February 2009 Grocery Challenge

scotsaver

Morning everyone - sneaking on while the kids are still in bed as it's Half Term - hope everyone is coping with the Budget while it's Half Term and not being eaten out of House & Home.;)

Planning a Lamb Hotpot in the Slow Cooker for tonight's Dinner, can leave it cooking while I take the Kids out.:D

Have a good day everyone.;)

highland_fling_2

hi everyone,
to Caramia 1812 my heart goes out to you. I don't know what to suggest as you seem to be trying everything that could possibly have helped but I will say a wee prayer for you.
Watched a television programme last night about people who have lost their jobs for one reason or another and it was awful. Just don't know what I would do if I was made unemployed and the truth is no one is safe from redundancy in this present climate. I am becoming more disciplined in my spending through choice but how many families out there are really struggling through no fault of their own.
I cannot thank everyone enough for the hints, tips, and recipes they pass on. These skills will hopefully serve me well throughout my life and I
am fully aware that I cannot take my present security for granted.

nmlc

Morning all

Just a quick update on the present spend I only have £26.09 to last until end of Feb - but have done a meal plan for this week and will still have a reasonable stock in cupboards and freezer so am still hopeful I can be around budget. Yesterday I made a Bakewell tart, loaf of HM bread, choc chip cookies and a few mince pies (pastry left from making Bakewell tart) pre GC I would have just thrown it away! OH seems to be taking an interest in GC now and seems to be realising how much everything costs! It makes things so much easier when they are on board. My DS1 and DS2 have gone out for the day with grandparents - so no continually snacking in this house today - thank god - I just never knew they could eat so much! I'm quite lucky where we live as rural area with fruit and veg grown more or less everywhere - I live in a village and a man in the next street has a little stall outside his bungalow with home grown veg - a beautiful fresh cauliflower is about 60p - enough for 6 portions, bag of sprouts 50/60p'ish, potatoes, carrots (still with the dirt on so last ages in the fridge). Also lots of places to buy f&v by the side of the road - mostly locally grown. This really helps keep costs down. Sorry for my ramblings.

Keep safe and well everyone.

Gigervamp

LeeSouthEast wrote: »

Buy bog-standard mince (forget the lean nonsense) and just drain the fat off yourself. It only takes a moment and you'll save £££.

But surely, buying a pound of lean mince is better financially? After all, buying the non lean mince means that you're paying for the fat. A pound of fatty mince, once the fat is drained off is going to weigh less than a pound of lean mince so the monetary saving isn't so good.

MadamMim2013

Caramia182, hugs being sent you're way! It's never easy when you seem to meet nothing but huge breeze block walls!!! It's wonderful on here tho and everyone seems to do their upmost to help out with advice and plenty of support...heaps of it actually!
Just keep plodding on with it and eventually something will go your way x

fluffysox

"Originally Posted by Mrsgibbs1503
Hellooo, had a spend free day 2day )
Just wanted to ask if this is moneysaving too far??
Last week when out shopping got given a parking ticket (worth 60p) when I got groceries from the co-op store attached they ask for the bottom tear off part then they refunded the parking of 60p... my friend said it was scabby seeing as the ticket was given to me in the first place?? what say u??"

We have a similar situation at the local shop where I buy bread, milk and eggs. This shop is the cheapest for these bits. Parking is 50p and the ticket is printed off with a voucher. Some people don't bother using their vouchers so quite often I see an extra voucher on the floor. If its clean and dry and from that same afternoon- I take this in too. The way I see it is- would i leave a 50p on the floor?

WelshWoofer

I have blatantly and willfully sinned against my GC budget!!!

I found a £10 off voucher under a pile of mail in the kitchen (given to me by the delivery driver for late delivery) that expires on the 21st.
So I have just placed an order for about £40ish - that will be reduced to £30 ish. I couldn't let the free £10 go to waste!
I've mainly stocked up on meat for the OH (for the freezer mostly), veggie stuff for me, tins, jars and dried goods - no fresh stuff as I like to go and pick that up myself and we already have enough to last us through til the weekend.

So I will be over target but will be able to spend less next month due to the stocking up.

Never mind!

goldfinch68

Popping in to update my signature. Got a big shop delivered from Asda yesterday for the first time. Did a comparison with Tescos for exact equivalents and it was cheaper from Asda by £10.08 - hoorah!!:j

elizabunny

Ph.........ew! I have just read through about 8 pages of posts because I have been away. I guess some of us are beginning to get a little closer to our budget limit and some of us if not already, are about to blow it. I think everyone is doing so well though -perhaps we should be running the economy:rotfl: We are constantly checking prices, stretching things and making ends meet. So if we go a little over -no matter, there is always next time.

I am very close to my limit now and am finding it a bit testing. It's just that this challenge really makes me feel as if I'm contributing to keeping the home running a bit smoother -what with DH being on short time. I don't feel demoralised or despondant -more defiant and determined.

With that said, today I am making Oxtail Stew in my slo-cooker. It smells lovely but I haven't made it for around 30 years:eek: so I have forgotton what it should taste like. Had a FREE dinner last night:j as DS1 and his OH cooked for us OS and it was lovely. So that was one less day to think about.

I will need to get eggs and baking marg. today so will update sig. later.
Have a good day everyone

jintyb

fluffysox wrote: »

"Originally Posted by Mrsgibbs1503
Hellooo, had a spend free day 2day )
Just wanted to ask if this is moneysaving too far??
Last week when out shopping got given a parking ticket (worth 60p) when I got groceries from the co-op store attached they ask for the bottom tear off part then they refunded the parking of 60p... my friend said it was scabby seeing as the ticket was given to me in the first place?? what say u??"


I would have done the same!
Here's another dilemma: last Sat I was in a coffee shop where they have newspapers for the customers to read while having a coffee. One of the papers had a coupon for free chocs a t Thorntons worth £6. I promptly tore it out and nipped in to Thorntons and got my chocs. I then felt guilty cos I hadnt bought the paper (£1.60) . What do you think?