March 2009 Grocery Challenge

MoneyQueen

Hi All,

I have gone way over my budget this month and I am ashamed as all the excess has been spent on TakeAways/ Eating out rather than stocking... and there is no excuse for this except that I really couldn't be bothered to cook. :rolleyes:

I have spent £113.08 till date. Hopefully I will do better next month... Takecare everyone

angelatgraceland

Just updated sig and Im well inside of my March budget. Ive got an order coming from Asda on Tues with free delivery so that will add approx £60. Just paid off my Asda card to make sure Ive no debts-I only use it for convenience. Actually usied it instead of cash this week but as its all on one card I can login and track my spends anyhow. Even had 2 meals out this week but they were only approx £6.50 each and included a free icecream and buying a drink.Hardly extravagent-both of my friends were impressed with the bill!

Miss_Liquorice

cw18 wrote: »

Re: price increases ......

Is everyone set for everything to creep up again from next month? Apparently there's an increase in fuel tax from 1st April which will push prices up by around 2p/litre, and I have no doubt that this will start to show up on food prices fairly quickly afterwards

Thanks for the info. I think I may use the extra in my budget this month to stock upon heavy items like tins (basics tomatoes jumped from ~18p to 33p overnight because of 'fuel prices') and rice/pasta, basically whatever will keep. Should also help me out next month too. And to think 3 months ago I'd have gone "Fuel price increase, that won't affect me!"

SAVVYMUMMY_2

Good morning all.

Apologise, but haven`t got around to read everyones post. So BIG:grouphug: to everyone who needs it.

MrsM could you possible change my monthly budget to yearly pleeease.

£5300

I know this is alot, but I have gone way over budget this month, due to bulk buying. I am now including everything, that is food, cleaning, laundry and BOOZE:D . Many thanks.

mumofjusttwo

Thanks CW18. think I may do an extra shop this week. I am sure that they don't seem to need an excuse to raise prices at them moment :rolleyes:

Might get some cupboard stuff etc

MRSMCAWBER

Morning all

Yesterday I gave hubby €10 to pick up some lettuce, cumber, tomatoes, peppers and onions... he came back with €5 and some coppers :j -not bad at all as he got :-

• huge iceberg
• 1kilo tomatoes
• 2 kilo onions
• huge cumber
• and 3 massive red peppers

So Im going to add the €5 to my total (as the shrapnel goes in the sealed tin) -so Im going to declare @ €54.06 for the month :T .... we don't officially finish for another 4 days -but there is nothing at all we need -and Im not going out -so can't spend anything

It sounds dull -but we have both got an addiction to jacket potatoes, cottage cheese and salad -to the point where we could quite happily have it for every meal ... I do other things and then we both comment that "it was lovely -but we prefer the cottage cheese n jackets" -so my meal plan is now oooohhhh so simple ... and I guess at least it is healthy .. and once the veggies get going outside -its-going to be super economical :money:
we have also found that instead of paying more for "jacket sized potatoes" -we prefer several small ones -as they are easier to pick up (we both end up scooping out the skins on our plate and filling with cottage and onions) ...so it saves money as they are cheaper -10 kilo for €1.29 for the last net and they cook quicker in the remoska too .....

I have been busily sorting out my pots n things ready for all the veggies -hubby reckons Im trying to feed the street :rotfl: -Im going for loads of salad stuff again (20 tomato varieties for a start:o )and then trying all sorts of new stuff that will stand or freeze ready for autumn/winter -well thats the idea..lets see how I get on with all the new things im trying

right 0enough waffle -im back off into the garden
have a great day everyone :j

*BigBird*

HI everyone. I'm soooo behind on all the posts this month. Haven't really had time to come on here at all for the last couple of weeks - had a visitor for a few days and have also been given the opportunity of some overtime cases from work, so that is taking up a lot of my free time (better make the extra dosh while I can )

We have around £70 left of our budget so should be fine til the end of the month (calendar months for me)

