We have quite a pricey month coming up (two weekends away, one at a festival, one at a wedding) and a two week old which means I'm not working and I don't earn enough for maternity pay/allowance. Meh. So am trying to have a very frugal month foodwise (as that's the easiest thing to cut back on - utilities, mortgage etc all a bit set in stone). Anyone want to join me?
We are me and DH, nearly 3 yo DD and two week old DS. DH has been on paternity leave this week - back at work on Mon and usually makes himself soup to take to work as a cheap lunch. He is veggie, which helps frugality. We also grow some veg in the garden and about to hit a massive courgette glut.
Breakfast is fruit and cereal. DD has snacks also, plus we eat a lot of fruit, at least one or two with each meal plus snacks. Week one menu has been:
Sun - lunch was prob sandwiches/stuff in fridge; asparagus risotto
Mon - broccoli & cauliflower soup, cheese on toast; veggie lasagne
Tues - fried risotto balls; sweetcorn pancakes with bacon and tomatoes
Weds - stuff in fridge; tomato, courgette & cous cous salad with halloumi
Thurs - chunky veg soup; pasta with tomato & feta sauce
Fri - Jamie Oliver's chicken Maryland; fried halloumi in pitta with houmous & salad
Sat - grilled chicken with rosemary & lemon; macaroni cheese with peas & bacon
Spends:
houmous, ham, milk = £5.55 approx
blueberries, choc cake, chicken breasts, bread, lettuce, coriander, choc brownie = £5.94
milk, breadsticks, bombay mix, grapes, bread, lemonade, creme fraiche, mozzarella, eggs, yogurts, apples = £11.22
Total for week = £22.71
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Would anyone like to join me on a slightly dull how-little-can-you-spend-on-food-this-month challenge?
DitaVonCheese · 06/08/2011 23:28
Ooh hello ladies (and/or gents). Nice to have some company in here 
foodschool I did think that perhaps I should have blogged instead but thought this was easier and made it a bit easier for people to reply/join in if they wanted as well.
Afraid yes I did cheat slightly and used things we already had in the fridge. Also did a big shop last weekend of July as SIL and BIL coming to stay for a night to view new baby - though we didn't seem to buy very much actual food.
Should also have elaborated more probably but thought was probably being overly self-indulgent as it was 
I don't usually buy chicken at all as only like to buy free range or organic and generally can't afford it (and do usually go for thighs when I do) but these were two enormous organic breasts reduced from £6.50 to £2 so too much of a bargain to pass up; one of them fed me and my mum for lunch one day (DD apparently doesn't like chicken 
) and the other one fed me and my parents' dog as it was out of date by then.
The cake was because it was my birthday and MIL was coming up for the day also to view new baby so I just wanted something quick and easy for afternoon tea - was going to get crumpets but choc swiss roll was only 55p. I do do a bit of baking with DD but she generally isn't very interested - started to make banana flapjacks with her on Friday but she lost interest in the first couple of minutes and went to play in the garden instead.
Would LOVE to make my own bread but never get around to it, plus don't really currently have a kitchen or oven, just a crappy A4-sized countertop thing (mid-renovation which have stalled due to lack of funds).
Was going to blame Bombay mix and fizzy pop on DH as that was his shop, but that would be slightly unfair. BM was because we are trying to eat with DD at 6 pm but then need to snack all evening, and it's a pretty cheap snack; we both like fizzy pop but always buy cheapo store brands and tbf on this occasion it was because he was thirsty and it was cheaper to buy a big bottle than a can. (Similarly, choc brownie was me shopping when ravenous ) Like the idea of cheap fizzy water though.
Blueberries were also reduced so 90p for the punnet (I hit the reduced section quite hard this week). Have also bought them tonight as they were a special request from DD for family movie night but wouldn't usually get them. Picked some apples at my parents' yesterday and should hopefully get pears and plums from them later in the month. Have actually noticed loads of apple trees around atm but most of them seem to be on main roads, so not sure how healthy the apples would be.
Should also add that my menu is, sadly, not what DD eats - tonight, eg, DH and I have had Greek salad frittata with onion, tomatoes, olives and feta, and DD has had sardine & soft cheese sandwiches (thank you stressed for inspiration there) (though only a couple of bites), broad beans and a couple of bites of frittata as long as it didn't contain any tomatoes, onion or olives.
