July 2009 Grocery Challenge

Janae

Hi
Not posted much recently but have just gone through a pile of receipts and done an update.
Total spend so far £252.68 so £47.38 to last 8 days. Should be ok but am having to start next month's shopping early as I want to fill up the freezer ready for the next three weeks - anticipating a busy time ahead at work.
At least I don't need to buy runner beans or courgettes - veg patch doing well with these :j

Hope everyone's challenge is going well.

kj

Natty68

Morning campers Was good yesterday and only spent £38.36 and got some good deals. Managed to make over £6.00 in savings too.. I was quite surprised as Mr A had energy light bulbs at 4 for £1.00. Not bad considering they were priced up at £1.00 each.. So obviously we bought 8 screw type ones to stock us up. We did need them as we have absolutely loads of the bayonet but none of the screw ones, and what do most of my lights in the house take - yep screw ones. So I now have a selection of each We also managed to get 10 small baguettes that had been reduced at to 5p each, so these have gone into the freezer for DH's lunch this week, and two for us on Sunday. Thought I might make baguette pizzas for lunch Half the price of rolls too, and more filling too, shame I didn't have more room in the freezer otherwise I would have bought the price of rolls in baguettes..lol

Anyway must update signature and get dressed as we are heading off to the County Show today

dreamer40

Hi, I have spent £14.45 and £24.55 since last weekend. Total so far for the month is £75.59.
Started to use my breadmaker again and our allotment is doing well with veg. I have been using what is in the freezer and there is still a lot to use, will plan next weeks menu around what is in the freezer and I need to do a shopping list as well for tomorrow.

kippers

Hi Mrs M...I'm back after months of intense studying.

Pls put me down for £300 for August

(I'm glad to be back)

merzal

Over the past couple of days I spent:
£19.25 in Sainsburys (mostly on alcohol as we have people coming over tonight!)
£1.10 in Co-op on two pasties and 2 pizzas that were reduced!!

So i have spent £27.18 - £12.82 left so not too bad, all I need to buy is salad, veg, fruit, milk and bread for the final 10days so I should do it!

natsing

Have overspent again this month, but only by £10! I'm declaring £130 for July as I go pay day to payday, and I get paid next Friday, think I'll try £120 next month too.

Olliebeak

absolutebounder wrote: »

Well I have travelled around a fair bit and as my job is effectively that of observation that is what I do when Im abroad. Stand in tescos and watch a housewife go for whatever is cheapest She will just pick up a packet of apples say granny smiths and not really know anything about where they are from. french housewife picks up packet of say coxes and thinks or sees UK on the label and puts them back..................

Well aren't you the lucky one!

The average British housewife doesn't normally have that kind of luxury in life!

Most of us are trying to make an average (or below average) household/shopping budget stretch to feed a husband/partner and at least a couple of children with all the preferences that entails.

Many of us don't have the time/inclination to stand and observe what other people do in a supermarket - we're too busy counting the pennies in our purses and hoping that we've got enough to cover the shopping bill while trying to control/find any children that may have 'done a bunk through boredom'.

Some of us have also done a full day's work BEFORE going shopping but still have a hungry family back home to feed AFTER doing the shopping.

As a country, Britain does not have the variety of 'local produce' available that France does - mostly due to our climate - many of us are concerned about buying local whenever we possibly can. We make meals that utilise local ingredients and appeal to British tastes - one reason why we often cook Chicken Casserole as opposed to Coq au Vin!

While I recognise your wider experience of international shopping habits, please realise that you do not represent the average British housewife.

Savvy_sewing

Today I have put two more of the butchers sausages, cut into inches, into the slow cooker, along with a couple of wilting celery sticks, a diced green pepper, a couple of old carrots, a red onion, and a clove of garlic, with thinned down gravy left from last nights toad in the hole. I have a few new potatoes left which I will boil and serve with the above. The meal is really only supposed to be for me, so I dont mind not having very much meat. This will leave me the last two sausages for Sunday. I feel a cooked breakfast is coming on.

ceridwen

..and my mental arithmetic for the day (to keep the brain ticking over okay) is wondering whether I've started counting on my second hand yet how many of MSE Martin's proposed yellow cards for bad behaviour would have been handed out so far on this thread......:rotfl:

..goes off waiting to see whether this thread heads back towards the original topic and I can see how much I was wasting compared to other people and whether I'm still being a bit wasteful......

Thought for the day....picked me some fresh beetroot from the garden and will be making sure I have the leaves in a minute - think I might try sauted with a bit of butter and garlic and some lemon juice over them this time.....There WAS a time when I didnt know one could eat the leaves...

ellemm

Not managed to post in here for a couple of weeks but have kept up and have updated my signature to £122.05 / £180 with one more weeks shopping to go till the end of my month so quietly confident as don't seem to need much.

Went to Mr S today for a change as staying over at daughter's and that's her "local". Seemed to be a fair bit more expensive than Mr M?? but we were not buying much and enjoyed a change of scenery.

OH was working away two nights last week and I just had salads or pasta so still a fair few bits left in the freezer for this week and store cupboard well stocked.