July 2012 Grocery Challenge

rising_from_the_ashes · 2 July 2012 at 8:17AM

PennyGrabber wrote: »

I was in a$da on Friday evening, and there were 4 packs of raspberries rtc at 20p each. I used just under 1kg of sugar. So, that made my five pots (1 mayo sized, two jam sized, one mint sauce sized and two fish paste sized) cost about £1.60. If you allow for 80p per jar of jam-jar-sized jam (!), then I've got the extra ones for free, AND they're much superior tasting as they're hm!

PennyGrabber wrote: »

And, the advantage of the raspberry jam, is that because there's no hulling, chopping, etc, it was done start to finish in just over 20 mins!!!

jumblejack wrote: »

This is precisely why I have only tried jam making last week. I felt the same. Why bother if it costs just as much cos sugar aint cheap.
It does work out cheaper than shop bought though as pointed out. The satisfaction you gain is also priceless:T

Thanks - I might just give it a bash when this years' blackberries crop (hopefully it's a good one!).

I've never thought about making smaller batches TBH - I just remember Granny (and Mum too when I think about it) spending all day in the kitchen making jam (although it did tend to be plum so took ages to remove the stones I guess!) and then having jam with absolutely everything to try to get it all used up:rotfl:

FrugalinStrood · 2 July 2012 at 8:17AM

Good morning. Please can I join in?
I am setting myself a £200 budget for July.This will be our first proper month of getting really extremely frugal again. We are aiming to pay the mortgage off by the end of the year, so belts are being tightened.

jumblejack · 2 July 2012 at 8:24AM

Good morning all. :wave:

Dinner today will be bacon and eggs.
Tea will be LO pasta with wilted sea beets (as I have some that were not used in the pasta) with a hefty slice of HM sun dried tomato bread with butter.

I will have to buy milk today but hopefully not much else.
Hope everyone has another fab n frugaltastic day!!! :J

In_it_not_to_giveitaway · 2 July 2012 at 8:48AM

Thanks for the pitta bread recipe savesummore.

I will have a go at that this evening with a Morse re-run on in the background.

Does anybody have any recommendations for a breadmaker - or is the consensus of opinion that there is more control over the process making bread manually (daily loaves that is)?

Much appreciated,

Mrs_Addicted_to_Spending · 2 July 2012 at 9:01AM

Glitzer wrote: »

Evening!

One NSD here.

Had a beautiful roast chicken dinner this evening and there is a huge amount of chicken left over! I reckon we should be able to make two pies for the three of us, plus with the leftover veg another two roast dinners for DS (he eats earlier than us usually as DH and I don't usually eat until DS goes to bed). I am trying persuade DH to make a stock with the carcas but he thinks it is too much of a faff and that you don't get much anyway.

To make stock from carcass we literally just shove carcass in pan with water and boil for about 30 to 40 minutes. I know there are more complicated ways of doing it but we don't bother and the stock tastes really 'chicken-y' - lovely

.

jasmin10 wrote: »

We have this in place with a neighbour. DH shoves things over the fence and every few weeks a carrier bag is left hanging over the fence with beer :beer:

Could have kicked myself today. Thought I would make some more hob nobs so that we could have a treat in. DH decided she wanted to help (eat). It turned out to be a stressfull baking session and then I realised just as I put them in the oven I had forgotten to put the flippin sugar in , Even with sugar sprinkled on the top they are just eurgh. anyhow DD is still troughing them as we dont tend to put sugar and thingson many things so her tastebuds arent as 'trained' as ours - at least she was happy. I was looking forward to that with a cuppa will have to wait now til shopping day on Wednesday as I dont have enough ingredients to make any more.

Also a question is anyone can help. DH eats tons of Tuna (even tho I have told him it is recommended that he should only eat a couple of tins a week), I'm talking 8+ tins. So far the cheapest I have found it for is 54p. Obviously with so many tins it works out quite a lot, even more if we were to buy bigger tins. Anyone seen them any cheaper?

