February 2009 Grocery Challenge

kdalwayskint · 25 February 2009 at 11:25PM

Hi

I was thinking about joining in for Feb, but got into MSE in middle of Feb and was not sure what I was spending on grocery so I saved my reciepts and I am shocked that I have spent well over £150 :eek: for me and DS, 2 small mice and a chinchilla!

So for March I am going to aim for £120, this will include all food, cleaning, toiletries and pet supplies. Hope I can get under this as future budgets want to go for £100!

cheers
kd

wendywitch · 25 February 2009 at 11:27PM

I managed to keep under budget - just but I'd like to cut it down a bit so . . .
I'd bravely like to put down £230 for March, my month starts today

acecatcher3 · 25 February 2009 at 11:31PM

guys why cant i create a thread yet??

angelatgraceland · 25 February 2009 at 11:33PM

Miss_Liquorice wrote: »

So I lost the toilet roll battle, meaning I ended up spending £5-ish in Lidl (Boughts 9 toilet rolls then some shortbread and crisps as I didn't have cash on me and hate using my card for less than £5). I've still got £11 left this month, with 3 and a half days to go, and only need to buy in greens for the guinea pigs (they are eating a LOT recently. I think they know I'm trying to budget my food or something...). First month, and I may well be under budget!

I start an intensive driving course next week. I'm not sure whether to include that week into the grocery challenge, as after a day of 6 hours of driving I may not feel up to cooking! Still deciding what I'm going to do....

Im not sure why you are buying best quality salads for your g pigs? Apart from the dried food from the pet shop they absolutely adore carrots(value ones) and grass. The grass is free-take a pair of scissors out with you and a polythene bag if you do not have your own grass/dont want to spoil it. We let the edges of our lawn grow and dont cut them close-to keep for our 2 g pigs. They also get any bits of fruit or veg-peelings-apple cores-end of the bag salad stuff-any fruit past its best and anything I can scrounge. Buying salad for them is madness-Im not meaning to be critical but I am thinking of your pocket!
They are cavies-like rats and eat a lot of things! If you eat apples-save the cores for them-same with pears. They also like melon and tomatoes-raspberries-tops of strawberries-sprout tops. Carrot peelings are a treat too-they like it all. They are/should be very cheap to feed-approx £1 per week for 2 at a guess.

I buy hay from a local farm-a small bale for approx £5. They will then eat a lot of this as well as their food and their poo makes good manure for the garden along with the dirty hay from the cage. A bale lasts approx 6 months. I get a huge bag of sawdust basically free from a sawmill-again-lasts about 4 month maybe more. I pay them a £1 or 2 for the bag-depending what change I have. If I bought the hay in the shop in little bags it would cost approx £60 and the sawdust approx £30 so a little trek around to source it is worthwhile.

If you dont have space to store much-try splitting it with someone or advertising the surplus in a local free paper. Someone will buy it at rockbottom price!

The intensive driving course I wouldnt include in your grocery personally-its a one off payment. Dont make your budget more difficult unless you have to.
Good luck on that-and do think about cutting a few corners with the g pigs!:money:

Miss_Liquorice · 26 February 2009 at 1:20AM

angelatgraceland wrote: »

The intensive driving course I wouldnt include in your grocery personally-its a one off payment. Dont make your budget more difficult unless you have to.
Good luck on that-and do think about cutting a few corners with the g pigs!:money:

For the intensive course, I was thinking more of the food during that week. I know I'm going to have a lot less time to cook/think about cooking (30 hours driving + 20 hours at work + 15 hours of lectures + writing a dissertation... I don't think I'm going to get any time to sleep after listing it all out like that!). As far as the guineas go, I live in city centre Glasgow, I don't have any grass near me other than what's used as toilets for dogs - definitely not going to feed them that!

Also I don't seem to have a sawmill nearby/within public transport, and farm shops are miles away too. My gpigs were spoiled when they stayed with me at my parents' house, my mum would feed them M&S greens (:eek: These are not just guinea pigs...) and the diet seems to suit them (though more from Aldi now!). Acid-y things like apple upset one of the piggies' stomachs, she can't seem to eat grapes/apples/strawberries/any fruits without being sick, and too many carrots (my veg of choice) causes calcium (?? I believe) buildup. Plus the squeaking they do when they get spinach is adorable.

I know I'm terribly un-MSE with them, but I have tried lots of different things. I think if I was preparing more fresh veg for myself it would be a lot easier. I'm going to try switching the diet slowly over to a more frugal one, try maybe incorporating some tomatoes or such into thir usual dinners and wean them off handfuls of greens, but I'm a sucker for a sad set of piggie eyes wheeking for a handful of rocket.

angelatgraceland · 26 February 2009 at 1:32AM

Awwww you are as bad as my daughter! It is lovely though and they are indeed such sweet gentle creatures! Shame you cant save anything by any othe mothods mentioned. Any friendly greengrocers about? (trot in with miniskirt and high heels)Bribery?
Only joking! Im lucky where I live-10 miles from town and 6 miles from country-I do rather take it all for granted. More fresh fruit and veg for you may help but if you are on your own its a difficult one. I used to buy mine a whole cabbage or whole lettuce if the price was right(not lately).

Miss_Liquorice · 26 February 2009 at 1:43AM

angelatgraceland wrote: »

Awwww you are as bad as my daughter! It is lovely though and they are indeed such sweet gentle creatures! Shame you cant save anything by any othe mothods mentioned. Any friendly greengrocers about? (trot in with miniskirt and high heels)Bribery?
Only joking! Im lucky where I live-10 miles from town and 6 miles from country-I do rather take it all for granted. More fresh fruit and veg for you may help but if you are on your own its a difficult one. I used to buy mine a whole cabbage or whole lettuce if the price was right(not lately).

I may need to try the miniskirt and low cut top combo and go beg for some cauliflower leaves... hehe. It doesnt help that my flatmates are 1) afraid of vegetables, and 2) live off junk food, so can't even save vegetable ends from them. Maybe I should just not include them in my food budget and class them under 'hobbies'! :rotfl:

scotsaver · 26 February 2009 at 7:37AM

I've made it with my 9p in tact.:j So, I'm declaring £239.91 for Feb, please put me down for £240 for March, many thanks MRSMC. Have decided not to put it back up to my usual £250 because my month runs 27th to 26th and with February only having 28 days this makes it a shorter month for me, fingers crossed.

Spent most of yesterday in the Garden and Greenhouse, got loads of seeds planted up and keep visualising all the savings I should make.:cool: Still have loads to plant up but they all say plant March onwards so I can have a break for a while. Already got some Cress, Coriander, parsley and mint poking through on the Windowsill from last month.

Dinner tonight is Fish, HM chips & Mushy peas - usually have this on a Friday but DD2 has a friend over tomorrow night and she doesn't like Fish so I've swapped my meals around.;)

Have a good day everyone.:D

MRSMCAWBER · 26 February 2009 at 8:35AM

Miss Liquorice..

Are you planning on having a go at growing your own spinach etc for the guineapigs?
Would save you a fortune...sorry if I have missed mention of this...

indebted · 26 February 2009 at 8:58AM

Have failed completely this month. Will declare officially on Sat.

Please put me down for £320 for March

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February 2009 Grocery Challenge

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