September 2009 Grocery Challenge

rosieben

Botany wrote: »

... why are some people already declaring their September totals and their October budgets? This is the first time I join the challenge so please don't hate me if I'm being thick or missing something. Should I declare my total now? Any clarification much appreciated

some people find it works best for them if they run payday to payday and for some, payday is about 15th of the month so the ones declaring now are running 15th to 15th or thereabouts

crossposted with carolt2

little_miss_moneysaver_3

Another month gone slighty wrong, at least this month I kept totals!
So far i'm at £107.69. Doubt i'll need much before the end of the month. We're going away next weekend, have plenty of food. It includes toiletries and household bits as well as food. And £30 was on fruit and veg.
Bit over budget, but I stockpiled on OH shampoo, good offer's on it at the mo. And he informed me this morning that he needed some washer thing for the electric shaver so that's an unexpected £13 - i'm blaming him:rotfl:
Will declare at the weekend,
LMMS

[Deleted User]

Well started o.k. this morning with around 4.27 plus next weeks £30.00 in my purse.Then went to pick up DGD and DGS as she wanted a lift to work, and Ben wanted a lift to the music shop to get a new guitar string. When we got there apparently he needed a complete new set of strings plus a complete re-tune cost £15.50 'Wont take more than half an hour said the cheery assistant go and have a cuppa.We went off for a cuppa as sugested. On return to the shop Ben suddenly realised that he hadn't got enough cash to pay so luckily I had next Tuesdays cash in my bag.So a quick favour cost me £15.50 plus two teas and egg and chips as he's a growing lad, so came home with £13.47 left in my purse and it will have to last me ten days to stay inside my budget.Best tighten my belt another notch. He did promise to reimburse me with the cash from his birthday money in December bless him.As a grandma I guess I'm just a soft touch.He can't get a job yet because he's not old enough, he's not 14 till Christmas anyway his Mum wants him to concentrate on his school work at the moment. I will have to think of some odd jobs he can do for me in repayment.
I should last out o.k. , its these unexpected things that crop up that tend to throw my budget out a bit

nannyboo1

Thank you for this thread it is truly inspiring.

Hubby and I tend to have a fridge full of food and then still end up at the Supermarket buying tea when we have some in but don't fancy it. So next week hubby and I are on a weeks holiday and can't afford to go away for the week (due to finances) so we are sitting down to work on our finances.

Hubby gets paid around the 21st so we are going to work as normal this month but keep all the receipts and I think we may try to set a budget of sorts anyway and see how we go and then do it for real in October.

WelshWoofer

Morning all!
Up bright and early - have lots of things to do today.
Did my final shop of the month yesterday - went to Aldi, Mr S and the pound shop - very good for me!
Managed to spend £39 in total so I'm over budget by about £9 but that's not too bad considering I have enough laundry stuff for the month, toiletries to last the next 2 weeks or so and a few extra bits in the freezer that were on offer (don't often shop at Mr S).
I'm also taking a packed lunch with me every day to uni/school and this budget covers all of that too.

I'll update my sig in a second but I will declare for this month at £169 - £9 over budget - must try harder!

Helen - could you pop me down for £200 for Oct (5 week month for me) please?

helen_jelly

Rachelmk - thanks - will update for Oct - Helen

Ninno820

Wow - talk about rubber chicken!

I took the £2 chicken from Mr T's and first removed the skin (I am on a diet and not allowed skin). Then - with a little water in the bottom and a lemon quartered in the cavity - I put it in the slow cooker for 6 hours on low.

I took all the meat off - at least 6 portions - and froze it in portions. Then I put the chicken back in the slow cooker - topped up with more water and added an onion and several carrots - and left the slow cooker on low overnight.

Result - 2 1/2 pints of beautiful chicken broth - complete with the carrots and onion plus the extra chicken bits that didn't come off the first time - ready to make soups with.

Now I know that most of you will be saying yeah - we do that already but I wanted to share my excitement with you and say thanks for all your inspiration.

Frugaldom

Well done Ninno820! :T:j:T We love rubber chicken! Next you need to try rubber ham, if your local store sells ham hocks. You can get enough meat off them for several pies plus all the stock for ham & lentil or pea & ham soup and they only cost about £1.70

Ninno820

Thanks for that - will do!:beer:

MRSMCAWBER

Morning all

Thought I would pop on and update -as Hubby got home yesterday morning, armed with some of the stuff I asked him to pick up :T -not everything -but some stuff wasn't showing on offer :rolleyes: -so he left it -unless he knew it was still cheaper than here
So I have rounded it up to €90 ...... which is a nice saving as I worked out that, had we got the stuff out here (if we could find some of it) it would have come to over €170 :j....
So that takes our spends so far this month to €160.76 and 22 NSDs out of 26 -only 5 days left of this month for us , and I may have one more "shop" to do -but only for bits n bobs -and then next month (pinkies crossed) should be another easy one...as most of what I have spent this month is for next month and beyond
Hope everyone is having a great weekend