Low-shop January

I get you. I am doing the same thing. Running down my freezer... it needs defrosting anyway. But using up old stuff both in freezer and cupboards is good as i usually find items that are out of date!!! Good way to save some money which i then use to restock. Win win in my opinion.

I am usually fairly efficient at rotating foodstocks, so I tend not to have out of date items around, but there are two big boxes of cooked turkey in the freezer, plus several containers of turkey stock, which will get consumed in made dishes over the next few months, and the uncooked steak pie I bought just before Christmas, 'just in case' and the veg curry because we went out for lunch instead on the day that was planned, but, again, they just fit in the normal rotation of freezer stock.

I do my monthly big shop this week, which will probably be smaller than usual as, over Christmas we ate Christmas food and AC always arrive for Christmas with Christmas offerings of cheeese and other food and their leftovers and then do all the top up shopping and refuse payment.

I’ve already done this. Used up freezer stock before Xmas as we suspected our 20 year old fridge-freezer was coming to the end of its life as the warning bell kept going off even though the temp was fine. The constant beeping was very irritating!
We bought a new one from JL after Xmas and it’s now stocked up. No leftovers as we were at son’s house for Xmas dinner.

I've some turkey and ham in the freezer in case I get the urge to make a pie.
Otherwise, it's vegetables and no meat this month.

I run my freezer down before Christmas so I am starting the restocking phase. All we have leftover from Christmas now are a few bought frozen nibbles and a frozen rolled. We also have some stilton but that is being used up as a sauce with fillet steak later this week.

Glad I am not the only one!
Still have a couple of boxes of mince pies (son bought them reduced at the weekend) and a big box of Jacob's crackers, that were a Christmas gift.In my freezer I am reduced to sausages, chicken portions, frozen veg and various bags of single items that were left over from multi packs (son that lives with me is gluten intolerant so usually end up wth one cornish pasty, fishcake, portion of quiche that he can't eat)
I always have several bags of minced beef but beyond that, for the rest of the month it will be bread ,milk,eggs, a few apples/ satsumas until next month when I get my 2 free months of not having to pay council tax and I can afford to stock up!

All Christmas foods gone now thankfully so hopefully I can get back to healthy eating - oops just remembered the Christmas cake - I shall eek that out through January.

I didn't over shop this Christmas what's the point shops will be open anyway however I can see the chocolate lasting well into spring!

My freezer is full of turkey and beef from Christmas. Plus the normal food, vegetables bread etc
I will only be buying fresh vegetables eggs and milk for weeks so can save some money

Yes, I am trying to run down supplies. I have a just in case Brexit stock to get through too. My DH is panic stricken that we will run out of toilet paper!

I'm using up freezer food too. It's amazing what is lurking at the bottom ?

if you got cans that are out of date ,take them to local food bank. they give them away to people like me who dont care what they eat. i have loads of out of date tins ,and they all taste yummy.people throw whole punnets of sealed fruit in the food recycle bins. so i put a note up ,to let me see it before they throw it. having to live on £79 a week and pay bedroom tax/life insurance/fuel bills/rent/bedroom tax .groceries etc. i'm lucky if i got £2 left each week for the my church offering.

Hello! Happy New Year to everyone. I have just joined gransnet, on false pretences really because first grandchild isn't due until start of May. I am just getting my head around it until then.On the subject of food I always run food stocks down in Lent, I hadn't thought of doing it before Xmas to make room for Xmas stuff.Genius idea. I try to reduce food waste so I freeze ends of loaves, leftover soup,old carrots etc to make sure they don't become completely unusable. Its easier now I'm retired and not rushing around for work all the time. A food clear out from time to time is definitely good for the budget and the planet.Its a win-win.I'm currently exploring the recipes of Jack Monroe who is a great fan of using food well.

I'll be making a variation on this recipe, which will use up tinned tomatoes, tinned chickpeas and frozen butternut squash:

Vegan curry

My end result looks better than the photo, if I may say so!

Yes I’m definitely with you, was just thinking about it this morning. I’ve got mince pies and other baking stuff to use up, loads of fruit picked from the allotment and frozen, still to use before the next crops, sausages and quiches in the freezer too and all sorts of stuff in the ‘biscuit’ cupboard. It should be a cheap month at the supermarket!

I don't have Christmas leftovers as I am always away with family elsewhere. However, I am slowly working through my upright freezer in the hope of restocking in a slightly more sensible way! Lots of out-of-date jars of sauces in my cupboards to work through too. Never take any notice of dates, just use some common sense as to whether things are edible or not. I do, however, avoid using some out-of-date stuff on other people!!! Am needing a new fridge so am avoiding buying anything I don't actually NEED. Makes for quite interesting meals, haha!!!!

Wonder if such a thing as a Terry's Chocolate Orange omelette is possible? Otherwise I think I need to shop!

I used food from freezer before christmas to make room for the turkey. I then bought extra packs of chicken from Lidl a couple of days before christmas when they were selling it cheap (though still in date) to make room for their fresh turkeys. Christmas turkey came out of freezer and fresh chicken went in, so filled it up again.

Moggie57, if you are living on £79 a week and still giving away money at church you are a saint.

I've just finished using our Christmas foods, and this morning made an early start and defrosted the freezer and fridge.

Sorted!

I've still got one or two "vegan sausage rolls" left in the freezer, but I enjoy them anyway (just bought extra for Christmas). No left overs as such, but I have some unopened frozen Mozzarella sticks and part used frozen "Mac & Cheese bites, plus part used "Lemon & pepper cod bites" (bought for Christmas). These will all be used up this week. We had Duck breasts for Christmas dinner - nothing left.

Just been to the food bank and got rid of all my unopened food (still in date) so I won't be tempted by their luxury tastes. Starting afresh and back to healthy eating!

Sounds like my sort of meal Newhere not sure it falls into the healthy eating category.

I'm trying to resist going shopping just for the sake of it...looking through my freezer I can live for a month and then clean it out as I have enough of meals I have frozen (always over cook in order to freeze) only thing I really NEED to buy is a few fresh veg and milk ….can I do it ?? ,,,well, I did go out to shop today and sat in M & S with a cup of tea and resisted the food ! I shall donate the money I have saved to the Salvation Amy ….