February 2009 Grocery Challenge

Ishtar

It's definitely got something to do with the increase in prices. Six months ago my weekly supermarket shop was around £60; now it's knocking £80. Previously I was able to buy own brand/branded products for the lower cost, but now we've moved over to a lot of value items - fruit and vegetables are also from the value range where possible. The organic box is long gone! This total does include some toiletries, cleaning products and the occasional item of clothing for DD.

I'm currently nearing the end of my pregnancy so I shop online, this obviously saves me money - I'm pretty strict about the menu plan and tend to stick to it, and again this helps. I generally have in stock an extra 5-7 days worth of food - tins, frozen leftovers, pasta, rice, noodles, etc so that there is always something in.

I get my meat at the butchers - he keeps his prices the same as the supermarket, but the quality is much better (that's about £20/month), potatoes from the local farm (still can't get over £6.50 for 25kg of spuds!), eggs from the same farm (free range doz for £2), and I'm looking at getting to the market for fruit and vegetables - slightly tricky as my mother visits on market day and she can't walk very far...

I cook from scratch every day, and I try very hard not to buy biscuits, cakes, etc - I bake these when I can.

I'd love to reduce the amount I spend on food, but it's taking time to make the changes. OH has recently (finally!) jumped on the bandwagon (it's only taken me 16 years!) and is also making changes - he's more likely to try an own brand these days without turning his nose up. It all helps to reduce the spending....even though the prices are going up, I try to remind myself what we could be spending if we hadn't changed our habits!

D

Reverbe

Did my first grocery shop of Feb yesterday. £13.64 including a Sainsburys mag and a coupla treats of value choc and a beer.Doing very well due to NS days due to weather and been trying to live off stock cupboard etc. Lucky enough to have a coupla free meals too.

Have spent a bit more than I'd have liked on other things not Grocery related but they were essentials that i needed for jobsearch etc.

nimbo

i'm not doing too badly, but have to admit that i am sick of the random bits that are left in my freezer now.... i am hoping to move soon, so it makes sense to try to use all of theses bits upo before i go, as i have hardly any storage in the kitchen in the 'new' house...

i think that i am under target, but not by much.... i ahev just over week to go too.... ho hum, there's still plenty of junky bits left in my cupbaords haha... it's just a shame they aren't too good for the waistline.

scotsaver

Just logged on and updated my total with last weeks spends and visit to the Butcher - we had Roast Beef yesterday and it was delicious, we all said we could taste the difference - I asked the Butcher to give me a bit big enough for 4 adults & 4 kids so that we would have some left for tonight, OH will just have some sliced with Gravy, spuds and veg and the kids and I will have a beef curry.;)

kippers - I think that's brilliant, I'm going to try to keep my Freezer and cupboards Inventory up to date otherwise you do forget that you've got enough to feed an Army!!

brummiebabe - sorry to hear about your OH's hours being cut - the news is just so upsetting at the moment, it's such a worry for everyone - stick with the help on OS and I'm sure you'll cope.

MRSMC - hope you are feeling better today - have you been given a date for your Op? Bet you can't wait for your Snow to go to get out there and sort those seeds - can see some bulbs coming up in our Garden so Spring is around somewhere.;)

Off out with the kids now - have a good day everyone.:D

Barneysmom

Another £40.00 to come off my total today, spent £20 in Mr/M's and had £20 cashback.
Went straight round to Netto and got 3 x boxes of Yorkshire teabages 99p (£1.99 in Morrisons), and some other bits and bobs.

The front of the freezer drawer broke yesterday. I went to open it and it snapped off in my hand, not even had it a year yet?

cw18

Barneysmom wrote: »

The front of the freezer drawer broke yesterday. I went to open it and it snapped off in my hand, not even had it a year yet?

I had one do that about 8 months after we moved in (new build / new appliance)

I bought a replacement (wasn't too expensive), but that one and two others then gave in the next 12 months -- so I've now given up !!!! I just try and make sure I have tall boxes at the front of the drawers, so that I don't have things falling out every time I open the freezer/pull out a drawer :rotfl:

ETA: Don't know if it's a 'common with the manufacturer thing', but mine is a Cred@

Beki

Had to buy a couple of milks at the weekend, and some veg and dog food. Have updated total. No hope of us spending much til wednesday as we have £6.90 to our name until then, and OH needs petrol for work LOL

Reverbe

S_Wales_Saver wrote: »

. :T Anyone know how expensive Strada is? Booked by DD2 who is as frugal as me so should be OK lol

Sorry no but I think Martin usually has a Twofer on the boards here for them...:D

SAVVYMUMMY_2

Good afternoon everyone.

Well I haven`t posted in a long while, but have kept my spends up to date.

Spent almost £260 of my £350 budget with 12 days left to go, so fingers crossed I can do this. I have meal planned for the week and need to get milk, f&v and meat from the butchers. I was hoping to do an online shop from MrT yesterday, to see if this would save me a bit more as I am less likely to put the odd bit in. Attempted 3 times to do this, but the site kept crashing, so gave up and off I trotted this morning to do my weekly shop. Unfortunatly the odd bit jumped into the trolley, so I am now £64.58 lighter on the budget:huh: .

Anyway hoping to be really tight:rolleyes: this week and see how I go. maybe a bit hard as the kids are off this week and they`ll eat me out of house `n` home.

laineyc_2

Had to go to Lidl & the butchers. but I was very good and only bought what I went in for.