May 2009 Grocery Challenge

WelshWoofer

Well, I managed a NSD yesterday and it should be one today too.
We have plenty of stuff in - you couldn't fit a toothpick in the freezer! - and I've planned food for the week. Just have to stick to it now!

Today's effort will be a sweet potato curry with rice and naan for tea, a sandwich for lunch and if the weather doesn't hold (is starting to rain now) a trip to the cinema this afternoon.

Good luck to everyone else with the constant struggle!

nickynoo08

Can you put me down for £150 for May please
I just scraped in under budget for April by £2 so i was really pleased with that. Thats now 2 months running i've managed to stay in budget so yay me. I've already done my first big shop of the month so i'll only need milk and the usual suspects for the next 8-10days.
Hoping to do my next big shop around the middle of the month so i can make use of a money off voucher sainsbugs have kindly sent me.

sharronej

Does anyone know where I can buy dried egg from? It's for my teenagers dofe expedition so that they can do scrambled egg on toast for breakfast.

Gailey congratulations and I'm glad you're getting over the sickness - have you considered making muffins for your husband instead of bread? If you want them to be really light then you can knock them back twice (rise them three times)

01001011

Finally have time to work out the GC...

In April I spent £53.81 / £75. Thanks to many NSD during easter.

For May I'd stick to the normal £70. :beer:

Already did my first major shopping. Things at Lidl are SO expensive :eek:. I just bought 3x cucumber (34p each) and pack of 8 pears 82p. Also bought 2x 500g leafy greens from Sainsburys (49p each), but actually I got at least 1.3kg of vegetables :money:. The Lidl ones cost the same but are much smaller.

Toonie

We got our big shop on Thursday from Sainsbury and we spent £85, which covers all our meat and fish for the month, plus pasta and spuds, squash and juice and tins. I was quite disappointed with some of the quality though, the sweet potatoes, carrots, satsumas and lemons were all rotting, so we've complained but waiting to hear back.

Had to top up milk and a jar of coffee yesterday as I didn't realise we were low. Should only need to get some fruit this week and a bottle of milk on the weekend.

sadsadjenjen

Hello All
Just had my MrT big shop for the month delivered hence the spend:eek:, remind me to never do a 10-12am delivery slot again half the day gone already:mad:. Will just need to shop for fruit, veg & bread for the next 2-3 weeks. so might just do it:D. right of to B&Q for paint and picture frame.
Enjoy the rest of the day all

gailey_2

Thanks tessie bear good to be back as blew march grocery challange and dident take part in arpril, morning sickness really threw my shopping and cooking regime was doing well before.

Realistically be nice to have £250 amonth to spend but need to be hard withourselves and keep to £200!

What we seem to struggle with is frequencency of shop.

Have tried doing one large monthly shop but we end up running out of fresh and dairy so need to do tops ups and occasionally have to bin some fruit and veg!

Would love to do weekly but ist finding time me and hubby both off and daughters not around as shes nitemare to shop with we end up spending more.

I know its all the top up shops we do that pushes us over although its is nice to support local small shops which we do can work out pricey.

We always seems to run out of bread, eggs, cheese and drinks, bicsuits dont last long in this house either.

We try to be selective and cherry pick the offers which usually on ends so easily done!

With crips unless they on offer we opt for own brand even brought value crisps before.

Try to buy cheese and yogurt on offer same with soft drinks.
Did try super strong squash instead of usual robinsons which seemed to make it last longer.

We need to shop fresh weekly but try and maybe do monthly frozen/grocery shop hwoever as deals change we like to stockk up on all the deals and dont find iceland that cheap anymore.

Aldis is bit far to go lidls is close by but we usually only get basics fom there and not everythings cheap.

I find myself rummaging round reduced section but often dissapointed with markdowns. whats best time to go in?

Yesterday co-op got new till so couldent see how much it was must have sounded like old lady saying to cashier how much! was shocked how pricey it was.

Now we using sposies at night thats another 4.50 to monthly bill and that was sainsburys own brand, did look at basic 1.49 for 20 but hubby was dubious about performance. Luckily daughter potty trained so only needs them at night would greive me to spend that amount each week extra!

Wish I knew why my potatos keep sprouting very annoying!

have tried muffins out of leftover blackberries I picked hubby wasent too keen atm hes having reduced bagels out of freezer as easy to defrost and use one at a time. My daughter loves toast, hubby likes bread for his packed lunch although we did try wraps the other month.

Will do our annual summer bbq this year for all freinds that alway works out pricey so may start looking at bbq section on rainy days for bargains and freeze!

Today going to do potato bake and freeze!

Yesterday had chicken 1st time in ages as been trying to keep meat to min and just brought mince and added ham or bacon to pasta to keep costs down.

Still got some fish in freezer keep meaning to do stuff with!

Brought the lidls frozen white fish filliets as cheaper than iceland but dissapointed they got quite few bones in not great for toddler!

Converted hubby to mature cheese so no longer have to buy 2diffrent types of cheeses.
Tried own barnd soft cheese but prefer philadelphia!

Missing my special k redberries but sadly so blooming expensive!

Used up eggs the other day in chse and ham omlette as hate wasting food!

Need to go garage today as run out of squash again!

MoneyQueen

Hi,

I fell off the band wagon in April so going to try again this month.

Can you put me down for £100 please

This is for me and OH and includes only food

Thankyou

MQ

buddiebabe

Hey

So far 3 days into this month and i haven't spent a penny on food yet :j i have just went through all the cupboards, fridge and freezer and luckily there was only 1/2 a carrier bag of stuff that had to be thrown out. Am going to sit and go through the lists and see how many meals i can get without having to do a big shop. The only problem i can see with this is that im on a weight management plan at the moment and am trying to eat healthier but its costing me so much more... i think im really going to have to forgo the heathly eating some nights to use up everything in the cupboards and freezer.... im going to try and use up the stuff with the most fat on the nights after im weighed :rolleyes:

Im really new to this challenge so am going to read through last months thread to see if i can get some tips on how to manage and budget better.

Buddiebabe x

Sunny_Donny

Hi All
Hubby standing outside in the cold BBQing sausages for dinner -I'm inside with no intention of going out there at all - freezing - want to put fire on!!!
Did a large shop yesterday ££56.48 but got everything in - only need milk this week til next go shopping.
Byyeeee