Happy Halloween

Grocery challenge - weekly check-in

Soon after entering the challenge, I was sitting down and created a meal plan for the rest of October. I had wanted to do this for ages already and this seemed just like the perfect timing. I tried to variy it as much as possible in terms of meat, vegetarian and not to make the same thing twice. It was challenging but after a bit of thinking I came up with 19 different meals. I started on Thursday with my vegtable soup (lentils, carrots and potatoes) and fresh made bread.

Friday is my pasta day, so I had my lovely tomato sause with pasta and used the left over for Saturdays pizza. Yesterday I had rabbit and fresh vegetable and today I have planned a noole soup with meat balls.

Knowing just what to shop for made shopping much easier and I didn't do any impulse buys, thinking 'oh this would be great to have one day'. The shopping for this week is all done and apart from getting fresh eggs, there is nothing I need to go and buy this week.

Total spend £29.90

Left for October £30.10

That is totally do-able

Weekend

This weekend was absolutely gorgeous weather wise. It was very mild and sunny, perfect for outdoor activities. Therefore it was such a shame that I was feeling poorly for most of the weekend. I carried the flu around for tha majority of the last week. At the end of last week, I was poorly with sore throat and then once that was gone, I ended up with a bad cough and running nose this week. By Friday, I only dragged myself into work, knowing that a 3 day weekend to recover was laying ahead of me but after 2 hours of just coughing, having a headache fromthe coughing and generaly feeling like shit, I decided to go home and rest. My body was clearly showing me that I have done enough and should rest. And rest I did. I only went out on Friday night and Saturday to take the dogs out but that was it. It was difficult with the weather being so nice but I really need to get better first of all.

So what did I do if I wasn't outside?

To start of with I stayed in bed and read and drank cups and cups of herbal tea. Then I got a delivery of some wood supplies that I had ordered just on Friday morning and did some paining them (see below)

 I also used the time to finish up the curtains I was working on and hung them in the windows.


 Oh and I was knitting...

I am feeling much better today and made a lovely rabbit for lunch. I have not had rabbit in years and never made it myself (my mom or grandma always used to do this). It turned out so lovely, I had coated it in a bit of mustard to start with, before I quick fried it to turn it brown. I then put it in the oven for an hour together with the carrots and potatoes. It was a wonderful Sunday dinner.

I also decided to change the duvets on my bed. Since it's getting colder, I took out my woolen sheep duvet, which is just perfect for the colder season. I don't need the heating and I will stay nice and warm, what more can a girl ask for? Jessie agrees by the way and snuggled up on top of the bed after I done the changes...

Grocery Challenge

Due to Nicole's post I came accoss Heather's $400 a month grocery challenge. I really like her idea and this is something that I have done for the past 14 month, when I started to become debt free. While I am debt free now, I decided to continue with this anyway, as it helps me plan more in advance, provide me with better nutrition and I am able to save some money that can be put towars my own little place of heaven.

For the month of October and November I will spend no more than £120 on groceries each month, I started of with about £250 and reduced this to £150-200 over the last 14 month but was still having quite a few take outs, which I want to cut out for the next 1.5 month.

This budget includes all consumables with the following exceptions:

 

•Pet Supplies and dog food

I am starting this challenge today 13/10/2011, which means I have roughly £60 left for this month to spend on groceries.

I am doing this because I belive that food made from scratch is so much better then junk food or prepared meals. I belive that you should live as simple as possible which is very rewarding. I belive that a carefully planned and prepared meal is so much more rewarding, then the takeway arount the corner. And I belive that if I make the majority of my meals from scratch, I can save some money that can be put a side for the acre of land I want to own one day.

I will provide updates with how things are going each Monday over the next couple of weeks, including challenges, sucess and learning. Will you join me?



It's a knock out

Today I participated in a charity even for St Clare Hospice. They had organzied the event 'It's a knockout' based on the english TV show from the 70s. Several teams competed in ten games made up of giant colorful inflatables, water and foam. It was a lot of fun and my team 'The wolfpack' not only raised approx £600 for the hospice, we also won the competition.

The Wolfpack before the games

after rescue the prisoner (me)

Golden October

The golden season of October has approached fast. At the back end of last week, we had some goergeous sunshine and really hot temperatures in the 80s. I spend the morning out with the dogs, who enjoyed the sun where knackered afterwards. On Thursday night from my way home from work, I got mugged, so took Friday off to sort out htings like new locks, temp phone, get some money from the bank etc. I am fine and wasn't hurt but the inconvenience is just a nightmare. So I was on Friday, which I mainly used to get things done in the mornings and to relax and sleep in the afternoon, as I did not get much sleep the night before.

Saturday was another gorgeous day, this was spend cleaning up the back yard. I build a wodden box, in which I added all the soil from the grow bags and mixed it with some of the leaves I collected int he park. I ripped out the cucumber plants and took the last few cucumbers of it. The tomatoes are still out as they only started to turn red a week or two ago, so I still have quite a few tomatoes out. I also planted some salat in the greenhouse. I really enjoyed the salat throughout the last couple month so far and thought that I give it a try to grow it all year in the greenhouse. We see what happens.

Sunday turned out to be rainy and cooler, so I spend it in the house baking cookies, enjoying some nice tea, knitting and watching movies. It does get colder now too, this morning was pretty fresh but still gorgeous. you can feel it getting colder. I can't believe that in 2 month time we are already in December and then my mom and brother will be over soon.