June 2008 Grocery Challenge

MRSMCAWBER

Afternoon all

Day 6 of my NSDs:T ....determined that i am NOT repeat NOT going into any supermarket..or anywhere else that wants my money before next monday:eek: ..this could be a giggle:p ...
Off the top of my head i think we should be fine... stil have 4 kilo oranges and a huge pineapple to keep me happy oh and a several tins/jars/cartons of fruit for "emergancies" ..and plenty of everything else.
i think i have rediscovered my addiction with NOT spending:T I knew i had it somewhere ...

I was chatting with hubby last night and he was saying that he would be quite happy with eggs on toast a couple of evenings a week -he loves them but eggs really need to be eaten ASAP to be really nice don't they.. I just need to get it into my head that we don't need to have a full cooked meal every time :rolleyes: but it seems wrong that hubby will come in from work to egg on toast ..... but egg on toast twice a week it is ... ooooh i can feel my shopping budget going down as we speak :j ... a few eggs a bit of butter and some HM bread ...eeeeee my hubby is easy to please

Think i need to re-jig next months meals plans ... still want to use as much as i can from the freezer/cupboards so will be aiming for a nice low month for July
Have to say the crafting is helping as it stops me getting bored and "popping to the shops just for a change of scenery"

Tonight we are having some of the chicken left from the roast yesterday with salad (leaves from outside) and steamed potatoes
the rest of the chicken will be stripped off..some will go in tortillas later in the week, some probably into pasta salad and the bits n bobs and carcass to make hubby some chicken n sweetcorn soup

Dink1.... i have no children to look after yet ... so have plenty of time for myself..a luxury a lot of you don't have i appretiate...so crafting keeps me from climbing the walls or eating the contents of the fridge :rotfl:

Right i had better get off and get some more sewing done..
have a good day everyone

Hi there Bobbykins and felinefantastic..just pm'd you both..let me know if it doesn't work and i will do it a different way

jane130

Hiya ,
I need ot reduce my food bill and wondered if you could all help . I don;t think we do too badly But I know we could do better.

we are a family of 6 Myself , DH , and 4 children aged 4,12, 13 and 17 .

the 13 year old will not eat anything in a sauce, cheese, or minced beef.But give him his due he will eat pasta with whatever lefover I happen to have in the fridge and a splash of olive oil If we are having something he doesn;t like.

the rest of us arent; to fussy but i refuse to eat cheap nasty sausages .

we usually spend £70ish a week on groceries -sometimes a little more but never any less. and the 2 oldest kids have school lunches at an extra £10 a week

I always make things from scratch , homemade bolognese, lasagne ,burgers, rissotto, dh makes a great steak pie.

w never have excess food and I always shop with a list so I am guessing we need to change what we eat a bit to reduce the cost .

I'd like to start the kids having packed lunches as youngest DS starts school in sept But i don;t want to spend a fortune or send them with lots of prepacked , additive filled crap .

do any of you have any nice cheap recipies for baked goods - all my recipies seem to be full of expensive ingerdients .or any recipies or ideas for main meals that are econimical

what tips can you share to help me reduce costs - we tend to shop online at sainsburys as we don;t have a car and only have an electron card .But i could get my mum to take me somewhere else

sorry this has turned into a hge long ramble But the enccence of the post is still help me reduce my shopping bill please

ifonlyitwaseasier

hi jane,

welcome to Old style

come and join the grocery challenge, loads of great ideas and ways to stretch food further.

and if you have questions the peeps here know the answers to almost anything food related

Little_Belle

Well with the rising prices of food, am I ever going to come in on target? My OH said to me yesterday 'our shopping bill is going up I thought we were meant to be bring it down' I sat and went through our receipts with him and pointed out that we are actually buying less but the price is going up. We have very little meat in our diet now and so all we buy is cheese fruit and veg and the other norm bits and pieces, I don't buy chocolates or biscuits, crisps or alcohol, any of the really naughty stuff, and yet the cost is the same or more as what we used to spend.

I really am at a loss as to how to cut it down

nessquic80

Hi all, hope everyone ok??
Well ive ran out of bread and dont want to go to the shop as i will spend spend spend, so got out the bread flour which i went a bit mad on a few monthes back and got kneading. I previously made bread a few weeks back and gave up cus it was like a brick,didnt have a clue what i did wrong but i'll try again.Followed the recipe on back of yeast pack so will wait and see, loaf and rolls proving now, will leave for a good hour...any other tips MRSM;)

*BigBird*

Just popped in to say a huge thanks to ifonlyitwaseasier for the guinness cake recipe :T I made it as fairy cakes and they've gone down a storm! Brought some of what's left to work with me today and have been asked to make them again. OH also took some to work and has been given a recipe for ginger cake in return for handing over the guinness cake recipe to one of his friends.

After this week I have 2 weeks off work; had to cancel my trip abroad for medical reasons so was wondering how I would fill the time - I think quite a lot of cake-making could be on the agenda now!! :rotfl:

smetf

Hi all
Just popped in to update sig and catch up- took a while!

Dh had 'need' for bottle of wine on Sat night- tough day at work but we have cut down loads this month in aid of gc!

He also got more milk from Asda whilst still on 2 for £4- Tesco's offer ended yesterday it told me when did online big shop.

Fertyskids- would echo what everyone else has said and try and cut down gradually- we should come in on budget this month. We have one in nappies but I do use washables nappies and wipes except at night where I have switched to value nappies- do the job!!

Have also been shifting down brands (Can't remember what it's called- 'brand challenge'?) and that has made a big difference to bills.

Am pondering getting another freezer for garage (e-bay or freecycle of course :A) as we have a pretty small one for family of 5 and it only just holds bread etc for week- is it worth it? Think it will reduce grocery bill in long term?

Off to put dd 3 to bed and do essay writing :eek:

Smetf

ifonlyitwaseasier

glad they were liked BB, i had to swap a carrot cake recipe for that one.

mama67

I've had a baking day today, started with the baguettes using the french bread recipe for my BM, then the Cheese Biscuits form off here, then sausage rolls using some whoopsied sausages, plains scones so we can use up the clotted cream we have in the fridge, gingerbread with cinnamon chips and lastly a marble cake.

I also have some dough going in BM for chelsea buns later.

not doing too badly, am still working through stuff in freezer and just buying essentials.

Its DS2 birthday tomorrow but he isn't having his party til the end of the month as we are fully booked with football tournaments, will be having 10 10 year old boys here for football games and bbq. Will just do burgers and hot dogs and then obviously cake and icecream. So fairly cheap.

I've made his card and am sorting his invitations on Publisher, with clipart for the football aspect.


Will be making some Fairy cakes later so he can take them into school tomorrow.

Frugaldom

Hi folks, I've had to break my no spend rule after a trip to Mr S to attempt a £10 shop. This failed miserably, with a total spend of £15.88. It was mainly because Sugar Puffs were on BOGOF and melons, plums, cheese were all half price, plus wholemeal loaves for 35p and brown rolls at 37p per half dozen didn't help. Hmm... I had only been planning on getting chicken and milk. Mr S' milk now up in price here too. £1.45 for a 4 pint carton. Never mind, I'll save on electricity and have more time for veggie gardening as there'll be no bread to bake for at least another week. Still within budget and this is already week 3 and have updated my signature.

Congratulations *BigBird*, just spotted your wedding date in signature