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Grocery Challenge Thread Options

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  • Chell wrote: »
    I don't post on the daily chat thread as it isn't just grocery related. There is too much chat about flylady and peoples lives for me.

    I think the thing that puts people off of posting on MSE in general is that there are too many rules. Newer members feel scared to post incase it is in the wrong place.
    ysattis wrote:
    I don't know what the answer is to this but as a newbie on the GC challenge I haven't read half of it. I also think it can be a bit intimidating as a newbie with everything going in all different directions. I'm not sure what I'm supposed to post on it and what I'm not. So how about guidelines at the start of the thread?

    2 perfectly valid opinions; both wanting different things :o As Pink says, we've looked at this before and there's no way of pleasing everyone.

    Ideally the GC would be just that - all directly grocery shoping related, and no chat. The chat could go onto the myriad other OS threads ;) or as Pink has alredy suggested, a GC chat thread in the Arms.

    Be assured that Pink and I are actively pursuing this behing the scenes and will get back to you as soon as we can :D

    Penny.
    :rudolf: Sheep, pigs, hens and bees on our Teesdale smallholding :rudolf:
  • BigMummaF wrote: »
    I KNOW that will probably happen if we have a grocery thread, but there are an awful lot of people who--by their own admission--come to OS primarily because of the GC...they didn't know we were here before, so via a GC chat thread, we can direct them towards the Quick Questions, Green Fingered, Slow Cooker, etc. etc.
    Bit like the Information Desk in a shopping centre :D The totals, bargains & recipes could stay together, then hints & tips on the chat perhaps & the first post of the monthly would explain where to post.
    Like I said--just thinking out loud.....

    I agree ,grocery thread is fantastic and a lot of 'us' are new so are not familiar with other threads so redirecting is a good idea ,saves people getting put out/fed up because of the length of posts.

    mrss
    You can't stay young for ever,but you can be immature for the rest of your life.
  • rosieben
    rosieben Posts: 5,010 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    I haven’t voted because I really don’t know what the answer is :confused:

    I’ve been away from the GC for a few months (house move and illness) and I’m stunned to see how big the thread is now. I do worry that the sheer number of posts will put off newbies who really need the ideas and support we’ve all found on the GC, and there will be more and more newbies looking for that support and advice as the financial situation worsens.

    I definitely don’t think a separate ‘GC chat’ thread is the way to go, people will still chat on the totals thread anyway and I think the chat is an important part of the GC - part of the appeal is that there’s so much support and information just for the asking.

    I wouldn’t join in a grocery chat thread in the Arms – I rarely go there, I prefer the less aggressive OS forums! Not sure the Arms is the right place for newbies who are needing support and encouragement! ;)

    I don’t think a weekly thread is the answer, it would just be more work for our great volunteers who try to keep things in order :T

    We have been asked in the current thread - and I remember the same request in threads months ago - to limit our posts to one a day. Maybe that could be encouraged, and would certainly slow the thread down a little? This needs to be repeated regularly as newbies rarely read the first entry where the information is - I know, I was a newbie once! :D

    The other thing is recipe posting – is there some way we could gather them all into a GC recipe thread? I know angelnikki has done some work on collecting the recipes. I could maybe incorporate something into the Complete Cookery Collection?? I’ve been away from indexing it for a while but I’m about to restart work on it. Suggestions welcome!

    So there you are, I’ve disagreed with suggestions put forward but I dont have much to suggest myself. Its obvious to us all that the GC is becoming a monster but its one of the most useful OS threads.and I really hope we can work out a way to keep it going, I’d hate it to collapse under its own weight ;)
    ... don't throw the string away. You always need string! :D

    C.R.A.P.R.O.L.L.Z Head Sharpener
  • Not sure what the answer is, but great that the questions are being asked! Thanks everyone for putting heads together to find a solution.

    My experiment over these last couple of days of catching up on more posts than I had done has already told me that I've been spending more time than I'd like to doing the reading, given the other things (including money saving!) on my plate. I'm just not going to be able to keep doing it that way.

    Some of the rules/conventions mentioned ie one post a day, daily OS chat thread, I hadn't known about until this discussion started (as a relative newbie). I agree both that wading through posts with chat for the relevant information (whether you call that number totals, recipes, bargains noticed, or whatever) is daunting and mostly impossible, and that the sense of community created because of the way spends and personal info is mixed together is valuable. How's that for being unhelpful!!

