September 2008 Grocery Challenge. Please read first two posts.

Julimk

Thanks angelatgraceland. DD loved her apron & oven mit & headed straight to the kitchen to make HM pizza for her tea. She wants to make HM fish fingers & HM chicken nuggets – have found cod fillet (can’t remember what I bought it for –shows how little attention I paid to grocery shopping pre-GC ) and chicken fillets (bought whoopsied last week) in the freezer, have some going stale but otherwise OK bread for breadcrumbs & everything else should be in the store-cupboard – so no problem.

Today, she made some fruit & jelly pots & a chocolate sandwich sponge cake.

Had DD in tow for the main shop in Mr T’s today, which normally means I end up spending more, but actually spent £34.96, which is less than last week. She did sneak a couple of treats into the trolley (eg ice-cream) that weren’t on the list, but as well under budget I don’t mind!

On the whole she was very good at finding the cheapest of the items on the list. Got the LaDoria mandarins @ 11p & fruit cocktail @ 23p, Value orange jelly @ 8p & strawberry jelly @ 7p!

Also included a (just under) 1KG joint of topside for £5.25 (I think this is one of Mr T’s long term offers). So a traditional roast dinner for us tomorrow (which we both love!) A piece of beef this side should easily do us two 3 or 4 meals.

Thanks to everyone for all the inspiration & hugs to those who are struggling.

Juli

Optimisticpair

ShelBell wrote: »

Can I drop out of the challenge please. Don't even have £50 a week anymore and its too depressing trying to work out how much I do have so am just not spending anything and keeping my fingers crossed.

Aw, do you want to join with me on an "If it isn't edible don't buy it" challenge?

I'm being serious too!

ShelBell

Optimisticpair wrote: »

Aw, do you want to join with me on an "If it isn't edible don't buy it" challenge?

I'm being serious too!

I think I need an 'if it costs more than free don't buy it' challenge put it this way, its hubbys birthday on monday and I can't afford to buy him anything.

Pitlanepiglet

ShelBell wrote: »

I think I need an 'if it costs more than free don't buy it' challenge put it this way, its hubbys birthday on monday and I can't afford to buy him anything.

You don't have to spend a fortune, for the last three years (in fact since we got together!) we've had bars of chocolate and socks for our birthdays and Christmas as Hubby was made redundant and we struggled to stave off bankruptcy. It's the thought that counts, can you collect his favourite sweets etc. and make him a cake? <<<hugs>>>

Winky,_The_House_Elf

Shell bell, could you make him some I.O.U vouchers? It can be a lot of fun and much more personal try http://www.fun-vouchers.org.uk/ I am sure he wouldn't want you to be stressed out about his birthday.



I've had lots of NSD's this week, eating from the freezer and cupboards.

I'm not sure if I can make it to the end of the month on £14 though as I have really run down my stocks this month! I've no tinned tomatos,oats, Bread flour, eggs, on the last little bit of cheese, about enough rice for one meal, no butter, nothing in for my sandwiches and I really need some fruit and veg!


Winky x

annelouise_2

Well into this month's challenge and have edited signature tonight at £178.34.Good going.

DD9 is still in Lindos and due back on her 10th birthday this week so busy getting cards and little pressies for her.She is having a quiet 10 kids disco at Kids club on Friday and I'm doing homemade pizzas,chips and buns.All bought.

This week have Turkey dinner tomorrow with a turkey drummer that I roasted off this afternoon whilst I was cooking carrot muffins and carrot loaf for packed lunches next week.Drummer was £1.30 and I popped a couple of onions ,an apple,2 dollops of cranberry sauce and 1/2 pint hot water in ovenproof dish.Covered tightly with foil and it cooked on medium for 2 hours.Made lovely tasty gravy with the stock and will make soup with the leftovers for my lunch Monday.

Got 36p part baked bloomer from Mr T while I was getting icing sugar and 2 oranges for carrot cakes.

Have fish and chips,baked bean chili,HM pizza,sausage casserole on next weeks menu.All in freezer.

Bought 5 sausage rolls,2 pizza slices,chicken sandwich,2 steak bakes for lunch with a friend and kids in the park which was the cheap option instead of going to seaside or swimming for a £5.00 so have included that in budget.

