Anyone want to join me on my $100 per week food challenge

[Bedlam]

Cookie, I think it is more  the "yuk" factor.

[cookie1]

I returned the berries I had. Fortunately my latest jams have been from fresh fruit. I agree, how could you possibly eat them? The yuk factor is pretty big with me.

[gertbysea]

If the berries were cooked I would worry one bit. Send the jam to me!!


Gert

[obbie]

$200 yesterday, first shop for 3 weeks.

[cookie1]

I spent about $80 just before I left for Canberra. A record for me I think.

[LouLouB]

I'm keen to try and do this.  My husband's income has halved and we're going backwards at the moment. It would be great to get on top of some household expenses by keeping the grocery bill down.

Has anyone gone through the thread and compiled recipes etc to make a meal plan?  I might try do this if no one else has done it.

[judydawn]

No, it hasn't been done before LLB.  Good luck with managing on half of what you're used to.

[LouLouB]

Thanks Judy. Some 'fun' times ahead me thinks.     Our grocery bill seems to one of the things that needs to be managed better. I sold my TM31 a few weeks back so waiting for delivery of my TM5. Hoping to use this 'down time' to get prepared with my meal plans etc.

If anyone has any good hints/tips/recipes to share for the budget (but health) conscious, please feel free to share and I will compile into a document and share

[cookie1]

One thing I find in menu planning is that if you use half a tin of something make sure that you plan to use the rest on the same menu plan.
Buying things that are in season and all that sort of stuff.

[gertbysea]

This will be no challenge to me any more I think. I went shopping for the first time  in a major way since Ted died and it sure is different from shopping of old. I saw  lot of things I would normally buy and cook but just for one it ain't worth it. I saw a large duck for just $16 and it just about did me in leaving it behind. LOL! I had to trow out all my rice as it had been months since I had cooked any and found all were nearly moving off the pantry shelves all by themselves.

I can't believe it but I bought Coles 90second microwave rice packets. I kept dithering about buying 500 gram bags and had them in and out of the trolley several times. Too funny.

On the good side, at $6.99 a kilo, broccoli I would not buy but for just one a small bit was fine.

I have nearly emptied the freezer and the pantry shelves are not groaning. Very proud of myself and hopefully my cooking mojo will return. I have the new Cooking for 1 or two book and chip so I will be trying some more of these recipes. I have invited a female friend for dinner on Friday so will yank that expensive pork fillet out of the freezer and make the Pork and Cider stew from the book.

Life is interesting.

Gert

[Bootobethin]

You are amazing Gert!
Such a big change and you tackle it all with such humour and dignity.
Thinking of you and your journey.

[judydawn]

Feeding one is really easy Gert, we can virtually have whatever we fancy as we tend to not cook every day anyway.  A little bit goes a long way and I always seem to have leftovers in the fridge. Could you keep your rice in the freezer to keep the weevils away?  I can get 3 meals at least from a pork fillet, eg 2 schnitzels and a stirfry. 

[obbie]

You are doing great Gert.

I am emptying out our really big freezer,o I can order another cow.
I find buying bulk in as much as possible saves me heaps of $$$$

our vege garden too.

[achookwoman]

Spent $300 in the last 2 weeks.  Pretty good as we have had GC and their parents on and off for  these 2 weeks.  The fruit and veggies we have grown and swapped have been a bonus.

Berries cook as jam should be fine.  NOT as uncooked Fruit drinks.

LoulouB , Saving money,  make your own bread.  As Cookie says, use up those 1/2 tins.  I freeze mine.
Look for meat specials and vacuum seal in meal sizes,  this stops freezer burn and waste.
Make your own yoghurt. Use this instead of sour cream and buttermilk in cooking.
Have an egg meal.
Grow some veggies.
When you light up oven to cook, bake several things at the same time.
Use your TMX for soups , jams, steaming,
Bottle small amounts of fruit in the microwave.
Make all your cakes and biscuits.  Fab recipes here on the Forum. 
Cook rice in TMX and freeze in serving sizes.
Save carcass from roast chook and make stock .
Hope this helps a little 

Gert, go for it.  You will be able to eat exactly what you want. You love your duck so why not buy it and cut it into 4. Eat one, freeze 3.

[cookie1]

I paid $180 for my groceries today. That included about 4/5 pieces of meat and a few bits of vegetable. I bought the rest yesterday at the Spud Shed.