March 2009 Grocery Challenge

nmlc

Evening all

Have now done this week's shop, visited trade butcher yesterday spent rather more than I'd planned, £44.75 but now have 2 full freezers. Aldi for 69p f&v also bought some other bits total £13.43, MrA's £69.54 - I'm still trying to work out why it came to so much - I didn't buy any meat except 2 packs of cooked meat for next week's pack-up's or toiletries or cleaning stuff. I've double checked my receipt to make sure it's all correct - unfortunately it is! Have also made a fruit loaf and herb loaf (we had that last night with pasta). Have plenty of stocks of everything and have done a menu plan for next week - have £25.40 left - have 1 more week after this week to the end of my Gc month - it is do-able if I'm careful.......just!
Have a great weekend everyone and keep reading and posting - it does help!
Keep safe and well.

Coxy11

Hi all,

Haven't posted for a few days as my gardening work has started again - lovely weather here in Kent. It's good because being at work means no spending so a win win situation!

I did buy a few bits of f&v yesterday from our local greengrocer and some crisps and bits from our Co-op today so we can snack whilst watching Comic Relief. My total is looking okay and my month ends on 21st so not long to go. Will be under budget but until I've paid my milk bill and got the last few bits next week I won't know by how much. Have decided to donate whatever I have left in this months' budget to Comic Relief :T .

One less mouth to feed tomorrow as DH is away until Sunday teatime. It means I can do something quick and easy and not have to cook huge portions!!

Hope you all have a great weekend.

Coxy

Julimk

Another NSD on the GC, which is the 3rd in a row. I did consider picking up a few bits I will need next week (my last week for this month) on the way home from work, but as DD is with me this weekend there would be a very high chance she’d scoff most of it over the weekend & would have to repeat on Monday.

So I left it & she will just have to make do with what is in (which is plenty really!) and I will just go on Monday for the last few bits for the month.

I was given a big desk diary for my birthday in January, so every individual spend is written in that, and I have a list of each item with a monthly total for each item, rather than every individual item.

As there are only two of us but it is generally cheaper to buy bigger packs, each month is very different, as a ‘family’ sized pack may last 2 or 3 months, so not a monthly spend. And the meat tends to depend on what is available whoopsied or on a good special offer.

I’m still not great at meal planning, it is very rough, as it depends on if DD is here or at the childminder or her Dad’s & if I am working at home or in the office. But we are eating really well. Yesterday I had HM mulligatawny soup for lunch & DD had a pack-up & both had spaghetti bolognaise for dinner. And today we both had pack-ups for lunch, DD had dinner at the childminder’s & I had HM fish lasagne (from the freezer).

skintbint67

just a quick thanks for giving me the incentive to start moneysaving and to make me realise just howmuch money i'm wasting. Even that breadmaker i was given a couple of years ago and have never used will be dug out of the shed tomorrow, and all the seeds i've bought will be planted not the weekend i had planned as i was going into town to have a look not that i am actually needing anything so i've saved money already:T Have now given myself a budget of £75 for the rest of the months to keep the 4 of us, and the mad spaniel. Will be quite a challenge as the kids are a bit picky but they'll eat it if their hungry (remember that phrase well!) oh well better get that menu planner done

thanks
skintbint67

elizabunny

Phew.......caught up at last. What a hectic 5 days. DS2 has finally gone home after 4 days with us, recovering from a badly injured foot, a minor op and a bad cold and he has left us with with his cold :mad: Miss him loads already though.

The stock cupboard and freezer have taken the biggest hammering because out of the past 13 days we have have had extra mouths to feed on 7 of them and I just can't keep up Had to shop again tonight -2nd time this week and the budget is nearly gone now. (Signature updated) Felt too poorly to cook tonight so DH fetched a takeway -his treat, so not out of my budget:j

My Dmums 87th Birthday on Sunday and our Wedding Anniversary as well, so more celebrations to cater for -hope we're feeling better by then. Got a few 'whoopsies' when shopping, so off to check remaining stocks....if there's any left:rotfl: and add in the new bits.

I won't allow myself to get miserable about my total inability to get my budget under control (I think I need to write this out in lines 100 times so that I get the message)

Have a good weekend everyone! Keep up the good work!

Miss_Liquorice

Spent another £7.28 in Morrisons today, but go quite a bit, odds and ends (I was out of breakfasts AND lunches! That's all been sorted now). Just under halfway through the budget. I was planning on going to the farmer's market tomorrow, but I think I'll skip it this time an go next time.

booklover

Spent another £43.42, so that's £121.42 in total so far. Well I'd better be careful the rest of the month now.

Good luck everyone and thanks so much for all your brilliant tips and advice.

Fiona x

booklover

oh i forgot about the £6 on milk last week. and its included in the total.

Mellika

Allegra wrote: »

Seconded. My "grocery challenge database" consists of an envelope filled with receipts and assorted scraps of paper. The best that can be said for it is that it works for me.

Sort of.

Same here! :rotfl:

fletch3163

01001011 wrote: »

A HUGE list. Tesco: tomatoes x16 20p
Asda: Eggs x6 20p Yogurt x2 20p Mince pie 20p Sponge cake 16p Soft cheese 250g 50p : Bread roll 21p Mouthwash 59p: Carrots 500g 10p Garlic x2 25p
Asda: Bread roll 10p Celery 50p Onion 750g 26p : Carrots 1kg 49p White cabbage 41p Aubergine 54p Brussels sprouts 29p
: Cheese coleslaw 50p Bread 400g 44p
Tesco: Value Lasagna 32p Cheese 47p
Tesco: Cous cous 500g 60p Corned beef 90g 22p Naan bread BOGOF 68p Tesco: Deli 9p Tomatoes x7 50p Ginger 24p _ Potatoes 1kg 34p _ Washing powder 1kg 97p Dragon fruit x2 20p Parsnip 500g 10p Turkey Deli 26p Naan BOGOF 68p Parsnip 500g 29p Deli 18p Bread 10p Brussels sprouts 3x500g 30p Potatoes 2.5kg 10p

Gosh, that's 3 weeks shopping for under £70

I tell you what though, you're definitely a frugal shopper, you got some good bargains. I can't believe you got Dragon fruit 2 for 20p though:eek: . Mind you, having been seduced by their fabulous look, I can't believe you ATE Dragon Fruit (YEEEUUCCCKKK!)

CW18 your effort has amazed me. Tell me though, does it actually make it easier to decide what's for tea? A few posters have mentioned they can't meal plan because they find it difficult. I'll be starting my third week of mealplanning and I seriously wish I'd done it ages ago. Very liberating. No thought required (especially on DH part who usually has to get it going before I get home from work if we're to eat the same day )

Am glad to say I had another NSD yesterday but it's shopping day today. I've a list of things I "need" to buy to survive this week but I always seem to succumb to a bargain or some such once I get there. It's always useful, never wasteful though so how do I strike the balance? I hope you all have a good Saturday.