March 2008 Storecupboard Challenge anyone?

DawnW

I have a new mortgage, need a whole new central heating system plus other work on the house, car tax, MOT and service due in March, and a nightmare (but reasonably paid) job contract that might well end in October:eek: . My OH is under almost continual threat of redundancy after more than 20 years in the job. BUT we also have a freezer and cupboards full of food and loads of household stuff and toiletries, we grow and preserve a lot of veg and fruit, and keep chickens for eggs. Also sell the odd book from my vast collection on Amazon.

Anyone willing to join in a strorecupboard challenge? I was late home tonight and then had to see a plumber, so did mushroom omelette (thanks chickens!), jacket potato oven wedges and salad for supper. Tomorrow will be sausages with leeks from the garden for supper, porridge and fruit for breakfast and cheese and tomato sandwich for lunch.

Anyone willing to keep me company?

mumzyof2

How do we do this? Im up for it whatever it is I love a challenge. Do we live out of our cupboards and freezer n frdige? and just buy things we need eg milk, bread etc????

DawnW

Hello Mumzyof2,
When they have done this before on here, it is usually recommended that you go through all your cupboards, fridge and freezer and plan meals that use what you have, buying only the minimum that you need, plus usually fresh stuff as you mention . However, I shan't have time to do this for a while, and besides, my freezer and cupboards are so full :eek: that it is pretty easy at the moment to just grab what you can see and make a meal out of that! So that is what I shall do, and when I start to make an impression on it, then go through everything and see what I have left. I am intrigued by your 'live on 4k per year' idea. Do you have a thread on this that you could point me to? If not perhaps you could start one? It looks as if it would fit in brilliantly with a store cupboard challenge!

squeaky

It's on the Debt Free Wannabe board:-

2008 - Live on £4000 for a full year.


You might also like to browse this thread here on Old Style:-Family of 5 'shop from home'food storage challenge...

purpleivy

I think I should join this guys. I have spent my money for March as I did my 'big shop' last Sunday....I thought it was a good idea at the time. I only needed bananas and milk, so thought I would get ahead of myself. Went through quite a lot of ££, BUT followed it up with a Costco visit yesterday :eek: and then got more stuff at ASDA. In fact, quite a lot of it was supplies for the celebration cakes I have to do, so not taking that out of the food purse. Haven't adjusted my signature yet to account for this.... it really needs to be milk and fresh stuff only with as many 'NO Spend Days' as possible.

So.. I'm in!

newlywed

Well I can tell you what I have in my freezer right now - two loaves of bread and one chopped leek :rotfl:

The cupboards aren't much better either

I do this kind of challenge the last week or so in every month when I run out of money before payday

It's a great idea though and I only wish I could join

purpleivy

Not had a very auspicious start! Got the rest of the stuff I had forgotten yesterday. But just what I really needed..... like a roast for Sun as MIL is coming!

mumzyof2

DawnW wrote: »

Hello Mumzyof2,
When they have done this before on here, it is usually recommended that you go through all your cupboards, fridge and freezer and plan meals that use what you have, buying only the minimum that you need, plus usually fresh stuff as you mention . However, I shan't have time to do this for a while, and besides, my freezer and cupboards are so full :eek: that it is pretty easy at the moment to just grab what you can see and make a meal out of that! So that is what I shall do, and when I start to make an impression on it, then go through everything and see what I have left. I am intrigued by your 'live on 4k per year' idea. Do you have a thread on this that you could point me to? If not perhaps you could start one? It looks as if it would fit in brilliantly with a store cupboard challenge!

Im no longer in the 4k challenge..i just couldnt do it..
I will start this from tomorrow? May i write everything i have in my cupbards and do a meal plan tonight..and could someone give me some ideas on what i could make with my ingredients??

Purple_Sparkles

I'll join you for this. My cupboards & freezer need sorting and I've got quite a bit of food in the pantry, it will be interesting to see what I come up with for our meals. I'll dig down into the freezer over the weekend and sort out some kind of menu plan for the month.

Since joining MSE I've become quite frugal and have noticed that I don't buy half as much as I used to.

I'm going to 'shop' from my pantry/freezer until I need to buy a necessary ingredient or need fresh fruit/veg.

It could be an interesting month, especially with Easter falling in March and having my son off school, I can see it now.... let's see what we can make today!

Kaz2904

I'm in on this. I need to find about £6000. I need to sell my car which should get £1500 but that still leaves £4500. Maybe I can claw this out of the shopping and petrol budget over the next year? Hmm, can't save £375 per month. I'll have to go for 2 years. I need to save £187.50 per month.
Off to have a think and a rummage!

mumzyof2

Hello to all, im fairly new tho the OS forum but i really need to stop my spending on food. I use to spend easily £75-£100 a week on food.
I have decided to write everything down on here of what i have in my cupboards,fridge and freezer..and would love to do a meal plan for a month..but dont really know what to make, so any ideas much apperichated.

I have set my March's grocery challenge at £100 this is for me 2 kids under 4 and sometimes my oh. I dont even want to go any where near that figure, iam also on the live out of ya cupboards for March's challenge

Ok so here goes,

Baking cupboard

Ground mixed spice
1/4 of Banana milkshake powder
Red food colouring
Vanilla flavouring
340g of honey (to put on my gammon when i have a roast)
1kg of Caster sugar
10 chicken oxo cubes
Bicarbonate soda
Baking powder
1kg of sugar
1/2 bag of raisons
Whole Black peppercorns
1kg Icing sugar
1kg cane sugar
1.5kg plain flour
Dark Muscovado cane sugar
1/4 of a 1.5kg bag of brown bread flour
100's and 1000's
1/4 of a 1.5kg bag of plain flour
3 x 1.5kg self raising flour
2 x 1.5kg white bread flour
Dried milk
Coco
1 x Litre bottle of organic vegetable oil
1/4 golden suryup
Rock salt
Bread yeast

Dried Food

2 x sasuage casserole mix
2 x packets of pasta
chicken caserole mix
1 x spagetti (long)
1/4 bag of rice
Tomato Puree
12 x oxo cubes
10 x asda price chicken cubes (I find these really really salty though)
1 x packet of cornflour
Lasagne sheets
2 x corned beef
Bisto dumpling mix

Tin food

4 x spag bol sauce
1 x jar of pickled beetroots
Sheperds pie mix
Colmans whole mustard
Powdered custard
chocolate sponge pudding
Jar of tikka masala
Evaporated milk
2 x tins of tip top - for making icecream
1 x Jar of mayo
1 x Pot noodle
Tin of custard
Jam
3 x Chopped tomatos
Chicken soup - I dont like this soup but what could i make out of it as a meal for kids except just soup?
5 x baked beans
Peas
4 x tomato soup
rice pudding
1/4 of bisto gravy granules
Tuna chunks - I dont like tuna but again what could i make for the kids?
1 x 8 hotdogs
bisto cheese sauce
tomatoe puree
2 x chicken super noodles
10 x beef oxo cubes
tin of mince beef and onions
Warm chicken 2 part ceasar salad dressing - what could i make with this?

LIST CONTINUES ON NEXT POST