March 2008 Storecupboard Challenge anyone?

anguk

Grotbags69 wrote: »

Hi All...
I'm an avid reader of these threads & not a very good poster i'm afraid.
I'd like to join you all in the storecupboard challenge this month & beyond plz. As my dear scooter (mobility) has given up the ghost & died on me. So, having to rely totally on my brill neighbour who is essentially lookin after my 3yr old son & i, in return for me supplying food for her & her daughter. So now, on benefits i am feeding 4 of us instead of me & my son. I'm not complaining coz would cost me a small fortune in carers fee's & the thought of strangers in my house mooching all over just doesn't cut it for me

Sorry for butting in, but if you need help could you not claim Disability Living allowance? If you get the middle or higher rate care component your neighbour could then claim Carer's allowance for looking after you. Also if you need help getting around and get the high rate mobility DLA you would be able to apply for a Motability scooter, then you'd have no trouble with it breaking down.

angchris

all going well so far, tried for a no spend day yesterday but ended up walking past a ickle tesco express and got dragged in by forces unknown to me :rotfl: i was however good and only bought a tub of tuna/pasta/sweetcorn in mayo reduced down to 20p and ds took it to school today for his lunch...so saved me making him something :j i also bought a pack of grapes for 50p there was a few squished grapes in the bottom of the pack but the rest were fine and all 3 of us have scoffed them already and also 2 cartons of cravendale milk for £2 which should see us out the week providing ds doesn`t drink it by the pint which he normally does :mad: so a £2.70 spend for me for the week..yayyy. mince n mash for tea tonight out of the freezer and using up my sprouty spuds out of the sack and my very bendy carrots, have thrown a good handful of oats into the mince as well so it should stretch to tea tomorrow as well and i might even give the dog a glug of mince over his iams saving me 1/2 a tin of pooch food today. we have nothing in the form of goodies in the house so i can see a baking day coming on tomorrow, i have a box of really posh dark choccy truffles which none of us likes leftover from crimbo so i`ll have a stab at making choccy brownies by chopping them up and adding chopped peanuts. i am determined to stick to no shopping this month as we do have loads in...its just having the inspiration and the get up and go to make something out of it which i am sadly lacking

mumzyof2

oats into the mince?????????

purpleivy

My foray to the shops wasn't tooooo bad, except I didn't check the size of Braeburns that she put in my bag at the greengrocer. I asked for small. So also got carrots (they were on the list) and free range eggs for £1.10/1/2 doz. They were large. Seems good value compared to Mr T, who had them at £2.29 for a dozen. THey were much shorter dated at Mr T as well. Also the 'local Cheshire free range eggs' were a lot more expensive. WHy is that?

I found at the till they were going to count the bananas rather than weigh them, 18p each. *****r that I thought and told her I didn't want them. If I had known that they were per banana I'd have picked the big ones! LOL! Not desperate for those yet.

Cheese and Onion Pasty reduced. Tasted the filling of this while dd was eating it . I found it quite revolting!!

rest of meal was OK, but need to find a cheaper source of Channa Dal, as we enjoyed the channa dal curry I had made. Last of roast to go for ds packed lunch tomorrow.

DawnW

mumzyof2 wrote: »

oats into the mince?????????

It makes it go a bit further, when it is cooked up into a bolognese sauce or something. You can't tell so long as you don't put too much in.

Grotbags69

anguk wrote: »

Sorry for butting in, but if you need help could you not claim Disability Living allowance? If you get the middle or higher rate care component your neighbour could then claim Carer's allowance for looking after you. Also if you need help getting around and get the high rate mobility DLA you would be able to apply for a Motability scooter, then you'd have no trouble with it breaking down.

Hiya Anguk.
Aye, i get DLA high for mobility & middle for care as of last month, but i live in a maisonette & the hoiking me scooter in & out (as the little dears like to "borrow" things round our end lol.) has knackered it coz of the steps & the Social Servs won't put in a ramp for me. My neighbour & i went to the DWP to see how things would stand if she became my fulltime carer & could she claim carers allowance, they sadi in their opinion just to leave things as is (our personal arrangement) as they would take the money from me weekly to give to her. And have also looked into going thru the DLA for a new scooter & they'd want over £2000.00 from me & take ALL of my DLA away. At the moment i need it for taxi's for hosp app's & stuffies. And also seen the same scooters from DLA on ebay at a fraction of the price. So. atm, just opened meself a new ISA & putting all my DLA money per month to get driving lessons & a car, but gonna buy the car as then i am limited to what milage i am allowed to do & they will charge me for being over. But in my own car i won't be.My family all moved down south last yr, so will be needing the car to be able to visit them as well a couple of times per yr.And, if i had the car thru DLA, then 1 trip alone would use up my allowance for a yr.
Just being Savvy lol...
I was a terrible spender & have 2 freezers full to busting & done us all a 4 week menu plan & reckon could go for another 2 weeks as well lol...
So, joining in the challenge and just need to buy fresh veg & dairy tbh
Hope this gives a little more insight I gotta plan... honest lol

