December 2012 Grocery Challenge!!!!! REALLLY?!?!?...

[Flat Eric]

Originally Posted by Nicky Noo Na

In order to keep on track need to note every spend - 64p on a couple of YS items today.

Flat Eric - I think the curry will be fine for one extra day, I often use stuff up a couple of days after their date and have never had a problem.

Originally Posted by meg72

I wouldnt think just one day over would be a problem

Thank you. I thought it would be fine but I just thought I would post and get other opinions. I think all stores build in a day or 2 of error - because how many people have stuff in their fridge and don't check the date before they cook? I'm sure the stores scare us into be frightened of sell by dates so that we needlessly throw food away only to fill their coffers with more money to replenish.

I haven't caught up properly but in answer to the recent post, doing this challenge hasn't made me any better with my food budgeting and that is something I shall be working on in 2013.

[Bluegreen143]

Originally Posted by angelatgraceland

I keep an A5 sized diary and I draw a line down the centre. One half of each page is non food and the other half is food. It is a godsend to refer to for many things as well as budgets. Good to know how long something lasted-what you spent on petrol the last month etc-I am often referring to it. I also keep notes in it if I lend the kids any money or if they pay me any back-its my all in one refernce moneywise! I look down each receipt and I do separate my spends so if its £50 spend and £15 is on household stuff I write it as £15 and £35 respectively sometimes with extra notes on the household side to list what it was. I found over the last couple of years that quite a large chunk was indeed on "other" stuff and not all of it necessary!

What a fantastic idea!! I will try this too :-)

No grocery spends today by me, but Oh bought some mini naans for 50p so ruined my no spend day lol. He did make a lovely veggie curry with egg fried rice to make up for it:



Also, it's not GC related, sorry , but I just wanted to share the British Paraorchestra's single True Colors, which was released yesterday. They are the world's first-ever ensemble for professional disabled musicians, performing with Paralympics athletes and a kid's signing choir. I work for a charity helping people with a certain disability and when I watched it today it made me cry as it's so inspiring sorry about the digression but I just wanted to share!!

[debtmess]

Jumping in with £450. This month

Sorry cannot change font to put spend in red, have my family for this Christmas, my online shop for 21st December to be delivered is just off £200 (ouch)

Spend so far is £16.65 at local shop last night.
That's including cat food for the month and some cleaning bits, leaving me around £50 a week for everything else which should be very do-able

Happy December

[Scuff]

Two small shops to confess to, £11.95 on cheese, bread, butter and potatoes (there was a fair bit of cheese ) and £14.38 on what started out to be a 'pick up some stuff for some sandwiches' trip and ended up a yellow sticker shop as well. Oops this brings my total to £60.86

[Shortie]

Oh my.... I went to Mr T to pick up the remainder of the direct.com order and picked up some bits to see us through

I picked up bread and milk for the freezer, a couple of reduced cripsy half ducks to make a cheaper Chinese 'take out', the Christmas chicken (as we ended up eating the one we'd bought when one we bought for dinner one day was off the day we bought it!) but that had gone up in price since last time which stung a bit, and some fruit.

We now have a little over £40 left to last us until 20th of this month. WHOOPS. We have quite a lot in now, so really and truly this should be do-able, but I know what we're like for buying bits (a good reason for doing this challenge I suppose!)

It's becoming quite an eye opening challenge to have joined - and goes quite a way to explain to me why I seem to spend so much in Mr T when we've alsways had a set budget..!

[tessie bear]

hi...went to the coop and waitrose yesterday and got a few bargains of the fruit and veg variety I didnt get anything for the freezer as it is full to the brim

i have made a christmas food list and have done meal plan all the way to christmas eve so thats useful and will hopefully keep costs down...i can hope

we are having a roast chicken for tea and will use up the leftovers in a pie later in the week...off to stew some fruit i got yesterday and check i have some nice veg for tea

have a great day tess

[pamsdish]

This is my 3rd N.S.D...

[pinchingpenny]

Morning all!
I think I'm doing reasonably well so far. I have been trying to put off buying things I haven't yet run out of to keep the spends down, but considering I visit different shops to get the best price it isn't always easy! I would hate to have to fork out 90p for a cucumber from the local shop should I run out when I know I can get one for 50p near work

I topped up my stock cube supply last night, thought I was getting a bargain but turns out I hadn't done my research properly, grrr, oh well it's a lesson learned for next time. So just reporting a spend of 1.99 on chicken, beef and veg cubes.

I'm excited for my first attempt at sourdough bread this weekend, I have been feeding and checking my 'starter' and some bubbles have started to appear, definitely a good sign! Imagine if I never had to buy bread again...