Will be stealing some of your ideas/recipes so thank you for posting (and sorry this is so long!).
Okay, I have been rubbish at updating this (blame cluster-feeding DS - typing this one-handed).
Last week we ate stuff from the freezer that I'm made in advance to use stuff up, so can't remember order but was:
Mon-Fri:
bean goulash with sausages for me/DD
veg tagine though realised at last minute we had no couscous so slightly randomly served with chickpeas instead
veggie lasagne made by doula
cannot remember what else - must have been leftover veg chilli
Sat - at my parents for big family party
Spends:
Tesco shop £14.54 less £4.50 voucher less couple of quid on non-food stuff = £8 approx (can't remember what bought and lost receipt but prob bread, milk and fruit)
bread, milk, cereal = £7.23
- lunch at soft play Mon and at Ikea Fri = £3.75 + £3.20 = £6.95
- pub lunch with old schoolfriends - oops - £22
Total for week = £44.18 must stop eating out!
This week I've had a Groupon Ocado voucher to spend which I bought in July so technically spend was only £5.24 ... Planned menu as follows:
Sun - leftovers from family party
Mon - readymade lasagne from freezer
Tues - sausages + roasted roots
Weds - courgette lasagne + salad + garlic bread
[Thurs-Mon we're at a festival but with limited access to kitchen so can make some stuff to take]
Thurs - broccoli soup/pea + bean risotto
Fri - mac cheese with bacon + peas
Sat - festie food
Sun - festie food
Mon - bean goulash + sausages
Tues - courgette carbonara
Weds - tagine + couscous
Thurs - veggie shepherd's pie
Fri - at wedding in Scotland
Sat - [Scotland] ??fish and chips on beach maybe :)
Sun - leek + sage risotto
Mon - broccoli souffle + breaded m'rooms/sausages
Tues - spicy root + lentil casserole
Weds - polenta + cheese + herbs
Ooh, both hands now available
House your menu sounds yummy and v jealous of your cheap meat 
Our nearest Waitrose isn't particularly close and last time I went I just ended up really depressed at not being able to go on a massive foodie binge shop.
We do use cloth nappy wipes but my Cheeky Wipes are now literally in tatters after three years' hard service on DD - have some Ikea flannels cut into quarters but they're fraying like bastards so need to treat myself to some new proper ones really
Dita, don't panic about your IKEA flannel quarters fraying-I did exactly what you did and at first they frayed like heck, but after a couple of washes, the fraying stops and you can break off any ends that are too long. Mine are still going strong and DS3 is now 4! .
I used some of those plastic boxes from IKEA with lids on that you get in packs of 3 (size used to store crayons etc) and made up my own chamomile tea solution, then stored the wet wipes in the box. I also kept a box of dry wipes to use as little towels to dry bottoms!
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Ooh, that's good to know, thanks and using to dry is a good idea too - I usually blowdry (by blowing, not with actual hairdrier) but fret about damp bottoms
Thanks
Re MA I was talking to someone the other day in a similar situation who thinks I might be eligible so have downloaded the form (all 36 pages!) to fill in - worth a go anyway :)
I miss gin :(
When things got bad enough I'd swig gin whilst feeding DS2, working on the assumption it'd then it'll be out of my system by the next feed 
.
Oddly enough, I have thought about that before ...
Actually we are so frugal that we've been existing on DH's home brew for months now (if he can ferment it, he will drink it) - tends to be filthy plus I'm bfing/co-sleeping so I don't really go near it. Sigh.
Otherwise frugality has gone a bit awry - festival food was mighty pricey even with me taking food for the first couple of days plus had a big expensive slightly pointless shop today but have also had a small windfall so things aren't quite as dire as they were at the start of the month :)
Forgot to say, made my own bread last night, thanks in part to this thread. Cheated slightly and bought a pack rather than buying separate flour/yeast. Was 77p and I was under the impression it would do several loaves, but in fact it did one - normal loaf costs me 70p plus had to do all the kneading/swearing/cooking. Does taste nice though! (Will get yeast separately next time)
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