August 2008 Grocery Challenge

nessquic80

Just back from MIL and come back with a carrier bag full of ruhbarb and about 10 cooking apples, so tea tonite is pasta and meatballs with rhubard crumble and custard, gonna make a apple crumble too for the freezer. Also came back from my mums house on sunday with 3 bottles of wine which she was given ( she doesnt do wine or chocs, is she mad!!)tonite dinner is gonna taste that much better cus 2/3rds was free!!:j :j :j :j :j

DdraigGoch

Thank you everyone on this thread for the information, support and help. Thanks to you I've managed to come in at only £12 over. I'm declaring at £193

Normally that would have been for less than a fortnight!

The family swung in behind me :rotfl:actually they had no choice! But OH did get the hang of it and the children did understand what I was doing, at 16 and 20 they should be grateful for the lesson, surely :rolleyes:

So, for September, despite going away to Center Parcs for the weekend, I'm going to just up it by £20 to £200. I'll list it on the new challenge,

and thanks again

DG

shelovestobuystuff

running total is just £86.54 spent of my £200 budget so far,just have up till 28th to go before I get my total.Have been doing really well and finding bargains in the reduced cabinets at tesco.I got french sticks for 10p each,little finest stomebake loaves for 10-20p each all which went into the freezer,milk at half price,legs of pork and big ham joints at less than half price,bag of mixed salad @10p,pancakes at pennies too,innocent smoothies 1l for 20p each.I have got into the habit of making the reduced cabinets my first stop.
Going to splash out on a whole tandoori chicken from the local indian restuarant this weekend,for the first time I can honestly say I can afford it.
Good thing its coming in so low this month actually as ballet fees are up to £59 for DD this month and I have to buy her new taps and jazz costumes:eek: Freecycle here I come.

KAAT_LADY

happy birth day **Big Bird**

Money_saving_Diva_2

Ok, so the first day of my September budget didn't go as well as I hoped because when I went to do my baking, we had no eggs and not enough flour so had to send the OH out to the shops. However, on a good note, the eggs he bought were free range and from a local producer only a few miles from here. I decided to make a call and ask about 'seconds' - the eggs that don't quite make the perfect grade and they sell a tray of 20 free range for £1.55!!

So in future, my eggs will stop costing me around 20p each and will help keep costs down!

I am ridiculously over excited about this. I think it's because I 'sourced' it myself just by finding the farms address and phone number online!

Just wanted to share!!

hugs to all

Diva.xx

Oh, I didn't put my September budget in red so just in case it was overlooked, please can you put me down for £375. Thank you SO much.

samarnesen

a quick question
when you all do your meal planners do you just do it for your main meals or for all the meals
thanks

OrkneyStar

samarnesen wrote: »

a quick question
when you all do your meal planners do you just do it for your main meals or for all the meals
thanks

I tend to just do main meals, and we often adapt lunches to fit round main meal leftovers/whats in the fridge, or just have something spontaneous. I find it harder to think of lunch ideas than dinner/tea ideas!

SavvyStudent_2

Hello all!

Today I've put in place a new shopping policy:

If it doesn't come from the local market, it's not welcome in our dinner.

Planning to a) support local, b) get seasonal stuff cheaper and c) practice what I preach and give the arteries a rest by not eating quite so much junk food..!

On the getting seasonal stuff cheaper note, I've just bought 3 huge punnets of blackberrys for £1 but they need using up so any ideas that aren't crumble folks!? xx

Money_saving_Diva_2

samarnesen wrote: »

a quick question
when you all do your meal planners do you just do it for your main meals or for all the meals
thanks

I am much the same - I plan the dinners and then lunches are usually something simple like home made bread and whatever leftovers we have.

On_the_getting_seasonal_stuff_cheaper_note,_Ive_just_bought_3_huge_punnets_of_blackberrys_for_£1_but_they_need_using_up_so_any_ideas_that_arent_crumble_folks!?_:D_xx wrote:

/quote]

You could freeze them honey and then use them though the winter - I tend to do that with surplus as it's so lovely to have blackberries in the middle of winter!

Diva.x

Flylady_Flower

SavvyStudent wrote: »

Hello all!

Today I've put in place a new shopping policy:

If it doesn't come from the local market, it's not welcome in our dinner.

Planning to a) support local, b) get seasonal stuff cheaper and c) practice what I preach and give the arteries a rest by not eating quite so much junk food..!

On the getting seasonal stuff cheaper note, I've just bought 3 huge punnets of blackberrys for £1 but they need using up so any ideas that aren't crumble folks!? xx

Sounds like a great plan, good on you!

Only thing that springs to my mind is muffins (but then they always spring to my mind :rotfl: )