March 2008 Grocery Challenge

JayneC

SAV3R wrote: »

Just been reading the thread, I am quite new to MSE and keep flitting about a bit really. Hope you don't mind me just butting in here.

I have been trying to cut down on my grocery spend, started to do menu plans and trying to use up the stock in my cupbaords etc. However, I still managed to spend a total of £373 for Feb, this is for 2 adults, DS1 aged 12, DS2 aged 9. My spend does include all food bought - although we rarely eat out anyway, all cleaning products and toiletries etc.

I daren't commit an amount to reduce to, how do you all budget so well?

Hi SAV3R,

I'm sure it's fine for you to 'butt in'

I know in my case I've kinda been 'forced' to reduce my grocery bill due to a change in circumstances, i literally only have £60 per week to shop with. before this i could easily spend double that and think I wasn't being excessive - I have never really bought branded always shop's own, etc. There's me, 3 large teens (who eat more than me:D ) a 9 year old and a new baby (he's grandson tho so his mum is responsible for his stuff although I do oaccasionally get a pk of nappies or wipes for her) .

Keep your receipts and have a look at what you're spending on. I now very rarely buy biscuits or desserts but make my own. I also used to buy expensive fruit - pineapple. mangoes, etc but now just tend to get apples and bananas and I buy from the local fruit and veg shop which is much cheaper. I've also drastically cut back on the amount of meat we eat and I used to always buy only pure fruit juice and now have to get cordial (which I don't really like because of the additives but needs must and all that:rolleyes: )

Hope that helps.

Come back and let us know how you get on.

MRSMCAWBER

Morning all

Skintscotslass... I leave my meatballs in the fridge too... infact those done last night had been in the fridge over night...and nothing but nothing was going to make them fall apart -as hubby proved when he tried to hack one in half with a spoon you should have seen how far it shot across the floor:rotfl:
Im not sure if i dare add grated veggies to the next lot as they will be never ending if i do... yesterdays half has still left enough -with the egg pasta and sauce-for me to have leftover for lunch ..and hubby said he wants less next time.. so im sure if i grate veggies into them i will have enough for 4 meals for both of us :eek:

I made the egg pasta.. i went with what i thought i knew.... that you use 1 large egg to 100g flour per person... so just did 200g and 2 eggs -but then when i was reading a site on the net it was saying that 300g and 3 eggs would do 2 people or 1 HUNGRY person :eek: ...im sure it must be a mistake as my mix did enough for 3 as its soooo filling... so i have the rest for lunch

Mhe -Tzatziki is sooo easy..you can alter the quantities to suit -i do :-

a pot of greek yoghurt -the total 0% one is fine
a chunk ofcucumber -which you can grate but i finely dice it as i like it chunky... pile the cucumber onto a tea towel and gather it up and twist it over the sink to get rid of a lot of moisture then tip it in to the yoghurt, a clove of crushed garlic, a sprinkle of salt mix and leave in the fridge to develope for a little while... i normally add fresh chopped mint too -although i got told off in Kefalonia when i said this..the local lady nearly had a fit :rotfl:

The Bees.. for some reason the tortillas seem to roll out much thinner and bigger if the dough has come out of the freezer ..hubby prefers them that way too...

SAV3R..... just jump on and join in... there is no shame if you spend over your target.... we are all on here to help each other out and we all have different budgets.... come on... join in -you know you want to

Don't panic about putting your budgets in red folks... if i have to read every post carefully to find your totals -then there is less chance of me missing an interesting bit of information :rotfl: ....not that im nosey or anything

Right i had better get off and get something done ...keep up the good work everyone

Sunnyday

:eek: I`ve finally managed to catch up with the rest of the thread!
I didn`t think i was going to manage it but now i`ve done it i feel much better.
Our meal plan has been done for next week - i`ve ended up changing it three times already as my shifts have been changeable and i just don`t have the time to cook a huge roast dinner when i`m on certain shifts and have to do the housework etc as well, if there were another 4 hours in every day i might just manage to fit everything in.:o

Here`s what we are having.

