October 2010 Grocery Challenge

rosie383

Whoops!!!!! Just checked in my purse and pockets and only have £26 left! I suppose that's after the car boot yesterday, but I did get a few gifts there too. I have enough in for quite a few meals, and have baking supplies in, so I am off now to make lists of everything in my cupboards and freezer. Need to do a meal plan!

Diflower

After the disaster with the off chicken wings on Saturday I'm glad to say the Wr0se drumsticks were lovely.

Have done some baking and managed to run out of greaseproof. Clingfilm & foil also v low so went to get them all, except none of the 3 available shops had any greaseproof. They seem to manage to stock up on dried fruit etc but fail to realise people also use extra g/proof when making their Christmas cakes!

Got 2 baking trays in 99p shop though, which look quite good, also they had tins of tomatoes 3 for 99p which is cheaper than the other local shops (finally down to just 2 left of the MrT buy1-get2-free cartons).

Still struggling with the whole meal-planning thing, writing out 3 or 4 days' worth then crossing them out and starting again.
I feel I'm confusing myself by trying to plan it all out, but I do like having the list on the fridge door and knowing what I'm doing...
Maybe I'll try listing everything I think I could make (including things already in the freezer) then see if I can make a sensible plan out of that.

Updated sig - it's a blinking long month isn't it?!

Chloris

Updated signature £8.25 spent in C**p on milk, veg etc. Might need to pick up bread, so might have another small spend before Wednesday. But I am still on target!:j Very busy with family stuff at the moment so I am behind with reading the thread so I apologize if I have missed anything.

wssla00

Afternoon all Hoping for an NSD today! Got a nurses appointment then off to the cinema with my cineworld card.

Have a good day all

slbhill

sharronej wrote: »

Also need to fund
Boxing Day party and New Year's Day Meal - alcohol is the killer here!

Could you make them "bring your own bottle" events? If you're providing food then it seems a bit unfair that you have to provide booze too. Of course bear in mind I know absolutely nothing about your circumstances but that's what I would do

greent

Smallish spends from yesterday in Mr S and a!di added on and still have just under £200 left.. I've been thnking about this and it may have something to do with teh fact that I've been shopping, but bought some X gifts in the s/mkts - so in my head I've spent more on GC than I actually have - that's the only thing remotely different to normal.

Will declare later in the week - but if I don't come under then something will have gone seriously wrong!! (bearing in mind that I can't fit anything more in my freezer...)

Winchelsea

Hello all, hope you are all doing OK.

I was away on holiday in France for 6 days, so the Challenge money has not gone down too fast - still have £25.37 left in my housekeeping purse, and as it's only for the cat and me it will definitely last until the 31st! In any case I still have a few things left in the cupboard and fridge, despite having a house full of visitors at the weekend. Nine of us to cook for - lots of HM goodies which we all enjoyed, and mainly frugal dishes which tasted good but didn't shout "Hey, she's a cheapskate"!

The holiday was good by the way, and I didn't spend all my Euros - changed the remainder back into £40, which I've put UNDER my sealed pot (just in case I have to use it, but expect not to have to.)

sharronej

slbhill wrote: »

Could you make them "bring your own bottle" events? If you're providing food then it seems a bit unfair that you have to provide booze too. Of course bear in mind I know absolutely nothing about your circumstances but that's what I would do

Yes, I think I may - my brothers and their families have very cultured taste in wines so they usually end up bringing their own or asking what they want me to buy As my children are almost all grown up now they bring their partners/friends etc and my nephews and nieces are having their own families so the party is growing year by year :T I think a hot buffet may be in order as well but I'll think more about that. I'm also going to restrict DH on what he can buy - he'll spend literally hundreds on alcohol that doesn't get used on the night but then he drinks himself to death until it's all gone :mad: This year I'm wising up to him

Hippeechiq

greent wrote: »

Smallish spends from yesterday in Mr S and a!di added on and still have just under £200 left.. I've been thnking about this and it may have something to do with teh fact that I've been shopping, but bought some X gifts in the s/mkts - so in my head I've spent more on GC than I actually have - that's the only thing remotely different to normal.

Well that's pretty damned amazing whatever the reason :dance:
Yours is too Jackie :T

Spends of a fiver today, on 4L of milk and 3 boxes of chicag0 town pizzas. I don't need any pizzas, but it's all SS eats, and they're on offer again, so I got some, and will probably get more tomorrow or Weds as the boxes no longer have £1 on them, so the offer must soon be about to end, and it'll be no consolation to me to have come in under budget this month through not buying them, if I then have to pay full price for them next month.

It's a predicament, isn't it?

It's spends like that thank kinda ruin a budget though - I also stocked up on coffee on s/o at the beginning of the month - but what're you supposed to do when you don't know when they're next going to be on offer?

What I'd really like to know, is why is it - if I constantly buy things that I regularly use when on offer -that I don't get to have a month when I'm way under budget? £25 under budget would please me, I'm not greedy but it never happens.

Actually - I could get another 7 boxes and just take £10 out of next months budget as I wont be using them until then. I know that's a slippery slope to get on, but it would enable me to take advantage of the offer without worrying about the remainder of my dwindling budget.

Anyhoo, my spends today brings my total so far to £243.77 leaving the kitty with £31.23 which is a very doable @ £5.20 per day, as all I actually need this week, is more milk, bread, sweet potatoes, carrots, mushrooms and broccoli......it's just whether or not I spot any more special offers!

Hippeechiq

sharronej wrote: »

Yes, I think I may - my brothers and their families have very cultured taste in wines so they usually end up bringing their own or asking what they want me to buy As my children are almost all grown up now they bring their partners/friends etc and my nephews and nieces are having their own families so the party is growing year by year :T I think a hot buffet may be in order as well but I'll think more about that. I'm also going to restrict DH on what he can buy - he'll spend literally hundreds on alcohol that doesn't get used on the night but then he drinks himself to death until it's all gone :mad: This year I'm wising up to him

Bit of a cheek asking you to provide particular wines :eek: but I think slbhill's idea is a very good one

Nothing to do with booze, but, as an alternative to the usual buffet.

When I was married to my ex, the biggest our family ever got to for Christmas parties was 17 people including children, and I used to find doing a buffet and desserts, all from scratch, very daunting year in year out, especially wondering what to do for a change. I remember going to my youngest SILs one year, and she had done two huge pots full of Curry & Chilli an oven full of baked potatoes and Cheese, Beans & Coleslaw to cater for those who didn't like/want Curry or Chilli. It was absolutely fab, and a resounding success with everyone, and such a nice change from the usual Christmas fayre too