Food for thought

Just got back from doing the rounds for the month groceries. Wal-mart, Costco and Harmons (a local). Total came to £100. This is for two people. Now should I be bragging or complaining? I feel we did very well and another side benefit is I don't have to pay the bill until July 1 because I put it all on my American Express Card. "What a country"

Just got back from doing the rounds for the month groceries. Wal-mart, Costco and Harmons (a local). Total came to £100. This is for two people. Now should I be bragging or complaining? I feel we did very well and another side benefit is I don't have to pay the bill until July 1 because I put it all on my American Express Card. "What a country"

Hmm, I don't know if that's bragging or complaining really, I have no idea what an "average" shop is.

My boyfriend and I spend £40 a week on groceries and we shop with Ocado/Waitrose plus we get  an organic veg box delivery from Abel and Cole. Which seems a fortune, but is about half what we were spending when we were physically going to Tesco or Sainsburys.

So we don't buy that much, but we use everything we buy through meal planning.

So like an Ocado shop will be like this :

4 x chicken breasts (2 for paella, 2 for Caesar salads  or for curry or ramen or stir fries)
2 x pork loin chops (stir-fried with veg, served with basmati rice)
2 x sirloin steaks (mashed potatoes and veg - we don't eat chips/fries )
1 x raw tiger prawns (for pasta, or grilled with cous cous or made into thai curry)
1 x salmon fillets (made into Ramen or done in the oven)
1 x chorizo (paella or soup or chicken/chorizo kebabs)

+ fruit and veg from able and cole
+ some spices
+ chapati flour/cous cous/rice/polenta/bread/bran flakes or whatever we're running low on
+ treats (popcorn kernels and a pack of choc chip cookies)
+ Coke & water & milk (I love coke, can't give it up  )

So that's like 6 dinners, inevitably we will go out for dinner or get take out one night or I'll change my mind and make something different, but that's the basic plan.

We've been doing it about six months now with different foods and it's been really great, the left overs are often taken to work with me  like 2 chicken breasts in a curry is loads, so I'll tupperware it up and have it for lunch, ditto the chicken will make chicken salad or sandwiches and we always have lots of veg and cous cous around to bulk up the lunches, I have the same breakfast of bran flakes, skim milk and a banana most days

Also we've had some really nice meals, I've discovered I can make the most amazing chicken goujons ever, they're spicy and crisp and the chicken is really soft and tender (and made of actual cut up chicken breasts, not mulched chicken feet), and we had an amazing spicy tomato and chorizo soup, we've been eating a lot of big bowls of home made ramen as well .

So yeah, we've been eating really well, (Although probably too much meat  ) and more healthily and saved money!

Is that £100 or $100, Jim? Are they using sterling in the US now? 

Also, you say that's your monthly shop, but surely you'll still need to buy other things. Fruit, veg, milk, bread ... all that sort of thing. Perishables aren't going to keep for a month.

slightly off-topic here, but I put extra milk and bread in the freezer.  It works fine!

Mary-Kay,
I find that you eat better if you spend less and buy vegies. I just had a bowl of spinage and mandarine oranges-very good.

We are off meat but we are not vegetarians. Although we bought some green peppers and I love them with mince meat (HB) and rice stuffed. I would love a roast or a leg of lamb (reminds me of "white man speaks with forked tongue )

I'm tired of chicken.

We rearly go out to eat although we are going out to the Red Lobster for Mothers Day.

Is that £100 or $100, Jim? Are they using sterling in the US now? 

Also, you say that's your monthly shop, but surely you'll still need to buy other things. Fruit, veg, milk, bread ... all that sort of thing. Perishables aren't going to keep for a month.

I decided to convert it to sterling because I wanted a feed back from comparisons in the UK.

The only item I'm planning on running out of is milk and that is so cheap right now. As for the rest I think we will make it. I'll report later. We have oranges, bananas, watermellon, lemons and a big tray of strawberries. Some will last the month in the fridge. The bread may last the month-there are two loaves and I'm not supposed to eat bread anyway.

Is that £100 or $100, Jim? Are they using sterling in the US now? 

$150

The only item I'm planning on running out of is milk and that is so cheap right now. As for the rest I think we will make it. I'll report later. We have oranges, bananas, watermellon, lemons and a big tray of strawberries. Some will last the month in the fridge.

Not much of it!! What about green vegetables? Where's your lettuce??

Not much of it!! What about green vegetables? Where's your lettuce??

We have a total of 6 lettuces in the fridge.

Hey Chary. OTS How long does it take to get to London on an express train? I realise it would depend on from which station.

Hey Chary. OTS How long does it take to get to London on an express train? I realise it would depend on from which station.

Do you mean from where I live in Cornwall to London? If so, we don't have express trains. The journey from here is about 4-5 hours.

Do you mean from where I live in Cornwall to London? Yes


If so, we don't have express trains. The journey from here is about 4-5 hours.Wow

Thanks