August 2010 Grocery Challenge

mollythewestie

Woule like to declare £362 for my August total, £2 over budget, whoops! I know where I went wrong though - a £20 spend in M&S on just 2 meals worth of luxury food :mad:.

Will try harder next month

goodlife_wannabes

:jI would like to declare my August spends £189.23

angelatgraceland

Still need to declare but Ive got one more day to go! Today was a nsd. Tomorrow I have to get some lights but that will not be grocery budget. While in the area I may pop in the local Asda and do a topup shop. Must write a list first though! Actually found a bit of room in the freezer to freeze garden plums today and leftover pea soups/veggy curry/chickpeas/peppers which were in the fridge. Froze most yesterday and the plums today.
Making sure food doesnt get wasted as my "kids" have a habit of not turning up for tea-eating out-eating something different to what I had hoped. Thats grownup kids for you!
Cooked a chicken yesterday and still have some left for sarnies tomorrow. Have two left in the freezer I think plus some steak in the fridge which I really must cook tomorrow. Thats mine!:rotfl:
Hoping I can cut back enough to not return to work or at least to be able to choose without dipping into rainy day money. This will mean continued cutbacks but its a small price to pay for the freedom.
Cancelled my gym membership-Im getting exercise on my Avon round and Im more aware now of inventive ways to exercise with weights/pilates etc without expensive equipment.
Finished paying for my furniture also last month so after we have paid for our new central heating this month and a new kitchen ceiling(because of removal of warm air)we can think about a new kitchen. Different budget and it all takes time. Living on a building site at the mo but as long as Ive got my kettle and my cooker Im ok.
No hot water the last few months as our system was far too expensive-or wasteful is my honest description of it.
It will be such a luxery to have running hot water next week! Yup I know its 2010 and its the norm but actually its amazing what the difference is between our wants and our needs!
And following the old saying of a bad workman always blames his tools Ive continured to cook for 5 people most of the time with no hot water-I boil kettles and use dishwasher. So Im looking forward to a lowbudget life of luxury!:D:money:

greent

Winged_one wrote: »

4. I had planned certain dinners at the start of the month that were not realistic once DH had his accident, so the ingredients I had bought are mostly in the freezer (I had to throw out one ball of mozarella and a block of feta as I couldn't use those in time - so I DID waste about €5 on those).
.

Hi WInged one - should you ever need to in the future, mozzarella freezes fine - I use a ball and a half for the huge pizzas I make on a weekend, and I always freeze the half left for next time

tracey12_2

I came in under budget this month and am declaring £289.59 from a budget of £300.00 so I am £10.41 under :j

Tracey

Pink.

Hi everyone,

Martin has asked board guides to keep sticky threads to a minimum so I'm going to unstick this thread now that the September thread is up and running. However if you are still working on your August Grocery Challenge, please feel free to keep on posting into the thread.

Pink

Hippeechiq

At last! The last leg of this months grocery challenge seems to have lasted forever!

Small spend today of 61p for some carrots and a lemon, so that's me done.

Am declaring a final August spend of £283.90 which is £8.90 over my £275 budget. Would have naturally preferred to come in below budget, but at my second attempt at this, I can live with that, in fact, I'm rather pleased with it

Well done everyone who has come in under budget :T and to those who didn't but continue to try :T

See you on the September thread >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

notjustlaura

Yesterday = NSD (sig updated)

Today was shopping day and I've come in £2 over my fluid weekly target which is fine but means I'm looking for 6 NSDs and that's something that's unlikely to happen! I should have been £8 under (and therefore happier) if I'd paid attention at the petrol pump. I'm now the proud owner of £20 of fuel when I'd intended to buy £10.

Good news is that M&D have offered to pay my road tax and MOT as its at their insistence I continue to run the car (M has cancer but is well at present, D is disabled and wants me to be able to drive in case she becomes unwell). Left to my own devices the car would be SORN until such time as she *does* become unwell but I suppose he's right that, when the day comes, I'll have enough on my mind without worrying about transport. Sorry - I digress. The bottom line is that they pay car-related things for me when I can't and I'm very grateful.

Have decided not to restart the GC for September tomorrow. Pay day is the 15th and so does make more sense to restart on the 15th when I shift money around, taking what I need to live and putting the rest to the CC (down to £570 from £2000 and I'm very proud of myself).

And now I should really go and do some studying ...

verynewmoneysaver

Came in just overbudget at £345 but not bad for first try I suppose.

greent

EEK!! Declaring at £420.57 against budget of £450. That includes pasties and icecreams and such on our weekend away, and food for bbq (and disposable bbq) whilst there too - and fast food on journey there and back (oops) Lots of NSDs in August, mainly because I couldn't be botherred to go to shops with 4 children in tow!!

Have set Sept's (reduced) budget on that thread - am hoping that the routine of school will be a help in spending less/ meal planning - we've gone haywire and been very relaxed in August