July 2008 Grocery Challenge

Moniker

savingpennies wrote: »

Yes, any money I save by using money off coupons, or vouchers I get from doing surveys or free clicks, or nectar/tesco points I actually save and transfer to a savings account at the end of the month.

I also have a Pin Money challenge and any money I save by getting BOGOFs or any vouchers or sale items I get I put the money I would have spent without the offers into a special purse, then at the end of each month into my cash ISA. I have managed to save over £100 since the beginning of the year by doing this - not a huge sum but nicer to have it in the bank than frittered away somewhere! I can't always put the whole amount 'saved ' away - but I try to say to myself when confronted with a 'bargain' you can only have it if you are prepared to put the money saved in the PMS fund! It works nearly as well as Martin's mantra! There used to be a PMS thread, but haven't seen any posts to it since the beginning of the year. Maybe we should resurrect it!

I went into town this morning to pay the £50 I won on the premium bonds into my ISA (yippee- two lots of tax-free savings!) I know Premium Bonds aren't reckoned to give a great return , but it's a great thrill when you do win - I just wanted a few extra noughts on the end !

Anyway, went into Waitrose to buy the coleslaw my DH likes best for tea tonight with the chicken from yesterday and a jacket potato - it cost £1.29. I also went into our local pound shop to buy the body lotion I like best and which I can't get any where else and spent another £1. So £2.29 altogether - have updated sig.

Sun has disappeared after a lovely morning , so going to tackle 'spring cleaning' and re-organising my big book case ( it measures 8ft long by 6ft high). Talk about a bus man's holiday (I am a Librarian!)

Enjoy the rest of the day everyone.

Moniker

wendywitch

Haven't been on for a few days what with birthdays and family life its been a nightmare here.
Totally blown any budget I might have had but have had two lovely meals out (my birthday (32) and my mum's 70th) plus her presents and lots of whoopie shopping
so I plan to start afresh this week :rolleyes:
I have plenty planned for the next few weeks but just can't get motivated .
I've just phoned some gardening firm to get a quote for sorting my garden out, it's totally over grown and I need to get it sorted before the Housing Association have a moan. I can guess the quote will be huge but I just couldn't do it myself.
I have housework and decorating to do as well as running around taking my dad to his medical appointments.
I hope I feel more motivated after a cup of coffee and a slice of coconut and jam sponge

mama67

busy_mum wrote: »

I would say that was a turnip.

It sounds like a fennel to me does it smell like liquorice/anniseed? if so fennel it is.

annelouise_2

Have a batch of Twinks in and then we are off to soft play with 2 friends.

HM bread proving.Will make rolls this time.

Taken Baked Bean Chili out of freezer.

Taking 4 bottles of water with me...very MSE

annelouise

Flylady_Flower

wendywitch wrote: »

I've just phoned some gardening firm to get a quote for sorting my garden out, it's totally over grown and I need to get it sorted before the Housing Association have a moan. I can guess the quote will be huge but I just couldn't do it myself.
I have housework and decorating to do as well as running around taking my dad to his medical appointments.
I hope I feel more motivated after a cup of coffee and a slice of coconut and jam sponge

Hi WendyWitch good luck with getting motivated - try starting on something small, that usually helps me, then when I see I've accomplished that, I try something else - ALWAYS have to build up to the pile of washing & ironing (hopefully run out of time by then...:rotfl: )

On the gardening front - good idea to get the firm round to give you ideas and a quote, but speak to some of the general handymen who advertise in shop windows and papers too - often much cheaper but you will know what you want first and the most you will have to pay. Better still if you can get a recommendation or someone you know to do it for you - loads of people looking for extra cash at the mo so worth asking about?

nessquic80

Not been on for a while but when i do i always save money been ringing VM inbetween cooking the chilli and shepherds pie just saved myself £126 for the year, im so pleased with myself:j :j :j . While oven is on i think im gonna knock up some twinks, yeah think i will. GC doing ok not to stressed about the budget but the cost of stuff, it's stupid. Last week when i was in tesco's there was a ambulance crew there attending to a customer, from looking at her she must have felt faint cus she was as white as a sheet,not surprising she felt faint with the price of food, joking aside....hope she was ok!!

belfastgirl23

Just popping in to declare another spend of £54.09 making a total spend to date of £99.98. Quite a chunk out of my £130 budget but I want to make some changes to my diet - more fresh and raw etc - and alas this costs money. They also had nice olive oil on offer so I stocked up. Will have to stick to just fruit and veg the rest of the month Hope you're all doing okay too...

sashanut

nessquic80 wrote: »

Not been on for a while but when i do i always save money been ringing VM inbetween cooking the chilli and shepherds pie just saved myself £126 for the year, im so pleased with myself:j :j :j quote]

Can I ask how you saved the money with VM please? I keep nagging DH to phone them but he is dragging his feet....meanwhile it is costing us £130 p/m:eek:

nessquic80

sashanut wrote: »

nessquic80 wrote: »

Not been on for a while but when i do i always save money been ringing VM inbetween cooking the chilli and shepherds pie just saved myself £126 for the year, im so pleased with myself:j :j :j quote]

Can I ask how you saved the money with VM please? I keep nagging DH to phone them but he is dragging his feet....meanwhile it is costing us £130 p/m:eek:

OMG that is alot of money...i dont have sports or movies but you have to ring, if you go to the telephones board and look on the threads there ,as im sure ill get told off for going off topic:D

amethystcash

Sent OH out to get groceries for me with budget of £30 expecting him to come back having spent more like £70 but no give him credit - £32. He even managed to buy supermarket brand chocolate that he normally refuses to get. I think me explaining that it wasn't just about penny pinching and being mean about money and that it was more to do with the challenge, he began to see it a bit more positively. So here's hoping with us both working together we'll manage the challenge. Not sure if I mentioned anywhere before but trying to cut down weekly shop from £130 to £70.