Another Q, do they only reduced stuff in sm in the evening. I'm usually sorting the children out and not able to venture out into the big wide world after dark (ok exaggeration 4pm), do they ever reduce stuff during the morning/lunch etc.

p.s. re :jam making. when making jam in you are using a fruit that contains low pectin levels (i.e. wont set on it's own) add another fruit that adds it own high pectin levels, then you wont need to add any sugar. I cant wait for my plums and goosberries. I usually make Plum and apple, or goosberry and apple. Comes out scrumptiously (if thats a word lol)

My local Sainsbugs reduces meat and chilled products (like pies etc) during the week at about 2.30pm - I don't know if this is a general policy. So I make a point of going in about 2.40pm to get the best bargains. I'm not sure when they reduce other things but at least that's a chunk less that I have to pay out of my GC budget.

Welcome to Newbies!

BTW Lid!'s baby wipes are 79p a pack just in case anyone wanted to know.

Dipndo · 2 July 2012 at 9:24AM

Spent at Mr T last night,should have most of the basics in for the month now.Going to use up all the meat that has been lurking in my freezer doing nothing so hope to have a really low spend month!
Bought a second hand bread maker for £15, think I spent the whole time it was on watching through the lid lol.

DebtFree2012 · 2 July 2012 at 9:33AM

jumblejack wrote: »

Suffolk lass. Some great tips/reminders in your last post. :T
I thi k I will do large batches of crumble mixes and freeze in portions. Good reminder about freezing fruits etc then popping together for quick puds.

Does anyone know a good (cheap) supplier for swing top bottles?
I know Ikea do a cracking one for £2.50 for 1ltr bottles but I want maybe a dozen and it is a loooooooong drive to get there and back. Will doe d a fortune in petrol costs.

I really want to get into wine making. We dont drink a lot but do entertain and I would be thrilled to offer up my own produce to my guests.

Ps, Am I alone on here re: foraging or are there any others out there who can offer their sage advice????

I'm not sure whether there is a thread primarily for the subject and worry that I may be taking over the GC thread with my ramblings

I love your ramblings

I too would love to forage but we are beginners and I can offer no advice

If you start a separate thread for it I will follow and join in too - please post a link if you do and thanks for your work so far.

cllola · 2 July 2012 at 9:35AM

Reporting a spend of 82p on some milk for breakfasts at work during the week. I am going to try and have 3 NSD's until Friday when we go camping in the Peak District....In the rain by the look of it!!!

Aldahbra · 2 July 2012 at 9:56AM

jumblejack wrote: »

Free food hunt results....

Pancakes with foraged wild rose petal jam made last week...

I've never heard of rose-petal jam, do you have a recipe?

Foraging I have done low level foraging all of my life, even as a small child we used to go and get nuts from the woods, blackberries etc. My Mum used to make things like rosehip syrup which as a child I loved. I made some a few years ago and it was far too sweet for my taste now. We also got sloes for gin, elderflowers for elderflower champagne, elderberry jam. I'd got out of the way of doing it, since we have quite a few blackberries in our garden. But you have taken it to a whole new level. I'm really hoping I get that book for my birthday as you've got me quite excited about the idea of going foraging for all that free food. My mum is coming to stay next week I'm going to pick her brains about foraging.

Second purse I think the benefit of the second purse system is that you always have some money to take advantage of offers when you see them. Personally I'm struggling to live within my means at the moment and need to get spending under control before I consider moving on to more advanced techniques. I think I would probably just spend the money in the other purses when I was short at the end of the month at the moment.

lilian1977 wrote: »

£1 on milk in Iceland today so £8.54 now spent.10% spent, 10% into the month!

MrT have been selling 4pts of creamfields milk for £1 for some months now. They don't necessarily make it obvious on the shelves and last time I was in I had to actually ask where the semi skinned was, as I couldn't see it.

Breadmaker Does anyone out there use a BM for Glutin Free bread etc?

DebtFree2012 · 2 July 2012 at 9:57AM

Reporting a planned weekend spend of £17 in Aldi and £3.45 in the farm shop. This has allowed me everything for the packed lunches (I hope) as we have a few things growing in the garden. Also I have enough for teas too so fingers crossed there should be no more spending this week. I have £4.55 left for the week if I need to though.

This leaves me with £25 each Sunday of which I have 3 until next budget - this is on target so I am pleased

more so if I can sace the £4.55.

PLEASE READ BEFORE POSTING

July 2012 Grocery Challenge

Comments

Categories

Get our FREE Weekly email full of deals & guides - and it’s spam-free