My FRUGAL FAN CHALLENGE #1 - No more bread! (from the store)

[gertbysea]

Food only  and milk for the kiddies. A much much harder challenge would be to give up our Thermomixers for a week or heaven forbid this forum.

I'm game. I might find some interesting things in the freezer.

Gretchen

[ThermomixBlogger]

I like the idea of Frugal challenges - that fits well for me and our lifestyle 

Hi  CarolineW! The Frugal Fan Challenge #1 (http://SuperKitchenMachine.com/2009/1494/how-to-bake-bread.html) was started as a way of showing proving to Canadians that there are ways to save money with Thermomix. here, most people think those of us who own a Thermomix (and you can count us on one hand!) are crazy, rich types who have more money than brains. That's certainly NOT me! If I could show people here that Bimby is not just a "rich man's toy", and that it can even help people save money, I think more people would be open to hearing about it. That's the same reason I was asking for Bimby owners to send in a photo of their Bimby...  ( http://SuperKitchenMachine.com/2009/2161/thermomix-photos.html ) because I wanted to show Canadians that 'real people' own Bimbys...

And so far, from what I can tell, the people in this forum are mighty real.  and cool... and cheeky too 

TMB

[Ceejay]

I love the idea of coming up with a new challenge.  The "no shopping" challenge is a great idea.  There is a website which promotes this idea, and usually allows one or two exceptions.  So for us it would be milk.  And for families with young children, the challenge does not include nappies, formula etc - it is for food only.

Have been doing this on another forum I admin on.... only we all use cloth nappies so that part doesn't count!  I have done 2 weeks and spent a total of $22 in the fortnight on foodstuffs! 
Almost felt like I was cheating since I had the TMX! 

And so far, from what I can tell, the people in this forum are mighty real.  and cool...  and cheeky too   

TMB

Us? Never!!!

[judydawn]

Well done Ceejay - a great effort.

[CreamPuff63]

I picked up a book in the bookstore along these lines (think it was $21 per week), and I nearly bought the book because the IDEA really appeals to me. Unfortunately, realistically speaking even the milk, butter, cream, eggs, cheese, and nuts (very basic items) our family of 5  consumes a week means that we could not even attempt to get near this. Throw into the equasion all the other little lovelies like frozen raspberries, blue berries, bananas to name just a couple, and we are out of the competition before we are in it. I reckon every time I walk into the supermarket on average I walk out conservatively about $70 (at least) poorer. We shop 7 days a week. That is very embarrassing to admit...but we are all very healthy...

[cathy79]

We all shop differently and have different lifestyles, needs etc.  I think part of the idea is to get creative.  Eg halfway through making muffins, I don't have any chocolate chips.  So I see what else I have instead eg sultanas, berries, apple, tinned pear, instead of going to the shops for chocolate.  So I think you can run with the IDEA with a few mods for your needs.  Eg buying nothing except milk, butter, fruit & vegies etc.  What works for one, won't work for everyone.  And maybe the bigger the family, the bigger the allowance - not necessarily $21.

[Ceejay]

I picked up a book in the bookstore along these lines (think it was $21 per week), and I nearly bought the book because the IDEA really appeals to me. Unfortunately, realistically speaking even the milk, butter, cream, eggs, cheese, and nuts (very basic items) our family of 5  consumes a week means that we could not even attempt to get near this. Throw into the equasion all the other little lovelies like frozen raspberries, blue berries, bananas to name just a couple, and we are out of the competition before we are in it. I reckon every time I walk into the supermarket on average I walk out conservatively about $70 (at least) poorer. We shop 7 days a week. That is very embarrassing to admit...but we are all very healthy...

It's not about doing it every week CP63!  Just those weeks where you a little short of $$
I did it because the pantry/fridge etc needed to be cleaned out and I refused to let much of it go to waste. 
85% of my shopping is organic so it's a challenge but one I really enjoyed!

[Ceejay]

We all shop differently and have different lifestyles, needs etc.  I think part of the idea is to get creative.  Eg halfway through making muffins, I don't have any chocolate chips.  So I see what else I have instead eg sultanas, berries, apple, tinned pear, instead of going to the shops for chocolate.  So I think you can run with the IDEA with a few mods for your needs.  Eg buying nothing except milk, butter, fruit & vegies etc.  What works for one, won't work for everyone.  And maybe the bigger the family, the bigger the allowance - not necessarily $21.

It's worked out to $21 per family of 4. As there are 5 of us here, technically it's supposed to be $26.25 a week.  You can add $5.25 per each extra family member... I didn't count it as such as my youngest is 2 and I doubt it makes that much difference really.  Ask me when he's 10! 

[cookie1]

I looked at that book too. I was a little disappointed when I read that it was only for one week.  I thought someone had performed a miracle and we could feed the mob for $21 every week.

[Ceejay]

Here's a link to the first chapter online.

http://www.21dollarchallenge.com/chapter-one.pdf

 

[CreamPuff63]

Me too cookie! My fridge and pantry are packed to overflowing -- and my kids still say "we have no food!". I come back from the shops juggling close to a hundred shopping bags draped along and around various body parts and they look at me puffing and panting under the sheer weight of it all...and say "I hope you have some food there because we have absolutely NOTHING".  Gotta laugh. (We have a fat phantom in our house that eats everything also, because if you ask who ate all the biscuits that were cooked just 2 hours before -- it appears that no one had more than 2... if they were even lucky to have seen them even or try them at all). I'm afraid I put that book right back on the shelf because I knew it just wasn't feasible. 

[faffa_70]

Yes CP63, we have the same china-man live under/on our roof. DH calls him Sum...... I won't repeat the rest as it is rather rude lol but totally know where you are coming from lol

[CreamPuff63]

ROFWL  yes, I know him too. Sure does get around.

[cathy79]

Is it the same gremlin that uses the last roll of toilet paper and doesn't replace it?  Or put it on the shopping list?

[CreamPuff63]

That'll be him! On the rare occasion if you ever catch him in the act of something, he will actually disguise himself and morph into a family member. But that is very rare because he is super sneaky and rarely gets caught.