June 2008 Grocery Challenge

cookinmummy

Just to say thanks for the party food ideas for Mummy Gems! I'm stealing them too as we are having a party for my DD2's 1st birthday on Sunday. Finger foods + small children = a very sad carpet! :rotfl: No choice for it at a party though.

My 'thing' is cakes - so that is all planned as well as the design and icing - but the rest of the food I had'nt really thought about so the suggestions on here have given me the kick to sort it out!

FelineFantastic

DeniseF-- would definitely recommend the veggie box for taste- am holding out on a cost decision for a few weeks but I know that already I am not scrambling to use stuff that is getting a little bit old looking and I can see in my fridge! :eek:

ooooh- weetabix cake-- can someone point me in teh direction of the recipe please-- hmmmm healthy eating surely if its weetabix! :A Have got off lazy bottom and found it by myself now- thanks- sounds scrummy!

gloria

Just wanted to butt in and ask a question. Have been trying the challenge myself for the last few months, and have actually managed to come in under for this month. BUT my budget for 2 has been £50 a week/£200 for a normal 4 week month. But reading through some of the post, this is not really as great as I thought. Any other 2 person families out there? What are your budgets like. Try to eat healthy with as much fresh fruit and veg, low fat foods as possible, but finding that this is more expensive.

FelineFantastic

gloria wrote: »

Just wanted to butt in and ask a question. Have been trying the challenge myself for the last few months, and have actually managed to come in under for this month. BUT my budget for 2 has been £50 a week/£200 for a normal 4 week month. But reading through some of the post, this is not really as great as I thought. Any other 2 person families out there? What are your budgets like. Try to eat healthy with as much fresh fruit and veg, low fat foods as possible, but finding that this is more expensive.

Hi Gloria,

There are currently two of us in our house as No3 is away at the girlfriends for a while and I have a £200 budget for this month again- I am a newby still so am sticking with that and will work down-- but-- I have to get cat food out of that budget too which costs just as much some weeks as our food :eek:

I am practising hard and am introducing new baking and stuff to try and get my total down- am planning on saving for Crimbo food etc already!:D

mouche

hi gloria, welcome. I'm a 2 person family and we have recently started trying to eat healthy too. Our budget is £100 per month (regardless of how many weeks it has) but that only includes groceries - not cleaning stuff, toiletries, or eating out. Also, my husband gets lunches free at work so that isn't included either.

Things that have helped me:
1) Menu planning
2) Ordering all staples and freezable stuff online at the beginning of the month. I order worth £50 to save the delivery charge - if my list doesn't add up to that much I order extra tins that won't go off. I find that if I avoid going into the supermarket, I'm more likely to buy unnecessary stuff.
3) Cooking in large batches on the weekend and freezing them in portions. Avoids the 'too tired to cook lets eat out/ get a ready meal' syndrome.

Others will be along to give you more ideas but this is what suits me. And that's the main thing really - everybody's needs are different. There are 2 people families on here who spend a good bit less and include more. So you should settle with what makes you comfortable - and shave off a little at a time if you want to.


Edit: Also, I've found many special 'low fat' foods are more expensive. So we eat the regular variety but less of it. For example, instead of buying low fat cheese, I buy regular cheddar and cut it up into my rations for each month. I bake biscuits and cakes sometimes because I enjoy it - but since we shouldn't really be eating stuff like that, I give away half to my lovely neighbour. She often gives me fruit and veg from her garden in return.

Herewegoagain

Hiya all,

I read somewhere,I think it was on this thread that you could water down whole milk to make it semi skimmed and it was cheaper, does anyone know if it is ok to do this for the elderly, it seemed a good idia to me:D

newmoneysaver_2

I'm just about to make Mrs M's tortillas for tea, but can anyone help me covert the cups of flour/water to weight/fluid oz??
Thanks!

SAV3R

wendywitch wrote: »

Please could I have the recipe for your strawberry muffins? I've never actually made muffins and my girls went strawberry picking with the ex so I have loads to use up!!

Not read all the posts yet, but this is the recipe I use;

280g Plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
100g white sugar
1 egg
240ml milk
85g butter, melted
140g strawberries cut into pieces (or Blueberries / raspberries)

1. In a large bowl sift together flour, baking powder & salt, stir in sugar. Leave to one side.
2. Beat egg in another bowl, stir in milk, then melted butter.
3. Pour wet ingreditents into dry, stir until just combined. Gently fold in berries careful not to crush fruit.
4. Spoon into muffin cases / tray. Bake for 20-25 mins. Muffins are done when tops are lightly browned and spring back when pressed gently.

natzini

Argghhhhhh.... I was storing my receipts in an envelope and I must've chucked them out-was going to add up and update this evening and now it has all gone to pot! Grr. So I'll have to do an estimate of £55 and keep track for the rest of the month, properly, and start afresh next month!

MRSMCAWBER

Hi there newmoneysaver

I think after much discussion we decided the following ...lots of talk whilst we decided that different cups held varying amounts :rotfl: hope it helps..if a little sticky just use a little more flour

CHEWY SOFT FLOUR TORTILLA
2 CUPS PLAIN FLOUR about 300g
1 ½ TSP BAKING POWDER
1TSP SALT
2TSP VEG OIL
¾ CUP WARM MILK -180ml