I'm now busy planning what veggies I'm going to attempt to grow this year. Got 4 varieties of potatoes chitting in the conservatory. I also need to order the plastic cover for my patiogro as I want to get started on other stuff, but I think the nights are still a bit cold for things being outside. MrsM - 20 types of tomato? :eek: But wow. You are indeed my veg-growing idol I've only got one type of tomato seed at the mo, but now I think I might go look for some more, maybe the little ones you can grow in a hanging basket - Tumbling Toms? (cue OH rolling his eyes :rolleyes: and saying "make sure you take the Mini if you're going to the garden centre again so you can't buy loads of stuff!" :rotfl:)

Might need to cut the budget in future months to save some money for a new washing machine as I don't think ours is heating the water properly Or I suppose we could ask for vouchers for an electrical store for our wedding present and buy one that way. At the moment we have no idea wat to ask for as wedding presents - we've been living together for 3 years and each had our own place for years before that, so we have just about every household item we need. Except maybe a Kenwood Chef. Ooo, now that's tempting...

Sorry for the waffle! Have a great money-saving weekend everyone.

TheBees

Morning everyone -

We are definitely going to be about £20 over budget I reckon. :eek: Going to greengrocers and butchers in a minute to restock. Desperately low on fruit and veg plus the sausages are for tomorrow. Instead of a roast (for the 3rd week in a row) we decided to cook toad in the hole for Mothers Day tomorrow with roast pots and veg and lovely thick gravy. (Tummy's rumbling already!) Not quite as posh as a roast but much cheaper even with butchers tasty sausages.

Thank you to everyone for their best wishes regarding DH's new job. It's been a rollercoaster of a week so having a nice relax now. Feeling a bit frustrated at not being able to go for a run (currently training for a half marathon) as I fell on Wednesday and bruised by coccyx bone! Got a huge bruise on my backside and finding it difficult to sit for too long so I must get off here now or I won't be able to get out of the chair!):mad: Sorry for going off topic!

Oh forgot to say - despite having a smallish garden that only really gets the full sun in part of it I have planted up some potatoes plus got some tomato, bean and cucumber seeds growing on a windowsill indoors.:j

Good luck everyone!

mrspoor

TheBees wrote: »

Instead of a roast (for the 3rd week in a row) we decided to cook toad in the hole for Mothers Day tomorrow with roast pots and veg and lovely thick gravy.

Thank you Bees! I've been trying to think of something I could do to go with roast pots and veg for tomorrow's dinner - I'm afraid I'm stealing your idea!!:T Haven't had toad in the hole for ages, and it's one of the few things that both me and OH eat (although I do make it with veg sausages at one end, meaty at the other)!

Did my top-up shop this morning in Mr S in town, as I can walk there. Made the same mistake I always do of buying half a ton of food, forgetting I then have to carry it home.:rolleyes: Spent £24.75, which is more than I wanted to, but we would be due a big shop by the end of the week, and I don't think we're going to need it just yet. Got plenty of cereals, stuff for sandwiches, and some fresh bits to go with cupboard/freezer stuff for dinners.

I might leave the big shop til the end of the month, ready to re-stock for April, so I should be able to drop our budget next month. We will eat our way out of the overdraft!!:D

WelshWoofer

Afternoon all - just popping on to update final sig for the month after cleaning the house right through so I can sit down and watch rugby all afternoon - I'm Welsh so a big afternoon for me!

I haven't done a big Mr T shop this week partly because I'm over budget and partly because I don't really need much we're away for a day or two during this coming week.

Managed to spend approx £14 in local green grocers, butchers and Spar and F&V, gammon and a few household items ( and biscuits!)

So I'm over budget but never mind will try harder next month - I still keep tabs on my spending even though its blown but I'm spending a lot less than I used and am consciou of what I buy.

May not have time to pop on much this week as am working away a lot so Mrs M please put me down for £200 for April (5 week month) - thanks !