March 2008 Grocery Challenge

sealady

I am really chuffed so far! For my budget of £350. I have spent £220 so far which for me is brillant. Our freezers are jam packed with all the meat, bread and milk we could ask for! I will only have stock up on the school lunch things next friday and some more fruit and fresh veg. It certainly helps keeping to a budget when I have been housebound for the last week. Thank you all for your inspiration.

purplevamp

Thanks everyone for the :beer: & :j 's!! I was quite pleased the amount lost. I know it won't be that much next week though.

savingfortravel - how was the oriental tuna? I haven't had that for a long time but I know it was tasty. Did your noodles come out ok? :rotfl:

betterlatethannever

I made the most lovely carrot and coriander soup today.:D Must have cost me all of 90p to make and will do two adults two days lunches.

I've gone from being a total dud in the kitchen to being a goddess:j
Can't believe i spent years paying £2 + for fresh soup in the supermarket:o

savingfortravel

Hi Purple Vamp
It was so easy to make and very tasty.
Never learnt to cook anything growing up and it saves you so much money as well as being so much healthier. Now hardly got any ready made food in the freezer and looking to use any up next month.
OB an I are really enjoying cooking different recipes. He is so calm and very talented in the kitchen.
We are lucky to have a common goal for our GC savings....Central America here we come..... :T
SFT

savingfortravel

Betterlatethannever
I agree. We're looking to growing our own tomatoes again and making delicious soup for minimum cost.
SFT

kunekune

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear.

On Thursday night I forgot to do my online shop (possibly because I was at work till nearly 6 and then got caught in traffic and then DH wasn't well either). So we did a real life shop on Saturday. And, even after I take the fancy beer, wine and £14 of lightbulbs off, we spent £200. What we used to spend before I found MSE.

So, now I want to stay within budget regardless. In my fridge I have:

leftover roast pork
a gammon joint
6 sausages
chorizo sausage
mozzarella and other cheeses
eggs
frankfurters
2 packs very good bacon
1 pack diced bacon
plenty of cold meat for lunches

In the freezer, the meat/fish includes: whole pork fillet, 2 packets sausages, 2 packets mince, 3 packets lamb steak, 1 pack chicken liver, 2 packs ravioli, 1 pack casserole beef, 1 big bag smoked haddock, most of a bag haddock, 2 packs prawns, 1 pizza, 2 lots pizza bread, gnocchi, a home made risotto, a big container of stewed red cabbage, a big container of turkey bolognese sauce, 4 hm salmon fishcakes, fish fingers, chicken steaks ...

And that's what I can remember off hand. Obviously I can make this last more than 7 days. Actually I ought to make it last more like 21 days, especially if I batchcook some soup (I have a butternut, aging cauliflower in need of love, 2 packs purple sprouting broccoli, parsnip, lots of beans) and plan some vege meals (I have a LOT of cheese too). I keep a reasonably well-stocked store cupboard (got 6 tins tomatoes yesterday for instance). Watch this space ...

Plan for next 2 days:

Lunch today: pork sandwiches, soup of some description
Dinner tonight: sausages, mashed potato, onion gravy, broccoli, yorkshire pudings
Lunch tomorrow (packed): sandwiches, soup
Dinner tomorrow: boiled gammon [keep leftovers for baked potatoes on Tuesday], parsley sauce, frozen broad beans, potatoes

Wonder whether I can do it! The really brilliant thing would be if I managed to avoid buying any extra veges (it might mean cooking some of what is getting manky and freezing it as soup/other vege dishes).

JayneC

Morning everyone,

Yesterday spent £6.77 at butchers and grocers, got grapes, bananas, eggs and bacon and I'm afraid most of the bacon went on sandwiches for breakfast! I'm planning to put the rest (about 3 rashers, lol) in a leek and potato bake that I will make later.

Spent yesterday afternoon doing a bit of baking - made twinks hob nobs for the first time - WOW. They were so easy and really yummy. I made 15 really big ones out of the mix that will go in lunchboxes. Also made some chocalte brownies as they are a fave in our house. And made a cauli and broccoli cheese but think i overcooked the veg a bit - we'll see what the verdict is when it's eaten. There's enough cheese sauce left over to go in my leek and potato bake later too:j

I was planning to make some soup but not done that yet. On my list for later today.

It was my daughter's birthday yesterday and she had a bit of a 'do' at her local pub (all food and entertainment kindly put on by manangement as she knows them really well) and I came away with enough pork pie for lunch for everyone today, yey!! :j There was loads of food left and would've brought more if I could've carried it. Must remember to keep a spare carrier bag in my handbag - I normally do but only in my 'everyday' bag)
On the other hand i did spend around £20 whilst I was there so didn't come out of it that well. It's not out of my grocery budget thankfully, but still £20.....

I have no meat left now (apart from my bit of bacon) and am trying to think of creative dishes that don't need meat. I'll let you know what I come up with or any ideas gratefully received!

Have a good day everyone

Ta x

BigMummaF

Just been catching up, & made a few notes to remind me of who said what.....it's being a laydee of a certain age that does it! But then I've always been one of them!!.

SLTBS, chicken balmoral sounds interesting--care to share more details? We have a lot of chicken, so new recipes are always welcome:D

ICD, my mum made some delicious cheese straws from 'bought' pastry....think the instructions were on the packet, but I think it involved rolling out puff pastry & layering on grated cheese, then folding it over & rolling again--summat like that anyhoo. And we also used to have boiled rice with dried fruit, or plain with a spoonful of jam for a pudding...could this help with your rice population?

mama67

Just updated sig nipped into Co-op yesterday and spent £6.56.

natzini

Arghhhh!
Flipping catered meals at work on INSET have really mucked up my IBS so I've had to cut out dairy.... so the replacement stuff has been brought in until I can reintroduce.... now I'm just trying to work out how *close* I can keep to my target this month, and work on it from then onward.