January 2009 Grocery Challenge

LittleEmms

Hi Guys

Am new to this thread (a DFW) - will join the February Grocery Challenge.

Just after a bit of advice really in preparation - do most people (especially the ladies - lets face it we use more toiletries than men!) ... do you include all toiletries in your Grocery budget. Or take out of other money???

Ta very much!!

Emms x

Kiwisaver_2

kunekune wrote: »

I'm amazed you're managing at all on that tight budget - we used to sometimes spend that much in a week (though that was in the days when we lived beyond our means)!It's much harder when you don't have the choice of shops there is here in the UK and some things are more expensive in NZ.

Whereabouts are you? I had an email from a friend in Wellington today and he said it had been a lovely day there.

Yes, the weather has been gorgeous - hottest record weather down South for about 30 years. :cool: We're in Auckland (expats from UK) so yes experienced both worlds and its by far harder here, with no competition among supermarkets, no BOGOFS or any decent value supermarket brands.

Although there are a lot of swings and roundabouts in prices, I find basic everday stuff far more expensive than the UK and we certainly don't have any of the 9p tins of stuff. In fact I can't think of anything much in the shops that would be less than $2.50 A loaf of sliced bread is $4 or $5 and 2 litres milk close to $4. Shops don't mark stuff down much either, they're not so hot on out of date stuff and it's not unusual to see things still on the supermarket shelves already PAST their sell-by-dates at full price.

We're not usually this strapped for cash (recently bought a house) and I could easily do $150 to $180 a week before I started watching the spending so radically. Hopefully next month we will be able to breathe a bit easier, although we have rellies visiting for a whole month and partly why I have had to be so frugal this month, to keep a few dollars by. I wouldn't want anyone to see us being this poor!! :eek:

Already done my meal plan for next week along with my shopping list for Friday and there's only 13 things on it, including eggs, coffee, bread and milk - not much else in the way of food. Hoping I can get away with spending about $50

little_miss_moneysaver_3

LittleEmms wrote: »

Hi Guys

Am new to this thread (a DFW) - will join the February Grocery Challenge.

Just after a bit of advice really in preparation - do most people (especially the ladies - lets face it we use more toiletries than men!) ... do you include all toiletries in your Grocery budget. Or take out of other money???

Ta very much!!

Emms x

Hi Emms,

I include toiletries in mine. I include food and drink, then household stuff like loo roll and cleaning products (well lemon juice and vinegar) in my budget. Up to you what you include.

Mine has all gone to pot this month!!! I think I had whoopsieitis at the beginning of the month!! and I bought things just cos they were reduced rather then getting things I would have bought anyway. So here we are 9 days til the end of the challenge and I have £1.83 left! Have no fresh fruit so will need to get that today. And will need some milk before then. Everything else i have in the cupboard or freezer.

I got a massive chicken reduced to £2.50 weeks ago. Gonna roast that on Sunday and then should feed my and BF for the rest of next week.

Hopefully have better luck in the Feb grocery challenge!

LMMS

Kiwisaver_2

LittleEmms wrote: »

Hi Guys

Am new to this thread (a DFW) - will join the February Grocery Challenge.

Just after a bit of advice really in preparation - do most people (especially the ladies - lets face it we use more toiletries than men!) ... do you include all toiletries in your Grocery budget. Or take out of other money???

Ta very much!!

Emms x

I think you have to decide what to include, to suit the way you like to shop and run your finances. I buy EVERYTHING I possibly can from the supermarket, all everyday toiletries, cleaning, pet food, alcohol, the lot comes out of our shared housekeeping account. Anything for me, treats, smellies etc from other shops comes out of my own money (if I have any) and not included in my grocery budget. I have had the same $5 note in my purse and a few coins for two months and I'm desperately trying to cling on to them - so nothing other than necessary supermarket shopping for me at the moment.

yummymummy05

I include anything I use in the house so toiletries, cleaning products nappies etc. But I think I'm gonna take Nappies and Formula out of the budget next month as it's a fixed amount each week.

Well as we have all been struck down with colds I'm having an enforced nsd! - although i need it! Do need to get milk tomorrow - hope I don't pick up anything else!

Good thing though - I have cooked dd's chicken casserole just need to puree it (she's only 6 months), and put ours in the slow cooker for dinner tonight! ds doesn't like casserole though so I'm not entirely sure what I'll give him?! I have enough stuff in the cupboards though!

