March 2008 Grocery Challenge

Keeping_Positive

Hello

This is the first time I ventured into this thread and its great. Can I join?

I have been setting myself a target for the last couple of months of £250-300 ideally the first figure. Feb was not good and March is looking tight have £60 left of the £250 to last until the 25th. That needs to include next Saturdays shop for the following week.

Its for a family of five and a puddy cat who does not appear to like budget cat food. Can get her to eat the Tesco premium range. The main problem I have is very picky kids who when I cook anything from scratch ie spag bog, stew or casserole they turn their noses up. We do make them eat it but I find it (after working full time and then spending time cooking) a bit soul destroying.

My plan is to start to cook meals for me and OH and freeze in portions then cook other bits for kids. We are having tinned sausage casserole (been in cupboard for ages!)this week wth mash spud but kids will have sausgaes and boiled spuds.

JayneC

Morning everyone,

Went to Tesco last night for milk and spent £5.92. Got some more butter and marg, soft cheese, eggs and toiletries.

Can't believe how expensive eggs are in supermarket. I normally get 6 Free Range local farm eggs for 66p from the grocers and it cost 73p for value eggs in Tesco:eek: . Went against all my principles to buy value eggs too so now i have guilt as well as peed off cos they cost more!

I'm planning to make cheesecake today as I had a bit of a disaster making hobnobs yesterday (they're somewhat on the burnt side:rolleyes: ) and am going to crush the ones that aren't too bad to make the base and also use my berries from the freezer for the topping. I've never made cheesecake before so we'll see how it goes.

Thanks to Weezl for the cheesemaking link I'm going to have a go at that me thinks.

savingfortravel

Fi27 and Wendy24g
Just write your target in red and say who it covers. Mrs Mc will then pick it up and add it to the list on page 2 (or 3?) of the thread. There is a new thread for each month, so you may want to wait until your next pay day....Everyone on this thread is lovely. We share recipes, news of deals and lots of encouragement.
People are sticking to a budget for all reasons and live all over England and abroad.
Welcome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
SFT

weezl74

Sandy2 -Authentically, I think you're supposed to use whole milk, but I used skimmed this time and it was fine!

I don't flavour it until afterwards, kaz2904, because some flavours stop the milk from curdling.

Tried to be smart once and add sugar while it heated up (was gonna make cheesecake!) but then no amount of lemon juice would make it curdle, so I had to think of a use for 2 litres of hot sweet milk flavoured with Lemon!

HTH

Weezl x

cheerfulness4

mhe wrote: »

Cheerfulness and curly cabbage - thank you sooo much for both going over on your budgets - now im not on my own!!! (selfish i know but i didnt want to be the only one;) )

:rotfl: :rotfl: Quite pleased to think I'm not alone, too. We'll make it next month.

Did make me think that we've got the holiday weekend to get through so I'm assessing the cupboards to think of what treats I can make with everyone being on hols.
I've made a lovely chocolate tart from some cheap digestives and a Cornation chocolate pie filling from Netto (29p) that was really scrummy yesterday so I've napped the other half of the digestives (they can think again if they think they're dunking those in their coffee) and I'm going to make another for next weekend. Thats one treat sorted.

Will have to be baking and planning all week to make sure that I don't need to spend anything else other than the essentials. Will be a great excuse to sit and ponder over my recipe file with copious mugs of tea.

suzialwaysbroke

Quick update on my totals - not looking very good!
Week 1 - £112.92
Week 2 - £146.39 Total of £259.31 with 2 & a bit weeks to go & a budget of £350.
Still, I have done a couple of big shops & will hopefully be able to eat from stores over the next couple of weeks. Lets hope Easter doesn't put the kybosh on it!!
Suzi
PS Just remebered DD3 back from Uni - she loves her food!!!!!

natzini

Morning all!
Have not slept properly all night due to the migraine from hell, but after some coffee it is finally going away!
Got the Sainsbugs order yesterday-have loads of ideas and plans, and have planned our meals for this week.
Today we are doing a wee bit of decorating, sorting, shredding etc and we are making Oreo cupcakes. Haven't made them before but two of my fave things together, well I can't resist!
Just updated my siggy and think we'll pick up a piece of ham this week as we've both been craving it, yum. As there's only two of us I'm hoping a small joint will last us a while, or at least stop us wanting to pick at other stuff.

Keeping_Positive

Thanks Saving for travel. Ill put it in but dont mind if Mrs Mc wants to wait until next month.

£250 to cover myself, OH, three children and cat.

MRSMCAWBER

Hello again

Hi there Wendy24g.... will add you to the list for this month .. you will find it on the 1st page of the thread . Sure you will get loads of help, and encouragement on here :T

Well folks i have done it... sorted out the bakery cupboards :eek: .... super happy as there was nothing in need of throwing away :j ..and i now have more spaces -i won't fill them -honest:D ..but heck do i have some odd stuff in there .. I have made a list as i sorted -but now have to turn it into a "logical" list..gonna stick it on the inside of the cupboard door in one of those plastic sleeves.... not going through that again ..wouldn't mind but i have only lived here since bloomin july last year... so it has accumulated pretty quickly mind i guess i did bring a lot with me :rolleyes:

oooohhh on a better note.. i have baked that loaf with currants n coconut in.. let it cool (slightly:p ) then had the thin crust as a reward for doing the cupboards-thats my excuse and im sticking to it :rotfl: and its rather yummy :T so the rest is going to be sliced and frozen individually so i can have a bit when i fancy
right had better sort that list before i lose it or throw it away

COOLTRIKERCHICK

well after a bad january, which i committed myself to a grocery challenge, and the budget just went out of the window... i havent committed myself to a challenge, but have been starting to watch what i spend again... in reality we have £120. per week to spend on food ...petrol....electric tokens....coal.. and anything else that crops up so to speak..

considering we use £20 - 25 of electric per week and the same in petrol our budget doesnt look that manageable... coal when we have the fire in is abotu the same...

over the last few weeks me have managed it by the skin of our teeth, but that is with the help of full freezers and cupboards...

this week i thought i would ask hubby to go out and buy the bits that we need...:rolleyes:

so one day he spend £14 odd :eek: on bits for sandwiches etc

then yesturday i said i needed a sack of pots thinking around the £6 mark... no he bought organic new potatoes £17:eek: :eek: :eek:

so now to stay within our £120 until thursday as that is when hubby's weekly wage goes into the bank, i have just under £10 to spend on shopping, and i have to get 10 tins of dog food out of that which is £6.70

i must admit the realisation is hitting me like a brick to be honest, as at the mo...we are using food we all ready have in the freezer and cupboards... so we have only been topping up.. on essentials... but when the freezers and cupboards start running low...i am panicking about how we can manage..

but as most people on os i got to manage...

going shopping this afternoon... to see if i can pick up some reduced stuff, and try and use some mocs to lessen the blow...lol..