So how are we getting on with our first challenge, the one to keep grocery spending as low as possible? At the moment we seem to be doing quite well, I have bought only things we needed, plus a bit of stocking up for next Christmas and have paid for MasterShoestring's lunches. The total at the moment comes to under £50, so that is quite good.
There are two and a half more weeks left in the month when I will have to pay for school lunches, so that makes another £25 and I'll have to pick up a few things that we are running out of, like matches and golden syrup, but I'm hoping that I can maybe keep the total to under £120. This would mean £50 saved compared to what we usually spend.
Last week we ate well, with quite a few leftovers and bargains being featured in the menu. Breakfasts were generic weetabix , pancakes or granola and yoghurt. Lunches were soup and bread, toasties, leftovers or eaten at school and for the dinner menu we had soup, bread and cake, a pasta dish, slow cooker curry and rice. homemade pizza, homemade tortillas and refried beans and a bargain beef joint. All of it was delicious and don't think anybody noticed at all that I'm watching the grocery budget. In fact, we had biscuits to spare to give to the tree surgeon people on Saturday !
I hope that your January is going well too !
Apparently it's easy to make your own golden syrup. I say apparently and also don't stir it. Don't ask me how I know this :p I'm going to have another go next time we have a need for some though. Worth a google if you're interested as some techniques just use sugar, some sugar and water.
ReplyDeleteDear Mandy,
ReplyDeleteI never would have thought about making my own, so that is a great tip ! I'm off to find out about it now !