November 2009 Grocery Challenge

Julimk

I did the first shop for ‘December’ today & came in at £12.63. Given that I would typically have spent up to £75 in this shop I am really pleased with this & I am fairly confident that this will be enough for the week. Will definitely try & stay out of the shops as much as possible.

And this included nearly £2 for DD’s special mouthwash. She doesn’t like the flavour of mint & I have found that if she is given mint toothpaste & mouthwash she simply doesn’t clean her teeth properly. And her teeth have been so much better since I got her using the mouthwash. So I get her fruit flavour children’s 6+ fruit flavoured toothpaste & mouthwash. Not easy as Mr T, where I usually shop, sells neither.

Otherwise it was mostly dairy this time. There is enough f&v for the time being & otherwise the plan is to use the stocks.

elizabunny

Mrsgibbs1503 I hope you are feeling better today. I know just how you feel though, having felt very down this year myself, what with one thing and another.

Keiss 21 I hope your birthday was lovely!

Had to take HM Beef Stew and Cobblers out of the freezer today for our dinner, as there was not alot of time for cooking. I usually visit my DM on a Monday and Thursday afternoon, she's in a Nursing Home and seems to be getting poorlier everytime I visit her, today was no different and I find it very sad and difficult to cope with at times. Anyway I managed to rustle up a quick pud. when I got home, which kept DH happy and tomorrow I will try and do better.

At least I have had 2 NSDs in a row but the budget is all over the place at the moment, must regain some order before the end of the month.

JayneC

Final shop today - £8.02 in Sainsbugs. New month tomorrow so will tot up and declare in a mo!

Had a bit of a mad tea time today - DGS dad and other gran had come to visit and I'd got in late as no car and had to pick up shopping! Then made a meat and potato pie. DD had cooked spuds and meat was leftover from Sat but had to make pastry and make up pie, had with roast butternut squash and beans and also made jam tarts with leftover pastry and then went to my evening class (I do think I'm a little bit mad at times!!).

Anyway it was very nice!

Need to do a proper meal plan for next month. Got some vouchers for Sainsbugs (£2 off £20) for next few weeks so may do weekly shops instead of monthly online Tesco shop.

Well off to do my sums, back soon...x

JayneC

Declaring at £213.96 (although I suspect I've spent more, must keep a closer check), so satisfied with that!

Will budget £250 again next month - will be quite a challenge with Christmas included (although Christmas Day is actually end of month for me!!). We will see!

Jayne x

oneeyedandgreen

Another spend today but that should be it till I finish on the 30th(working from 1st-1st). Spent £32.96 at sainsbugs. Meant to only pop in for a few bits for dinner but managed to catch the whoopsie section to spent a bit more. That also included £7 for beer which I'll make OH pay for!

Chicken and brocolli bakes 50p reduced from £1.19
Diced lamb £2.49 reduced from £5(enough for 4 portions of curry I think)
Beef casserole steak £1.79 reduced from £3.49
Stir fry mix(for tomorrow) 99p reduced from £1.50

Should have enough for some decent meals until December starts!

Also bought mincemeat and made my own mince pies. Got a huge jar for 99p and made 10 pies today for much less than the price of 6 in a packet. I've never done it before so i was proud of how they turned out.

Botany

Well, I keep having one NSD after the other. No, it's not that I'm good and proper and very efficient with my budgeting... it's just that for the last couple of weeks I have been feeling exceptionally "going-out lazy" and can't be bothered to drive to the supermarket. Must be the winter approaching, makes me want to snuggle up indoors. On the positive side, this lazyness has forced me to come to terms with the contents of my freezer and cupboard! It's a sort of (involuntary) cupboard challenge!!!

Tomorrow I will *force* myself to buy some fresh stuff :mad:

pammyj74

you must be doing well then botany

I just realised I have no black bags arrgghh so have to buy some tomorrow
I have actually been recycling carrier bags with rubbish (plus it makes it easier to take out)
I have some frozen sausage rolls which I am going to cook tomorrow for pack ups which I keep forgetting about (and I have to stop myself eating them hot )

cw18

NSD for me today - but only 'cos I forgot to go to A!di for milk after work !!! Think the fact I was a half-hour late clocking off had something to do with that though

DS wasn't impressed, as he only managed to have half a cup tonight in order to leave enough for me to have a couple of brews this evening, and another couple before work tomorrow. He was even less impressed that I've given him the money to go and get some tomorrow, but relented when I pointed out I'm in work from 7am to 4pm (or later) and he's home from college all day..... so if he doesn't go he won't have any until I get home from work :rolleyes2

pammyj74

well done cw could have got him to pay for it and it'd be another NSD??

cw18

If he did I'd end up with full fat instead of semi-skimmed. He prefers full-fat as he says he 'needs' the fat, but I gag on it !!!

In any case he already buys everything for college (including food he eats there) and his own clothes out of his EMA, so don't really think it's fair to ask him to pay for household groceries :rolleyes2