October 2010 Grocery Challenge

muffin_man_7

Don't think i'm gona be on budget had 2 shop days but not sure of total need to take of non food items and then will update total one shop was around £20 this did include a few extra tubs of i c b i n b down to 60p so i now have 6 in freezer along with 2 blocks of cheese on offer at £2 for 400g and some bits for baking i've promised my granddaughters they can help make the spider web cakes for halloween and yesterday was a mini shop kids into sausages on rolls from mrA 18 for £1.50 ( makes a change from them having burgers or pizza )

I am still trying to catch up with all posts not easy whe i've had a throbbing head for the last 5 days will update sig soon as i find and adjust receipt if i'm gona be over again as long as final total is less than september then i'm ok with that at least it's going lower will have to be extra careful for november i'm hopefully only going to be getting basics and whatever we need for november no extras and hopefully this will bring me under budget if i'm gona get there before years out it's got to be before xmas i'm nearly on target for nsd only a couple to go and with 3 birthday's before xmas and one just after i really need to beat this here's hoping

rosieben

Flat_Eric wrote: »

. ... Would be interested to hear how others get on with HD. Do you overspend ? Do you have any tips on how to make HD successful without breaking the bank ?

I have a monthly hd from mrS or mrt and <<touches wood>> never had a problem with either of them; I have no car, and my nearest sm is a 2 hour round trip on the bus so hd is the best option for me;

The only tips I could give is to build up a store cupboard so you won't run out of things (no excuse for an extra order:D) and keep a freezer and pantry inventory list which helps with the next shopping list and meal plan; I've always got an ongoing order on the website but before I checkout I cut it down below my monthly budget.;)

when I had my car I shopped around a lot more and I miss that so when I spend the weekend at my son's he takes me to one of the big sms - they have several very close - he thinks I'm a bit sad that its such a treat for me

seductivesmile

Flat_Eric wrote: »

I'm not sure how I find so much to buy? I seem to relish lining the supermarket's pockets leaving my bank account feeling sad and stockpiling my already overfilled cupboards/fridge/freezer etc.

I keep telling myself that I must plan my menus before I shop ... but I never do ?? and just pick stuff at random ?promising myself that this will be the last shop when I haven't planned but of course this is never the case.

Come and join us on the storecupboard challenge too Flat Eric - we are trying to deplete are stock piles!

SS

underthestairs

MrsM

I have been a bit of a dunce and on post 908 asked you to put me down for £250.00. and starting as October. What I really meant was please start me at this amount for November. (I knew what I meant)

Thanks

UTS

underthestairs

moonpixiewitch wrote: »

phew I am so glad I am not the only one !

I know, it's doesn't seems right does it when you get a big family managing on less. :embarasse I don't know how they do it.:huh:

purplevamp

Just adding the weeks various receipts (just in time for the weekly shop tomorrow ) and it adds up to £42.86. Ooh nearly forgot £9.99 for 12 Krispy Kreme donuts (new shop opened in my town and it was cheaper to get 12 than 4 )

Sorry, also forgot £24.52 for an approved foods order ~ consisting mainly of tortilla wraps and mini hotdogs :rotfl:

Flat_Eric

cw18 wrote: »

Refuse to use it anymore - and haven't for several years.

After several 'OK' deliveries from Mr T (normally included at least one substitution I wouldn't accept), I was then let down badly on the only one I ever placed that was time critical. Booked for early evening on a Friday, and included mushrooms to make a bolognese sauce that night (plus the garlic bread to go with it) for the following day as we were going out early and coming home at tea-time. The delivery turned up on time, but minus ALL my chilled items which included the mushrooms (and garlic bread) as well as milk. They couldn't redeliver that night - the best they could offer was Saturday lunch time - so I had to take the car up to the closest store to get what they'd forgotten, pay for it all again (it had been picked and charged, but left at base), and wait for a refund of the items. Luckily I had enough to cover paying for it again, but they wouldn't even partially refund the delivery charge or offer any other form of compensation :mad:

I then decided to try Mr A, and placed an order which included loads of meat, fruit, veg and milk (for a family of 4 for a week, with the boys being teenagers so a substantial order). When it turned up they'd substituted the 4x4pt milk with 4x1pt milk, and all the fresh stuff that had dates on it (all the meat and all the pre-packed F&V) was best before the delivery date !!! To be fair to them though, they refunded me the cost of all those items and the delivery charge and I got to keep everything as well..... just as well this was back when I used to have space in my freezers I just didn't feel I could trust them to get it right in future, even though my daughter used them regularly without any problems


Have never tried any others - total loss of confidence in the system, and the prices/availability of goods at the others didn't seem anywhere near as good.

