October 2008 Grocery Challenge. Please read first two posts.

cw18

Magentasue wrote: »

Washing powder - mix half and half with soda crystals
Milk - same here!

:rotfl:

If you don't want to poison the family I think Magentasue actually means to buy f/fat milk and water down (half and half) with water. A recent chat (on this thread I think?) threw up that you're better to water it down the day before you'll need it, as it tastes better after it's been left to stand overnight

gtx

cw18 wrote: »

you're better to water it down the day before you'll need it, as it tastes better after it's been left to stand overnight

definitely - it was me last week who watered 2 pts down to 4 and it was horrible at the time but by next morning it was fine - not like semi-skimmed but close enough for the whole family to drink/have on cereal without complaining.

give it a good shake each time you use it - thanks again mrsm:D

Magentasue

cw18 wrote: »

:rotfl:

If you don't want to poison the family I think Magentasue actually means to buy f/fat milk and water down (half and half) with water. A recent chat (on this thread I think?) threw up that you're better to water it down the day before you'll need it, as it tastes better after it's been left to stand overnight

No - didn't mean that! I meant we go through six pints a day too! Again, I don't mind spending a lot on this, especially as we don't eat meat.

Will edit my post - don't want anyone going mad with the soda crystals.:o

meanmarie

Went to Chinese supermarket with DDIL1 this morning but was very frugal...spent €9.25, getting hot chilli sauce, oyster sauce (both in big bottles), flavouring spices, lovely fresh bok choy and something else I've forgotten!

Off to update my signature, good luck to all

Marie

CherryPie

jackie_w wrote: »

Hi All,

Well Ive totally lost it this month, i dont know what ive done with a couple of my receipts, and I paid for my shopping with cash, so, i cant even check back to see what ive spent :mad: :mad: . I know it must be about £80 odd but im not so sure. I think for this month, I will need to take a step back from the challenge, and start again afresh from next month.

Jackie

I too felt like this. I've spent on stuff I didn't really need just because it was on offer and so on. However, I have bought some ingredients for twinks hobnobs, peanut butter cookies & fudge today. Thinking ahead for some homemade Xmas pressies. I think the key is don't beat yourself up about it. It's a challenge and no-one is gonna shout at you if you go over your budget. It's not a military regime!! :rotfl:

I shall go and console myself for my over spending by checking how the fudge is doing!!:j

nickynoo08

Evening all. This month is going nicely to plan so far. Went to mr t's for shopping today and spent £38.42. Got absolutly loads too. Got a lot of stuff that had been discounted or on special offer n when i got home n worked out how much it should of cost i nearly died. If everything i bought had been full price i'd of spent over £50! Got a few of those £1 pizza's, normally £3 odd and a few pasta bakes reduced to a £1 normally £2.19 (like to have these in for back up, been v busy lately). Fingers crossed that should be me for the month except for milk n fruit:j

cw18

Raspberries anyone? Just got myself an absolute bargain for supper (and some for tomorrow as well) :T

Needed a walk (eases off my back), so as normal I wandered down to check the late evening Whoopsies -- I don't need anything, but am now getting good at leaving stuff however good a deal it is (Though I pick up odd bits and pieces that I know will tempt hubby to eat)

But 2 x 150g punnets of raspberries at 20p each just HAD to come home with me even though DH doesn't like them. And the 600ml carton of double cream (Whoopsied to 49p) came home with them too :rolleyes:


It's only the second time this year I've managed to justify the expense of raspberries, so I'm really looking forward to them. I'm not a huge fruit eater either, so an added bonus is that these will help with my 5-a-day :A

Julimk

It seems to have been busy on here today, but is that just because I have been out most of the day?

I only started GC last month & guestimated £200, based on a weekly shop of £50-£60 plus a few top ups & wanting to get it down. But a week or 2 in, out of curiosity, I added up the receipts for August & it was over £300 – for just 1 adult & 1 child!:eek:

Each week I have been on here it has come down. The first week it was £50, then £35, 2 weeks at about £30 & this week £20 without a top up since the last main shop! I told my Mum today that this week’s shop had only been £20 & she made noises (as mothers do). So I assured her that the freezer is so full I can’t open it without food falling out & the fridge & larder are similarly full & it is all good food & we are eating well. :j

I am still not menu planning; DD isn’t here for at least half of her dinners, so it is often just me. And I tend to grab a previously cooked individual portion frozen from a batch cook (something I have been doing for years anyway, as I can’t be doing with cooking for one each day). I have been writing down what we are both actually eating for the last 3 days, to get an idea for future menu planning.

DD is well into the cooking now & was telling her Dad today how to make HM macaroni cheese & also how delicious HM pea & broccoli soup is.:D He has told her they can make them together when she is there at half term.

General advice is to shop on your own, and it is true that if DD is with me it tends to be more expensive. But as well as teaching her how to cook I want to teach her how to shop, which I think is just as important. So I am alternating with her & without her shops.

I am still new to this, and so far I am very pleased with how it is going, for me. But I can see how easy it would be to slip. For those that are not doing so well I would reiterate others comments to hang in there & just accept that it was just that, but keep on going.

I have been adding soda crystals to the detergent to stretch it & DD’s school shirts are still white, despite having lunch (or something) spilt down them most days. I am not watering down the milk though as I need a high calcium diet & it reduces the nutrients.

Happy birthday gtx! And enjoy your raspberries & cream Cheryl – I am sure they will be all the more delicious as they only cost pennies.

Juli

spikeysoul

Hi am fairly new here but I supppose I have been doing this for a while - I'm terrible with maths so after my husband lost his job I calculated that after everything was paid we had £30 for everything else. Not great but by taking the money out in cash and budgeting that way we have stuck to it. After recalculating it turns out we pretty much have all my DLA left which is actually £63 so I have a nice little rainy day fund/christmas fund. I am going to stick with this as my budget but have decided to see if I can keep it below this. Wish me luck - I'm disabled with no car so shopping is a bit of a military operation.

How do people balance special offers with what you actually need - and how do you go about getting best price when you can only really go to one shop?

Herewegoagain

Hiya guys,
Another NSD here, cereals and fresh fruit for breakfast, hm meatballs chips and peas for lunch followed by banana and yogurt, toasted tea cakes for tea. All from freezer/cupboards, need some more fruit though now.

budget going really well at the mo:j

HWGA xx