November 2009 Grocery Challenge

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Comments

  • Well done on your whoopsie, pammyj74
    Jaynec, it's easy to get carried away isn't it? Have you tried doing a fake online shop on mysupermarket.com before you go out? I tried this for the first time last week & it really helped me. It has all the offers on there & it shows you a running total. You can change your mind all day long, getting the best offers for you (and what you need!), then print the list out from the website & take it with you. It might help you curb it a bit!
    nykmedia - loving the cheese trade off!!!

    Anyway...
    Not only was yesterday a NSD for me... I came out £1 up!! (I found a pound!:D)

    We had neck of lamb for dinner last night (first time for both of us) and we really enjoyed it :) and have chicken sandwiches for lunch today, yummy.

    Keep thrifty!!!
    Trying hard to money save....
  • BigMummaF
    BigMummaF Posts: 4,281 Forumite
    Aargh! Why do I do it? .........
    decided to go down the motorway to Asda which I rarely go to .........
    keep thinking though - "Remember your budget"......
    BUT WILL TRY HARD!
    I've got a possible elusive visit to the above-mentioned emporium next week, so you are definitely not alone Sally--what is it about using a different supermarket than usual, that causes such raptures & uncontrollable desire :confused: Having said that, our closest MrA in any direction takes us into another county which invariably makes a noticable difference to prices & in MY favour, so what's a girl to do? :p[IMG]file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/BIGMUM%7E1/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot.png[/IMG]
    mark88man wrote: »
    but botany - it is all about the long run - and the bargains might not have been there tomorrow :rotfl:
    I did that yesterday too :whistle: ..the date on the shelf edge label said the offer was ending yesterday so I bought up two lots :o Just got to hide them enough from the offspring, but not sooo well I forget they're there too :doh:
    The :xmastree: shopping is something I dread but over the years I've developed a plan that works for me. As I see things on offer that we like but don't have very often, I check the dates & buy bits throughout the year. Then all I have left to get is the fresh stuff & can go through the "10 items or less" on the 24th :T I've often wondered why some folk go into siege mentality whenever a bank holiday is imminent :rolleyes:--most often it is because 'we're having folk over', but if everyone is playing host.....who are the guests :think:
    Full time Carer for Mum; harassed mother of three;
    loving & loved by two 4-legged babies.

  • SunnyGirl
    SunnyGirl Posts: 2,639 Forumite
    Just quickly updating my signature with todays shopping which came to £54.20 in the supermarket :T:D but on the way home we called into a local garage for a paper and DH bought a pack of Warburtons teacakes for £1.20 :eek: 'for his breakfast'!! We had just left a shop that was selling them for 79p :eek:

    Oh well its not a massive spend but it annoys me a bit when I'm trying to feed us all good healthy meals on a limited budget IYSWIM?

    Very pleased with my spends this month I've averaged it out and it's just over £70 a week which is great for us all. I won't declare yet as I still have until next Tuesday before my December budget starts. I stocked up on milk & bread again (thanks Mum;)) and will store in Mum's freezer again.

    Some really good posts this month we're all thinking a lot before we spend :T:T:T
  • I was off yesterday and popped into both M&S and Superquinn for a few bits. I was already out doing small jobs, and the post office (for Christmas stamp booklets including one free stamp) is right next to M&S, where I needed to get small cheeses. And the best place to park in the town is Superquinn as you get 2 free hours and I needed milk and domestos wipes.

    In M&S, they were selling off the spare "dine in for 2" dishes at half price - so I got a chicken for €3.39 which I put in the freezer. And I also got puppodums (which we were out of) and DH's favourite crisps on special offer (so they are put away for Christmas). Spent €30.

    And then I got the last of my baking needs, a lot of cleaning products (which we were low on) were on special, and I got a whoopsied pack of mince (which I made into 2 shepherd's pies, 1 for today and 1 in freezer) as well. Spent €70.

    So I officially have €20 to spend at the weekend, but I also have about 5 days of dinners organised already - so I need to get something easy for Mum for Satruday night (she's babysitting) and a few veggies, bread and milk. So I might just make it.
    GC 2010 €6,000/ €5,897

    GC 2011:Overall Target: €6,000/
    €5,442 by October

    Back on the wagon again in 2014
    Apr €587.82/€550 May €453.31 /€550
  • franby64
    franby64 Posts: 944
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    £4.21 for me today - apples, bananas, bread and yogurt (don't get much for the best part of a fiver do I?)

    I agree we should look long term when spending though I am enjoying the challenge of eking out the budget at the end of the month - not that I'm very good at it! I'm very thankful that I have other budgets to dip into if needed - a truly empty purse would be a scary thing though it would certainly focus the mind!

    Anyway £16.07 left but realistically I suspect I won't get past the weekend!
    August Shopping Challenge. 26/8. Budget £250 Spent £256.81.. £6.81 over. So £0.00 a day left.
  • greent
    greent Posts: 10,666
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    Argh!! 3 of us had a flu bug last week - it knocked me out for about 5 daysand DH hasn't kept receipts. :mad:I don't think we're over, I think we're probably ok - but I can't declare a total for this month, which is annoying!! Oh well!

