March 2008 Grocery Challenge

Jacks_xxx

:wave: Ok.. first day of the month, and first spend for us.

Hubby picked up a loaf of bread in town this morning, and nothing else... Bless his little cotton socks. (ok, it was quite expensive bread, but I'm claiming a victory for MSE nonetheless!)

We have a huge order coming on Wednesday cos I've stocked up on everything heavy or bulky, like the canned stuff, the 3kg bags of pasta, washing powder, potatoes, washing up liquid, 2 litre milk, kitchen roll, toilet roll, 1kg margarine etc.

That should make the shopping I have to do for the rest of the month a lot easier to carry, and give that bruise on my leg from being constantly bashed with shopping bags a chance to heal! :dance: :dance: :dance:

I'm still thinking I may have to get a old lady pull along.

I'm having my shopping delivered without carrier bags for the first time ever this week - so we'll see what kind of a nightmare that is! :eek:

We have reuseables from Lidl and Wilkos for when we go and do a shop, and I have a biggish jute bag folded up in my handbag so that I can say no to carriers everywhere else I might buy anything, but I've still been having the deliveries sent in bags.

The Daily Mail has been full of picture of animals tangled up in plastic carriers this week, and it's finally pushed me into doing something about it, and going plastic bag free entirely.

Does anybody know what I can do with the 300 or so (I'm guessing! :rolleyes: ) bags I have stashed under the sink?

Happy March G.C.-ing everybody!

Love Jacks xxx

ANY_CHANCE

ANY_CHANCE wrote: »

:hello: Helloooo

Just wondering where can i get help to budget for my weekly shop. I usually spend around £120 p/w for 2 adults and 3 children but i have to cut down the cost. What could i cut it down to? I also need help with ideas of what to feed everyone on a small budget

any help would be appreciated

thanks AC

Just been to Morrisons and spent 77.30
I have planned a weeks menu
Sat - chicken dinner
Sun - chicken curry made with left overs
Mon-Toad in the hole (after reading one of the threads!)
Tues - soups
Wed - fish and chips (frozen)
thurs - omlette
fri- pasta and meat sauce

Cant wait to see if we can stick to this
x

mumzyof2

Jacks_xxx wrote: »

:wave: Ok.. first day of the month, and first spend for us.

Hubby picked up a loaf of bread in town this morning, and nothing else... Bless his little cotton socks. (ok, it was quite expensive bread, but I'm claiming a victory for MSE nonetheless!)

We have a huge order coming on Wednesday cos I've stocked up on everything heavy or bulky, like the canned stuff, the 3kg bags of pasta, washing powder, potatoes, washing up liquid, 2 litre milk, kitchen roll, toilet roll, 1kg margarine etc.

That should make the shopping I have to do for the rest of the month a lot easier to carry, and give that bruise on my leg from being constantly bashed with shopping bags a chance to heal! :dance: :dance: :dance:

I'm still thinking I may have to get a old lady pull along.

I'm having my shopping delivered without carrier bags for the first time ever this week - so we'll see what kind of a nightmare that is! :eek:

We have reuseables from Lidl and Wilkos for when we go and do a shop, and I have a biggish jute bag folded up in my handbag so that I can say no to carriers everywhere else I might buy anything, but I've still been having the deliveries sent in bags.

The Daily Mail has been full of picture of animals tangled up in plastic carriers this week, and it's finally pushed me into doing something about it, and going plastic bag free entirely.

Does anybody know what I can do with the 300 or so (I'm guessing! :rolleyes: ) bags I have stashed under the sink?

Happy March G.C.-ing everybody!

Love Jacks xxx

Hello I know that tesco and asda collect any plastic carrier bags from you when they deliever your order. Just give them to the driver Hope this helps.

EverTheOptimist

Hi guys

First day of the month and i have already spent half of my march budget - £48.46, (including easter eggs) however for the first time i have written a meal plan for the month. so apart from some fresh bits and pieces - milk, fruit and veg etc i should only be spending another £10-£15 or so. yay. That is if i can stay out of the shops.

i've only got to plan for about 16 days as the other 15 i am working and we get all our meals supplied. I have got lasagne portions, 8 chicken breasts, frozen veg, pizzas, all in freezer, so really cant see how i can blow it !!!

making so much more of an effort at the mo, as i woke up this morning and my boiler decided it wasnt going to heat my water up, well i have managed to fix it, for now, but i sense a new boiler being purchased in the next couple of months, so thats my focus now - i am NOT getting a loan to pay for it.

hope everyone has a good day.

ETO
x

earthmother

Jacks_xxx wrote: »

Does anybody know what I can do with the 300 or so (I'm guessing! :rolleyes: ) bags I have stashed under the sink?

They actually dissappear surprisingly quickly - ours have lined rubbish bins, been used at carboots, school fairs and for charity shop and freecycle offerings, become emergency nappy sacks, taken craft supplies (ie, the contents of the recycling tub that week) to school and many other jobs.

We started going bagless about 18 months back, and now rarely have any plastic ones in the house (been like that since about October) :j

In fact, now I sometimes have to go out and intentionally use a plastic bag so I have one for certain jobs - no way am I sending my good cotton bags into school - I'd never get them back!


Edit - Oh, and a tip for bagless deliveries - have a couple of boxes/crates by the door, just pack the shopping into them and unpack at your leisure once the driver has gone

ANY_CHANCE

Last week my husband brought home raspberry and blackberry plants (99p from quality save) after i told him about people saving by growing their own food - so i will plant them today and see how they go! Im not expecting much fruit this year though, ill think of it as an investment:rotfl:

Last year we bought a plum tree i wonder how long it takes to grow fruit?

Jacks - i am hoping that i have bought enough milk so my husband doesnt have to call at the shop, as he usually comes back with extra!!

Where do you get the 3kg bags of pasta etc from

Bobbykins

iRememberSleep wrote: »

What is the difference in strong bread flour and plain flour?
can you make it at home like you can Self rise flour?:o

Hi Iremembersleep (can I shorten that to IRS - do you mind?)
Strong bread flour has a higher gluten content than ordinary baking flour, so I'm afraid you can't make it at home. This is what I found on Wikipedia for you:-

"Hard flour, or "bread" flour, is high in gluten, with a certain toughness that holds its shape well once baked. Soft flour is comparatively low in gluten and so results in a finer texture. Soft flour is usually divided into cake flour, which is the lowest in gluten, and pastry flour, which has slightly more gluten than cake flour."

Sounds very technical doesn't it?:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

I've only ever heard it called strong flour or bread flour here in the UK, but maybe it's known as something different in the States? Perhaps someone else on here will know?
Hope this helps

Clockwatcher

wow 11 pages on the thread already!
I'm aiming for £100 this month, did really well in Feb coming in at £85 but need to do a big shop soon the freezer is getting pretty empty.

nicnacnoo

well March 1st, ive been up town for my veg and meat for the week, nipped into B&M for some bin bags and ive spent less than a tenner! because i dont need a lot this week i have also bought pressies for 2 kids parties this weekend and i still have about £30 left out of £50, will go and count it n a minute, not bad, will only need milk during the week i think excellent.
Nic

december

First shop of the month for me and excluding the new baking trays and containers I bought to help with my new ways, I spent £40. I'm just off to make some oaty biscuits and flapjacks for the 1st time, along with a slow cooker made lasagne.....Fingers crossed they come out ok!

December x