Frugal February

Chipmunk89 said:
I used to order online but I haven't in ages despite it being cheaper because I hate that you never know the quality/dates of what they're going to send you. I got tired of being sent bread that only had a day left, and that was supposed to last me all week - and veg of questionable quality too. I only have a tiny freezer at the moment so I can't even freeze stuff until I need to use it :( Really, really need to get my hands on a cheap chest freezer.
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Where do you do your online shopping? With Asda I find the dates are always excellent. Infact I have heard that for the online shopping they often take the stuff from the storerooms as it's easier and means they don't get complaints about the dates.

Was going to suggest gumtree but someone beat me to it, I picked up a freezer a while ago from there for £25 and it's been very handy :)

X
 
Hopefully got enough for the week for $70. No meat though in the shopping today, since we've got plenty in the freezer. Our meals might be a bit weird some days since I'm going to try and use up the half packages of stuff :)

I'm going to *try* and not spend anything the rest of the week...but I might have to fill up the car with gas on Friday...we'll see.
 
icklerockchick said:
Where do you do your online shopping? With Asda I find the dates are always excellent. Infact I have heard that for the online shopping they often take the stuff from the storerooms as it's easier and means they don't get complaints about the dates.

Was going to suggest gumtree but someone beat me to it, I picked up a freezer a while ago from there for £25 and it's been very handy :)

X
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I've tried both ASDA and Sainsbury's online shopping. Had similar problems with dates for both of them :( OH works in Sainsbury's though so luckily we get a discount from there so I think I'm going to have another go at it next week. To be fair though the last time I did online shopping was well over a year ago, and I was just speaking to OH about it and he says that he thinks Sainsbury's have changed their policy on it recently too so that things don't get sent out with too short of a date. I really hope it's true!

I'm desperate for a freezer. We've only got a fridge freezer with a tiny freezer compartment at the top and that's mainly full of rubbish that OH eats so there's never any room for leftovers and I always want to buy bread when it's on offer but no place to keep it! :( We haven't even really got space for a freezer but I'd find somewhere to squeeze it in if I found a cheap one.
 
Yeh in my old flat I had a freezer in the hall because I needed it but no space in kitchen for it lol! And at least you can store some things on top of them ;)

I guess they got too many complaints from people buying online and getting sent all the short dated goods, they do seem to be really good lately :)

Hope you manage to pick up a bargain freezer keep an eye out on gumtree and freecycle something will come up!

X
 
icklerockchick said:
Yeh in my old flat I had a freezer in the hall because I needed it but no space in kitchen for it lol! And at least you can store some things on top of them ;)

I guess they got too many complaints from people buying online and getting sent all the short dated goods, they do seem to be really good lately :)

Hope you manage to pick up a bargain freezer keep an eye out on gumtree and freecycle something will come up!

X
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Have emailed the woman selling on Gumtree, she also had a freezer with drawer for sale so I've asked about that too - either would do me at the mo! If there's no look there might pop in to the recycling centre round the corner from my mum's house one day next week - they sell all kinds of second hand appliances that people have donated, apparently really inexpensive too so *fingers crossed*
 
Have just done an online shop to see me through till Friday for £44.00 ,which isn't bad considering I have 2large packs of mince,a large pack of chicken thighs,some chicken drumsticks,and a pack of pork loins in it!!
Will not have to go to the shops again until Saturday now.(hopefully!!!)
 
Ok, so I've just done a kitchen audit, and my goodness we have a lot of food in the freezer and cupboards at the moment (I tend to bulk buy bargains and obviously I've been stocking up quicker than we've been using it!!) So I'm going to extend this challenge through March as well. We go on holiday at the beginning of April, so that seems like a good timeframe, and the savings will sure come in handy for the holiday. I've started a diary in the 'food diary' forum to log my progress, with a full list of what's in the freezer and cupboard. I'm hoping with so much in already, I'll be able to buy only very limited top ups of fresh stuff and things for the kids, and come in well under the £100 per month budget. That's the plan, anyway.
 
There is a Groupon offer today for Ocado midweek (tues to thurs) deliveries and £40 of shopping....for £39 I know some of their stuff is more expensive but not all and if its going to stop any delivery costs and you are going to get it all back in shopping anyway might be worth doing even if only use it odd times? Just wonderingif you get the £40 off all at once or in bits though....
 
