August 2008 Grocery Challenge

annelouise_2

Have busied myself with jobs this morning,had a fantastic meal at a lovely rustic Spanish Taverna last night courtesy of my neighbours as a farewell treat.Tempura Prawns with mango and sweet chili relish - oohhh.

Have to close 1 Spanish bank account today after I collect OH from airport and then we can concentrate all online banking at Banco Hispania.Moy Bien Chicco.

Baguette only on list today and just remembered meatballs taken out of freezer which we'll have to use up with pasta pesto....JUST NEED TO PERSUADE OH THO!!!!

Courgette plants DEAD,Tomato plant getting small yellow flowers on so that'll be donated to neighbour with my packets of seeds leftover and the other trough....All that effort and no veg yet.....

Luck to everyone else to come in below or on budget.

annelouise

smetf

Morning everyone

Will post properly later but have just found a good deal for an Abel and Cole delivery, they are on quidco giving £10 on a new account that places an order, then 5% on any other orders.

Abel and cole are an organic veg company, but they also do meat etc- to get delivery you have to spend a min of £8.

Have ordered a medium fruit and veg box for £15.95 so with the quidco this makes it £5.95- will come on Wed so a nice treat to start the Sept budget!

Never done a link before
http://www.quidco.com/?search=abel+and+cole
so hope that works!!

May be useful for someone

Smetf

Mrs_Money_Penny

Morning everone.

I have the next two days off but will be busy getting every thing ready for school.

Just wanted to declare August GC at £228.73 which is £28.73 over. But as it was school holidays I am pleased its not more. Please could you put me down in September for £190 MrsM & Niki. Many thanks for all your time that you take on this thread. My new month starts tomorrow and I have a tesco delivery booked for tomorrow night so will check in then. Best of luck to everyone else.

MRSMCAWBER

morning all

Hi Catnap..My brother is a regular visitor to Chatsworth show... It used to be very hunting, shooting etc -he reckons now it is getting more "commercial" -what he means is more stalls etc... ooohhh have you ever been to The chatsworth farm shop ??? its like the Harrods of farm shops .... although last time we went -we found that the prices weren't as :eek: as they used to be, as prices had gone up everywhere else the gap wasn't so big -they have some lovely bits n bobs -but not very GC friendly.... you could always leave DD with OH etc and have a peak on your own

Herewegoagain...this is a remoska

http://www.lakeland.co.uk/F/keyword/remoska

It works like an oven but uses very little electric..I wanted on ages ago -but talked myself out of it... now, with the fuel increases etc i have decided to get one..I told my mum about it and she got one first ..the cheek and she is in love -she hasn't had her oven on for 2 weeks :T ... being able to do jackets without having the bloomin oven on will be a god send... you can bake in them too;)
Im getting some "bulk item" in as im expecting a bad winter (watch it be a heat wave:rotfl: ).... I know there is lots of talk about crops not being gathered because of the rotten weather (not sure if its the case) but if i get some extras in to be on the safe side -plus somethings like the beans we like can only be found in 1 place -so it makes more sense to grab a tray and save fuel.. and if i get a tray of passata/sweetcorn etc then i can walk and do the other bits n bobs as I can't carry an awful lot -so it saves fuel again -or just go to the NAAFI once a week for whoopsies -so hoping to save even more;)

Well hubby came home from the golf course armed with 2 bottles of cravendale -whoopsed to 50c each :T Im just shocked hubby thought to pick it up -and wouldn't have the €1 :j ..apparently there were no other "super bargains" -I think i have created a monster :rotfl: I was on about needing a new airfreshener for the car... he went under the sink and came out armed with a bottle of my scented burner oils and declared he was going to put it on the one we had..."we are being frugal " was his comment :eek: ... ok who has stolen my hubby and re-programmed him? :T :rotfl:

Tonights dinner is belly pork, hm stuffing, potatoes, cauli and then beans n carrots from the garden nomnomnom

