December 2011 - Grocery Challenge

rosieben · 11 December 2011 at 9:52PM

tigerfeet, your SC Spanish Chicken is now in the recipe index :beer:

Flat_Eric · 11 December 2011 at 9:55PM

I am still keeping track and thought I would crunch the numbers and share them.

as at the 11 October 2011, I had spent: £356.27
as at the 11 November 2011, I had spent: £153.23
as at the end of today, I have spent: £88.74

Things are moving in the right direction :j:j:j

PennyGrabber · 11 December 2011 at 10:13PM

Did my weekly shop today, £19.96. Very pleased with that. Obviously, I have everything in to make about a million meals anyway, I just needed fresh bits, and some cat food. It was unsettling earlier, as I didn't know what I was going to feed the children for dinner tonight. I'm the kind of girl who needs to know in the morning what we're having for dinner, so I can get my head around what I have to prep, etc etc, but the ch had lunch at their dad's and were dropped back at 3. Now, sometimes on a sunday he'll give them a roast/big dinner at lunchtime, and other times it'll be a lunch, so i couldn't plan what to give them until they'd come back and told me what they'd eaten. As it turns out, they had had a lunch-type thing, so they asked for hedgehogs for dinner, one of their favourite meals.

Hedgehogs

Mashed potato
Peas/tinned spaghetti
carrot/cucumber/sausages in stick shapes

Shove some mash in the middle of the plate in a body shape.
Stick the carrot/cuc/sausage into it to look like the prickles.
Shove spaghetti/peas around the outside to look like grass.
Serve.

Clean plates, veggies in!!

Nice easy meal, and used up some lurking bits and pieces.

PG x

XSpender · 11 December 2011 at 10:48PM

I am over budget with 7 days of the challenge left:eek: I went to Mr S on sat on my own and stuck ridgidly to my list. I only needed lunch stuff and that was all I bought. I told myself that I had loads of stuff in and would make meals out of what I had.

Did mess up a bit this week as I found a pack of sausages in the fridge that I thought ran out today but ran out on the 3rd:eek: Minging!!!:eek: and also a half used jar of meat paste as well that had to be chucked.

Not planning to spend more than £5 in the next 7 days, mainly on my teas and breakfast at work (not practical to take my own:(). That is if I don't run out of nappies!

meg72 · 11 December 2011 at 11:32PM

Seem to have lost my post from this morning, although my signature did update.Anyway a spend of £15.07.Wanted to get something nice to take for tea at my Moms. Her favourite tea is crusty bread and butter ham, cheese coleslaw and crisps. Also included two packs of bacon bits one chunks and one that looks like streaky rashers and a pack of cocktail sausages for pigs in blankets for christmas day and also enough for quite a few meals with beans or tomatos.

So pleased that everyone seems to be doing well and just think that we will do even better next year as we have learned so much. Lets all aim to give the supermarkets even less next year.

angelatgraceland · 12 December 2011 at 12:50AM

Brassic_Park wrote: »

Had a girls night in last night, so another £11 odd to add for the nibbles and booze. Everyone bought a bottle tho so it worked out quite cheap per person and I still have lots of half-drunk wine and fizz in the fridge!

Up to £148 now. We'll be having a takeaway on Thurs night - do people include these in their budgets? I left out a cafe visit we had last weekend but now I think I should have included it. I need a more consistent method 'cos I'm getting confused!

Well it's up to you ultimately and depends if you have a separate budget for eating out. Myself I coun these in my grocery spends as its takeaways and cafes, snacks on the go-that really add up in your weekly spend when you look in your purse and wonder wehre the money went! My philosophy is that if I eat it, I count it! Just makes things simple because, as you say, it gets complicated otherwise.
so I would count the cafe, the girlie night and the takeaway. If you later decide not to add these in, at least you have a record of your spending and know what it is costing you on average.