Have a good day everyone

[nicolula87]

A £3.77 spend last night picking up fish for tea and milk. Poor planning on my part as normally buy enough milk to get us through the week when I do the big shop in Asda, and had to pay 32p more in Co-op! Oh well, lesson learned! Will add to my total spend on my sig.

Going to be big spends this weekend as have to cook enough food to get us through most of 2 weeks of evening meals as new kitchen going in. Lots of planning required I think!

[karenccs67]

Oh my goodness, it took me 2.5 hrs to get my son to school this morning and another hour to get home I was busting after I dropped him off so I popped into Waitrose to use their facilities, and I found out you can get 1 free pot of tea or coffee a day with their My Waitrose card, its a reward card I think. The pot of tea has enough for 2 cups, I did however spend £1.59 on a toasted teacake ! I just hope the afternoon school run doesnt take as long

[Coxy11]

99p in the petrol station on milk - was passing when walking to school this morning. Do need some veggies for tonights tea but will get those on the afternoon school run at C00p.

Snow has cleared here now thank goodness!

Coxy

[Billie-jo]

And were off . . . first spends of Dec today on a few bits from A!di - bread, celery, curry sauce, orange juice and cream. £8.01 spent.
Have used some of the celery in a soup which is almost ready to be blitzed up and then some cream added. Should be nice with some crusty bread later on.

Curry & rice for tea tonight with naan breads. Will be going to do the weekly shop either tomorrow or Friday.
No snow here yet but it is cold although sunny.

[thriftylass]

I just checking in briefly. Still no further food spends and should hopefully be fine till Saturday/Sunday. BF is away tonight and Saturday night and I'm at a free works dinner on Friday. So that should save some proper cooked meals as I'll just have toast or sth. Tried baking a bread yesterday but it didn't rise properly, so I'll try again tonight.

[Solstice_3]

My NSD turned into a small spend day. Was going to make bread today but ended up going out for coffee with a family member. So bought bread, crumpets (for freezer) and a packet of cooked meats for lunches. Spent £4.74 - not bad!

[mummyyof5]

NSD today..thankfully,fish,chips and mushy peas for tea.

[bossymoo]

I've just added £12 to my sig as had £11 something at tosco extra. Bread, cheese, ingredients for nachos for the weekend. Wanted to go today before I collect the kiddies as the weather forecast isn't good, and I don't want to be taking the littlies round shopping in bad weather. Or good weather, for that matter

We are going to the christingle service on Sunday, and have invited a friend and her DD hence the nachos, hopefully something warm and fun to eat, party style before we head out into the cold. Will do bolognese topped for the littlies and chilli topped for us big 'uns.

ETA I saw some reduced items inc chocolate (not huge reductions) but did not waver, I only bought what we needed 6months ago I'd have spent twice as much!

[CRANKY40]

Originally Posted by jumblejack

I like the idea of a budget diary too! I might actually do that for 2013!!!!

Brilliant idea!!

I keep a cash book, hand written. I write in the money available at the start of each month, then all my bills and direct debits out (including petrol), then an amount out for each week's food shop and an amount each week for "odds, sods and other things". I like to keep track of what should be in the bank and this is the easiest way. I tick each item off as it is spent/paid. Boring but effective.

Originally Posted by MoonJelly

I hope I don't get stoned but I CAN'T do the grocery challenge for December. Hubby is coming back from overseas and I will be spending on goodies such as a duck for Christmas Day. We have a birthday and a wedding anniversary. We also have a family reunion to celebrate a wedding and baby in the family and we are suppose to bring something to the event.
I will try to keep the budget around £300 but don't think I can do it for less.
Sorry, I feel like such a wimp...

Don't feel bad, just enjoy your family being together.

Originally Posted by bossymoo

We are going to the christingle service on Sunday, and have invited a friend and her DD hence the nachos, hopefully something warm and fun to eat, party style before we head out into the cold. Will do bolognese topped for the littlies and chilli topped for us big 'uns.

The last time we went to one of those my small son couldn't believe his luck at being handed a lighted candle. I spent most of the time a nervous wreck watching him carry it (with some justification, he'd just shaken his "charity penny collection candle" so hard that he'd caused a money fountain in the aisle).

I've spent £42.64 this week, but the cats won't starve if we're snowed in and neither will we run out of cat litter. We won't starve either, but I'd already seen to that

[welshdreamer71]

A small spend for me today £6 to add clemintines mince pies pointy peppers bread n biscuits ... everyone seems to be hanging onto their pennies really well so far this month x

[Nicky Noo Na]

29p on some YS buns

[optimistic-mummy]

came in under budget last month aiming for £250 this month please