September 2010 Grocery Challenge

sistercas

should be a NSD today
at work this morning and then walking home as my car is in the garage and my way home avoids any shops

if i have my car tomorrow i might pop into lidl for the offers

elf06

Firstly (((hugs))) to all who are feeling disheartened by this months challenge. I have done the challenge on and off for about a year (I think - and admittedly more off than on ) and this is the first month that I have got to this stage and not been over!! I am not getting cocky yet (although I am pleased with my progress) as I know there is still time for it to go wrong and if I am honest there are things that I used to include in my GC that are no longer there although my target has remained the same (nappies being the big one). The way I like to look at it is that you almost certainly WILL be saving money because you will be watching what you buy more closely . Even if I come in on target this month I may not reduce next months as I will need to include some extra bits for Christmas such as my ingredients to make my pud :T. Its also worth remembering that everyone on here has different situations and different amounts of money available for their GC and that we all include different things in our challenge. Mine for example includes all toiletries, cleaning products, alcohol, entertainment and any forgotten about gifts. I have a seperate budget for clothing and gifts. This works for me but may not work for others and it may take you some time to find what works best for YOU .
Anyway its nothing that hasnt been said before but I just wanted to try and keep spirits up :rotfl:

As for me - yesterday was a NSD and today should be although I do need to get some weetabix for DS (he's been asking for days and I keep forgettting ) and some tin foil so if I am near the supermarket, and can be bothere, I may go in for them. Trying very hard to stay away this week as I work there but am off on holiday :D:D

Hope everyone has a good day - keep your chins up xx

loulou0327

£14.84 added to my total on complete junk (OH went to shop for milk:( )

Winged_one

I spent €41 in SQ on Sat, and another €45 in Li*l yesterday. There were 2 good BOGOFs in SQ - free range eggs 6 pack (I had used 10 of last week's 12 in sccrambled eggs for visitors at lunchtime), and bags of tiger prawns (which I get 3 dinners from and that offer expires during the week). The prawns aren't cheap exactly (€11.79 a pack), but for 6 dinners (from the 2 packs) and the ability to do them in emergencies (with some rice or pasta and a pack of sauce or even just olive oil and garlic), I'll take them when on offer. I also managed to get some nice pork ribs in piri piri sauce as a whoopsie, which we had last night for dinner.

Then in Lidl, I had to get bacon pieces and chorizo; there were nice cauliflowers so I'll do that in cheese sauce tonight with beef pie and mash; apple juice cartons for DD (if it means no one has to get up on a weekend morning with her - definitely worth it!!), they had the nice beer that DH likes so I got 2 bottles (a wheat beer that is not always there), fish fingers for freezer, hot dog rolls (I have hot dogs in freezer to use), some choccie biccies (nom nom) and 2 bottles of Merlot as we had no red wine left at home.

I had 3 unexpected visitors on Saturday, and was almost panicked at the thoughts of lunch - we don't tend to do much for lunch at weekends. But I remembered a pack of smoked slamon in freezer, pulled 2 tomatoes off the vine in the garden, and used the eggs I'd bought last week to make a large batch of scrambled eggs for 6, for a total cost of €2.49 (well €2.08 as I still had 2 eggs left) + €2 (except I think it was only €1 as the salmon had been on special at €2 but then a bogof as well), and Sis brought the bread (as a present, not asked for): Total €3.08!!!

As we only went shopping in the afternoon, I had gotten 6 chicken breasts, a pack of mushrooms and cream, in case any decided to stay (it was likely 2 would) except they didn't. So I froze 4 breasts, and made the chicken and mushrooms in sauce (tin of M&S chicken soup, with a splash of white wine and splash of cream) with rice for just ourselves using the old mushrooms. But I'll use the fresh ones during the week (just annoyed that as we were so late, there were no loose or cheaper ones left so I had to buy a premium box - but I wasn't in the mood for elaborate cooking if I did have to stretch). DD had the remains for dinner last night, while we had the ribs.

Manic week ahead at work, so we are eating mainly pre-prepared stuff the early part of the week. A beef pie DH liked the look of in supermarket (€3) tonight, with cauli cheese and mash (spuds peeled and chopped in pot, so I only have to heat oven, boil spuds and prep cauli). Hot dogs tomorrow, by request (and from freezer). Probably chorizo potato bake or vongole pasta (from a jar) on Wednesday and the other on Thursday possibly. I might find the energy to make Nasi Goreng on Friday, using rice I froze a couple of weeks ago.

wssla00

Morning folks! Eight days left so will need to go out today and get a few basics for the month ahead. Once again I am fully stocked up so should be a good deal under next month too.
Hope everyone is doing ok

cookiemum

Updated sig. Still doing ok surprisingly. Had a trip to Costco on Fri so freezer now full of meat. Had a horrible week with having to put our beloved cat to sleep last Tues. He was suffering from Kidney failure and in a bad way so was the right thing to do. We are all still upset and not got much appetite so the cupboards are still full.

Keep going everyone - you are all doing really well. The end of the month is in sight.

poppy-glos

oh dear. my name is poppy and i am a shopoholic!
today has officially gone wrong, and yesterday i was seduced by the food board in the pub...
went to mr t with 5 things on my list, and bought as well carrots, red lentils, yellow sticker braising steak, butternut squash and sweet potatoe... and more, bringing me up to £30 just for today.
since home i've made jamie olivers beef stew (now in sc) but unsure dd will eat it as it is so tomato'y and she isn't always good with that (likes gravy more). So that may be mistake number one...
no 2. I also made the spiced carrot and lentil soup on the £100 for four a month - was not for me... :eek:, tried to save it with a sachet of creamed coconut, but to no avail... 30 minutes cooking now poured down the sink, :-(..

3rd problem, lack of planning, need more carrot for the carrot cake on the £100 for four site (which i adore..), plus need more onions for sweet potatoe and bn squash curry, so back to shop again at some point.

oh well, onward and upward, we live and learn and all that.

poppy x

sistercas

Elf that was a lovely supportive post :T
if it helps the cheapest weetabix ( as in own brand) that i have found is tesco's own 3 boxes of 24 for £3 i think lidl had proper weetabix a box of 72 for around £3.49 i stocked up with the tesco one , DH hasnt spotted the down shift

loulou lol my DH does that

cookiemum can i ask what meat you get from costco? i know its good meat but they seem such big packs

rosieben

sistercas wrote: »

Elf that was a lovely supportive post :T

what she said! :T

jintyb

sistercas wrote: »

cookiemum can i ask what meat you get from costco? i know its good meat but they seem such big packs

Hey Sistercas - I also buy my meat from Costco, there are only two of us so I split the packs into portions suitable for us. I usually buy mince, chicken breasts and casserole beef, sometimes lamb chops or steaks. I also like the rotisserie chickens - lots of meat and really tasty, usually have this with a salad. I dont buy the big roasts like the beef and lamb, but I would if I was feeding a crowd.
I wouldnt say Costco meat is a lot cheaperthan elsewhere but the quality is far superior to any meat at a comparable price.

Hope this helps!:)