March 2010 Grocery Challenge

Long_tall_sally

Spent £10 today at Farm Foods & Morrisons. I am getting so close to my budget & will be gutted if I don't make it this month. I already have a list of things that I need such as caster sugar to do some baking with. I do have granulated though - how do you crush it up - just put it into a food processor?
I'm also not sure if we will have enough milk to last till Wednesday & normally buy some cobs on a Saturday morning from the local garage which are very nice for lunch. 4 more days to get through - aaargh!

poohbear59

I would like to declare for March at £249.05
£9.05 over this month but I did buy meat for the freezer a couple of weeks ago which wi last us next month too.

I would like to try to keep to £240 for April too please

[Deleted User]

Just managed to come in on budget this month:j

Please put me down for £150 for April

Thanks

NJW69

Just made two Shepherds Pies one to eat and one for the freezer and used up my cheddar cheese, onions and carrots so will need to get some of those. Also some white pepper and some drink cartons so I think I'll probably spend another tenner.

Will go over the weekend.

My months just run as per the calender so I'm still on until the 31st but will still be under.

Add me in for £200 for April please and I'll see if I can keep it up.

Moniker

Just a quick post to update my signature. I have £2.93 to last till next Thursday. I am fairly sure it will be ok...

I have managed to stay out of the shops more days this month which I am sure helps. I was going to make dinner for tonight when I found that I was missing an ingredient and in stead of going out and buying it I made something with what I had in - I googled my ingredients and got a very tasty recipe which I will post later. I've also made a batch of fairy cakes and a loaf of bread which has turned out well. I made the cakes by adding the juice of half a lemon and a half tsp of gingerto my usual all in one recipe and sprinkled caster sugar on top before putting in the oven and they turned out nice and light and very tasty - I have run out of dried fruit which is what I usually use in small cakes and am determined to only use what's in the store cupboard between now and next week!

Will catch up with you all later and will post the recipes too.

Have a good evening everyone

Moniker

slowandsteady_2

Evening all,

A fresh new GC month, im glad to start again with a new month after last month, im still very upset at my fridge freezer giving up and all the wasted food i had to throw, but never mind, tis a new month. I am definately missing the extra freezer though, typically have seen tons of fab whoopsies but unfortunately nowhere for them to live.

Any way, i am sticking to £140 for April please as that seems to be ok for us. I have done a typical weeks shopping list on mysupermarket and it comes out at just under £30 without cleaning stuff, and whilst a basic shop gives me an idea of what i actually NEED to spend to feed us healthily. It would be less than this in real life as i would shop at the market for fruit and veg and eggs. So i know what i am doing just need to do it! I know i can do it too from the other month.

Anyhow, payday today and have (already) spent

£12.68 in Mr A on household stuff and reduced stuff
£3 in Pound shop on tea bags and multipack crisps
£1.15 on the market on sprouts and new potatoes

£16.83 total. Will adjust sig when ive finished on MSE.

Have meal panned for the next two weeks as i am off sick untill then, hopefully back to work after that when i believe i will be on nights so will do that set of meal plans when i know what is happening. Feel much better doing a meal plan, much more in control of whole household budget in general. I have been very good and seperated money for direct debits going out i.e. bills, GC money, spending money and whats left has already been transferred to savings because if i cant see it i wont spend it!

Feel very positive about GC this month, have learnt so much from MSE and took all the advice and made all the changes i can for now, just need to crack my grocery spending and stop spending when i dont actually need anything! Am learning more every day from MSE, so big thanks to everyone for all your help, advice and tips!

Night all x

rosieben

Thanks everyone, for your messages, it really helps to have so much support.

S_Wales_Waver, thinking of you; and katenut, what an awful thing to happen; hugs to everyone who has worries over family or friends

I've not spent on grocery for a week, but will have to venture out tomorrow for a couple of things, expected spend of about £5 unless our new swish c00p actually has anything interesting on the shelves, I won't hold my breath

Good luck to all of us for the last run of the month!


eta - Thai steamed salmon is now in the recipe index, thanks MrsMc

Spiggle

Just popping on to update sig. Spent £42.30 at MrT today which is higher than I intended as I bought cheese that I really didn't need (didn't look carefully enough in the fridge and an unopened Cadog was hiding! ) but it will last so not a huge problem. I also got four Easter eggs @ 95p each. So those and the cheese is where an extra £10 went.

Oh, and on the price of eggs question from a couple of days ago, I bought 10 free range Welsh (local as they appear on the receipt) eggs and they cost £2.29. :eek:

Got to get meat from the butcher and veg from the greengrocer tomorrow and that will be it for the month I think. I'll update again after that but I think we'll come in under budget. :j I'll also set the April budget then too. Still unsure how much to reduce by but will talk about it tonight.

Have a great weekend all. :A
Spigs

looie

hi all, just updating my signature. Spent £47.36 in Mr A's tonight which takes me nearly £10 over this month. That will be it for this month though freezer's nicely stocked and cupboards are overflowing so I am going to declare at £109.75.

Can you put me down for £100 for April please ?

Thanks looie x

loopychriss

Mrs M, can you please put LoopyChriss down for £200 for April.

Thank you