PLEASE READ BEFORE POSTING

Hello Forumites! However well-intentioned, for the safety of other users we ask that you refrain from seeking or offering medical advice. This includes recommendations for medicines, procedures or over-the-counter remedies. Posts or threads found to be in breach of this rule will be removed.
We're aware that some users are experiencing technical issues which the team are working to resolve. See the Community Noticeboard for more info. Thank you for your patience.
📨 Have you signed up to the Forum's new Email Digest yet? Get a selection of trending threads sent straight to your inbox daily, weekly or monthly!

March 2008 Storecupboard Challenge anyone?

Options
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?
«134567

Comments

  • mumzyof2
    mumzyof2 Posts: 3,343 Forumite
    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????
    Sealed Pot dec 08 - dec 09 so far £27.67, Live off £4k Spent £330.20 GC £1,200 for 2009 Spent £50.78 PaD so far £650.07
    Debts: L/woods £154.00 C/One PAID O/D £649.90 Next £299.95 O/D PAID Gas £72.60 Electric £155.73 Mum £640.00 Orange £490.32
  • DawnW
    DawnW Posts: 7,743 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    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
    squeaky Posts: 14,129 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    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...
    Hi, I'm a Board Guide on the Old Style and the Consumer Rights boards which means I'm a volunteer to help the boards run smoothly and can move and merge posts there. Board guides are not moderators and don't read every post. If you spot an inappropriate or illegal post then please report it to forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com. It is not part of my role to deal with reportable posts. Any views are mine and are not the official line of MoneySavingExpert.
    Never ascribe to malice that which is adequately explained by incompetence.
    DTFAC: Y.T.D = £5.20 Apr £0.50
  • purpleivy
    purpleivy Posts: 3,659 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    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!
    [SIZE=-1]"Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad"[/SIZE]
    Trying not to waste food!:j
    ETA Philosophy is wondering whether a Bloody Mary counts as a Smoothie
  • newlywed
    newlywed Posts: 8,255 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    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 :D

    It's a great idea though and I only wish I could join :D
    working on clearing the clutterDo I want the stuff or the space?
  • purpleivy
    purpleivy Posts: 3,659 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    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!
    [SIZE=-1]"Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad"[/SIZE]
    Trying not to waste food!:j
    ETA Philosophy is wondering whether a Bloody Mary counts as a Smoothie
  • mumzyof2
    mumzyof2 Posts: 3,343 Forumite
    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??
    Sealed Pot dec 08 - dec 09 so far £27.67, Live off £4k Spent £330.20 GC £1,200 for 2009 Spent £50.78 PaD so far £650.07
    Debts: L/woods £154.00 C/One PAID O/D £649.90 Next £299.95 O/D PAID Gas £72.60 Electric £155.73 Mum £640.00 Orange £490.32
  • 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!
    I won't buy it if I can make or borrow it instead
  • Kaz2904
    Kaz2904 Posts: 5,797 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Combo Breaker Mortgage-free Glee!
    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!
    Debt: 16/04/2007:TOTAL DEBT [strike]£92727.75[/strike] £49395.47:eek: :eek: :eek: £43332.28 repaid 100.77% of £43000 target.
    MFiT T2: Debt [STRIKE]£52856.59[/STRIKE] £6316.14 £46540.45 repaid 101.17% of £46000 target.
    2013 Target: completely clear my [STRIKE]£6316.14[/STRIKE] £0 mortgage debt. £6316.14 100% repaid.
  • mumzyof2
    mumzyof2 Posts: 3,343 Forumite
    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
    Sealed Pot dec 08 - dec 09 so far £27.67, Live off £4k Spent £330.20 GC £1,200 for 2009 Spent £50.78 PaD so far £650.07
    Debts: L/woods £154.00 C/One PAID O/D £649.90 Next £299.95 O/D PAID Gas £72.60 Electric £155.73 Mum £640.00 Orange £490.32
This discussion has been closed.
Meet your Ambassadors

🚀 Getting Started

Hi new member!

Our Getting Started Guide will help you get the most out of the Forum

Categories

  • All Categories
  • 350.7K Banking & Borrowing
  • 253K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
  • 453.4K Spending & Discounts
  • 243.7K Work, Benefits & Business
  • 598.5K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
  • 176.8K Life & Family
  • 256.9K Travel & Transport
  • 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
  • 16.1K Discuss & Feedback
  • 37.6K Read-Only Boards

Is this how you want to be seen?

We see you are using a default avatar. It takes only a few seconds to pick a picture.