January 2009 Grocery Challenge

little_miss_moneysaver_3

fallen_angel_shelley wrote: »

Think I will have to get some of them t-bags, I drink gallons of the stuff everyday.

I really fancy a baked gammon on sunday, anyone know of any good deals?

Shelley x

Hi Shelley.
We had a lovely gammon from Mr Ts. Was in the freezer sections with the beef/pork joints. Had pineapple on the top and was £6 easily enough for 5-6ppl. Was yummy! Just had to take the film off and stick it in the oven. There was an offer where there were two for £10. Not sure if it was an offer just over Christmas tho.

LMMS

angelatgraceland

Popped into Somerfield for baked beans lunchtime and also bought some whoopsied milk-just milk and beans! £2.01 Then went to the vg shop where I got some reduced FR eggs-55p per box(x2)and reduced cherries 98p a gala melon for 59p(a whole one) and 2 bafs of pts. Total £7.16. Knew I darent run out as I hate shopping in the cold frosty weather and Im trying to cu back on fuel although I worked out our average spend for 2 cars is £16 per week. Thats very little up by most people Im sure. Im lucky that work is only a mile away(but I cant do the hills)so as thats also the High St I have most of what I need there. No schoolruns-just playing taxi now and then-as I did just now to get dd with her suitcase from the High St.

Butterflybecks

I popped in to Mr T's as they didn't have any cucumber when I went last night and I must have timed it perectly as I got a top rump beef joint for £3.23 - it should have been £10.48. :j
Picked up a few other bits like reduced pork chops, pizza and curry. But as normal got more than I went in for a spent £12.86. :eek:

However whilst sorting though my cupboards I found a tin of golden syrup with a best before date of end of Jan 09. How long will it last? And does any one have any cheap ideas of how to use it up? I have 2/3 of the tin left.

Thanks
Becki

sexki11en

Ye gods! I don't think we're going to do very well at this. In 4 days we have managed to spend over £50!!!

Admittedly £16.50 of that was on a lunch at the weekend (I know, I know) The rest (all but the sweets & crisps I bought today in place of a cigarette) were justifiable.
£3.60 at the veg shop

£21.10 at Mr S -
Vodka (what? I'm cutting back not becoming a nun! )
Loo Rolls
Veg Oil (I think i've been re using the last one for 2 years :eek: )
Bread
x4 tins chopped toms
Wholewheat spaghetti
Organic Bananas (were £1.59 - whoopsied to 69p)
A beaker with screwable lid for my soup at work (instead of cafe food)
A notebook for my GC
Tomato puree

£4.32 Mr S-
x2 tins baked beans
red, yellow & orange pepper
x4 courgettes (no decent peppers and NO courgettes at veg shop)

70p on grapes today (more cigarette cravings - ate the whole bag!)
98p - wine gums & disco crisps (again, cigarette cravings today)
£1.90 - OH lunch (wasn't organised enough to do it himself yesterday - did today)

£8.99 Somerfield
Salad (my lunch - kept at work, will do 3 lunches)
Salad (for OH Sarnies - kept at home, will do around 5 sarnies)
x3 baking pots (my lunch)
Cottage cheese & Chives (my lunch)
x2 lean steak mince (half price - I won't pay full price so stock up when it's on offer)

I've never really thought about it before, but I reckon we must normally spend upwards of £400 for the 2 of us a month - easily. You don't think about it until it's laid in front of you. I think we have a looooong journey in front of us!

SK x

angelnikki

Just had my first spend for the month. My MrT delivery came to £83.50 including some bday pressies and a cake for X.

I noticed that bread flour is back down to 48p and also noticed that 1KG value oats are 58p, but 500g MrT oats are 25p

Offers at the moment:
8 wild alaskan salmon fillets half price £5
Linda McCartney veggie sausages £1
Muller Little Stars half price 79p
Clover lighter 500g half price 85p
MrT Pure fresh milk 2ltr 2 for £2.60
Tetley tea bags 240 £3
Hovis best of both 3 for £3
Branston baked beans 4 for £1
Lynx shower gel £1
Pampers baby wipes 3 for £4
Pampers Baby Dry economy packs 2 for £13.50

Just updated siggy.

For anyone interested; this weeks mealplan thread has started: Mealplans WB 5th January 2009

Nikki x

Free_in_Three

Oh dear I have spent my budget for the month. I was doing well with a big shop at Mr S for £54 on the 27th!

We went to a farm shop I have been wanting to visit for ages and spent £23. The veg looked fab and I went a bit mad.:o We have been eating steamed kale for the last 3 days! I did get a 25k sack of pots and some african hot sauce for Mr Free which will last for ages. There are only 2 of us so I am hoping that I will get all the pots used and they wont go off before I get to the bottom of the sack. I am making double every night and freezing half. I have been buying Aldi carotts and pots but now OH has tasted the farm shop carotts I think we will be having them all the time. They are gorgeous.

On top of that my BIL went to c0stco and got some stuff for us that came to £70. This is for 160 dishwasher tablets, 120 wash box of bold and a new
fus!on p0wer razor and 16 blades for OH which will last him over a year.

The cupboards are groaning and the freezer is chocker so I will only need dog food, fruit, veg, milk and a few bits to get us to pay day on the 30th.

I am going to adjust my budget to £270 to allow for the C0stco spend which I hadn't budgeted for at all.

Roll on February..:rotfl:

LJM

ive just spent just under £100 at mr t's,that has stocked my freezer for month and restocked basics in foodcupboards.am hoping now its just usual milk/bread fruit and veg.still have £50 left

Tracey.32

Well, didn't get Aldi's 39p potatoes, but did get the 49p for 5kg ones. And 8 tins of Branston beans for £2 from Mr T's. And Charmin from S'fields for £2.50. Looking at 3 chickens for a tenner @ Mr T's next but not sure I have room - only got one regular f/freezer with 4 drawers.

Me and the child have only had one packed lunch each this week so far - trying to get into a routine with it. Need to get more organised the night before. Had pasta bake last night made with a jar from my previous life pre-GC :rolleyes: , and taking chilli (with oats!) out of the freezer tonight for tomorrow.

Will update signature in a mo.

Oh, and what's a 'happy chicken' please?!!

fedupandskint

:eek: Eek only £34.68 left for the rest of the month after topped up stores by spending £11.44 in Mr S.

300ml double cream
bunch spring onions
5 chicken thighs
basics sweetcorn
basics stock cubes chicken and veg
double pack of tissues
basics garlic
2pt semi skimmed milk
1 pack frozen findus wok veg
basics corned beef
6 free range eggs
pack dried butter beans
pack of thick cream napkins for next Christmas (62p reduced by 75%)

21 days left. Over 21 meals planned. Only milk and fruit needed and a bit of veg afer used up frozen stocks.

The last 2 weeks I have bought the basics range and compared the ingredients lists and there doesn't look like there is much difference apart from the price.

This challenge is making me think more than I have in a long time about price/quality and using up storecupboard stocks. All in a good way

rumncoke

1st shop of the month for me today. Not too bad £56.15 in total for Lidl & Mr T. Will have to get a joint for Sunday dinner at butchers on Friday but hopefully that will be it until next Wenesday.