October 2010 Grocery Challenge

Rachel021967

Well I've blown the budget. I spent £18.13 at Tesco Express, £21.90 at the local butchers (but some of the meat is for next week) and £3.50 at the local bakers. That leaves a grand spend of £148.46. An Overspend of £28.46. That's about 25% of original budget. Must do better next week.
Can you put me down for £120 next week.

[Deleted User]

£3.67 spent on veg and some yoghurts today No more shopping needed till middle of next week

Spiggle

Don't be disappointed with yourself MrsEm,

What were you spending before you set the budget? You're probably doing much better than you feel at the moment. And would you have known previously the amount you'd spent on milk and coffee? Give yourself a pat on the back for knowing, keeping up with the challenge and posting your spends. Sending you a big hug. :grouphug:

Is it any wonder the OH does our cooking when I use terms like 'chuck it in', 'lob on the mash' and 'bung it in the oven'?!?!:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Spigs

cw18

MrsEm wrote: »

Disappointed with self
MrsEm

Don't knock yourself over it - the main thing is you've made at start at watching what you're spending, and I get the impression (reading between the lines of your posts) that this is probably a lot less than you'd have spent before you did start adding it up as you went.

It took a lot/most/all of us a month (or three) to get our heads around it, and it's always useful to have a couple of months to look back over and see where the largest amounts are going - and then you can figure out if there's something you can do to tackle that area specifically the next month.

With most products that you haven't 'down shifted' (or completely 'down shifted') it always seem worth asking on here what people think of the cheaper alternatives. I think someone will have tried most things at one time or another, and we shop in a multitude of stores so have probably tried most labels between us - though clearly different people have different taste-buds so what suits one may not suit another

greent

LannyLee wrote: »

Everything that goes into my freezer now is a squeeze, it's an illness, I just CANNOT walk by a whoopsie

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

I know what you mean - I have food squeezed into my ice dispenser and 4 carriers of apples and 1 of pears shoved in my fridge because I have no room in my freezer for me to do anything with them... and I've taken over a shelf in my m-i-l's freezer, too.... I keep trying to use freezer stuff - but keep replacing it!! (Although I was very good today at Mr S - I didn't buy anything that needed to go in the freezer!:j)

katholicos

No spendy day for me again and we are eating leftovers and food from the cupboard and fridge today. Currently (no pun intended) have a tea cake baking away!

mongmoney

Evening All,
Just an update on progress. I managed to spend on the first 3 days of the month, then nothing since.
Re: loo roll- Farmfds 'Nicky' is lovely, and only £2 for 9.
Re: pet food- will try zooplus and vetukltd, thanks for that.
I'm off to a friends house for dinner, whoop whoop, another meal saved, obviously great to catch up with mates too!
Anyone got any ideas about what I can do for my birthday that isn't going to cost the earth, it's the day after bonfire night. Help greatfully received please.
Keep at it peeps.
Mongy
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October grocery challenge £42-69/£160 NSD's=5

XSpender

Veg box with milk and eggs came this morning for £18.48 and I spent £41.63 in Mr S and £14.97 on dog food from Pets at H0me. I have never bought their dog food before but as I had to have some other stuff delivered so I thought I would give it a go.

I have enough in now to last at least 2 weeks and will have another veg, milk and eggs delivery next Friday. I am going to a Farmers market next Saturday with a friend so if I can pick up some yummy bread and fruit and not go bonkers I should be able to get to the end of my month with just 2 veg boxes to pay for. There is enough in the freezer to make meals with.

I have just realised though that the dog food I have in will run out Sunday so I will have to get 6 tins to tide them over until the delivery comes.:doh:

DH is out tonight, which comes out of this budget, so I cannot see me staying under this month even if I am careful as mentioned above. Oh well, I won't beat myself up about it as it is the first time I have budgeted on 'total' spends and the figure was a 'would like it to be' rather than based on anything. I will have a better idea next month and it is working quite well as I can't slip something into another budget if the GC one is looking a bit tight:o

Have a lovely weekend everyone

XS

Berni888

LannyLee wrote: »

Does anyone have a recipe for rice pudding, as I discovered a whole un-opened packet or pudding rice in my pantry, god knows how long it's been there :mad:

I've looked on the recipe index at the front of the thread with no luck, I seem to remember someone mentioning one that could be done in the slow-cooker?

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.html?p=47287&postcount=53

MrsEm

Thanks for your support & encouragement Spiggle & cw18 - new week ahead - new challenge. I can do this on the budget I set myself. Positive thoughts!