December 2009 Grocery Challenge

natsing

Hi All
I failed miserably at last months challenge, spendig £150, £20 over my budget so this month I would like to pledge £150 please- should be fairly easy to stick to as I'm away over Christmas, so no big spends planned- good luck with the challenge all

Winged_one

We haven't started spending for Dec yet, but we shouldn't have to spend anything until the weekend I hope. I have enough in the house for dinners until Thursday, and we are travelling for the weekend so only need to buy the goodies in the farmer's market (a few nice things for Christmas especially). But we will have to buy wine this month (which comes from grocery budget) as we are all out, and I'd like a bottle of Baileys also.

Working off storecupboard things though this and next week as we have lots. So I have allowed plenty for Christmas but expect to come in well under.

Lady1973

Please could you put me down for £250 for December again. Came close in November, so keen to give it another go.

Thank you all for making this a wonderful thread with lots of encouragement from everyone.

rowsew

jackie_w wrote: »

Biscuits are running low, and it will be a total moaning match if theres none in the house, so, Im going to try some baking. Im not very good at this, but, I have to give this a try. Can you freeze things like cakes, muffins and brownies etc . If you can I think I will "try" to do quite a bit and freeze them, although I have no idea how I will fit them into the freezer. Jackie xx

Hi Jackie
In our house biscuits don't last long enough to freeze, but muffins and cakes do, very well. You can make cookie dough, shape into logs and freeze that. Then all you need to do is slice thinly with a sharp knife, put on your baking tray and away to the oven. I use the muffin recipe here http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.html?p=5339997&postcount=52 which is fab - I always do the plain flour with baking powder option as I don't buy SR flour, and the cookie dough (infinitely changeable by what you add, my latest was chopped apricots and dried cranberries, it was a !!!!!! to cut though) here http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?p=12282949#post12282949
Hope this helps, good luck with the baking!
:xmassmile

helen_jelly

Afternoon everyone

Budgets all done up to and including Lady1973 - thank you

More nwe people joining us - welcome and hi - please ask any questions you may have as there are lots of lovely people on here who will help with any queries you may have, and, don't forget to check out the recipes on page 1 posted by the lovely Rosieben who hunts them down and "borrows" them for us and does a great job of it.

Have fun with no shopping

Helen x

Frugaldom

Hello, sorry to be a pest but can I please increase my annual budget to £1300

Current spend to date £1201.70 is still correct but I have rejigged my household budget to see how much I could spend between now and new year without it affecting my entire budget.

Much appreciated, thank you. :beer: (It's a frugal homemade drink )

WelshWoofer

Afternoon all!
Been to Mr T's for a "little top up shop" to see us through to the weekend - managed to spend £40 - how? Who knows!
I did get a few bargains that were on special offer - all stuff that we use so they are real bargains.
I didn't really want to spend that much but we have plenty in now.
Oh well - will have to plan plan plan for next week now to try to keep the spends down...

B*mmer......

ifonlyitwaseasier

afternoon all, well went and did a bit of "whaddya need" shopping, most of which is for my folks so not out of my budget (thank goodness!!)

so my running total is 21.92 so far. which does include some lovely dove body wash thats on offer in MrT's for only £1 per bottle (which sounds a lot but i use a squishy sponge that needs just a few drops to wash so actually lasts far longer than the cheaper stuff!)

did get some frozen fishcakes, but they were 2 *10 for £2 and will be far cheaper than my chippy trip

right am off to start dinner am cold and hungry, chips, fishcakes and sweetcorn, nomnomnomnomnom

ioiwe

huston_kw

Helen-Jelly can I change my budget for December to 200, we have just done finance for November and as OH is on the sick and it looks like he will not be back at work this month. We have just done December forecast, hence the need to change it. Need to rain in spending, he is helping me tomorrow to do a food plan around store/freezer cupboard so we can still have a turkey for Christmas, I suggested we have chicken but he is having none of it.

falady

Hi everyone,

I'd like to join this month's grocery challenge. Our joint account is overdrawn as there have been vet bills galore this month, so we need to sort it out. We have well stocked cupboards but I have been feeling uninspired for recipes recently. I'm going to check the recipe index at the top of the thread though.

So, total for me is £230.

There's only me and OH, but we have 3 cats and a dog too. It seems like a lot, but I don't want it to be unachieveable in our first month.

Ali x