PLEASE READ BEFORE POSTING

Hello Forumites! However well-intentioned, for the safety of other users we ask that you refrain from seeking or offering medical advice. This includes recommendations for medicines, procedures or over-the-counter remedies. Posts or threads found to be in breach of this rule will be removed.

August 2017 Grocery Challenge

Options
1…1617192122…38

Comments

  • BrassicWoman
    BrassicWoman Posts: 3,202 Forumite
    First Anniversary Name Dropper First Post Mortgage-free Glee!
    Options
    PipneyJane wrote: »
    Anyway, that's why I'm doing this. What about you?

    Great question!

    1. I want to retire early, which means saving. I no longer love my job. I can maybe do another 4/5 years before I snap.
    2. Random supermarket spends is where my cash gets frittered without me noticing (I otice new shoes and gadgets!)
    3. I can retire early if I can live on about half my wages until my pensions kick in
    4. I'm vegan and it seems mad I spend more than the carnivores just because I am a lay cook
    2021 GC £1365.71/ £2400
  • Doom_and_Gloom
    Doom_and_Gloom Posts: 4,695 Forumite
    Name Dropper First Post First Anniversary Photogenic
    Options
    pipkin71 wrote: »
    How did the vegan lasagne turn out, D&G?

    The vegan lasagne kind of ended up as a vegetable pasta bake, light on the pasta, but when I had a portion last night it tasted fine. Think I cooked it a bit too long. 4 portions in the fridge right now, one for dinner soon, three for lunch/dinner over the next few days. A large portion went into the freezer last night.

    Today was a NSD.
    I am a vegan woman. My OH is a lovely omni guy :D
  • Merlin's_Beard
    Merlin's_Beard Posts: 1,428 Forumite
    First Post First Anniversary Name Dropper
    Options
    PipneyJane wrote: »
    Anyway, that's why I'm doing this. What about you?

    After I'd got given my get-out Section 21 from yet another rental property, I decided that I really, really had a hankering for a house of my own that no one can turf me out of.

    Especially because the Cat Thing, who apparently is a furball of Thanks But No Thanks as far as landlords go, knocks me down from about 40 possible houses into a bidding war for 1 (it's easy to understand why so many are handed into shelters when you're facing homelessness despite being able to afford housing :().

    But that means being able to save faster than house prices are rising! Which... I dunno. I'll give it a go?
    Start mortgage date: August 2022; Start mortgage amount: £240,999; Original mortgage free date: August 2056
    Current mortgage amount: £233.529.75
    Start student loan 2012: £29,750; current student loan: £11.400.50; OP offset fund: £750
  • pamsdish
    pamsdish Posts: 2,585 Forumite
    First Anniversary Name Dropper Photogenic First Post
    Options
    Amchairexpert, what`s the recipe for Cuban Pork please, I have a chunk of pork left from todays` dinner.

    Went to Tesco, Wilkos, and Family Bargains today, got coffee, why is H.B. Carte Noir £3 cheaper per jar than tosco, stocked up on choc, only 9 bars on shelf, total spends £32, £20 on B/Buys, few reduced bits for garden in Wilkis.
    Do I need it or just want it.
  • Suzywoozy8
    Suzywoozy8 Posts: 7 Forumite
    Options
    Oh gosh! Some mega spends at the start of this month!
    Already spent 259.62/400 and 19 days to go!
    Thankfully I think we can get through the next 7 days without buying very much at all. I hope.
    I can't believe we've spent so much. I'm not even sure what we've bought! :eek:
  • Chrystal
    Chrystal Posts: 1,852 Forumite
    First Anniversary First Post Name Dropper
    Options
    Spent £30.37 on 1st Aug at Tesco £30.37/£350
    NSD on 2nd
    NSD on 3rd
    NSD on 4th
    NSD on 5th - managed with the milk we had!
    Spent £14.75 on 6th - made mistake of sending DS for milk!