angelatgraceland · 12 December 2011 at 1:04AM

Updated my siggy now. NSD today though I've spent a lot more than usual this week but as I have still got money over from last month I am still well in budget. Ive only spent £106 0n food inc 2 meals out since the 1st though so I am pleased with that. Bought a few pressies and wrapped them up today. I must now get on with the cards-at least I don't have to buy stamps for them as I get those free for doing some surveys.
Had a lovely evening last night with lots of food free courtesy of some neighbours that one of my Avon customers invited me to. We all had a lovely evening with a cooking demonstration. I was very good on Saturday and took my lunch to work(App foods couscous)which was really cheap.I treated myself to a new blender but only had to pay £10 as I had a £15 voucher given to me when I left my last job-that is now my own little present and will be good for homemade soups. I made some bread tonight but I only put the BM on dough luckily. It was far too wet so I "saved" it by adding more flour before baking it. It has turned out ok. I may actually try making it by hand and buying fresh yeast as I know the results are worth it. Either that, or I get a nice panasonic but I am not sure I really need one! Picked up some free Xmas baubles and some more curtains from Freecycle folk and I gave away a nearly new bike which the lady was very grateful to recieve so it's all give and take on Freecycle! Now as well as worying about DH I am worrying about MIL who was admitted to hospital this morning-thankfully her neighbour called an ambulance-she is 2 hrs away from us and due to DH health we can't seem to get to visit her. Hopefully she will get better and my BIL/SIL is going to have her live with them and it will be so much better for her. I also have an aunt who is terminally ill so this Christmas is a difficult one and my DD is worrying as she is going to France for 2 weeks for Christmas and is fretting over what may happen to the people who are sick while she is away. I refuse to move from positive mode and take one day at a time!

recovering_spendaholic · 12 December 2011 at 1:15AM

NSD today - still not 100% after tummy bug, but at least I have a bit of an appetite back - can't say the same for DD2 though as she is a day behind me. I spent 4 hours cleaning DD1's room this afternoon - I can't begint o describe what a state it was in and I had been holding out to force her to do it but I couldn't leave it any longer as it was keeping me awake at night worrying. Both DD's sat downstairs watching friends when I was moving furniture, cleaning etc and I was so cross I thought I would just not cook any tea, but then I decided to do a freezer potluck tea and it was absolutely lovely - DD1 said it was nicer than a takeaway.

I did two chicken thighs diced up and cooked with some frozen stir fry veg and some sharwoods plum sauce with a dash of soy, a small piece of sirloin steak sliced thin and stir fried with onions and a pork steak sliced and stir fried with barbecue sauce - I served it with plain boiled rice and it did all three of us (although DD2 only had a little bit) - DD1 ate enough to sink a ship though so there were no leftovers! For afters I made a bread and butter pudding with some h/m leftover raisin bread (made in the wonderful bm) but we were too full to eat it so it will do tomorrow.

I will need to get shopping in this week as we need milk and fresh stuff.

DD1 has asked for the stir fry with plum sauce again tomorrow night so that will be quite easy as I have pork fillet in the freezer and will use that.

I have been making a list for my Christmas grocery shopping - I am DETERMINED not to overspend this year!!

mooomin · 12 December 2011 at 8:02AM

Haven't had time to read all the posts, but wanted to update my spends to:

£194.82/£200 for December. My month finishes on Friday when I get paid though

meg72 · 12 December 2011 at 9:29AM

recovering_spendaholic wrote: »

NSD today - still not 100% after tummy bug, but at least I have a bit of an appetite back - can't say the same for DD2 though as she is a day behind me. I spent 4 hours cleaning DD1's room this afternoon - I can't begint o describe what a state it was in and I had been holding out to force her to do it but I couldn't leave it any longer as it was keeping me awake at night worrying. Both DD's sat downstairs watching friends when I was moving furniture, cleaning etc and I was so cross I thought I would just not cook any tea, but then I decided to do a freezer potluck tea and it was absolutely lovely - DD1 said it was nicer than a takeaway.

I did two chicken thighs diced up and cooked with some frozen stir fry veg and some sharwoods plum sauce with a dash of soy, a small piece of sirloin steak sliced thin and stir fried with onions and a pork steak sliced and stir fried with barbecue sauce - I served it with plain boiled rice and it did all three of us (although DD2 only had a little bit) - DD1 ate enough to sink a ship though so there were no leftovers! For afters I made a bread and butter pudding with some h/m leftover raisin bread (made in the wonderful bm) but we were too full to eat it so it will do tomorrow.

I will need to get shopping in this week as we need milk and fresh stuff.

DD1 has asked for the stir fry with plum sauce again tomorrow night so that will be quite easy as I have pork fillet in the freezer and will use that.

I have been making a list for my Christmas grocery shopping - I am DETERMINED not to overspend this year!!

What a fabulous tea, I have never tried plum sauce must get some.

I did discover ,by accident , that marmalade makes a lovely sauce for Pork.

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December 2011 - Grocery Challenge

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