May 2008 Grocery Challenge

JayJay14

Hi Jay Jay,
Could you share with us the recipe you used for Chelsea buns. Were they made with Danish Pastry?[/quote]

All I did was take a good lump of dough and roll out to an ablong about 12" x 9", spread over marg or butter (I used Utterly Butterly as I have pots in from Asda a couple of weeks age), sprinkle over dried fruit and sugar.

Roll up along the long edge and slice across into about 12 pinwheel pieces, put in a baking tray close together so they rise to touch each other.

When risen bake (I just put it on the shelf under the 2 loaves) but don't let it get too brown. Take them out of the over and drizzle over with a mixture of icing sugar and water (not thick like icing but more like thin cream.

Leave to go cold.

Can't you tell I don't do compliated:rotfl:

Sorry it took so long to reply but was out stuffing myself at an all you can eat chinese - not on the GC budget thank goodness.

angelatgraceland

EmptyPurse wrote: »

Having kept a spending diary for the past month I've just discovered that I'm a complete failure on the grocery front - I massively underestimated the amount that I was spending on food.

I get paid on the 15th which makes it difficult to do the challenge. But I'm going to give it a go anyway. I'm going to budget £30 to spend between now (27th May) and 15th June. From 15th June onwards my monthly budget will be £100, starting on the 15th of every month. Don't worry if that is too difficult to include in the main list - I don't mind being left off! Eventually I'd like to cut that down further but it will be a real achievement if I can stick to £100 at first.

Anyway, I was wondering what are everyone's Top Five Tips for saving money on their groceries?

Don't be disheartened! you have got over the biggest hurdle and the most important one-facing facts. You now know what you are spending and where it is going. You were "in the dark" before-you have just had your "lightbulb moment" as they say!
From what you have learned this month(the most important lesson) you can now reform your habits. You need to ditch your old habits and make some new ones.
My top 5 (as requested)are
1.Keep spending diary
2.keep all receipts with a note on them if thy don't say what they are or where they are from. Ask for a receipt if its not given!
3.Dont shop on an empty stomach.
4.Carry only the cash(no cards)you are happy to spend
5. Have at least 3 no spend days each week.
I will add another one.
6.when you are about to put something in your trolley ask yourself this question: Do I NEED it? Unless its a definite yes-leave it on the shelf.

Good luck! Set yourself an easy budget for the first month-don't be overambitious-it took time to get your prsesnt habits-it takes time to change them.

MrDT

Made a really nice fish pie for dinner today... And, err, had a really nice fish pie for supper too lol (and believe it or not I don't much like fish :rolleyes:)

Had a couple of pollock steaks in butter sauce (boil in the bag dealios) lurking in the depths of the freezer that needed using up. Chucked 200g of mixed veg (carrots, peas, broccoli, cauliflower) in a pan, steamed the fish+sauce over the same pan, drained the water then mixed the whole lot up and split into two little pie dishes, added a bit of garlic, topped with leftover mash from the freezer, and bunged in the oven for half an hour.

Delish. Ate them both lol :rotfl: Only 5 mins preperation time too

If anyone asks - I don't 'do' fish... But shhh I'll be buying more after the freezer has been defrosted

angelatgraceland

In my last week of the May GC and have had 2 NSDs. Went shopping today at Asda as it was on my way home from returning my DD to uni.
Determined to get all I can out of a litre of petrol.
Bought loads of stuff to topup with before yet more food prices. Managed to get their tins of sweetcorn at 15p per tin this time but they had none of their own baked beans left. Stocked up on Cravendale so I have my weeks supply of milk. Got my weeks supply of bread on whoopsies. 50/50 loaves for 30p and 6pk wholemeal rolls for 14p 6 loaves and 3 packs of rolls.
Checked the rice-as somebody else said-its doubled in price so got frozen chips instead to go with the chicken curry Id cooked before I had left home.
Used 2 jars of the 4p sauce in that with an extra 2 teaspoons of curry powder and half a tsp of chilli and half a tsp of ginger just to pep it up a bit-although it is nice enough as it is.
Made the bran flakes caks/loaf-only got half of one left from the two I made.
DD and DH said it was very filling and asked what was in it!
Made the wacky chocolate cake and covered it with a bar of smartprice milk chocolate for 23p. Keeping the cake for tomorrow-or I may hide it for Thursday. Freezer is full again-just managed to cram in the stock from the chicken carcass and some minced up scraps from the chicken to use for the cat for the next few days. In saying that,Whiskas cat food is only 39p per tin in Asda at present. I saw it in Co-op(I think)the other day for 65p per tin.
Smartprice flour still 36p so I topped up on that. Every time I shop now, the cashiers ask if I do a lot of cooking. Just shows how my shopping list has changed.

shoperholicnot

has anyone seen the price of Bertoli spread now?
for a kilo tub it has gone up overnight from £2.70 odd to £4.07!!!! :mad:
for a tub of spread?
I think that is the biggest hike i have seen so far

angelatgraceland

That is enormous! How about giving some of the shops own brand olive spreads a try? Ive got the Somerfield one at the moment-cant remember the price but it was fairly cheap-one pound something. Check the ingredients in these "other" brands though to make sure they are fairly close in quality.

fallen_angel_shelley

hi. i hope everyoe is ok. i have not bee on much due to college work and DS finishing school. my may GC seems to have a bit wrong, i lost track of my total but count me in again for june:j.

June GC- £160.00p :eek: (i can and will do it)

Pink.

Hi everyone,

The Grocery Challenge for June has started here so I'll unstick this thread now, but if you are still working on May please feel free to continue to post here.

Good luck!

Pink

mrssnowy_2

Justamum wrote: »

That's exactly how I make it, almost to the minute It does make it taste so much nicer.

Quite agree,once you are used to doing it ,it is so easy!
I am lazy(arthritic thumbs)and use a Kenwood to do the kneading.

moo2moo

MUMZYOF2 - could you use a plastic tool storage box, the ones designed for nuts and bolts and the like or a mini sewing box or a craft box all priced at £2-£3 and stocked by B&Q, Homebase, Hobbycraft etc.They have opening lids and are compartmentalised, the bigger the box the bigger the compartments.