October 2017 Grocery Challenge

NewShadow · 1 October 2017 at 4:55PM

NewShadow wrote: »

Assuming I can now stay out of the shop until next weekend - and assuming the popcorn and flapjacks save me money at the cinema - I'm happy with that...

Film was good :j

Ninjago (lego) early screening - Wouldn't have paid to watch it (far too many 'grown-up films I want to watch), but now really, really want a shark gun:cool:

Friend paid for a Chinese buffet after the film - Stuffed!

No dinner tonight methinks so the only spend was on the train ticket.

Plus - because it was an early showing - we didn't eat the popcorn or flapjacks, so I have those left for the theatre on Tuesday. Just need to make sure I remember to refill my water bottle before then.

Total spends so far this month = £8.75 on food + £3.60 train ticket.

Plan
Breakfast Porridge and frozen/dried fruit + Banana

Lunches
[strike]One 'free' Sunday lunch[/strike]
Spanish style omelette
Baked potato with beans and cottage cheese
Baked potato with beans and cottage cheese
Soup-n-Sarnie
Soup-n-Sarnie

Dinner
[strike]LO Beef stew[/strike]
One 'free' after show dinner
Tangine style meal with aubergine and sweet potato
Tangine style meal with aubergine and sweet potato
Roast turkey dinner
An eat-up/leftover day

Snacks
Flapjacks x 13 (shush...)

chocoholic_chick · 1 October 2017 at 4:58PM

Spend of £28.46 in Lidl today and went to Asda for the things I couldn't get from Lidl so another £8.83 in there. £2 of this was on a big bar of galaxy I've put away for Christmas. Don't think DH has seen the secret stash yet, trying to spread out the luxuries we normally get over a few months when they're on offer so we don't end up spending a fortune in December, just have to resist eating them!

Made a big pan of bolognese out of which I've made 3 two person lasagnes and have 3 individual portions of bolognese for the freezer. Also used two of the chicken breasts to make a chinese style chicken and mushroom curry which has made 4 generous portions and have one of the small gammon joints in the slow cooker to make a broth for lunches for the week. No need to bake any sweet treats today (trying to do that rather than buying) as there's still flapjacks left from yesterday - though DH is quickly demolishing them!

Portioned up the rest of the meat I bought - impressed with the chicken breasts, they're huge! So that should see us OK for the next couple of weeks

Doom_and_Gloom · 1 October 2017 at 5:51PM

I'm doing another challenge in this month. This will sound complicated most likely but works.
So yes our total budget is £155 for the month of which £67.57 was spent on bulk items. I'm challenging myself not to spend more than £31 now for food and drink for myself for the rest of the month.
So OH personal budget for month started at £56.43 (what was left of month budget £87.43-£31). He spent £7.12 today. He now has £49.31 left.
I've spent nothing today; £31 left.

Biggest reason for doing this is to get through freezer and cupboard food. This will force me to do that.

Bulk - £67.57.
OH - £7.12/£56.43 . £49.31.
Me - £0/£31. £31.

Over all budget.
£74.69/£155.
£80.31 left.

YorksLass · 1 October 2017 at 6:45PM

Small spend on Friday of £20.67 (£8.10 in market, £12.57 in Co-op). This included 2 medium-size chickens (normally £4.69 each but on offer at £7 for 2) and 2 packets of Maggi So Juicy Sticky BBQ on offer at 50p from £1. I've cooked one of the chickens for dinner today and this will do 3/4 meals for 2, probably a few bits for a snack plus stock. The other one I'm going to attempt cutting into joints for freezing - not done it before, but I'm always up for a challenge!

Apart from milk mid-week, I'm not shopping again until Friday when a trip to Sainsbobs will be the order of the day; so far only onions and butter needed.

XSpender · 1 October 2017 at 7:18PM

£2.82 to add for sweeties for DS and me yesterday and £5.10 to add for bread rolls for DS pack lunch at the end of this week, brown sugar, milk, 2 cans of energy drink for DH and a carrier bag.

The thought of getting home after a 5 hour drive on Wednesday to no milk if DH forgot to buy it was too much to bear so I got it today instead.

The sugar was to convert a M&S chocolate R2D2 from easter and a Thorntons chocolate reindeer into a try of milk chocolate brownies for DS who loves them. He has had one tonight, one each for our lunches tomorrow and I will portion and freeze the rest.

I was rummaging in the freezer for a couple of sausages for DS's tea tonight and the amount of food in the upright freezer is outrageous and I am thinking of cutting the budget down in further.

CattyCatX · 1 October 2017 at 10:46PM

So, I did my first batch cook of the month today! Thanks to all those who replied re: how many portions you would get out of 640g mince. I ended up with 2 x portions of bolognese, 6 x portions lasagne and 4 x portions of chili con carne, so 12 portions altogether. I'm pretty pleased with that and am sure I could make it last further with a bit more practice/experience. Also, today was a NSD! This week is going to be tricky budget-wise as I have a friend visiting but I'm very glad to have got the first big cook out of the way.
Thanks for all the inspiration; love reading through the old-style board!

zafiro1984 · 2 October 2017 at 12:21AM

First spend of £11.35 at waitrose on things I couldn't get at Lidl which was 40.67. Bought 6 pork chops at Lidl plus 12 belly slices and decided to cook and freeze them - horror of horrors I put them in the ironheart and forgot about them as I was busy, - overcooked but not black so I will have to use them over the next few days, I could have done without that hiccup.

armchairexpert · 2 October 2017 at 2:15AM

Hi, I'm a bit late this month, can I be at $1050 please? This is for five Saturdays (so five weekly shops as well as top ups): I usually run a strict calendar month but this month I started on the last day of September for reasons.

First weekly shop: $183.93/1050. Mr E and the girls are home this week, so expecting a higher spend than usual in top-up shops - and I also laid in more meat than usual because he's cooking - but next week he's away for the whole week so that should even things out.

Meal plan:

Saturday: salmon poke
Sunday: whole pink snapper, rice, asian greens
Monday: lamb chops, mash and veg
Tuesday: chicken cacciatore
Wednesday and Thursday, no idea, we do have some pork roasts in the freezer
Friday (when I wrest cooking control back): vegetarian lasagne in slow cooker

Zoelikesjam · 2 October 2017 at 6:32AM

Hi!

Could I join, please? Thinking we are currently spending about £350 month. Would love to get that down to maybe £300

Feeding is slightly complicated in our household! Over the month...8 days feeding 2adults 5children...then the rest of the month, so 23 days its 2adults 2teenagers! The teenagers are eating us out of house and home, snacks etc and I honestly don't know how to keep up with them. Also, I am Type one diabetic, so can't have sugar or many carbs...to boot I am disabled, so hubby does all the cooking! We also have four moggys.

Wish me luck xxx

pajama · 2 October 2017 at 12:44PM

Can you please put me down for £280

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October 2017 Grocery Challenge

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