I've also put the rest of the chicken breasts and pork loins in the freezer (Mr A's doing 3 packs for £10 mix and match so it only cost me £1 per breast/chop!)

BTW dh doesn't get the point of this - he referees once a week and said "if things are tight you can have the reffereeing money!" I look after the money stuff as I'm better at it so I duely accepted the £18pw and will put it in the piggybank - at least then I know it won't get spent on rubbish!! - is that bad?

Well must get on and make lunch!

webitha

hi everyone, as you can see ive still not spent on any groceries, my Oh is a HGV driver so doesnt come home during the week, and he had a quick stop over yesterday, he tagged along to morrisons with me and he paid :j:j:j, so im am going to be waaaay under budget this month :D, but i can guarantee that it wont happen every month, my spends are more than my GC because it was DD2 4th birthday so she got presents and is MIL 60th tomorrow.

what ever i am under this month is going on my CC i promise, and as its only got £200 left i will have it gone by end of feb, wow i love this old styly board as its getting me debt free :T:T

Frugaldom

SAVVYMUMMY wrote: »

Good morning all:hello:. Just a quick update, then off to catch up with the posts. Another NSD for me today:j, have made fishpie for tonights dinner from fish I had in freezer ...

:T Thanks for this, I completely overlooked the fish pie option for using up excess mash! The fish is frozen raw, so I can make the pie and then freeze it for another day. 2009 resolution to meal plan is slowly sinking in and I am starting to remember, but still not at the plan ahead for a full week stage, let along a full month. I'm still at the plan ahead the batch cooking and stretching as many meals as possible from a handful of ingredients.

Major achievements to date:

Pot of soup
Turkey sandwiches for 1 (whilst having my cookathon day)
Turkey curry for 3
2 x family sized turkey pies
Above all from one turkey leg that had been frozen from Christmas! Better still, the other leg is still in the freezer. I gave one of the pies to DD as they can't be refrozen.

Pot of soup
Ham & cheese pasta bake
2 x family sized ham & cheese quiche
Above all from one smoked ham hough costing £1.75 and this time I can freeze the extras

Appr0ved F00d order expected to arrive today, so that should give me enough cooking sauces, baking related items, washing up liquid, crackers & 'health bars' to last for a few months! I see Martin has included this gem in the weekly newsletter, hope everyone can make great use of it as it could save a small fortune. 10p for 800g kidney beans is such a steal!

LittleEmms

Thanks Guys... I wasn't sure on this, but all the toiletries I buy are essential if you like, I'm good and use baby lotion for make up remover (much cheaper) but I think I need to have a look on the OS boards a bit more to see what I can improve on...

I get paid earlier than most - so need to start the Feb challenge around teh 25th.... what day does someone usually post it (so I keep an eye out!!)

Thanks again!!

scotsaver

Morning everyone - used my Slow Cooker yesterday for the first time, made a Turkey,lentil and veg conncoction, just bunged everything in with a tin of tomatoes, some herbs and seasoning and it came out really nice, really pleased with it, served it with some mash and everyone loved it - loads left which I am going to add more liquid to and blitz into soup to go with tonights Dinner.:D

Dinner tonight is going to be sliced Gammon (which was frozen from a joint at Xmas), HM chips, peas & sweetcorn.;)

Received my Order from Approved Food this morning, :j really pleased with the way it was all packed, got an email from them yesterday to say a few things were out of stock, not too bothered although the Kidney Beans were out of stock and I really wanted those as use them a lot but overall really pleased and will definitely use them again. Will update my total later as they are giving me a refund for items out of stock so need to add that back onto my total.:D

Have a good day everyone.

MRSMCAWBER

YummyMummy

I don't think you stashing hubbies referee earnings is bad at all -Im sure that the money in the piggy bank isn't just for YOU ..or is it? :rotfl:
My hubby told me not to buy him peanuts n things -He buys them out of his "spends" if he fancies them ... which might seem mean -but it was his suggestion -plus it means he eats them less often
My hubby admits that if he has cash in his hand or bank account -he will spend it on "no quite sure" ... he will nip to the NAFFI at work and break into a €20 for chewing gum and then the rest gets wasted too :eek: I on the other hand can be as tight as a ducks doo daa -we don't go without at all -I just refuse to spend willy nilly on dribs n drabs, and hubby reckons he has noticed NO difference in our standard of living to when I would spend €450 a month on groceries n bits .....but it means I can put my hands on about €2000 if need be -all saved from the Housekeeping/grocery budget