September 2011 Grocery Challenge

TrixieB · 8 September 2011 at 11:59AM

hi everyone

was hoping for a nsd but need to make a pot of soup and no fresh veg of any description left!! Leeks and tatties to buy and got stripped chicken from carcass set aside to put back in the stock for the soup

Also need to source a cheapo bar of chocolate with some kinda flavouring in like cherry, orange, mint etc, to make choc stirring teaspoons to go in a hamper for xmas - thinking Aldi or Lidl would be a good bet?

if anyones looking for a new loaf tin I bought one yday in £land and it's fab, very heavy and solid - made an earl grey tea loaf in it last night and turned out just fine

have good days all

sproggi · 8 September 2011 at 12:37PM

TrixieB wrote: »

if anyones looking for a new loaf tin I bought one yday in £land and it's fab, very heavy and solid - made an earl grey tea loaf in it last night and turned out just fine

Thanks for that TrixieB, I went to make a loaf yesterday and my tin has gone awol, ended up making rolls and even they ended up like burnt rocks due to a friend phoning:o

Another NSD for me :j
Parents just gave me potatoes and runner beans from their garden and I am off foraging for apples and blackberries on Saturday with mum, sis and DD2, we were going for cherries too, but somebody has beaten us to the tree and stripped it

HM chicken and bacon pie for tea tonight, my first attempt at this and pastry never was my strong point unless it's choux, but don't think that chicken and bacon eclaires would catch on somehow :rotfl:

Sproggi

the_cat · 8 September 2011 at 12:40PM

[QUOTE=TrixieB;46738361Also need to source a cheapo bar of chocolate with some kinda flavouring in like cherry, orange, mint etc, to make choc stirring teaspoons to go in a hamper for xmas - thinking Aldi or Lidl would be a good bet?

[/QUOTE]

Lidl have their milk chocolate on special at 19p a bar this weekend. Maybe a load of that plus a bottle of essence to add flavour?

TrixieB · 8 September 2011 at 1:08PM

thank you very much for that thecat!! I have a bottle of ginger concentrate already, could easily use some orange or mint essence in other stuff so worth the outlay probably

already bought the teaspoons, 10 nice solid ones from £land so I can make a few spares for me to try lol

Elisheba · 8 September 2011 at 1:12PM

We has £20 odd in Mr T vouchers so we went there for our weekly shop last week. Totally meal planned, and after special offers it came to £70, so with vouchers £50.

This week, started SW, and meal planned again. Much more complicated meals, following recipes and everything:eek:. No more vouchers so went to Lidl - £37, and then £5 for some of the fat free dairy I had to buy in Mr T's.

That is a serious difference in shopping costs! I mean DH had to get razor blades last week I think, so that upped things, and I bought some washing powder, but thats not what is essentially a £30 difference! Madness.

On the plus side this month, we are within our grocery budget. About £140 spent from £300, and have all the cat food, and loads of food.

On the more annoying side DH has overspent on his personal money, and will be borrowing from the pot again, and we will be really quite lucky if we don't have to resort to credit cards. I don't see the point of us scrimping and saving with the food shopping, and me turning down event after event to stay within budget, when he just goes out and blows it on a whim. He knows better than this, and we have been doing really well, so there is no cycle of everything just getting worse for him to feed into. And also, its not like we haven't been busy, or he has been stuck in the house. I just don't understand his head sometimes.:mad:

sonastin · 8 September 2011 at 1:39PM

My biggest problem is I keep running out of my staples. The stuff I used to have in the store cupboard that lasted forever needs replacing every month now I'm feeding 2 of us. It feels like I'm feeding 3 coz OH is eating like its going out of fashion!

Had to go to ald1 last night to get some spuds and some onions and stocked up on a few other bits while I was there. Not sure I'd call them "needed" yet but they'll certainly be used! Hopefully there is enough in stock now to cover main meals through to the end of the month. Had to buy some eggs as well. Spent the entire drive home from work on Tuesday planning how I was going to try toad in the hole for the first time only to find that OH couldn't be bothered to make sandwiches and had egg on toast instead. So toad in the hole is scheduled for tomorrow now!

Haven't got a proper kitchen at the moment and there is a limit on how much you can bake in the "oven" setting of a combi microwave but I'm getting so many ideas from this thread - I can't wait until I get a proper oven to play with again.

Anyway, yesterday's spend was about £23 which is taking me worryingly close to my budget limit but I'll update my sig when its gone from my bank coz I've lost the receipt already.

recovering_spendaholic · 8 September 2011 at 2:24PM

Just got back from Asda and spent £21 on flour, Clover (on offer 1kg for £2 so got three tubs), Stork, vanilla, bacon,celery,strawberries, ketchup, soup mix, carrots,swede and Korma sauce. I then impulse bought two Bernard Matthews turkey steak things which were in the chiller by the tills, but they were only £1 so will do a meal for kids.

I really don't think that Asda is that much cheaper any more - I think you get better quality -like for like - in Aldi - their chickens are certainly nicer - no fat comes out of them when you cook them.

I am really annoyed with myself because I boiled a chicken carcass for stock last night and this morning I picked off the meat and then added carrots, onions etc to make a nice pan of chicken and veg soup. I then went into the living room and sat down for 5 minutes, fell asleep and woke up to the smell of burning veg!! My pan had burned dry and my "soup" was totally unsalvageable!! Will have to make soup with stock cubes now!!

the_cat · 8 September 2011 at 2:47PM

Oh dear, not doing too well atm!

I've come to realise that I must have been spending a lot more than I thought per month. I haven't been keeping track as my spend patterns seems to revolve around lots of little spends per week rather than a big shop. Although this saves me money long term as it's on offers in different shops, plus lots of whoopsies it means that adding them all up each week has recently gone by the wayside and I guestimated my usual spend. I've already spent £122.56 out of my £200 budget and still have 20 days till payday. To make matters worse I started this month with a huge stock in the freezer, plus full cupboards so should only be needing fresh stuff and a few extra bits. Might just about make it this month if I hunker down now, but sadly it appears to be time to concede defeat and up the regular budget to reflect the constant price increases

Grrrrrrrrrrrrr.....

TrixieB · 8 September 2011 at 2:58PM

recovering spendaholic - I too had a soup disaster today, made the stock last night from carcass etc and put in fridge in big bowl overnight and was getting it out today to cook soup and boil some rice in and portion rest for freezer and overbalanced and tipped half of it on the kitchen floor

thecat - have you stocktaked all you've got and menu planned?

Just been to Aldi and bought
spring onions 39p
a large red cabbage 59p
packet of ready prepared broth veg 89p - yes I know I know!! but I've used all my energy today mopping the floor on my hands and knees and walking to shops half a mile away
packet broth mix - pearl barley, split peas etc 55p
pack of mangetout for chinese stirfry tonight 79p
farmhouse white loaf reduced to 50p
total £3.71
off to update my signature.

forever_saving · 8 September 2011 at 3:48PM

Just popped in to update my total. Over the last couple of days i have spent £28.16. This is between the local fruit and veg shop, Mr S and aldi. Some of it was essentials and did a little stocking up on some lime and coriander chicken breast mini fillets from aldi. At 99p a bag, so i got five.
Hope everyone else is doing well.
FS x

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September 2011 Grocery Challenge

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