    It's quite expensive having him home (redundancy) - instead of the packed lunch of ham/ salad sarnies and several pieces of fruit, he eats things like half a pack of bacon, 2 eggs and toast for lunch - and several biscuits and a couple of packs of crisps throughout the day - plus he buys a daily paper, which he doesn't do when he's at work!!!:mad:

    I'm going to set Dec's budget at £450, which will include the Xmas food shopping and treaty things. However, I'm going to aim for somewhere between £350-£400 if I can, as I need to do a bit of a storecupboard challenge and use some odd lurking items up. I'm not setting the budget this low, though, as I'll feel bad if I don't achieve it. Come Jan I shall properly reduce it! (It makes sense in my head! :D)

    Frugal festive shopping wishes for all! :D


    greent x
    I am the master of my fate; I am the captain of my soul
    Repaid mtge early (orig 11/25) 01/09 £124616 01/11 £89873 01/13 £52546 01/15 £12133 07/15 £NIL
    Net sales 2024: £20
  • helen_jelly
    helen_jelly Posts: 2,982 Forumite
    Afternoon everyone

    Well done on your budgeting this month - and thats to everyone

    Went to MrT last night as needed to pick up something I'd ordered - bought some Sharwoods Egg Noodles 2 x 375 gr pack for £1.36 [the smaller pack that weighs 1 x 375gr is £1.35], they had run out of the Kerry butter though, going to Ald! later for the veg stuff we need, whilst its on offer - going to freeze the Leeks as we use them quite a bit and I refuse to pay £2 for 3 leeks which was the last price I saw!! Good job we buy in bulk when on offer and freeze.
    Off to do the school run in a mo
    Have a lovely evening everyone and keep up the good work, we ALL deserve a pat on the back :T for our efforts
    Helen x
    Projects made for craft fair - 40 :)
    1st fair on 13/4/14 :j
  • Spent 6.09 in the co-op got milk, cheese (bogof), lettuce and garlic bread we having lasagne for teaand going to make a batch of twinks hobnobs also while the ovens on!

    Just going to update my signature
  • JayneC
    JayneC Posts: 912 Forumite
    Had to go to a meeting out of town today so stopped in at farm shop (I've driven past it lots but not been in before) it was quite reasonable. Spent £17.78 which includes 2 chickens, oranges, cooking apples, carrots, swede, redonions and big 25kg sack of spuds. Had to resist all the lovely jars of honey, jam, sauces etc!!

    Will need more meat at weekend but that will keep us going for a while - just need to restrain myself in Sainsbury next time!

    Have done a bit of a meal plan

    Fish n chips with mushy peas today
    Magic chicken tomorrow
    Going out Fri so prob just egg n chips for OH and kids

    That's as far as it got!! but will do chicken escalops with rest of chicken one day next week.

    Will update sig now
    Official DFW nerd - 282 'Proud To Be Dealing With My Debts'
    C.R.A.P.R.O.L.L.Z member # 56
  • It's me again, this time with the recipe from last night's Dinner. It's from a Cookbook called "Mighty Mince Cookbook" by Jane Todd:-

    Chinese Pork Balls & Sweet & Sour Sauce

    1lb Minced Pork
    1 clove garlic, crushed
    Salt & Pepper
    2 tsps Dry Sherry
    2 tsps Soy Sauce
    2 tbsps Oil

    For the Sauce

    1 226g Can pineapple chunks
    1 carrot cut into sticks
    1 green pepper seeded and chopped
    2 tsps brown sugar
    2 tsps soy sauce
    1 tbsp cornflour
    2 tbsps vinegar

    In a bowl mix together the pork, garlic, salt & pepper, sherry and soy sauce. With floured hands, shape the mixture into walnut sized balls. Heat the oil in a frying pan and saute the meatballs for about 5 mins until browned and cooked through. Keep hot.

    To make the sweet and sour sauce, drain the juice from the pineapple chunks into a saucepan, add carrot and pepper and simmer until softened. Stir in the sugar and soy sauce. Blend the cornflour with the vinegar to make a smooth paste and add to the sauce. Bring to the boil and simmer for 2 -3 mins, stir in the pineapple chunks and let them heat through in the sauce. I found the sauce quite thick and quantity not enough so I watered it down to make more which worked well. Pour the sauce over the meatballs and serve with rice or noodles.

    Dinner tonight is a Beef Casserole which has been in the Slow Cooker most of the day, boiled spuds, carrots and broccoli, shall top the casserole with cobbler dumplings for the last half hour. Yum.;)

    Have a good evening everyone.:D
    "WASTE NOT, WANT NOT!"
    GC for OH, myself, DD18 & DD16 includes Toiletries, cleaning stuff & Food.

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