I have never had a problem with Mr T other than I spend too much and sometimes if I have picked the very first delivery slot which costs £6 :eek: they come about ten minutes before the end whereas when I pick a £5.50 slot they come well within the time slot.

Mr A is a different story though -:eek: I remember having a delivery not long after xmas one year and nearly everything if not all fresh items had very very short dates including the mullerlite yogurts i had ordered (quite a few of them / too many to eat before the use by!). Even if I order home staples only (i.e. no fresh stuff) it still goes wrong. My last order (many months ago now) included lots of tins including 12 tins of the chick pea dahl curry. 9 of these tins were severely dented and of the six jars of mango chutney I had ordered - 4 had popped their lids and leaked in the carriers bag. I called Mr A up and a driver called out to collect and replace. When he turned up, he questioned why I was returning them ??? :mad: to make matters worse, I didn't notice until the driver had driven away that he had replaced my 9 tins of chick pea dahl with 9 tins of chick peas in water :eek: never again will I shop from them despite the temptation with their very good offers. It always used to annoy me also how the delivery driver would ring the bell but then disappear back into his van for ages subsequently bringing my shopping from the van in two trips ? How can anyone carry £150 odd :eek: of shopping like this ? Grrr. I'm getting cross thinking about it !

I have never had a problem with short dates from Mr T. Fruit and veg ordered has always been very good quality and meat / other fresh food items have always had good dates. They also have a policy now where they have to inform you if an item is shortdated - I had some sausages once where the use by date was either the day after delivery / the next day. They were delivered in a blue coloured bag and the driver specifically pointed them out. It wasn't a problem though - they were destined for the freezer in any event so it didn't matter about the date.

CupOfChai wrote: »

I doubt I'd ever want to do an online order/home delivery shop. I like to go in myself and poke through what's there, pick out precisely which carrots, onions, whatever I want for example, and rifle through the shelves to find the items with the longest dates. Mumsie has taught me well :rotfl:. Plus I sort of like food shopping (weirdo, I hear you all cry!).

I am beginning to suspect home delivery pickers might (in some cases, not saying it's a blanket company policy) be instructed to purposely pick the shortest dates there, so as they get sold and reduction/waste losses from the shop are minimised.

I agree that Mr A pick short dates - I feel that because they have so many people going through their supermarket doors, they care very little about their online home delivery customers. Ive only had HD shops from them at the weekend though - so it might be their weekend staff who are letting them down because of lack of training / inexperience in the matters of all things shopping.

I have never had an issue with Mr T. Other than some grapes once that weren't as nice as I would have liked but then I shouldn't be too fussy !

seductivesmile wrote: »

Come and join us on the storecupboard challenge too Flat Eric - we are trying to deplete are stock piles!

SS

Oh yes - Im coming right over

cw18

CupOfChai wrote: »

I am beginning to suspect home delivery pickers might (in some cases, not saying it's a blanket company policy) be instructed to purposely pick the shortest dates there, so as they get sold and reduction/waste losses from the shop are minimised.

When I phoned Mr A to complain about the short dates I was told their packers are supposed to do the complete opposite - the lady I spoke to reckoned my order must have been picked by a 'newbie' who just took from the front of the shelf.

franby64

Morning everybody

Against all the odds I had a NSD on Thursday but spent about £11 yesterday.
As I was down the town I nipped into A*da and bought value oats and meusli, drinking choc because it's half-term and two toothbrushes for 10p (the toothbrushes not the whole lot!).
I also bought two packs of peanuts from H&B to make nut loaves and milk, bread and bananas from T*sco.

So £29.96 left for 9 days - half term:eek: - not going to last long!!

hex2

The whole HD debate fascinates me. I do one a month, and just buy storecupboard stuff (drinks, tins, laundry, animal food, etc) butter and milk. I blanket refuse substitutes. I hate food shopping, and I found doing lots of little shops took a lot of time and I spent far more than I used to. Our T is awful, A is patchy and S are very good (and free for over £100). I have a veg box delivered most weeks, and then I do top ups from the Co-op/Farm shop/Butchers.

I finally went and used the bulk buy butchers yesterday - £118 got me 10lbs pork shoulder, 10lb brisket, 10lb steak mince, 10lb stewing beef, 5lb goat and 23lbs half lamb. The freezer is very, very full. We had some of the mince last night and it was very good. 25lbs of normal mince was £22 and I wish I had gone for that now. Leicestershire based butchers next to the abbattoir - http://www.joseph-morris.co.uk/ click on freezer prices, I e-mailed my order through and then collected it the next day. Prices in the butchers shop higher, and the freezer list wasn't up so glad I ordered.