December 2018 Grocery Challenge

thriftwizard · 23 November 2018 at 9:59AM

- Pip (Not badly remembered.)

Actually - quite awesome!

medsdemon · 23 November 2018 at 11:00AM

I’m still working on the November budget till 28th, but can you put me down for £240 for December from 28th Nov to 26th Dec. Payday is actually the 19th, but that’s way too short a month and would mean a 6 week month in January :eek: so we’re going to try and pretend the money isn’t in till after Christmas and then we’re unlikely to go mad. Since we’re off alcohol atm, have no visitors coming apart from DD and her Partner for a night, and hardly any presents to buy, apart from the DD and her partner, then we shouldn’t really be going mad.
It’ll all depend on what we end up doing activity wise. Since it’s just us am hoping we’ll get the weather to be out on proper hikes over Xmas and New Year. Not really into either celebrations really

. We’ll put up a tree, watch some Christmas movies, might go Ice skating, and have a nice meal. I like the run up better

.
Our Xmas present is a campervan, and was hoping we’d have it by Xmas so we could go away in it, but not looking likely we’ll have it that quick.

Good luck everyone with keeping to your budgets, and finding bargains and thanks elsiepac for running the thread. It really seems to help me keep focus :T

MadamMim2013 · 23 November 2018 at 6:53PM

Hi all, thanks elsiepac for the thread.. Please put me down for 300 for Dec :A. Not starting yet, just thought I'd ask before I forget! :A

Rachiedabbler70 · 24 November 2018 at 11:58AM

Hi All
Please could I join for December. I'm going to set myself quite a tough challenge to live on £250 from now until 31 December. This is for 3 adults and Christmas dinner for 6 people and another Christmas meal for 4 people. It includes all food, toiletries and rabbit food and bedding.

I've overspent the last couple of months and need to pull back. I'm going to shop late this evening and will see if any reduced items and do my shop for 10 or 11 days.

Meal plan is
Cereal, eggs, porridge, toast for breakfasts

HM soups, sandwiches, crisps, apples for lunches

Main meals
1. Burgers, chips or wedges, veg
2. Chicken curry, rice and naan
3. Chicken chow mein
4. Pizzas
5. Jacket spuds, beans and cheese
6. Turkey chilli, rice and nachos
7. Chicken fajitas
8. Salt and pepper chicken wings with egg fried rice
9. Chicken, veg and pasta bake
10. Moussaka
11. Roast chicken lasagne

All above home made and will buy whole chickens and butcher myself to save money.
I have pasta, rice, flours etc in store cupboard so starting strong but know this will dwindle.

Good luck everyone

:)

Highland_Fling · 24 November 2018 at 1:04PM

Good morning everyone
can you please put Highland Fling GC in for £130 please.
A little less than last month but I have bought a lot of meat for freezer. I also will be eating out and visiting relatives for meals during the festive season.
I hope everyone has a productive weekend.

elsiepac · 24 November 2018 at 7:04PM

PipneyJane wrote: »

Hmmm... Just a meal suggestion but, back in the 1980’s, my flat mate lived off pumpkin soup, over which she’d scatter toasted pinenuts. She worked long days, so something like that with a slice or two of black bread/pumpernickel bread, would make a quick meal when she got home.

Also don’t discount just having houmous and wholemeal toast for a quick meal, when you get back really late. That will give you protein, fibre and some vitamins/minerals.

Great ideas, and thank you! I always forget about the simple stuff! I'm very obsessed with having what I deem "enough" veg - which is usually 2-4 portions per meal, but there is no reason one meal a day shouldn't have less, especially if it's only one or two days a week! I need to be less OCD :rotfl:

PipneyJane wrote: »

Re buying decent veg, do you have a National Trust property near you? Check it out because it may have a farm shop selling veg grown on the premises. We buy most of our veg from the farm shop at Osterley Park. What is available changes with the seasons, so no purple sprouting broccoli in September, but the freshness and flavour cannot be beaten AND we’re buying directly from the farmer.

Great idea, I'll have a look for NT properties... not sure if I do or not! There is a farm shop up the road from me, but whilst they used to be excellent, they've now got terrible reviews and seem to not be the standard they once were. I should probably go and have a look though instead of relying on other opinions I guess...

