July 2009 Grocery Challenge

spendaholic

For the first time ever - EVER - I have come not only within my grocery challenge budget, but WELL WITHIN. I am so chuffed.

Last shop for July came to less than £36. That gives me a grand total of £110, when I budgeted for £160. Wahey. :j This is what a debt management plan and living without credit does for you.

It's pay day on Friday, so my August challenge starts this weekend. A 5-week month this time, @ £40 per week, so £200 for me, MrsM. Thank you.

elantan

just put a wash on ...have finished the last of the box so opened a new box and remembered someone saying something about washing soda ...now i hope i have this right ...i looked in the cupboard and found some soda crystals ( i use them occasionally) and put it in the box and mixed it all about...did i do that right? am i meant to just use the soda crystals ...and is it soda crystals i am meant to use? baby steps for me i think

Moniker

Good evening all. Managed another NSD - not difficult as it has been raining so hard most of the day!

We ate our first beetroot and spring onions from the garden yesterday and had a few carrots on Sunday too, so feeling very pleased with myself. However, all this rain makes me feel cold and so salads are not as attractive as they once were! We had a 'broth' from the freezer for lunch which I had made from the meat and vegs from boiling up a chicken carcass to make stock - it tasted better than it sounds!

Tonight we are off to MILs for supper so I don't have to cook - what a nice change!

Catch up later.

Moniker

DrFluffy

I've found a way to make my last £10 last until the end of the month - I've retreated to my parents for a few days! Parental support for the win!

Callisto

Have ten days left to the end of the month and have gone over budget. Went to Morrisons with a list, but still managed to pick up loads of offers. Will need to get milk, bread and fruit next week and will make a meal plan to use up what we already have.

elf06

:mad: Not very happy with myself as I am now officially over budget :mad:
On the plus side I do have enough essentials (loo roll, kitchen roll, shampoo etc) to last a while and a fridge and freezer full of food so if I need anything else this month it should be minimal.
Off to update my sig now .........

Julimk

Did the final top-up shop for the month & cost £15.49.

That included some coconut milk powder, which I thought would be a useful store cupboard ingredient after seeing it mentioned somewhere, but hadn’t seen it around. But Mr T had some so I grabbed it. It cost £1.99 but will make up to more than 3 cans worth & it is now £1.58 per can! Last time I bought it, which was only a couple of months ago, was £1.10 a can.

Also, some basics like milk, bread, eggs, tea bags (only 1 left!) etc. to keep me going to the end of the month. Will make up some quiche for my pack-ups with the bacon & cheese that are in the fridge & need using up.

Would normally be going over to the next month’s budget now, but as we are going away on 1 Aug am running this month’s grocery budget through to the end of the calendar month, making it a six week month. Only £10 left in the budget, but I can’t see me needing anything other than some fresh milk next week. Here’s hoping.

huxley

Just popped on to update sig, finding it easier now I have decided on £10 a day for the four adults and the extras that eat here each week! Even with the Mr T. delivery I have just had coloured in the squares on my calendar (and kept in the lines:D) so with total spend so far this month I can easily see I can spend no more money until the 23rd to keep on track.so its working even with the odd treat. Oh and Mrs M. the courgette cake/bread recipe is lovely they cant get enough of it, which is just aswell as the courgettes keep a growing!

redmel1621

karenccs67 wrote: »

all of us Mums who feel exactly the same... My DS(15) regularly comes home having not eaten his packed lunch which drives me MAAAD!:mad:



I hate this, because they come home starving, raiding the cupboards for stuff to eat and moan because I haven't filled the cupboards with junk....:mad::mad::mad:

My kids are quite young, but when they do this I give them their lunch boxes back and tell them to eat what's in it if they are that hungry!! Cruel mum.....

Mel x

eckythump

elantan wrote: »

just put a wash on ...have finished the last of the box so opened a new box and remembered someone saying something about washing soda ...now i hope i have this right ...i looked in the cupboard and found some soda crystals ( i use them occasionally) and put it in the box and mixed it all about...did i do that right? am i meant to just use the soda crystals ...and is it soda crystals i am meant to use? baby steps for me i think

I mostly put half the normal amount of wahing powder and make it up with 1/4 soda crystals.
http://www.dri-pak.co.uk/soda-crystals.html