    Total £45.12/£350
    I Believe.....
    That it isn't always enough, to be forgiven by others.
    Sometimes, you have to learn to forgive yourself.

    Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery
    Today is a gift. That's why it is called the present.

    happiness isn't achieved by getting extra things,
    but by getting rid of the things that make you unhappy
  • ddubsgirl4life
    ddubsgirl4life Posts: 2 Newbie
    Options
    Long time lurker,used to be involved quite regularly but fell off the wagon spectacularly - hope Im not too late to be involved, my budget for August £250, that is for 2 Adults, 3 Kids and 1 dog :)
  • armchairexpert
    armchairexpert Posts: 822 Forumite
    First Anniversary First Post
    Options
    Pamsdish, very roughly:

    Saute an onion until tender, add, garlic, smoked paprika (a TBS or so?) and 2tsp cumin until fragrant. Add a bottle of tomato puree (or 2 tins of crushed tomatoes and a glob of tomato paste), a big squirt (probably a TBS) of lime juice, a cup of chicken stock, a can of drained black beans, a diced red capsicum and cook until capsicum is tender, add diced pork and heat through. Obviously you can also do with raw diced pork in which case add it just after the onions and spices.
    MFW diary here. 1 Feb 2017 $229,371 - MFD Feb 2043 :eek: aiming for May 2028
    14 August 2017 - Refinanced: $220,000
    January 2019 $211,580 Current MFD 31 June 2036
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 0 Newbie
    Name Dropper First Post First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    edited 7 August 2017 at 1:50AM
    Options
    A couple of spends on some dairy free cheese and free from salad cream, plus some alcohol. I want some cabbage, to make coleslaw and some apricots, pasata & cucumber and that's it for the week, hopefully. I have lots of stores. I Have updated. sig.
  • JingsMyBucket
    JingsMyBucket Posts: 791 Forumite
    First Anniversary First Post Name Dropper
    Options
    Here's my update for the last week:

    GROCERIES
    1/8: Corner store: yoghurt & ice pops: $8.78
    1/8: Trader Joe's for fruit, yoghurt, etc: $31.16
    5/8: Trader Joe's for fruit, veg, cashews and a frozen curry to keep in freezer - $25.08
    5/8: Target for toiletries, snacks, etc - $27.86
    Total = $92.88. That leaves me with $57.12 left for the next two weeks.

    EATING OUT
    5/8: takeaway: $4.34
    5/8: Dinner w/a friend: $42.00
    5/8: Dessert w/same friend - $7.08
    Total = $53.42. 186.58 for the next two weeks.

    Friday and Sunday were 2 NSD for me. I think tomorrow I'll probably spend because I still need shower gel and will probably buy some Porterhouse steak that's on sale for $11.99/lb at Whole Foods. Imagine getting T-bone steaks for roughly £15 per kilo. That's how good of a deal it is. So, possibly a spend of $20 tomorrow, Monday but hopefully less.

    I think toiletries cost really threw me off yesterday. I had to buy toilet paper, paper towels (kitchen roll to you lot), and I bought 4 boxes of low sugar snack bars which probably cost about $13 of that total. Those should hopefully last me the next couple of weeks before I fly out back to Europe.

    Do y'all think I should bump my grocery budget or nah? I think I might try to play it by ear and shift some money from eating out to groceries if need be. I tend to eat fruit that's more expensive but better for me so that results in a higher budget. Imagine buying berries every couple of days instead of bananas if you see what I mean.
This discussion has been closed.
★ ★ ★ Meet your Ambassadors

Categories

  • All Categories
  • 343.2K Banking & Borrowing
  • 250.1K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
  • 449.7K Spending & Discounts
  • 235.3K Work, Benefits & Business
  • 608.1K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
  • 173.1K Life & Family
  • 247.9K Travel & Transport
  • 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
  • 15.9K Discuss & Feedback
  • 15.1K Coronavirus Support Boards