November 2008 Grocery Challenge

PurpleSkies

Thanks for the naan bread recipes mrs mcawber and kaat.

Although kaat the recipe you posted (not the one your DH uses) is the one that I used! Have you tried that one? Do you think that the lack of yeast is what's causing the problem or not rising properly?

debtfreefuture

Can I just ask...............do you include toiletries (deodorant, hair colour etc) and things like that in the grocery challenge or do you break it down to just food. I tend to get everything in one go at Mr T's:rolleyes: . I am looking forward to starting the January GC (and hope to do so every month next year.)

bigsmoke

getting close to my limit now with over a week still to go, next week will have to be frugal! bought a few bits and bobs for christmas today (foil dishes, cellophane and some ingredients towards making sweets for christmas), but as they weren't in my budget anywhere else i figured i'd best add them to my grocery total.
hopefully i'll be able to trim a bit off my budget for a birthday this weekend to put aside!
debtfreefuture - i include toiletries but not medicines in mine, but i think you can do whatever works best for you!

KAAT_LADY

PurpleSkies wrote: »

Thanks for the naan bread recipes mrs mcawber and kaat.

Although kaat the recipe you posted (not the one your DH uses) is the one that I used! Have you tried that one? Do you think that the lack of yeast is what's causing the problem or not rising properly?

Hey there Purpleskies,,i dont know DH has used the manjula one and it was nice

http://www.manjulaskitchen.com/2007/05/22/naan-bread/

and she is on you tube as well to show you how to do it

dh says it is better with yeast

she is so good ..he thinks

KAATxx

ps Just noticed MrsMcs recipe and had a copy of it to try ,,,thanks mrsmc

keld

Still haven't managed a NSD yet. :mad: Best so far was yesterday 80p for 2 packets of polos (to keep me awake while driving at the crack of dawn!). Thought about stopping for a tea on the way home, but that would have meant braking into a note, as I only had 30p change, so decided to have one when I got home.

Still recording all my spend in the diary (and anything of DH's that I can spot).:D I think I'll do a spreadsheet of my grocerey shops to see what we're spending it on - mainly fruit, veg, fish and meat I think. This should make doing a shopping list quicker too.:rotfl:

I'd like to join the December grocery, even though it's Christmas and I'm bound to break it.:eek: How do I join?

rosieben

Naan Bread Recipes are in the recipe index at the front of this thread, I've added Kaat's to the list; its worth a look at Curry Queen's thread for her great curry recipes too

MRSMCAWBER

Hi Keld -welcome on board

Just let me know how much you want to set for your budget and I will add you to the list for December

keld

Thanks MRSMCAWBER :A I'm going to see what I've spent since I started my spending diary on 10th November and take a guess. Would you keep Christmas groceries separate?

I've just gone through my spend to date and I've spent more for school (panto, photos, lunches etc) than for anything else.:eek: I hope that it's a one off.

angelatgraceland

Someone allowed an extra £50 for Christmas week on one of the posts-I thought that was a good idea rather than truly alteroing the budget.
some will find it an expensive week and other wont notice any difference. Im one of the latter as we only buy a few treats-as we do from time to time anway as as Im quite under budget it wont make any difference. Some families all "bring something" for a family get-together-this stops the burdenbeing on the host. One brings the veggies-one the pudd-one the cake-one the trimmings-one some drinks-one some soft drinks etc. Seems a good idea to me.
NSD today-had to give dd a lift to jobcentre but instead of wandering around the shops while she was there I stayed in the car and played music. DH says we need more tins-Id be out every single day for stuff if he had his way-theres nothing we need!
No idea whats for tea tonight as one is out and dh on nights-difficult to plan anything. May do a spag bog which will keep until tomorrow if not eaten. I will be busy tomorrow as its the 3rd anniversary of my Mums death so going to take some nice silk flowers up to the crem and also going to help out her friend so no spending there-just doing a few important things in her memory.

debtfreefuture wrote: »

Can I just ask...............do you include toiletries (deodorant, hair colour etc) and things like that in the grocery challenge or do you break it down to just food. I tend to get everything in one go at Mr T's:rolleyes: . I am looking forward to starting the January GC (and hope to do so every month next year.)

You may include whatever you like! We all do it our own way. Mine is food only. Just be consistent. Dont include it one week and not the next.

Julimk-haven't you come a long way!!!
Flat Eric-you are doing well
keld-keep up the good work

Jacks_xxx

distressedpleasehelp wrote: »

Hi there, I've lost my job and in debt. I posted on another site an SOA and the members recommended I post on here as I spend £1,000 in Tesco's. I'm not a silly woman and I really do resent every penny I spend in there!
There are two adults and two teenagers in the household and i don't feel we are extravagant. We eat healthy, my partner cooks everything from fresh and loves to cook.
The £1,000 covers almost everything we spend includingpet food, cleaning stuffs, toiletries, clothes etc but judging by the other members on here I'm being silly spending that amount and he said people on this forum can help me so I'd appreciate any tips and help out there.
I want to get my life back on track and get a way out of debt.
Thanks.

Hiya sweetie, :hello:

I'm about 6 pages behind in this thread but I just thought I'd rattle off a quick post to tell you what we did to reduce our Grocery spend and suggst that you give it a try cos I think knowing where and how to make a start when you're stressed out is the hardest part.

We were spending £650+ a month for a family of two adults and two teenagers.


It does take a bit of work and thought, but it's really worth it.

1) Make a meal plan for everything all of you are going to eat for the next two weeks. Breakfast Lunch & Dinner. (Don't forget the pets!)

2) Work out what you need to buy in order to make all those meals.

3) Punch it all into the website of your favourite supermarket or mysupermarket.com if you would like to see if a different supermarket would be cheaper.

4) Add in any essential non food items such as toiletries, laundry supplies, or cleaning materials that you absolutely positively have to buy in the next two weeks.

5) Look at the total. That's how much you currently need to spend on shopping for two weeks. (Now add £5 of snacky food that you think your family will really miss if you must )

6) Work on reducing that figure. Find cheaper meals to cook, buy less processed food. Eat a simple meal of something really basic like scrambled eggs on toast one night a week. Hunt down cheaper versions of the stuff you currently buy.

Read the threads on cheaper meals on here. Weezl and Maz have great ones to name just two plus there's a meals for 50p thread which gets you thinking!

A great easy starter one is stretching 400g or 500g of mince and a few tins of tomatoes, garlic a couple of onions an oxo cube and and some dried herbs to do at least two meals for four such as spag bol and lasagne or spag bol and chilli etc by adding veggies, lentils, porridge oats (Yes really! ) etc to bulk the mince out a bit.

It does a big dinner for four of us for two nights for about a fiver depending on what I chuck in it. There are usually at least a couple of portions left over for my hubby and son to take to work for lunch or to freeze as well.

Just make a start honeybun. It feels daunting but like most big changes, it's a process, and much easier to handle as a series of small steps.

Keep us in the loop honey,

Love Jacks xxx

PS JennyBee When I breastfed my babies I found there's usually "a hump" to be gotten over at the beginning but once we'd got past that stage it was so easy and cheap I was grateful every day for persevering. I asked hubby to be firm with me and to insist I continued if sleep deprivation sore nips and hormones made me want to give up and for 48 hours I contemplated divorce but then all was plain sailing from then on. I was even a little bit sad when the babies decide to give it up!