This is a great idea,I did my shopping online and chose the cheapest delivery slot,I spent around £50 instead of the usual £80 which was great!I planned all mmeals and even got washing powder,nappies and cleaing products in this price.

I got 4 chicken thighs and 8 chicken legs for £3 which would quite easily spread across 4 evening meals,it takes more time to prepare than breast but 2 chicken breasts cost £2.

I try to spend no more than £3 on each evening meal,this feeds 2 adults and a toddler with leftovers for lunch the next day.

An example is rosemary chicken a potatoes, 4 thighs (1.20) half a bag of new potatoes (50p) some frozen veg (25p) one oinion (20p) and then some store cupboard essentials like fry lite and hearbs and spices which probably come yo no more than 50p altogether. thats £2.65 altogether and its such a tasty meal.
 
Chipmunk89 said:
Thanks, I've been looking on eBay and FB and preloved... forgot all about GumTree. :doh: I'll have a look into it!
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Well, the woman had already sold her chest freezer but she had one with drawers for £30 so I said I'd have that and will pick it up Wednesday. Now just got to hope I can fit it in the back of my Corsa and find somewhere to squeeze it when I get it home! :giggle:

EDIT: Now she's just sent me a message saying as she's had so much interest for it she's put the price up to £40! So I've said I'll leave it. That's well cheeky, after we've arranged it. Grr. Back to square one.
 
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Well tonight's chicken risotto went down a treat - still quite a lot left which will keep - hubby is out on wednesday night so rather than cooking for just me i'll have it then with some SF veg :)

Still plenty of chicken left for my noodle soup tomorrow too :)

£4.16 for the chicken and its already done 4 meals (2x2) and then soup tomorrrow as well!! WINNER!

Great work on the webshop lorbayb :D
 
Chipmunk89 said:
EDIT: Now she's just sent me a message saying as she's had so much interest for it she's put the price up to £40! So I've said I'll leave it. That's well cheeky, after we've arranged it. Grr. Back to square one.
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That is so naughty. Report her to Gumtree.

I'll keep my eye out for you x
 
my teen says thankyou for the discount web sights cos he has spent 20 quid on it and has lots of bargins. he thinks it will be fab when he goes to uni :D

£6 shop done today bread, milk and fresh fruit, so that's £176 so far one week in :D
 
EDIT: Now she's just sent me a message saying as she's had so much interest for it she's put the price up to £40! So I've said I'll leave it. That's well cheeky, after we've arranged it. Grr. Back to square one.[/QUOTE]

So cheeky cannot believe that I would report her too its time wasting
 
I suggest a challenge...

Food club
each week one of us posts our fave budget meal and we all give it a go and review

Anybody in
 
Chipmunk89 said:
I used to order online but I haven't in ages despite it being cheaper because I hate that you never know the quality/dates of what they're going to send you. I got tired of being sent bread that only had a day left, and that was supposed to last me all week - and veg of questionable quality too. I only have a tiny freezer at the moment so I can't even freeze stuff until I need to use it :( Really, really need to get my hands on a cheap chest freezer.
Click to expand...

Try freecycle,items are free just stuff people need to get rid of.
 
Ok, so first proper day of the challenge yesterday and it did not go so good. Having been uncharacteristically organised and made myself a packed lunch of cous cous, chickpea and chorizo salad on Sunday night, I managed to march out the door on Monday morning without it. So £3.50 for a meal deal. D'oh. Still, the list of things I've got in my cupboards and freezer is huge - enough for two months easily. I'm actually getting quite motivated by this whole plan, I love a challenge! Roast chicken tonight, and like Surzy I expect to get at least two meals for the whole family out of it, as well as a lunch for me. Now, what to have for lunch...
 
lorbayb said:
I suggest a challenge...

Food club
each week one of us posts our fave budget meal and we all give it a go and review

Anybody in
Click to expand...

Love this idea!! Definitely IN!!

I've started a diary in the 'weightloss diaries' section and am planning to use it to track my progress, both on the plan and on this challenge, and to post recipes etc as I go along. There is one for a quick curry already up there. It is made with lamb, so not hugely budget, but would work equally well with left over chicken etc (just add the cooked meat at the end, rather than the beginning of the process).
 
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