PipneyJane wrote: »

PS: Monday’s are my really bad day, timewise. I’m lucky if I have 3/4 hour turnaround time between getting home and leaving for choir rehearsal. I’m trying to always use the slow cooker on a Monday, prepping it on Sunday night. Bean-based stews work well.

Mondays are my worst at the moment too as I'm on an archery course for a few weeks and it's half an hour away and 7-9pm! There is no way that I have time to eat first so Mondays currently it's at least half nine before I'm home and then however long it takes me to heat something up and actually eat! It's only a few weeks though and I'm loving the archery, it's a fun different activity!!

Budgets updated to here

My pay has gone into my account today instead of Monday, so I've bought some stuff already - off to calculate budgets with a definitive pay amount and will report back!

Rachiedabbler70 · 25 November 2018 at 12:07PM

Elsiepac thanks for adding me :A

I spent £60.08 last night and have approximately 10/11 days of food. Might make own bread when I run out by mid week to accumulate some no spend days. Cooked up a chicken for sandwiches for the next 3 days and froze the rest to take out later in the week. I bought Christmas meat as well so only veg for Christmas dinner and I will make a cake as no one keen on Christmas pudding:)

Good luck all xx

Nellbell21 · 25 November 2018 at 2:35PM

I’m going for £700 including the bulk fund. If I can shave a little of a month it hopefully won’t seem as insurmountable! X

luckofthe_irish · 26 November 2018 at 10:04AM

£130 again for me please

I am lucky to spend Christmas at home in Ireland so I just need to cover the run up to it and pick up some GF goodies to enjoy on the day!

First spends of the month done this weekend - £28.36 in Aldi & £4.22 in Lidl. Leaving me with a total of: £32.58/£130.

Hoping this will last me for the week plus I have loads of the freezer to each up as I think I will be exchanging on my house THIS WEEK! Ekkkkkk, hope I can pick up some bargains in the sales for kitchen appliances and I haven't missed them all!

Chloris · 26 November 2018 at 11:18AM

elsiepac wrote: »

Thanks guys, all up to date! Have actually Stickied the Thread now as well, as apparently forgot the other day!!

My personal mission this month is to post on here more, I really miss it! My issue is a lack of time as I have next to no time on weeknights as I'm prioritising my exercise classes and working overtime just to try and keep my head up. I'm in a pretty bad position financially again I think. I need to have a good sit down and look at what I'm doing and where as I haven't put the time in for a while and it's really showing. Even though grocery wise I'm meal prepping every Sunday for the weekdays, I've got really lazy with it and then I eat extra or I buy something else as I don't fancy what I have made.

As for budgeting, I need to get it back under control. What I'd really like is to find a farmers market or something and buy unpackaged produce in season each week and eat according to that, but there really is very little around me, except one in a town 20 minutes away on Thursday mornings, when I'm at work!!

I've had a little think and I think I will try and focus on a different way of meal prepping for the week. I haven't fully decided how I will do it, but I'm thinking I really miss "bowls" - just nice basic component meals. I could prep all the base stuff on the Sunday (cook grains, roast veg, prepare a protein and make a sauce or two) and then mix and match for lunches/dinners through the week. I feel this will help me kickstart my weight loss again too as I'll feel a bit more excited about what I'm eating!!

Any ideas for vegan friendly, slimming world friendly sauces or dressings please?

Budgets updated to here

I like this website/blog
https://cleanfooddirtygirl.com/recipe-index/?_sf_s=Hom#
I found it in the summer and I have enjoyed everything I've made. The mayo is very easy and delicious. I tend to make a lot of bowl meals and batch cook chillis/curries/stew to make life easier. I also batch cook brown rice and freeze in individual portions for emergencies, then it only need boiling water poured over to defrost and heat. Hth

Can I be put down for £700 please.
I'm taking into account hosting a number of Christmas parties. I will move some of my celebration budget across to my grocery, I don't want to dissect the receipts! Hoping for the best as I tend to be a nervous hostess and buy too much. Good luck everyone. xx

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December 2018 Grocery Challenge

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