:  does anyone remember the lady who stopped doing the Grocery Challenge after she and her husband moved onto a narrow boat?  It was easily 3 or 4 years ago.  I’ve often wondered how she’s doing.

- Pip

WickedLady4

@PipneyJane Do you think you mean Hard up Hester?

If so she's no longer on the boat but you can find and follow her blog online.

diminua

£177.88 spent in total - some this last week on houmous, flatbreads and fancy olives for lunches (there's a place near work that does pick n mix olives and my eyes are bigger than my stomach). 3 small decorative pumpkins that look lovely in my fruitbowl but will only be eaten (probably roasted and in soup) when the season is drawing to a close. Other than that milk and coffee and bread as usual.  

PipneyJane

WickedLady4 said:

@PipneyJane Do you think you mean Hard up Hester?

If so she's no longer on the boat but you can find and follow her blog online.

It might be Hard Up Hester, @WickedLady4.  I honestly don’t know.

- Pip