May 2010 Grocery Challenge

Lindy_-_Loo

Hey everyone another £2.00 on grapes and apples in netto - shouldnt complain the boys ate 2 apples each yesterday but meant this is the third bag this week!

MrsWoolfe

:wave:Hello all

Have been a bit pants with posting this week:o but have been doing ok with the spends, didn't quite keep up with the really good first two weeks but still doing ok I think!

This week has not been a big spend, trying to use up bits from the freezer so I have space for the party food for BH wkend...managed to find some rice paper in the cuppboard ( not sure when I bought it but still good to use) so have decided to make up some yummy spring rolls with that and some of the prawns and cooked chicken in the freezer, have some rice noodles too so will only need to buy some veg to add to that..should be cheaper than buying just need to be organised and do it earlier in the week so am not flapping about the night before!

spent £14 in MrA today mainly fruit some tuna and bits and pieces to add to what we had in...

hope everyone is doing well!

MrsWoolfe

Keiss_21

Been shopping today, and was pretty good (avoided buying grapes or cherries...but they looked soooo good !!).

Total GC spends today £20.24, plus a few other things, so quite pleased with myself...though it does leave me only £16.85 until June1st! We have enough milk to last until the end of next week, and I bought a 1kg tub of no-added-salt-or-sugar peanut butter for DS2 (have to order it form health shop)...it should last him over a couple of months at least. The only thing to get next week will be eggs and F&V...probably!

This month is looking tight though!

FelineFantastic

Okay- resistance is futile it seems when it comes to finding a few things cheaper than anywhere else!!

Yes I spent money in Morrisons- less for me to spend tomorrow then!!:o

Really tight shopping list this week to keep it all under control....

Long_tall_sally

Thank you everyone for all your comments & support. I do still feel a bit disheartened BUT I am not going to give up. Who knows, maybe next month I will have a good month & actually come within target. I definitely need to have more NSDs beacuse it is definitely a problem for me, just popping into the local co-op for one or two things & coming out with ten. It is a habit that I have got into however that doesn't feel easy to break! Also when I look in my freezer for example, I can't help but think things like "four loaves of bread, all bought at whoopsied prices.
My budget is for 2 full time adults (me & OH), 2 fulltime kids aged 10 & 8, one of whom is diabetic & has Coeliacs, so needs regular gluten free snacks (which are really expensive) and 2 part-time teenagers (OH's boys)aged 18 & 16 half of the week. My two are big fruit eaters & also eat a lot of other snacks and his two eat a fair bit of junk such as chocolate bars but will not eat any home made snacks such as cakes or cookies that I make. They are also fairly fussy for main dinners & one of them will only eat a spag bol made with a Dolmio sauce even though the rest of us eat a home made version. As I am typing this, I am thinking I am just going to have to be stricter & stop buying so much junk and they will all, including my own two just have to put up with it!

elizabunny

Long tall sally Please don't give up, I too, am battling frantically with my annual budget. There is no doubt that I am going to have to increase it at some point, but I have decided to wait until it is all spent and then add on the minimum amount I can. Hopefully now things are getting going in the garden I can supplement it a bit. The thing is, if I was to give up, I know my spending would rocket, as I have very little willpower and this challenge may not always keep me on track, but hopefully keeps me somewhere nearby. Good luck!

Hopefully 1 NSD today!

Hope everyone else is doing ok.

poohbear59

NSD today as DD2 went all the way to town and forgot the cash! A great way not to spend!

I forgot yesterday to put my aimed spend for 4-5 adults for this month at £150

franby64

Hi all

Just thought that I would sign in to say that my month is slowly going down the plughole too!

I spent £5.25 today bringing my total up to £325.77 - £74.23 left. However, I've got a T*sco delivery coming tonight which will be about £50 so that will be about £25 left or about £2.27 a day. I can't see myself managing that tbh:eek:.

Anyway II'll try and minimize the damage and we will be eating a lot of meals involving Quorn mince this week...again!

Next month I'm thinking of giving myself a weekly allowance, having a delivery on a Tuesday and trying for some NSDs. I used to follow the NSD thread but gave up because I was so rubbish. Maybe if I make a more detailed weekly plan I can go to the shops less. We shall see.

The only thing I don't like about this is over-reliance on supermarkets (I would alternate between A*da and T*sco) - I'd love to use more local suppliers but we don't have a car or much money so that limits my options a bit!!

Well done to everybody - as other posters have said we are all better off than if we didn't watch our budgets even when we go over .

WelshWoofer

Haven't shopped at all since the weekend and am thinking about a mealplan for next week trying to use up a few bits in the freezer.
The cupboards are almost bare though - I will need to do a big shop to replenish the essentials and tins, jars etc.
I feel a budget buster coming on - but OH has said he will chip in a bit more this month as he's training for a race and seems to be constantly hungry!

becky170

Oh dear, I've gone overbudget on a month when I thought there was no way I'd go over budget! Doh! On the more positive side I had a £10 off a £50 MrT delivery so have stocked up on stuff for my packed lunch and washing powder which will be used next month. I can't believe how much I manage to spend on food, household stuff and alcohol....maybe inflation is having some impact on me after all! I'm sure my food bills have gone up alot over the past couple of years