January 2010 Grocery Challenge

SilverCo

Hi everyone :hello:

Managed to increase my hotel stash to more marmalade, nute11a and toiletries yesterday!:D

Am home now, went to L!dl for some bits and pieces. We don't normally shop there, but all the offers people have spoken about here have tempted me to try it out! We did really well, spent £23.84 on loads of stuff! The salami is miles cheaper than other places (66p per pack), Parma Ham only £1.99 (at least £2.99 elsewhere), mangoes 34p each, pack of banana shallots 24p, fr goose fat 89p a jar (for DH to make his yummy roast pots!) and 12 organic fr eggs for £2.50 (we pay £2.25 for half a dozen locally). They also had the huge bottles of Lenor at 2 for £5. Was really impressed and will make this a regular shop!! :T

Have updated sig to include this, as well as the £1.79 DH spent on corned beef while I was away as he had a craving for corned beef hash! Bless!! :heartsmil

Also,when we were in the bakers, they gave us a free ciabatta as had not sold much during the day, so that went nicely with the cheese and salami! :beer:

Have a good day everyone!

Silver x

cw18

Finally managed NSD number 7 (for groceries) yesterday :T

Really should have had more NSDs earlier in the week, but it just didn't happen.....

I got a magnificent Whoopsie haul on Tuesday (£21.14 worth of groceries for just £2.82)
(From different budgets I also had to pay vet for a prescription for one of my dogs, as the meds are cheaper on-line and the saving covers the cost of the prescription twice over. Also picked up a magazine I've been after for a week or so.)

On Wednesday I had to go and get more milk :eek:

Thursday saw a wander to A!di to try and retrieve the umbrella I'd left there on Wednesday (taken out of bag and put on side while trying to pack shopping into my small bag, then forgotten about!), which was a successful trip - but I also took the opportunity to stock up on tea-bags as I had an empty shopping bag :rolleyes2

Had planned to go shopping today, but have decided to leave it until tomorrow. Need a new waterproof coat (different budget, but hopefully covered - at least mostly - by the cheque I got for Christmas from my parents), so want to go and check an outlet shop on a retail park about 10 miles away.....

Been planning on going since before Christmas, but the snow & ice has put me off driving up there However, rain for the last 24 hours means it's now practically all gone, so - as long as it doesn't freeze over before tomorrow - it looks like the trips now on


While there I shall be hitting both Mr A and Mr T - so it won't be an NSD for groceries, and could actually eat into my budget :eek: :eek:

My DS likes a specific pop from Mr A, and hasn't had any since well before Christmas as I won't make a special trip just for that. I also want a couple of things from Mr T that we don't like the Mr M version of (value frozen sausages and value ham), though I could get these from the Mr T in the next town to us. But I also want something else that isn't stocked in Mr M, Mr A or the smaller Mr T - so if I'm low in stock I pick up when out at this retail park (and I almost ran out before Christmas, so have been ekeing out the last of my supplies!)

Also considering stocking up on toilet rolls while at Mr T (not grocery budget though). The type we normally use were '16 for the price of 12' in the more local branch on New Years Eve, so I've been planning to get back and try and get some - but again the snow has stopped this happening. A little undecided on this now though, as I've seen the C00p offer on a different brand which works out cheaper again - but it's not a make I know, and the only C00p we now have locally is a small one and (from my recollection of my one and only visit some 3 years ago) not especially well stocked up on things. Not sure it's really worth the walk (which gives me a nasty uphill stretch coming back with them) if I can get the offer ones at Mr T.

rosieben

Baileys_Babe wrote: »

... One day I will learn to multi quote

I tend to just copy and paste which can be a bit of a faff tbh, but you can hit the square button to the right of the 'Quote' button on all the posts you want to quote and then press 'Quote' - it should bring all the quotes up in one message for you to edit.

Maybe I'll try it myself next time

SarahNeedle1872

£89.77 spent on Thursday, still just about on target for the month

Sx

[Deleted User]

I was pleased yesterday to have spent only £25 on groceries having written a list and having general meal-plans in my head. It was more fun than I thought because it was a good feeling to know I was prepared and in control. Are others experiencing this empowered feeling?

Also, I think watching the 'Wartime Kitchen and garden' episodes has had an influenced me to add more veg to each meal. I microwaved baking potatoes for 11 minutes, finished in the oven for 20 minutes. (came out crisp and delicious) Added a little tuna filling and then mixed together a grated half carrot and small apple to make a side salad. It looked and tasted delicious and the carrot/apple lifted the stodginess that you can sometimes get from jacket potatoes.

Linda32

Hello all, I said £240 for the month so thats £60.00 for the week. My week started on 31st December

So £240.00 to finish on 28th January, that will be 4 weeks at £60.00 per week

Already spent:-

£142.38

Co-op £19.24
Londis £18.29


Total £179.91

Thats because I bought wine that I don't like from Londis :eek: it won't go to waste, OH will drink it.

EC12345

Hello, I think I may go over budget this month - spent £44.47 today and still another two weeks to go. Am going to try very hard for the next couple of weeks and seek out all the bargins ...:T My month finishes on 31 January :rolleyes:

Good luck to everyone ...

Am going to read the rest of this thread now and see if others are in the same position ... :j

XSpender

Went to Mr S again yesterday with DH to get him some beer for the weekend and also decided to stock up on the 1/2 price shower gels and tuna. We now have 6 shower gels each in the cupboard!! A total of £16.73 spent including some sweets for me:o

Still looking good at £156.01 against £300 monthly budget. Only need a small shop next weekend as I am away with work from Monday to late Thursday and there is plenty in freezer to feed OH. Will cook a chicken on the Sunday which he will have as curry and sandwhiches and cook up a beef casserole too.

I will take my lunches and travel food spends out of the GC but am planning to take a packed lunch and flask for the train and there is a good canteen where I will be working. Evening meals are paid for and I will take some twinks and snacks to stop me spending.

I stay away from home all the time and I never take the tea/coffee etc. I just never think to do it so thanks for the reminder and I will be stocking up while I am away:T

I have a big stock up shop coming from Mr S at the end of the month to make use of a £10 voucher and free delivery but am aiming to be under the £300 still.

If I do it this will be the first time I have ever achieved my GC budget since I started doing it in October 2008!!!!!:eek:

Nessa56

Hi all

i havent been able to catch up on all the posts but I hope all are doing well,

I went to Mr A's last night as I realised I was running out of a couple of things and for the first time in living memory i

a: wrote a list
b: remembered to take it with me
c: stuck to it religiously

consequently I only spent £15.71 :j

Sooooo I have £26.61 left for my budget and mine ends on 25th as that is payday :j:j I have updated my signature,

I also got a voucher today for £10.00 off a £50.00 Mr T's delivery so I am going to do that next week I think so I can stock up on stuff.

I am really enjoying this challenge and am so pleased with myself, i just can't believe how little I have spent (normally by this date according to ny bank statments I would have spent around the £200.00 mark !!!)

I have certainly become more adventurous and resourceful in the kitchen, not one ready meal in sight !!!!

Thank you to everyone on this thread I dont contribute much but I lurk a lot and that has helped me so much

v
x

sistercas

morning

just back from Mr T, spent £97.78 :eek: had to catch up a bit as the storecupboard was depleted due to the snow .

also DD1 is making a white chocolate and blueberry cheesecake at school so she needed the ingredients for that plus she always practices at home as well so that was double ingedients , came to almost £11 :eek::eek: why cant they pick something cheaper ( lucky blue berries in Mr T are £2.97 a punnet buy 2 for £3.00 :j:j)

off to update sig