We are nipping to ALDI for the bulk stuff... I have counted up and I have about €120 from leftover GC budgets so may well use that .....then at the end of the month if i have enough of my grocery money left I will add the bulk items in and leave the "bulk pot" for something else

right i had better get off-have a great day everyone

findingmyfeet

hi catnap53 -we are off to chatsworth on saturday too. lovely country fair, lots of exercise too and weather forecast real good. The cost of getting in is horrendous but i save in advance for that. Last year we took a picnic but had it for tea later that day, walking round the food tents we got lots of free samples to try eg- new yogurts being introduced, fruits, currys etc. so we weren't really hungry, just used our drinks. lots of things like welsh pasties and ususal burgers , expensive but not extortionate. lots of things to do and look at so enjoy and take sensible shoes!!!

TQ16- foodie xmas pressies work well, whats your dd capable of , how old is she ? things like hm fudge, choc truffles, shortbread/biscuits and wrap in pretty cellophane. jars of hm sweets, photo frame with photos or dd drawings in ( melt grandmas hearts).

I have officially started my christmas food box. Added a jar of coffee and some tea bags to my shopping yesterday, so hopefully by christmas i will only need fresh stuff and last minute things. organisation has never been me but determined to plan and not panic when everyone else does their headless chicken act and throws everything into their trolleys as though we are about to have a siege .lol.

have a nice day all

susan946

MRSMCAWBER wrote: »

morning all

Well hubby came home (.................)"we are being frugal " was his comment :eek: ... ok who has stolen my hubby and re-programmed him? :T

Mrs Mc - if you find out please will you let me know. I should like to get mine reprogrammed as well!!!!!:rotfl:

Sue

princess_leia_3

Morning all, Just done my first sept shop on Mr T and at the mo its at £85 :eek: but that has got to come down a bit due to BOGOF etc!

Savvy student- I love that website its so handy, I keep forgetting to look at it but will make more of a conscious effort :rolleyes:

The boys are off out for the day with their grandparents so its just me and baby, gonna get lot sof housework done and resist going out

I have my laser eye consultation tonight so I think we will get Mac D's on the way home, we have some vouchers so that will be a bit cheaper

Also need to get my meal plan sorted for sept as I keep going off track But really need to stick with it and try and come in under budget!

I am going to declare £260 for August which isn't too bad but please put me down for £250 again for Sept, thank you x x

yellowmonkey

Morning

I am going to declare on £312. Can I be put down for £310 for September please.

I was £3 under my total for August so will reduce to £310 for September. Will be tough though as kids back to school so packed lunch stuff to get and more days in my month until payday.

ym

webitha

hi there sept will be my first grocery challenge
put me down for £300 for sept please

saffouri

Phew!! Have just read through the last 2 days of posts. Pats on the back for everyone who's come in under budget, and definitely there is no shame in not making targets, we are all learning! (plus we are human sometimes too )

Had logged on 'just to update sig' but here I am still after half an hour - oops time to get going. Our August budget runs til the 31st so no declaring yet, it's going to be very close. Still need to declare for September, which should be low as DH is away on a work trip for 2 weeks (now that's a way to be MS, kick someone out of your house, has anyone else tried that? :rotfl:) OK what the heck please put me down for £200 for September - if we come in lower than that it will be a bonus.

Glad to see others recommending freecycle and ebay for picking up an appliance cheaply - we got a great deal on a near-new oven a couple months ago and were very chuffed to pay £67 instead of the £150-200 it would have cost to get something new.

As for flasks - I picked up a thermos flask in the US that has a folding spoon in a lid compartment - but even with the good exchange rate it came in at more like £10. Haven't tried it yet but looking forward to seeing how it does with HM soups and stews and the like.

Hugs to all that need them - including for anyone who's a bit down about the lack of sunshine!!

saf

PS - took Mrs McM's courgette tea bread out of the freezer this week and it's great stuff! Also baked up some hobnobs, tried adding butterscotch chips and walnuts, also pretty good. Bananas going ripe in the windowsill and looking forward to banana bread next....