January 2009 Grocery Challenge

PennyGrabber

Hi all! I'm new here, but have so little money it's untrue! Still, we play the cards we're dealt, and I'd like to think I'll get a full house or a flush some time soon!!!
In terms of drinks at pubs, some alcohol free drinks are actually more expensive, so a friend told me she has lime and soda water when it gets towards the end of the month. Can't say it appeals to me, but as I'm a single mum of two beautiful children, I don't get to go to the pub v often anyway!!
I'm going to start the challenge in Feb, and will aim to spend £80. This will include nappies for one, and cat food and litter. I am a bit of a hoarder, so the freezers and cupboards are already full of HM meals and value tins, so I should be able to manage it. BTW what do all the acronyms stand for? OH and GC I get, but what about DD?
Also need to pay off my credit card as that starts getting interest slapped on it as of May. Hmm...
Can I just say that I've been reading quite a few threads on here for a couple of weeks now, and everyone seems so nice. Doesn't it just give you that ray of hope that people aren't all out for what they can get for themselves. Thanks guys.
PS How do I go about sorting out my signature bit?

angelatgraceland

Wow! Julimk! Thats some cutback-but somehow-I knew you could do it-you just get that feeling on here sometimes. A saving af approx £2400 per year!!!
Are you going to treat yourself with something as a reward? Preferably a nonfood item-an experience of some sort that you wouldnt have had otherwise?
My thing this year for me and DD is theatre-and a meal in a restaurant before if Ive got a voucher! Well done!
Oh-and when we go out for a meal I ask for a glass of water with my meal-I save the proper drink for after!
DD can be dear daughter or direct debit(sometimes the same thing)
DS dear son
Mr M Mr S Mr T-the leading supermarkets-tesco etc
At top of page click on usercp-just under your name-then on edit signature-to the left-you get 6 lines of text for your sig.

Tracey.32

Hello everyone!

Just popping in to update signature. Went to C0stco today - cat food (to alternate for a bit with own brand stuff till they get used to it) and got multipack of 10 packs quavers and 10 packs french fries for £1.97 which I thought was a bargain. These will do for DD's packed lunches or after school snacks for quite a while - as long as she's not bringing half the street in with her

By my reckoning I've got just under £55 to last 10 days. Will maybe need bread, definitely milk and F&V (might see if I can get up to L!dl for those after work one night if there are good deals to be had!)

See you all in the week. :hello:

Mrs_Money_Penny

Hi Everyone. Just come on to update. I have spent £112.02 this week. This was mainly a big shop at MrS. Shouldn't need anything other than milk, fruit & veg. Good luck everyone.

MRSMCAWBER

Evening all

Well even though we don't get paid until the 25th I'm going to declare at €92.67 .... that includes the €5 I have given hubby to pick up carrots, lettuce, cumber, tomatoes and swede on his way home from work tomorrow can't see us needing anything else :T ...It shouldn't come to the full €5 -but the change will go in the sealed tin anyway..
So I'm well under budget and most of what I have got this month is still in the freezer/cupboards/fridge :j

Like JulieMk ..at one time my whole €450 housekeeping a month use to disappear :eek: and Im really not sure as we eat better now than before

Dinner tomorrow is casserole of venison/kangaroo carrots and onions (out of the freezer)with mashed potato and swede (leftover from today) and veggies... oh and I also have a blackberry, apple and black cherry crumble in the fridge -made one earlier and put half the fruit in the fridge and the crumble mixture in a tub:T

hubby is taking pea n ham soup and hm bread for lunch -so that should keep him warm

right I think thats me done for now..hope everyone is well

millionaire_in_training

Spent £85.52 this week. Way too much. Only have £66.11 until the end of the month now. Will need to workhard at it to manage it. First month though so may be setting my sights too low. Will see how it goes.

Rachel021967

Cranky40 thanks for the link to blind cooking the base of a quiche. Will definitely try that next time.
Pips Mum congratulations to your family on your new arrival. I wouldn't be too hard on yourself as it takes a while to settle into a routine with a little one.
I sent £1.24 in Sainsbury's on: 1.5 litre diet coke 57p, 2 pizza bases 25p, Basic chocolate for little one 27p and 6 hot cross buns 15p. Then my DH decided to go to Costa and spent £11.30 :eek: I can't complain as its the first time this month. So I'm gutted. This has left a total of £16.02. Need to go out and stock up on eggs as daughter is making herself a 6 egg omelette:eek: twice this weekend.
Tonight we had homemade pizzas, chips and cucumber. Just off to update signature.

goldfinch68

elizabunny wrote: »

Hi goldfinch68 =did you manage to gather the seed when your rocket went over? Freebie crops for this year:j


I should've done and will definitely do so this year, still got half a packet in the shed, so that will do us for this spring.

Did collect a load of California Poppy seeds though from the front garden and will sow them in the back for a bit of colour. Can't eat em though unfortunately!!!!

save-a-holic

JackieO wrote: »

I have taken to buying a 500gm bag of grated cheese as it seems to last so much longer than a block and it's only £1.98 a bag.

I buy a block of cheese (as usually works out cheaper) then grate it into a bag when I get home and freeze it. I then just take out as much as I need when I need it and put the rest back in the freezer. Obviously it never goes off and with it being grated it seems to go so much further. :T

queen_of_string

Well I am busted for the month and it's going to get worse. There's £53 of eating out not helping and a stupid £20 in M+S. I have a very special visitor all next week and thats going to be expensive. I guess I'll just have to live with it and maybe have a store cupboard month next month. There's masses in the cupboard. Pleased in one way though, putting the eating out through the grocery money has given me a much more realisitic food spend.