    If I get any bright ideas I'll come back and post them (but don't count on it :rotfl:)

    saf
    March GC: £147.75/£180 groceries + £36.75/£50 meals out

    February: £163.19/£180 + £66.14/£50 monthly budget for eating out Total £229.33/£230 :j
    January:
    £170.01/£170
  • Chell
    Chell Posts: 1,683 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker
    What is actually supposed to be posted on the thread? Just what has been spent or what, I'm not sure. LOL
    Nevermind the dog, beware of the kids!
  • Boomdocker
    Boomdocker Posts: 1,201 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Photogenic Combo Breaker
    I voted to leave it as it is. If you split it in to 2 parts I would still subcribe and read them both so for me it would not achieve anything. For what its worth I think the thread has become a victim of its own success. As it is so friendly and informative there are lots of people subscribing constantly and that is a great thing. It would be a shame to start dictating what can and can't be discussed as that's what makes the thread so welcoming and open to new subscribers.
    Boots Card - £17.53, Nectar Points - £15.06 - *Saving for Chrimbo*
    2015 Savings Fund - £2575.00
  • ZoeGirl wrote: »
    Or maybe limit the posting of totals to the signiture?

    LOL :rotfl: Limit the stuff that is relevant to the GC and allow the chat? :rolleyes: :D
    troo wrote: »
    Why not make it a weekly challenge?

    I dont think that a weekly thread would make any difference other than it being a quarter of the size. People will still post the same and everyone that struggles now to keep up will still do so.

    I think it needs to be made clearer at the start what to post on the GC (ie anything relating to grocery shopping ;) ) and links to the other threads available for anything else like chat or questions.

    I think that the idea of a monthly Old Style Beginners thread or recipe club type of thread would be of use as that is generally what most of the chat on the GC is about. There are so many new people starting to look at the way they shop and cook which is fantastic :T but this is what people are using the GC for at the mo as there is no where else for this. So I think a thread for that could help :confused: . What do people think?

    Nikki xx
    :A
  • jackk_2
    jackk_2 Posts: 288 Forumite
    100 Posts
    Chell wrote: »
    What is actually supposed to be posted on the thread? Just what has been spent or what, I'm not sure. LOL



    Good question :D , tbh i pretty much only use the GC and student threads, i read what i have time for, and don't get to stressed about what i miss lol.

    The thread just seems to be like any other online community of like minded GC type people :cool: , and i think if you limited peoples posts the community feeling would be lost, You've only got to open your front door to see what happens next :( . I think the support and friendliness is what makes the GC thread different (better) than all the other troll ridden threads around the board.

    Jackie x
  • I have to admit there are no easy answers here. I do not post on the GC every day because I see it more as a place to go to check in with my total and talk about any struggles I might be having. I think perhaps limiting posts to once a day for those who love to do so might at least help. I do like helping people with recipes though and as I am relatively new, none of mine are on the recipe list, so I cannot link back to anywhere, not even my own posts as I can never find them again!

    Sorry not to be helpful, but thank you both for trying to come up with an answer.

    Diva.x
    To be frugal, you need to spend money wisely, simply spending less is not enough.
    If you can't handle me at my worst then you don't deserve me at my best...
    Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says I will try again tomorrow.
  • rosieben
    rosieben Posts: 5,010 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    angelnikki wrote: »
    ... I also I think that the idea of a monthly Old Style Beginners thread or recipe club type of thread would be of use as that is generally what most of the chat on the GC is about. There are so many new people starting to look at the way they shop and cook which is fantastic :T but this is what people are using the GC for at the mo as there is no where else for this. So I think a thread for that could help :confused: . What do people think?
    Nikki xx

    I quite like this idea too, and would be happy to volunteer if there's anything I could to to help it along.

    I haven't looked in on the OS daily thread since I was very new, I remember I found it quite intimidating then, most people seemed to know each other so well and there is a lot of history which you couldn't find without reading the back threads. I felt like a stranger looking into a room full of friends. Normally I would have joined in, but going through bankruptcy and depression meant I just didn't have the confidence.

    I do worry that new members will be able to find help and support, particularly those who are in desperate financial circumstances. I've been noticing the increase of posters mentioning they/their partner have been made redundant and this is only the tip of the iceberg if Mr Darling is right.
    ... don't throw the string away. You always need string! :D

    C.R.A.P.R.O.L.L.Z Head Sharpener
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