2 sausage rolls and 1 pizza divided into 2 in freezer to pop in lunchboxes next week.

Will need milk,f & v and buns for kids pack up but have little cupboard or freezer space to do another big shop.

Menu planner going well,I just circle unused meals to use up in future weeks to make space in the freezer.

OH had all day breakfast for tea,kids had leftover pasta pesto with a blob of bolognese sauce on top.

annelouise :rotfl:

angelatgraceland

Denisefowler:
Check with houshold insurance to see if keys covered? Some policies pay out for this.

Julimk-glad the outfit worked! Its always a bit of a risk when you recommend something like that so I had my fingers crossed for you!

My dd14 has taken up fishing! I bought her a rod today but theres no fish for tea. They catch them and put them back in because they cant kill them. Oh dear! I want chickens but theyd end up as pets with DD. Meanwhile-without any free food:rotfl: I have had to make do with shopping online at Asda. Order coming tomorrow after 4pm. Crossed out my coffee from it as Somerfield had Kenco Rapor 200g jars for £1.99 today so I bought 3 jars for hubby-that will last a while. Im happy enough with Tesco or Asdas value stuff(Ive got no taste)for about 38p per jar so thats his luxury. As it happens he only drinks a couple of cups a day and I drink about 10. Also got cadburys drinking choc half price at £1.25 and some crispypancakes at £1 for a box of 6. I dont normally buy things like that but its standby food for if they want a snack.
Total with a few other bits was £14.52 Asdas is going to be around £50-just under after offers and evoucher for free delivery. Chicken now thawing out for tomorrow and Ive still enough bread for next week thanks to my bargains in Waitrose last week. Could have bought reduced milk again but not really any room for it unfortunately. Hubby tried to get me to add all sorts to the order claiming we had run low on it but when I tidied up my tins(on a bookcase in the garage) there are loads! We have about 10 tins of beans if not more! 8 tins of toms and 6 tins of sweetcorn. At last I can find it as I always stack itin order-I didn't do the unpacking last time! Still have about 4 kg of rice and lots of fruit too. Im feeling so sorry for those of you who truly have little left and no way of buying more. Do look at the voucher threads and see if you can get a voucher or two to help you out.

Optimisticpair

ShelBell wrote: »

I think I need an 'if it costs more than free don't buy it' challenge put it this way, its hubbys birthday on monday and I can't afford to buy him anything.

That's serious. Can you do him a candle-lit dinner with whatever you have in the cupboard? Collect him a posy of wild flowers?

Top Banana the person who thought of the IOU vouchers.
I think it's a great idea.

Could you present hubby with vouchers that entitle him to claim something immediately, a kiss, cuddles, snogs as well as in the future? Something erm 'exciting' a striptease? maybe like "this voucher entitles Mr Shelbell to *Xrated* between Monday 22nd and Sunday 28th?

pink_princess

ShelBell wrote: »

Can I drop out of the challenge please. Don't even have £50 a week anymore and its too depressing trying to work out how much I do have so am just not spending anything and keeping my fingers crossed.

Dont leave ,you ll get more help here post what you have in the cupboards etc and we can help you through .
As for other halfs birthday can you afford a £1 if you can buy 2 bars of chocolate mrt basics 28p each and some icing sugar to pipe .Melt the choc to make a choc slab add what you have to top (a few raisins or smarties etc ) pipe a message on when set in icing .It s the thought that counts and he ll be pleased with choc who isn t .
Well been to mr t today and stocked up on the basics butter at 50p each ,also got some of the market special potatoes (thanx angel nikki) at £1 bargin.
Glad to hear most are doing well and hugs to those who aren t .
Can t believe people are declaring already im here til the 9th :eek:

jackie_w

Hi, Someone was mentioning about Tea bags, well my local Morrisons and the one down at my mums were doing typhoo tea bags £160 for £2.00, and also Scottish blend buy one get one free (sorry dont know how much was in the bags, or how much they were for).


Anyway, Ive updated my total, cos I had to go shopping again yesterday.

jackie