August 2009 Grocery Challenge

fedupandskint

I've managed 3 NSD in a row upto today so I had better go and update my total and spending diary for the week. I've lost count of how much I have left out of the budget just need to tot up the totals. Plenty of food in luckily so won't need too much and I really need to work through the freezer.

Back later with the totals

poohbear59

earthmother wrote: »

Can I ask an opinion - how long would you class a cake mix as useable? I just found two in the cupboard with BBE May on - wondering whether to risk them or not - would save on our puddings spend, and I do seem to have slipped on that aspect again this month

I would use them as most of the ingredients are dry, and I presume they are also in a sealed packet.

I have spent another£36 of my budget so I have very little left. Payday is 24th so I still have a week to last. The freezer is chocker full and we have all the ingredients for every meal this coming week so I think we will survive. We may run out of fruit and potatoes so I have enough left for them.

Keiss_21

Hya

Not posted on the Grocery Challenge for ages, but need to get a grip of expenses again.

I have been ill for the last 8 months and am still not overly great, but here's hoping the back injections on Monday will help.

I do have a (simple) spreadsheet where I try and record all our spending, not including direct debits and standing orders. We seem to be able to keep our food shopping just under the £400 mark adding the "house stuff", (cleaning, loo roll etc) , the total doesn't tend to creep over £500. I would like to reduce this somehow in future months, bearing in mind I can only shop online myself and I am trying to save DH all the hassle of doing all the shopping (he is very very busy at work just now, bringing more than three hours-worth to do at home most evenings).

DS1 will be off to University soon - STEP results out on Thursday. Please let them be good enough for Warwick, otherwise it is Manchester - a good Uni, but he would prefer Warwick. So some of our bills will drop when he goes (well, probably a lot!), though we have said that we would pay for his accommodation at Uni (yikes!). We have enough for the first term, but I would like to make sure we will have enough come January for the next one. It's just over £1000 a term and we will be setting up a direct debit once we know which Uni he is going to.

I have been on occupational sick pay since January, but it runs out at the end of September. I may be well enough to work a few days in October, but not enough to bring home anything like the sick-pay I have been getting.

So any way of saving money, I am prepared to investigate. I have looked at our gas/electric, and we should be able to save about £178 a year if we switch. I want to try and check all our various insurance deals too.

Moving off thread track now, so back to food here.

I do a lot of home baking, and bulk buy when I can. The freezer is pretty full at the moment, must re-do the freezer contents list so I can plan menus for the next few weeks, I try to do 4 weeks at a time, though have wavered for a few months.

If I can at least plan for the next two weeks, the rest of my family will know what to prepare if I am not up to it.

So that is my plan for today and tomorrow.

I will add this month's food values so far, though I am missing a couple of bills from DH, so it may change soon.

Off to do some freezer investigations!

M

ellemm

Tashja: Re red onion marmalade, I did boil it up a bit and it did thicken up nicely but I know what you mean, it is very sticky now! Seems to be a very fine line making this stuff to get it just right :rolleyes: DO you know how long I should wait before eating?

Also made some mango chutney the next night as Lidl's had cheap mango on offer. It looks good but the house still reeks of vinegar!!

Did the weekly shop in Mr M's yesterday and only spent £22.15 so pleased with that. Got one or two reduced meat things (although didn't actually need much meat but couldn't resist).

Sent OH to Farmfoods today for a couple of bits and to Somerfields for their half price loo rolls - he got 2 packs and, bless, paid for it all out of his own money!! so not out of the budget :T Off to update signature, feeling optimistic about this month now.

Flat_Eric

bbq got cancelled so a rather strange late lunch of lamb burgers and minted lamb chops as I took them out last night anticipating the bbq this evening!

I havent cooked the thin cut bbq steak - i took them out the freezer friday evening - about 7pm and plan to cook tomorrow lunchtime - do you think they will be ok??? I tend to defrost stuff in my fridge for 24 hours and then immediately cook it rather than leave it to the next day.....

an unexpected visit to As*a has somewhat blown my budget but Im well stocked up on cat food including a whoopsied box at half price - nothing wrong with it other than a bit of brown tape round it :j so one happy cat and one happy me :D:D Also stocked up on random things like loo roll and treated myself to a bottle of brandy which pushed the spend up by £23! spend also included a desert for tonight's bash plus a bottle of wine oh and a £6 cardigan and a £4 half price top for my friend's birthday.

Frustrated that Ive blown the budget but know there are some things i wont need to buy for ages so September should be a doddle with just the basics to be bought.

rare I go to such a big supermarket and did find myself putting stuff in the trolley just because it was there but snapped myself out of lets spend lots of money mode and put it back on the shelf!!

fedupandskint

Have updated my spending diary to show that I spent

£8.99 on food
£10.94 on household products meaning I have enough laundry products to last a very long time
£3.77 on snacks

Total of £23.70 leaving £71.86 for the rest of the month

Should be ok as don't need anymore household products, commit to no more snacks to buy and don't need much food either as the fridge and freezer are full. I need to commit to using up what is in the freezer before buying anymore which is this weeks task!

helen_jelly

Hi

Went to MrT today - cost should of been 34.47 but because of the double up vouchers and buying stuff for someone else we only spent 3.60 he he.

Helen x

cw18

Had to get some milk earlier today (49p at A!di - I got the last one, so may have to try for more tomorrow!!), so decided to check the clearance at Mr M just before closing as it already wasn't an NSD.

Got
2 packs of organic Chicken Legs (2 in each pack) for 19p each - instead of £2.19 for one pack and £1.87 for the other (total 38p instead of £4.06)
2 packs of 4 Orange & Mango Smoothies for 25p/pack - instead of £2.49 each
1 pack of 140g roast beef for sandwiches (tomorrow) - reduced from £2.19 to 19p

I timed it just right for these items - the chap was marking down the chicken as I got there, and then reached to do the Smoothies. When I said he'd read my mind (there was a fair bit of stuff I wasn't remotely interested in) he said to put anything else I wanted in front of him and he'd do that next..... so the beef was promptly pulled from the back of the other clearance shelf and strategically placed

Off to update my spreadsheet of spends and my signature.....

redmel1621

Well guys I doubt I am going to come in on budget this month...but to be expected really, as I have realised that I have set myself a bit of an unrealistic budget. Yes, there are a few areas I need to look at which can be cut back, but I am going to increase my budget as of next month and sort of start form the beginning again:)

Spend so far £279.60:o

Oh well...I will try damage limitation this month and will start afresh in September, with a revised 'realistic' budget:D

Mel x

elf06

redmel1621 wrote: »

Oh well...I will try damage limitation this month and will start afresh in September, with a revised 'realistic' budget:D

Mel x

I understand where you are coming from! I though that mine was quite realistic aswell but was over last month and suspect i will be again this month. Its annoying me as I should be able to keep within it especially with the food in my freezer. Dont know where I am going wrong but hey ho will try again next month!
Got more to add to my total but will get my receipt out later and update