August 2010 Grocery Challenge

Long_tall_sally

Just updated my signature with another £9 odd at the Co Op. It was annoying having to buy some of it though. We had run out of fruit & the kids were moaning plus we needed carrots and frozen peas to go with the roast chicken tonight but I know I could get these all cheaper in town but having hurt my hip / back somehow the other day I can't face the car journey into town cos of the pain. Also got one of the Co Op coconut cakes for 35p and a Cadbury cookie mix for £1.15. Cheating I know but we are only having a small chicken plus a sausage each for the six of us for dinner tonight so these will be easy afters for us to have if we are still hungry.

Sorry to hear about your husband Winged One.

laisbojar83

Hi guys,

I hope you are all well
Just a quick update from me.. went grocery shopping this morning and spent £85.00:eek:.. 15.00 over what I had planned but necessary as I ran out of some toiletries and cleaning stuff
Still 13 days until payday, but lets see if I can make it with 45.00. I am keeping positive and I think it is possible as I have enough food for the next 10 days or so and wont need any toiletries/cleaning products until then.
Have a fabby day everyone xxxx
L

uropachild

Hi everyone, i am going to make a start on keeping our shopping budget in check this month. DH got paid today, so today is where it starts for us.

Last month we tried to cut costs in an ad hoc kind of way and managed to save £30, which was a start, but we need to save a lot more. I'm going on maternity leave soon with another mouth to feed and may not be able to go back to work a year from now.

I've always kept a spreadsheet of spends, which i've filled in by going through our bank statements, but it was never an exact science. This month we are going to keep receipts for EVERYTHING we buy and really drill it down to the last penny. I'm also going to try doing better menu planning and cooking from scratch, rather than eating cr.ap. We (completely wrongly) thought that if we switched from buying mostly fresh produce to eating frozen tat a few times a week that would save us money. After doing my research on here it seems that was the wrong tactic. We just need to plan meals better to avoid the waste from before.

So orginally i had budgeted £400 to include food and anything else you might buy at the supermarket plus stuff i call hardware - Wilko's, Boots etc (so vitamins, baby food, batteries picture frames etc.) I think i need to split that off somehow, but i'll get a clearer picture once i've got receipts to look at. This budget was decided way back when - at least two years ago and before we had kids. Looking back over the last couple of months spreadsheets we have spent £560 (June) and £530 (July). :eek: That's more than our mortgage - can't be right!!!

So plan of action this month is:
1. Save ALL receipts
2. Use slow cooker and double cook at least once a week.

That's it for now. I don't want to overwhelm myself.

I've told DH he needs to keep all receipts, but he hasn't replied to my text yet. I get the feeling he will be skeptical cause he's not as "anal" :rotfl: as i am. Any tips on helping him to do this without nagging?

Winged_one

Thanks - I have received a text to say the wrist is broken and can I get some bus tickets. Somedays he can be seriously lacking in info.....I don't even know if he is likely to get it plastered or need surgery, and I can't "be annoying him with texts or calls"......But I do know he is in one piece, was talking to me earlier and DD was already in creche so fine.

I'm trying to think of the practicalities and my mind is a blank. Except for black bags for showers.

Gintotmelinda

Winged One-you'll feel better once you see him. You can get a plastic thingy to put over his arm. DH had one when he broke his leg. Try pharmacy. Take care.
Gintot

NickJW

Hi All

I've added up the receipts from the last few days and have spent £8.08 in total - signature updated. This is for things for lunch all week, potatoes, salad items and couscous.

Winged-One - I've got a bit of chorizo left (about 100g) from a meal I had on Tues. I don't know if you've posted the recipe before (apologies if you have), but if you haven't I would love the recipe for your Chorizo Potato Bake I hope your DH is coping okay.

Winchelsea

Sorry to hear about yr DH's wrist Winged one.

Cheryl, hope you're still ok - that used to happen to me all the time, and my GP told me to carry a little pack of biscuits round with me in my bag. But it gradually got worse, until it turned out that I needed a pacemaker. Had it put in nearly 2 yrs ago, and while I still get the occasional 'funny turn', I'm basically fine.

The problem was, my heart rate was plummeting to between 40 and 50 a minute. Hopefully that's not your problem - but just to say it might be worth checking your pulse.

Went out in the garden earlier to hang out the washing, and my neighbour called me - she gave me a bowl of damsons picked when she was out for a walk with her DD. Really tasty, and a daily handful will provide one of my 5 a day over the next 3 days or so!

When out for a walk on Sunday (short cut home from DH's nursing home). I saw some little yellow plums lying on the ground, and picked one up to investigate. A woman passing by saw me, and told me they're something beginning with B (she couldn't remember exactly) - and said I should take some home - so I did, and cooked them and had them with custard - lovely. So doing well on the free fruit!

Am just soaking some chick peas, also am sprouting some mung beans, so managing not to shop too much this week. Only have just over £10 left until 31st, but feel sure I'll manage. Have nearly a whole HM loaf frozen (in 2-slice packs), and lots of veg, eggs, cheese etc in the fridge and a good store cupboard.

Have had two grown up GKs staying overnight recently (not at the same time), so have (literally!) eaten into the food budget a bit. Cooked a lasagne for one and a goulash for the other, and had sandwich lunches out, so not too bad, especially as I'm a veggie, and they are happy to eat whatever I cook.

cw18

Winchelsea wrote: »

Cheryl, hope you're still ok - that used to happen to me all the time, and my GP told me to carry a little pack of biscuits round with me in my bag. But it gradually got worse, until it turned out that I needed a pacemaker. Had it put in nearly 2 yrs ago, and while I still get the occasional 'funny turn', I'm basically fine.

The problem was, my heart rate was plummeting to between 40 and 50 a minute. Hopefully that's not your problem - but just to say it might be worth checking your pulse.

Still fine thanks

I know I have a 'low' BP - though it's not low enough to require medicines.

I also have high cholesterol, though I'm working on that one.

When I go for a run, my HR goes waaaaay higher than it should according to calculations. Everything I've read recommends keeping at below 80% of max for most of an exercise session (and my Max should be around 175-180 according to various calculation methods, so should be aound 140-145...... but I'm incapable of keeping it under an average of 152 if I move faster than a walk, and can see it easily as high as 190+ if I push myself (even slightly) on an uphill that's more than a 'short gentle' one :eek:

Winged_one

The chorizo bake is basically a bag of salad potatoes (whatever size is in Aldi this week is perfect - 1kg??), half a Lidl chorizo (so probably about 100g) chopped into chunks/slices, I throw in 1 tub of the Lidl double carton of bacon pieces, a jar of tomato and chilli sauce (the Sacla one with baby cherry toms is very good, Llyod Grossman is OK too) - mix together and bake at 180 for an hour or a bit longer until spuds are done. You can put some grated mozarella on the top if wanted. I tend to serve with a dollop of creme fraiche, and if I have it, wilted spinach. But it is basically a whole meal in a dish - is fine to leave in oven all day when the timer is on, and takes only minutes to prep.


Thanks for the thoughts - I am still waiting to hear what the story is, surgeons are waiting to see how hand reacts during the day to decide on a pin/not. But he sounds a bit more lucid now, TG.

gunsandbanjos

Just updated signature with todays delivery from Waitrose. Have less than £100 to do for the rest of the month:o Might be a little tight!
On the upside it is only food i'll need as i have enough toilet roll/cleaning stuff/laundry stuff etc to last me for a while;)