October 2009 Grocery Challenge

scotmumof3

Thanks chocClare I work in town right accross from asda and am in there everyday didn't realise how much I was spending so now I will walk past and make my own lunch etc. Just going to take it one day at a time

LydiaJ

Hi everyone.

I'm so pleased to have got through the whole of September without falling off the spending diary wagon, and come in under my budget, too, although I did set the budget quite generously for the first month.

For October, I'm decreasing my weekly budget and adding a bit onto my "extras" budget, but bringing the total budget down when you combine the two changes. I'm aiming for £52 per Wednesday for general stuff (because Wednesday is my online delivery day) plus £40 per month for entertaining and eating out, which don't fit into a weekly pattern.

So my new target for October is 4x£52+£40=£248

Fire_Fox

Welcome to all the newbies!!

I haven't posted on the Grocery Challenge for at least a week. Mr. Fire Fox will be moving out by Friday but Noah is arriving with his little rucksack on Saturday. Here is my gorgeous new man right at the bottom of the page:
http://www.purrsinourhearts.co.uk/index.php/topic,24283.50.html

I have been very restrained in my GC spending so far: only £3 out of my grocery budget as I have been busy e-mailing pet food companies for samples. For anyone with furries who hasn't done this, it's well worth the effort - the postie brought four parcels this morning!

Fire_Fox

Blairweech wrote: »

Hi all,

NSD yesterday as I am off sick with a bad cough.

I am struggling with the ethical vs cheap food debate - I really want to go organic, fairtrade etc but don't think I can afford it...maybe it is that I lack faith in my cooking skills, and am afraid of mucking it up and ending up having to chuck it out. And I am always tempted by cheap meat and offers.

Any ideas/tips to help lower the cost of organics? (or point me in the direction of a suitable thread)

Outdoor Lass - Where do you buy your meat from? It seems good value, I have been looking at the meat/veg box schemes and at ~£60, I would have to do some seriously creative cooking/eating and keep other spends to an absolute bare minimum.

The cheapest way to be more ethical is to buy British, better still to buy local produce. If you can find pick your own farms or farm shops then you will often get very reasonably priced free range meat, eggs and organic veg. Do you already grow anything of your own?

It's also both cheaper and less strain on world resources to go semi-vegetarian: even if you have one more non-meat meal a week than you do now you will be making a difference. I am considering doing this to balance out the extra meat I will be buying in the form of cat food (tho I will be buying ethical brands of this!).

Essex-girl_2

Hello Everyone,

Came in just under budget last month which was pleasing. I am trying to be very good with my spending this month but at the same time I start adding Christmas bits to the trolley so will see.

At the moment I use Tesco home delivery but am thinking of alternating with Asda as I went their recently & a lot of their stuff is cheaper and nicer than Tesco & they are also on Quidco now.

Anway enough waffle - can I be put done for £375 please, its a 5 week month for me.

Many Thanks.x

Ninno820

Morning everyone. Its the beginning of week 3 for me and I have £68.94 left to cover the next 3 weeks. The freezer is chocca with just fruit and veg to buy in. Why then do I get that little voice that says - well - you are going to the hairdressers which is near Mr T's - why not pop in?

Logically I know that I shouldn't - and am determined not to - but its almost like an addiction - does anyone else suffer (or am I just mad?)

helen_jelly

Morning everyone

Budgets done up to and including Essex-Girl

Welcome to the newbies - its so nice to see so many new people taking up this very rewarding challenge, check out the recipes on page 1 if you need help or ask any questions, we are all here to help each other out.

Have a nice Saturday - we're off to the market to get some fruit and DH has just informed me he NEEDS [!!] to visit a butcher.

Helen x

helen_jelly

Firefox

What a beautiful cat, Noah is very lucky to have survived those dreadful injuries but he is a bonny looking man now
Good luck with having him - they can be great company, and, I hope the big move out goes ok for you, hugs for you hun

Helen x

mooomin

OMG FireFox, what happened to Noah to cause those injuries? He is a lovely looking cat now, and I'm sure you will give him an amazing home

*edit* Just realised I could keep this on topic as I went to Morrisons on Thursday!!

Two boxes of Special K (500g) £3! That's practically BOGOF...
Hula Hoops 60p
Carrots 30p (1kg)
Onions 30p (1kg)
Gold Blend £4
Handwash x 2 £1.62
Milk £1.10

Frugaldom

jackieglasgow wrote: »

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...
HTH Jackie X

Thanks Jackie, I do the 50:50 thing when hand baking but hadn't tried it in the breadmaker (one of my new toys acquired recently ). Made a 'diluted bread flour' loaf yesterday and it seems fine to me. It doesn't rise quite as high as the others but looks and tastes fine. To be honest, I don't think you could get bread making wrong using one of these machines once you learn which buttons do what.

Pasta making went well but I would need to warn anyone and everyone who uses the 3 cups flour & 3 eggs standard recipe I keep reading about - if it's for lasagna sheets, be prepared to have meters and meters of pasta to cut! :eek: I ended up rolling it all up and stuffing it into a plastic bag to cram all the excess in the fridge and will probably be eating tagliatelle for the next week to use it all up! :rotfl:Very frugal, though, especially using cheap plain flour and freerange eggs from the hens in the garden. This will be another no spend day for me, the food quantities are still multiplying in the fridge!