June Grocery Challenge

swizzlebabe · 22 May 2005 at 10:46AM

Is it ok for me to start this one?
OH got paid friday so ours has started, tried it the last week months, but have not done too well. But I must do better, Have been to the library and got them to order The Ration Book Diet book for me. They havn`t got it already in our area, but they have put in a special req- at no cost to me, it pays to be known.

After all the bills including credit cards paid, have overspent last month. Credit cards have deen put away.

So need to stick to £150 for 2 adults and 2 kids this month. I was woundering about just shopping at Lidl, as I can only use cash or debit card. But can I get everything? in the past have not been able too, but if I change what we eat, maybe I can.

Does anyone out there manage to shop at just say Lidl or Aldi?

Need to keep away from the supermarket as much as poss so I can not be tempted, tried home shopping, but there is always something missing so I have to nip out for a few things and whopps £30 gone on nothing.

Please help, I really want to get on the mse wagon but I keep falling off!!!!

squeaky · 22 May 2005 at 10:59AM

Hiya, I've just closed this thread for a moment while I check and see how the May one is going.

The thing is - you don't have to start a challenge with full pockets. or empty ones.

Everybody gets paid on different days. So if the next month starts and you got paid a week ago and still have £100 in your pocket on the first... then you go a month, spend up, get paid again, and by the first of the next month... you shoild have £100 again. (or more if you've done well)

Anyway, please let me check.

Edit: Start dates seem to be getting ever earlier. Like I've said - you don't have to start the challenge with full wallet, nor finsih with an empty one. This is the earliest time that is even remotely reasonable. I'll unlock the thread now and shall review these start times for next month with Galtizz.

VickyA_2 · 22 May 2005 at 11:53AM

Our challenge started on 20th May for June. We've got a £100 budget for the month. We went a little over last month - £110 for two of us, but this is still a marked improvement on what we used to spend, approx £40 per week.

Yesterday was our first shopping and we got loads for £37. More that we'd like, but there were some good BOGOF offers on that we'd buy anyway, so we stocked up. We've got plenty of veggies, loads of meat and plenty of stuff in the freezer just waiting to be defrosted.

My favourite meal is spag bol and we've only got one meal left of that in the freezer, so we'll have to think of some creative ways of padding it out even more. I used to make enough for just two meals from 1lb of mince, but last time it was 3 meals - using chopped carrots, celery, lentils, mushrooms. Any ideas of how to pad it out even more?

Magentasue · 22 May 2005 at 12:17PM

swizzlebabe wrote:

So need to stick to £150 for 2 adults and 2 kids this month. I was woundering about just shopping at Lidl, as I can only use cash or debit card. But can I get everything? in the past have not been able too, but if I change what we eat, maybe I can.

Does anyone out there manage to shop at just say Lidl or Aldi?

I wondered this before I started shopping in Lidls - there are a couple of threads before Christmas about it. My work is irregular although I have always earned a basic amount. Before Christmas I earned NOTHING and decided to reign in spending and go to Lidls after hearing people rave about it on here. Since then, work's picked up but I have become a Lidl convert.

I still go to Asda for some things - loose tea, caster sugar, granary bread flour, spices like whole nutmegs, nuts for cooking, worcester sauce etc. But I can get most things in Lidls. My kids are fussy but they will eat the cereals, since our cutback I only buy Weetabix, Malted Wheaties and Muesli - all available in Lidls. Instant coffee is OK, ground coffee fine. Fruit juice is very good but all made from concentrates rather than freshly squeezed types. Fruit and veg vary from excellent to manky looking but most is good or better. Bread and bakery stuff is good but limited range so it's better making your own!

Olive oil, balsamic vinegar, parmesan all cheaper than Asda. Cheddar not as nice as Asda but fine for cooking, cream cheaper but only double. Milk is cheaper too.

Can't tell you about meat because we don't eat it but I do keep potato waffles in the freezer for days when I'm not cooking and everybody hated them. The kids only like Asda and Birdseye anyway, they won't touch Tesco's. Ice cream is excellent. Toiletries and cleaning stuff a bit hit and miss. Liquid soap, detergent, washing up and dishwasher stuff is fine. Mouthwash didn't go down welland I didn't like their handcream.

For me, their limited range is moneysaving. I don't seem to be able to spend as much in there as I do in Asda.

Trow · 22 May 2005 at 12:35PM

Quick tip re potato waffles - quickest way to cook them is in the toaster (if you have one) - both sides done at once

Penny-Pincher!! · 22 May 2005 at 12:42PM

Hi

My month starts tomorrow.

I have quite a large "posh shop" from Ocado coming in the morning using the £20 voucher off a £75 spend with free delivery. I have stocked up on quite alot of fresh quality meat & poultry which I will mostly freeze. I love their tinned beans, pulses, soups, cinamon bagels +croissants (i will freeze these and get out daily), so have a few of these coming too. Rest of shop is normal bits, including a few goodies to have over the month.

With the food I have already in my freezer and delivery tomorrow-I have done a menu plan for the next 25 days plus 5 days being cheapie meals (egg/chips etc) :eek:

I have always (past 2 yrs) allocated £60 pw shopping & £20 pw petrol. So what I do is move over the excess money into my high interest savings account every 4 weeks. Today I moved over £110.00, so I spent £210 last month, but this includes our weekly petrol too :T In the past 3 months I have managed to save £408.00, just by using the vouchers on this site and hubby not using the car as much!

There are 2 adults and 1 hungry 10yr old in our household, but I have to eat a high fat/calorie diet. I am very pleased with my savings :j

My shopping tomorrow is costing me £55.01 and hopefully the next 3 weeks will be cheapie shops from Asda etc buying just basics-milk, cheese, ham, fruit, veg, bread etc. I would like to move over £150 this month and im sure i will do it

Have a good one!

Penny-Pincher!!
XXXX

Skybaby · 22 May 2005 at 12:45PM

Trow wrote:

Quick tip re potato waffles - quickest way to cook them is in the toaster (if you have one) - both sides done at once

Can you do that from frozen and do they come out soggy or nice and crispy and fluffy? Sounds like a great idea anyways and at least you will save calories from not cooking them in oil

Trow · 22 May 2005 at 2:22PM

Yes, you can do them from froxen and they are lovely - similar to if they are cooked under the grill, but better

I usually put the toaster on the highest setting and pop it down twice.

HTH

squeaky · 22 May 2005 at 2:57PM

VickyA wrote:

My favourite meal is spag bol and we've only got one meal left of that in the freezer, so we'll have to think of some creative ways of padding it out even more. I used to make enough for just two meals from 1lb of mince, but last time it was 3 meals - using chopped carrots, celery, lentils, mushrooms. Any ideas of how to pad it out even more?

I usually pad things like this with either a side salad, or chunky bread rolls, or both. Trying to pad with more spaghetti has a limit - so padding with something else is often more effective.

VickyA_2 · 22 May 2005 at 3:06PM

squeaky wrote:

I usually pad things like this with either a side salad, or chunky bread rolls, or both. Trying to pad with more spaghetti has a limit - so padding with something else is often more effective.

Thanks squeaky. Other half works for a salad company though (cheap salad!) but always claims that he's "allergic" (!!!) to it. Maybe he could have a crusty roll though. There's only so much spaghetti that you can eat, like you say.

squeaky · 22 May 2005 at 3:11PM

Exactly. Padding with something different usually helps to side step the rebellion when there's ten times as much spag as there is bol

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June Grocery Challenge

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