November 2008 Grocery Challenge

catznine

I'm doing the storecupboard challenge this week and thought with my full cupboards and freezers I would cope. It's the fresh items that add up though and the price hikes. 2 small bottles of semi skimmed - £1 at aldi today and tinned tomatoes - gone up to 27p! I buy a tray as I use them so much so £3.24 there, but now I have them in I shall relax as I can make lasagne, bolognaise, soups etc., also had my Ab & Co delivery so £12.95 for a small mixed box and some eggs. Added to a small shop at Mr S last week of about £17 I have now spent £33.19 of my £50 allowance!:eek: 2 weeks to go, 1 more Ab & C delivery (£12.95) leaves ....£2.86:o I may not make it!.. Positive thinking Catz, positive thinking!

MRSMCAWBER

Afternoon all

Popped on to update

• 1 litre whole milk 50c -got all 10 ..9 in freezer =€5
• 2 tubs marscapone -50c x 2 in freezer -they make stunning pasta bakes;) €1
• 1 whole chicken €2 -cooken in remoska -having for dinner tonight
• 2 x 2 huge chicken breasts -by the time the whoops and multi buy was taken off I paid 80c for all 4:rotfl: -they are in the freezer too:p
• 4 packs organic butter @ 50c... my fave =€2

TOTAL - €10.80
Got that little lot from the NAAFI earlier... there was other bits n bobs, but nothing that I fancied ...

So dinner tonight is chicken, roasties, mashed potatoes n swede, carrots, cabbage n peas mmmmmmm
As usual some leftover chicken will go to make, chicken n leek cobbler and a chicken pie for the freezer and bones to make chicken n sweetcorn soup:p

on the good news front -my hospital apointment has changed so I will be going in at the begining of December..on a tuesday -so I WILL escape on the friday ... I refuse to stay a weekend -so hubby kidnaps me on a friday night and and returns me on a sunday night if they haven't done with me..well 4 days had better be enough :rotfl:

There is now only me n hubby for christmas ...so that has slashed the budget every cloud and all that

right I had better get of and get some potatoes peeled..
have a great evening all:D

ifonlyitwaseasier

afternoon,

well i spent £1.60 yesterday on bread and milk and £4.10 (+ MrT clubcard vouchers) today, and i have a LOT of what i need for the rest of the month!!

i've downshifted a lot and annoyingly a lot of the things i like that are value seem to be disappearing from my local store!!
at least i can still get the pasties for hubby!

welcome to any newbies!!

ioiwe x

Free_in_Three

Thought I better drop in and update my sig. Not spent much this last week on groceries but still spending too much on takeaways when I have been away with work and late getting back.

Have three days off next week so I have a plan! Am going to meal plan for the next four weeks, do my list on mysupermarket and check out the local Aldi and Netto to see if I can get the basics cheaper before going to Mr T. I will also have some time to do some batch cooking. If only my freezer was bigger I could get really stocked up.

I am a newbie but wanted to say thanks to everyone for all the great tips and recipes I have picked up on on the OS threads since I have been visiting the forums.

Hope you all have a great weekend.

Free in Three :beer:

queen_of_string

NSD for me today, made some banana muffins with frozen bananas and some twinks hobnobs with added seed mix and cranberries. Have chocolate coated (very thinly) some of the hobnobs so DS will eat them without realising they might have fibre or votamins in them LOL

candygirl

Spent £2 on choccy n a magazine, needed a treat as I am a bit down, and am still on target:o

canidothis

Im so chuffed, Ive just totalled up my shopping receipts and am at £155.03, my month started on 25th October and I should only have 1 week to go. My budget was £300!! Now, do I eek my budget out so that my months start on the 1st or do I save what I havent spent?
Each time I go shopping I write a list, estimate the amount i need and get out just enough. Its obviously working but Im a bit nervous about what happens when my storecupboard runs out, will I have the nerve to spend enough money to stock it up again

I would like to thank everyone for all their tips and advice, its comforting to know that there's plenty of other people rummaging and creating in the same way as I am.:T

savingfortravel

Galaxy 863-I've asked for raincheck vouchers on offers at Mr T's customer services, so they honour deal even when it expires...they usually put a use by date on the voucher so take note.

Don't forget to check out Discounts, Vouchers Thread for codes for free delivery on shopping.
Also this thread has printable vouchers for free products (I've got smoothies and cream cheese before) or money off which can be used in some supermarkets (Mr T), sometimes for food you don't buy..just make sure you go through non-automated till and be honest with cashier.. Anything which starts with 99 can be used as part payment against a total. I read the Tesco policy recently and I am pretty sure they honour at least 1 voucher for something you don't buy if it starts with 99. Again this is on Discounts thread somewhere
I also find the newspaper and magazine voucher threads interesting as they tell you about free offers and products.. including beauty products which can save you. So you know whats in the paper or mag without buying it.

Hope this helps someone.

I have to say the GC thread combined with the above has saved us so much money. We are very grateful and it feels good inside not to be wasting money or food. Very responsible!!!

Glad people are taking advantage of Morrison's £20 off. I thought it would be useful.

Apparently News of the World on Sunday 16th have a £5 off a £30 spend in Tesco...

SFT

angelatgraceland

canidothis wrote: »

Im so chuffed, Ive just totalled up my shopping receipts and am at £155.03, my month started on 25th October and I should only have 1 week to go. My budget was £300!! Now, do I eek my budget out so that my months start on the 1st or do I save what I havent spent?

Well first of all-WELL DONE! Now-if it were me I would make it last an extra week and also stock up the stores a little rather than trying to make it last until the 1st. That way, when you are filling up your stores it won't suddenly ruin the budget. Myself, I always top up the stores as I go along week by week I never ever run out of anything! I list the storecupboard items which are low and if they are a good price I replace them If they are on a good offer I bulk buy them.
Tongiht I had to pop out for milk and I fancied treating us to something different for tea. I went to Waitrose(you are "thinking" expensive) and got some fresh pasta £1.39
some pesto-sacla-on offer £1.75
some fresh parmesan-grated it myself- 95p
6 pints milk-£2.25(Ive paid £2.56 elsewhere)
they also had cotswold f/r eggs on offer-these are normally £1.95 for 6 but on offer at £2.50 for 12. Never had them so I will try them for breakfast tomorrow if I have time.
Daily express had an offer for free soup normally 94p and the paper cost 40p I bought 2 papers and 2 tins of soup(bacon and petit pois)
I also got red lentils for 89p which is 20p cheaper than Tesco and some lloys grossman spaghetti for about £1-this is for next week when I can use my Asda pesto which is a lot cheaper.
Also in the D Express are vouchers worth £1.75 off future papers all this week but Waitrose will take them without me buying the papers.
All I actually spent was £13.41 and we had the lovely pasta pesto and parmesan for tea(not woried about meat)and it was easily enough for 4 people-only 4 home tonight. For tomorrows lunch at work I have a lamb casserole I bought a while ago whoopsied so I will take that with me. Just need to make some HM bread now. I did buy 4 loaves of Waitrose value one at 45p per loaf but I fear it won't do their soup justice!

savingfortravel

Well done Angela.. you can get some great deals from Newspapers can't you!!

Just remembered had some d.express/d.star vouchers in my weekly mag and combined they could save me £3.10. Thanks for your post!
Sft