Grotty x

anguk

Grotbags69 wrote: »

So. atm, just opened meself a new ISA & putting all my DLA money per month to get driving lessons & a car, but gonna buy the car as then i am limited to what milage i am allowed to do & they will charge me for being over. But in my own car i won't be.My family all moved down south last yr, so will be needing the car to be able to visit them as well a couple of times per yr.And, if i had the car thru DLA, then 1 trip alone would use up my allowance for a yr.
Just being Savvy lol

You already seem quite savvy! I'm pleased you're already getting DLA, it's surprising how many people don't realise they're entitled to some help. I do think it's terrible though that Social services won't give you a ramp! My OH has a motability car, it does take up his full DLA but, for us, it's worth it to be without the worry of repairs, breakdowns & services etc. The insurance alone would cost us a fortune as hubby would have high premiums because of his medical conditions. Motability have also raised the mileage allowances, it used to be 36,000 a year (which we always passed & had a couple of hundred extra to pay every 3 years), then it was 45,000 but now it's gone up to 60,000 and we didn't have any excess to pay this time. :T

Grotbags69

I've done as i said in last post a 4 week menu, but will post em week by week as post might be a bit lengthy lol...

Week 1 (started yesterday)...

Mon:- B/fast, toast/cereal.. Lunch:- Sarnies/baked tatties.. Dinner:- Chicken burgers & HM chips...

Tues:- same B/fast & lunch... Dinner:- Fish crumble, steam veg & new pots
(fish crumble i made by micro'ing 2 white fish fillets, then making up 2 packets of parsley sauce & mixing the flaked fish into the sauce, turning into an oven casserole dish & adding a shortcrust pastry mix mixed with dried parsley in on top & bunged into oven for 30 mins on 190 C )...

Weds:-same break & lunch ... Dinner HM Bacon Quiche(Bero book), Chips & peas...

Thurs:- same break/lunch ... Dinner:- HM Pizza's

Fri:- Roast Turkey Dinner...

Grotty x

angchris

mumzyof2 wrote: »

oats into the mince?????????

i know it sounds really odd but you really cant tell its there i always throw in something to bulk my cooking out...normally its either grated carrots,red lentils or oats. by the time its all cooked you can get at least another portion out of your meal by using dirt cheap ingredients.
was having a rummage in my freezer earlier and found another bin bag of pork n leek sausages :eek: (i have a catering freezer) thats 3 hugeee bags of bangers i now have taken 1 bag out and have them kinda wedged over the sink defrosting as its too big a lump of sausages to fit in my sink :doh: looks like im going to spend tomorrow morning prizing them apart and repackaging into smaller packs that i can actually use. if you think the sausages are bad you should of seen the mountains of ginster slices we had, over the last couple of years i have given bags n bags of them away...we counted them last year and we still had over 200 left:eek: we are sick to death of eating them and if i never ever see another ginsters slice again in my lifetime it will be too soon :rotfl: anyway onwards and upwards...i will will will see the bottom of my freezers one day and if ever i stop posting on mse you will know that a ginsters landslide has occoured in gloucester and killed me!:o

purpleivy

Had a positive morning. I went to the freezer (2 sessions as it was cold down in the cellar). I sorted it out a bit and tried to get like with like... all uncooked meat, frozen veg, veg I have done (bubble & Sq, cauli & chickpeas with toms), bag with individual units of various beans, blocks of stock. I have started to look out brightly coloured carrier bags... have Sainsbugs orange, Argos ( I think) luminous green etc so I can find relevant unit more easily.

I tidied out some stashed bits and pieces. Stock bag had ham bones, chicken carcase with onion, carrot and celery peelings, also lamb bones. I haven't ever tried it before, but got my v. big pan out and did the whole lot together. I now have 2 x 1litre boxes of yummy smelling stock. Also more space in the freezer. Just starting to feel after 2 months I'm starting to take charge of it.

Have also removed all the chicken style bits of quorn. Not sure what I'm going to do with it. DD went vegi about a year ago. I got this in the early days when I wasn't sure what to give her. The stupid thing is that she didn't ever eat chicken anyway, even before she went vegi! Unless I can disguise it or give it some taste I might even throw it away. THe big pack was a reduced price item. I just want it out of the way. Maybe curry?

There are a few things in there still that need using up. A big box of rhubarb. A big box of the last of the tomatoes from last year. If I could get these made into something then I could make some more space.

Even after yesterday I need some more fruit and veg. DD arrived home from school with a banana peel in one hand and a banana in the other. She'd been out with the girls at school and got them. Her 'special' bananas. Distinguishable from those at home in that they are even yellow and blemish free.