October 2009 Grocery Challenge

Frugaldom

BEST WISHES FOR THE FUTURE MR & MRS RACHELMK

Meal planning still isn't happening for me but I am trying my best. I have my freezer inventory sat on my desk and am planning day to day in advance but do know what I need to use up, so it's a start

Yesterday's bolognese sauce is today's lasagne - I have eggs galore as all the hens seem to be laying, so it'll be homemade lasagne/pasta too. The food store is going to be made last us a month, I tell you, helped along by my being on reduced portions as my first attempt at being part of a lose weight challenge thread

Does anyone know roughly how much it costs to run a breadmaker? I'm trying to work out a price per homemade loaf so I know when it's cheaper to buy one. Last year's figures, when I was hand baking, worked out at approx 33p, but flour prices keep changing. Going to try baking a loaf with ordinary plain flour to see how it turns out. Will let you know how it tastes.

Edited in: At a guesstimate, I worked out that each homemade loaf is costing around 40p now that the bread flour has gone back up in price. If it works with plain flour, then the cost drops to around 30p per loaf. Off to stick the breadmaker on with plain flour now.

Winged_one

Well, DH has come down with a cold, so needed lemons from shops last night (had forgotten to stock up again as winter is coming on). Luckily, apart from that, we only needed pullups for DD, so he only bought those 2 - €10.05.

The weekly shop this week should be very small also - bacon joint, mince (for a chilli), milk and fruit. I need to go to the plot tomorrow as well though - getting cabbage, courgettes, brocolli, and hopefully last of the spuds (there's a good few to dig yet, but I really need DH to come and help before the bugs eat them ALL on me! :O ). So I am hoping for a spend of about €40 for the week - butcher and veggie shop, and supermarket for milk to get free parking while we enjoy a family brunch in the local coffee shop on Sunday!

BigMummaF

Oohhh...I'm all of a dither :huh:...just posted my totals on the Sept thread & am now trying to decide whether I should start to seperate my spending into different catagories. Trouble is--I know what I'm like --it seems like a really good idea NOW, but will I carry on doing it :undecided Like now; the window cleaner has turned up & I'm paying him out of my purse, but it's hardly a grocery spend is it Ah, balooga it awl, I'll leave it as all in for now, but would you increase my annual budget by £120 please Helen, to allow for such things till the end of the year?

Quick head's up...picked up a small pack of MrT value beef mince yesterday. Some were still £1:21 BUT most others were £1:49 :mad:

Thinking of you for next week MrsMc, & hope the weather is kind for those of you with Grand Plans this weekend. x

jackieglasgow

cw18 wrote: »

95p for 500g - so your 27p for 200g are still cheaper. But I didn't personally like the value ones, and the 'big name' ones I got (which are my favourites) are £1.89 in Mr T.... so a saving for me. (And they worked out cheaper than the 600g Mr T 'non value' ones too)

That's Ok I don't like them as much as my DH, so he can just stick to the cheaper Mr T ones! Thank you for replying.

Jackie X

Mrs_Tradition

Hi All
Thanks for the new thread.:j

So far I have spent £46.73 out of my budget. I have it at £175 declared for October but I have had to reduce it. Please change my budget to £130 (for 2 adults, 1 of which is pregnant now - yey, and 1 toddler. Inc all toiletries. Needs must. Thank you x

Mrs_T

jackieglasgow

nykmedia,

My husband's the breadmaker in this house, and he makes it now and again with Mr T basic plain flour, it's lovely, very soft and doughy bread. I couldn't eat it every day, but it makes a nice change from the wholemeal. He also mixes it with the wholemeal 50/50 for a lighter loaf if he's no W/B flour in, and it works out well, maybe you could try mixing plain in with your breadflour to reduce the cost?

HTH Jackie X

iwannabeasaver

Went to MrM's last night, I was on my way to a friends house for dinner, so I didn't have much time. With some more time and careful planning I think I can do even better. I spent £13.57 for what I think should easily last a week, maybe more even!

Unless stated below I bought 1 of everything...

M's sparkling water, 3x 12p = 0.36
Princes OJ, 2 x 50p = 1.00
M's instant mash, 0.51
Mushrooms 0.87
Scampi, (was £3.99) 1.80
M's Mince Beef 500g, 2.20
M's chicken noodles, 2 x 9p 0.18
M's Meatballs, 2 x 49p 0.98
M's price crunch carrots, 0.30
M's price crunch potatoes, 0.30
Can't believe butter 0.50
Chicken Bovril, 1.38
M's Shortcrust pastry 0.99
XL Dairy Milk bar 2.00
Charity shopping bags 2 x 10p 0.20

I'm not entirely happy with this, the meatballs were meant to be on offer for 2 @ 50p, but they didn't show up on the receipt as on offer. The shortcrust pastry said 51p, and actually it was 99p, but maybe I read it wrong. it's still a reasonable buy considering my pastry skills are non-existent.

The Dairy Milk was for the dinner at my friends place, cheaper than taking a bottle of wine, plus I think she might have a drinking problem, and I'd rather not give her wine if possible.

On the positive side though - I will remember to check the til receipts immediately for missed offers, I will try to find the whoopsies section next time, and I think the mince can be bulked up to a large lasagne and a beef pie, making about 8 portions in total.
With the other items at home already, I think this will give me enough food for 2 weeks, not bad for a spend of £13.57!

So glad I started this challenge.

finnigan

Would you put me down for £400 please, this is for 7 of us plus whoever DS1 invites for supper:rolleyes:.

Outdoorlass

Hi

I am joining in too please, need to reign in my grocery shopping big time! I am going to set myself a budget of £350 this month with a view to reducing that next month, don't want to run before I can walk! Forgot to say its for 2 adults and two children.

Have just ordered a lot of meat online, which should last us 6 weeks or more!

2 x 500g steak mince
8 x pork loin steaks
8 x lamb steaks
6 x prime rump steaks
6 x chicekn supreme fillets
1 x 1.2 kg chicken roaster
1 x 800g Pork loin roll
1 x 600g short back bacon (16 rashers)
10-12 Homemade pork sausages
10-12 Homemade pork, tomato and basil sausages
10-12 Homemade pork & leak sausages
10-12 Homemade cumberland sausages
10-12 Homemade lamb & mint sausages
10-12 Homemade beef sausages

All for just under £75! have also spent £52 in Sainsburys, so have spent a lot already, but should even itself out over the month. My month runs from 28 Sept to 28 Oct.

Good luck everyone x

huston_kw

Afternoon all, well I'm getting good at this shopping and sticking to what I need, went to coop for mushrooms (steak casserole) and fruit (as I'm refusing to buy anymore fruit until the fruit bowl is empty and my ds ate the last apple today).

So all I got was the mushrooms, some half price apples and clementines so I spent 3 quid there, my daughter is ill today so I also had to pop to the corner shop for some ice pops as she was running a temperate so spent a quid on 20, so total so far this month is 7.30.

I've also been sticking to the meal plan which is helping, oh my lord I could of spent more in the coop though they had some good deals, but really false economy to get them - why is it always the chocolate that is very good deals, but resisted temptation and no junk got put into my basket.