Friday (today) Chilli con carne & spicy wedges
Saturday - Stew & crusty bread
Sunday - Spicy meatballs & noodles
Monday - Paella & garlic & coriander pittas
Tuesday - Tuna & pasta bake & garlic bread
Wednesday - Salad, cottage cheese & burgers
Thursday - Salad, cottage cheese & marinated tuna steak
Friday - Salad ,cottage cheese & salmon
Saturday - Salad, cottage cheese & lasagne

I have the chilli and stew to make but the meatballs and tuna pasta sauce are ready and frozen last week.
The paella is a MS version, i use savoury rice and add prawns and either chorizo or more recently i`ve been adding salami instead as you get much more for your money.
The burgers , salmon and tuna are already in the freezer so need cooking after marinating and i make a giant bowl of salad and keep it in the fridge so that i can grab a handful everyday ,i make it with white cabbage onions, carrots and peppers and it stays crisper longer, if i use lettuce it dosent keep as well. There will be jacket spuds for days that we are extra hungry and plenty of bread too.
I need to go and write my shopping list now, i`ll see what it comes to and maybe add some extra bits to replace things i`ve used form the freezer.
SD

dan1979

My food budget for March is <£75 for two adults, spent £0 so far. I am excluding the few extras my wife picks up for herself but I will include these if I can get her receipts.

Low budget is because I spent £260 in the last two weeks of February which means I'm well stocked up and the numbers should average out over the course of three months or so.

I'm aiming for a normal food budget of something like £170 per month for the two of us but I have no idea what the average is or what I should be aiming for? The only caveat is really that I will only buy free range but I do make everything from scratch.

First test is today - there's a 'food festival' on at Spitalfields market which I'm going to at lunchtime!

findingmyfeet

morning.......
MAMA67 your reply really made me laugh... so thats your secret... if you dont take the money you cant spend it... brilliant, never thought of doing that(cant you tell i'm new to this). maybe try this when i know i dont really need much.!

welcome to sav3r and dan1979 , im new at this too and find treating it almost like a game in my head makes me stick to it cannot stand to lose easily!

SAV3R - things i have been doing to get me started, (as well as good advice from jaynec), we have stopped buying lunches etc, we all take homemade pack up to school and work, all snacks and goodies except fruit are HM. Also try out shops like aldi, lidl, netto etc. they arent as nasty as some people think. I particularly like aldi, never had anything horrible yet and my local one is very new only built a few months ago. look out for all offers bogofs etc. and dont worry if you overspend try harder next time , if you stick to budget hurray extra money to spend elsewhere. good luck, join in you will love it. Oh and dont forget to look out for the great recipe ideas on here.

BigMummaF

I do so envy you guys with your lovely meal plans.....Unfortunately my lot are less adventurous when it comes to their bellies:p I asked them a couple of years back what they would like for crimbo gifts---& they shouted out as one voice "Roast":rotfl: That's my kids for ya!!

Another £36:87:o this week, but a lot of veg is in that...& I was hoping to get three meat-meals off the 2-4-£5 chickens but it's looking doubtful.....could be worse.....they would have been eating total carp in it's place, so at least it's a healthier snacking each time someone opens the fridge door!

icandream

Regarding snacks, do any of you have any good recipes for quick and easy snacks that the children will love. I made bite-size sausage rolls last night, using bought shortcrust pastry and half a pack of sausagemeat I unearthed in my recent check through the freezer. Sorry about admitting to not making my own pastry: I gave up long long ago. :rotfl::o They have been demolished bar six, and the kids were really appreciative. It made me think, I'm buying less nibbles- I make our own biscuits, and bread, and cakes. But can anybody suggest something easy and savoury like the sausage rolls -it took all of 5 mins to make them up, so I can easily cope with that (very time short, as are we all! :rotfl:). And, most important, they are helping me to stay on budget. :j

WelshWoofer

Managed a no spend day yesterday and got out of taking customers out last night - so nice quiet night in and ate from the freezer.
Going to have gnocchi in tomato and mascarpone sauce tonight with maybe a bit of sundried tomato foccacia.
All in the fridge and need using up before I go away to Berlin with work on Monday for a few days.

Was supposed to be going to teh cinema tonight but OH has decided that he has a migraine so I think that's off - never mind at least I won't be spending!

lilmisskitkat

Morning all, just been catching up on everyone, hope you're all ok

Did my shopping last night instead of today, had a really busy day yesterday so i thought i might as well get it done so i can take it easy today. Spent £35 in Asda and tbh it looks like i got nothing :eek: I stuck to my list and it wasn't a huge shop anyway but prices are soaring it seems. I did buy a new frying pan and spatula which came to £8 but other than that it was just food, no cleaning stuff or anything.

Quick Q - whats the difference between chicken thighs and chicken thigh fillets? Trying to use cheaper meats because of the cost but a bit confused as to what to use for what etc. Thanks

Ah well off to update my sig

Take care all

Kate xxx

Angelraesunshine

Been to asda Spent £37.39 did get a few bargains though, had a coupon for fairy dishwasher tabs and they were reduced so got a pack for my new dishwasher that arrives on Saturday for just £1. bought up a load of puff pastry reduced which i will freeze ready for pies and some some kids cartons were £1.99 for 24 but 1 had leaked so got 23 for 80p.