July 2010 Grocery Challenge

Moniker

Hi folks!
Apologies for long absence - I am really losing the plot! Just been too busy to post. I have also lost my challenge already this month as I have just £3-13 to last to 29th and it ain't gonna happen! Trouble is I have been buying extras for DD1 coming home tomorrow after a year away in foreign climes - well we've got to celebrate a bit haven't we?

The good news is that the new diet is working a treat and DH has lost half a stone since 29th June and I have lost 5lbs. Just hope we can keep it off when we go back to eating normal (cheaper) things like bread and potatoes!

So it's a damage limitation exercise this month I'm afraid. Well done all those who are winning their challenge - and don't give up to those of you like me who are on the brink of 'failing'!

Moniker

Kitchenbunny

Hi all, spent another £3.93 at Mr Ms today - apples, milk and a bag of crisps (bad me). Oh well. I'll add it to my sig and try harder tomorrow. I must add ant powder to my list as we need some more Jambalaya tonight - some s/c spicy chicken & chorizo stew mixed with some cooked rice - nice and easy.

KB xx

katholicos

Haven't spent on groceries today, though if AF had more new products listed today, that might well have been a different story!

After reading about home made fishcakes on here earlier today i decided to use up the tatties that are on the turn and make some. I learned how to make these in school, but haven't made them very often since i left more than 25 years ago. Showing my age, LOL! I left young LOL! Anyway, just had some for tea and there are three left for tomorrow for lunch, unless i eat them later...they are very tasty even if i do say so myself :-)

meanmarie

Spent €35.56 on food to-day....hopefully will see me out until end of week, then going on holidays on Saturday, so different budget in operation...

marie

[Deleted User]

Quite proud of ourselves this month - we've done our first monthly shop, spent £30 at local butcher filling the freezer a little and have done a couple of "village shop" shops and still have £26.66 left - even my hubby seems to be getting into it now. We've said that any left over cash will be turned into savings stamps for our local supermarket to be used at xmas. Things are going to be harder now as i'm cooking for 5 over next few weeks and i'm only used to do 4 - amazing what a difference an extra mouth means. We will still keep a budget of £200 tho and see how we get on.

gailey_2

Right time for update and add up stuff.

spent 47quid in c0-op last wed and brought hardly anything admitidly did few treat purchases.

Hubby spent 50quid in sainsburys but some of it his mums as he gets hers for her so roughly guessing 20quid.

On sat I spent 12pound in sainsburys

Today spent 44quid in sainsburys.

we off to lidls tommorow so wnated to get few bits today i cant get in lidls without eldest daughter nagging for donuts so speedshopped round sainsbury whilst she was in preschool.

Got a lot of cooking to do as planning on doing

chili con carne-guessing maybe 4portions padded out with red lentils
shepards pie -6portions
fish pie-6portions
lasagane 10portions
veg lasagne 8portions
mini quiches -24
pasties -8
veg curry -4portions
homemade pizza 2-3in freezer.

idea is huge cook off and freeze just hoping I got enough tubs.

Reason I do it this way as lost of fresh things like veg need to be used up quick if i dont i have to go back buy more which leads to me buying more things we dont need.
Plus some nights tired so homemade ready meal in micro added to spuds, chips, rice or pasta is great plus snacky things for hubbys lunch when we run out of bread or sandwich fillings.
cheese, milk and ham dont last long in this house.

So total 130quid spent last week and if we spend 70quid tommorow in lidls or less then we can keep to budget.

200 is very hard for us, 250 more realistic but will keep trying.
fed up of running out of food week before payday still do love my backup supernoodles.

Hubby was scrutinising how i spent 44quid but got lots of reductions, curry powder and some spices to make seriously tasty meals.

Plan to meal plan

keep to list

cook lots from scratch including cakes and biscuits as think its the extras bumping up our food bill.

will update tommorow on how much next shop is
Hopefully will show hubby that batch cooking will save us this month.

savvyshe

Failed again,:o but I have been buying food for holidays next week, what I did buy extra was on offer so it seemed silly not to. I also agree one extra person makes a difference to finances when I started the GC DS2 was not living at home but now he is plus I have DGS here during the school holidays so I think my target may be too low to be acheiveable at the moment. Not sure how much exactly over as I have lost a couple of receipts but by £23ish pounds I think. I have been frugal and made lists and menu planned, but think after holidays I am going to up the budget to £200 and see how that goes, Also need to lose some weight :mad:so that will be more expense.:rotfl: Am going away for 3 weeks on Friday:j will be self catering and thats a seperate budget. Will not join Augusts so will be back in September folks, Good luck everyone and keep up the good work. Savvyshe xx:)

Souk08

I'm over already with 9 days to go but quite a tight budget for a five week month so not too upset! Spent £43.37 so far with a £40 budget.

poppy-glos

£40 left for next 12 days, and out for a curry on friday (and count meals out! eek).

It's doable as long as i just buy what i need and not what i fancy, and if i aim for alot of nsds!

Got some bargains on sunday, really fancied a roast, so went to the shop at 6pm, got reduced beef (was £9), four kilo of maris pipers, carrots, onions, brocolli and pot of cream for £7!

DD does not eat meat so have the 'spare meat' sliced in gravy in the fridge, may use for work lunches or may freeze to eat later - anyone have any experience of this, does it change the texture in a bad way?

With the potatoes, i've peeled 2kilo each day, used some for tea and the rest put par0boiled in the freezer, ready salted and oiled, for roast potatoes and wedges from frozen another day.

Best wishes to all

poppy x

highland_fling_2

Good morning everyone,
spent some time yesterday constructing a meal plan chart which I plan to laminate and stick on the fridge. Made individual "meal" tiles representing meals that I commonly have. E.g. kedgeree with picture of fish under word. Quiche with picture of egg under word. Plan to laminate these tiles and stick magnetic tape on the back of them. This will allow me to place them on chart and see at a glance what I need to take out of freezer/prepare for that night. Also will let me see that month's meals are balanced and I am not eating so much chicken that I would be spitting feathers. Have also made a few question mark tiles for left overs, ready meal, eating out, carry out. I think because they are magnetic it will be easier to move them around to reflect the whoopsies I buy or gifts of eggs etc. or change of mind re what I prepare and when. If it's too hot for steak pie I just swap the tiles around. Hope I'm making sense.
Tried to copy my chart and tiles onto this reply but didn't work.
Hope you all have a frugal and fruitful day.