December 2010 Grocery Challenge

russetred

We finally have snow! The weather map of Britain showed completely white except for a small green square where we live and dont get the kids started on their school always being open! I've caught up on my totals for the annual Gc and its going well. I'm stocked up on bread flour, tins of peas,sweetcorn and tomatoes courtesy of the lidl voucher and the freezer is full again of meat. I even managed to bag a goose from a**i for £12.99.I've very little left to get for Christmas foodwise mostly veg. Soup is on the menu everyday and the slow cooker is on overtime. Hope everyone is doing okay.Stay warm.

Penny-Pincher!!

Well done! I am hoping to cut down for 2011 and maybe an annual budget may be easier to work with? Not mega tight on money atm, but we would like to have some savings.

PP
xx

Norman_Bean

life_in_termoil wrote: »

Well done I think youve done fab!! Wouldnt like to share some tips would you? Whats the hardest thing youve done and how did you keep on the straight and narrow?

Thanks ladies - I've no idea how much my annual spend was pre OS but I am impressed with how little I've manged to spend.

Life all my ideas / methods came from OS and initially I found OS boards so inspiring (still do of course but I know a lot myself now ) and read them every day x

My best tips though are:
Rubber Chicken - blooming amazing - I now get 4 meals (2 adults 2 nippers) and stock (took practice but got there in the end!)
USE ALL SCRAPS - never throw anything out, use it all x
Lidl / Aldi
Meal planning - I started with weekly but then moved onto monthly planning. I think planning saves a fortune and makes my life so much easier x
Do not buy food outside of the house - classic Martin but I take snacks, drinks, picnic etc whatever we do
Dishwasher tablets/washing powder - cut in half! amazing!


Loads more but think these are main ones - it really has become a way of life now x Thanks again all

Norman

Dee5565

Hi Hope everyone is safe and well.
Decided to do a large shop at Mr A as the snow is getting heavier and they said it would be worse over the weekend.
So stocked up on cupboard supplies as freezer is just about full.
So i should be okay for a few weeks without having to buy anything.
HM Chicken and ham pie for tonight with chicken soup in the slow cooker for tomorrow with HM bread.

Dee Stay safe

Sparklyfairy

Those are really top tips..I use them all too & you really can't imagine the savings until you use them! I think the meal planning, for me, was HUGE. I always read about it & couldn't be bothered with all the faff - but once I took the plunge & put a plan in place (the list of main meals my family tend to eat) my life instantly became so easy! Now I stick solely to my shopping list (first checked on mysupermarket to get prices) and make double..if I do a weekly plan, that instantly becomes a 2 week plan by doubling & freezing everything. Well done - you are doing great!

debtmess

well done xx thats an amazing spend amount wise x i reckon i have done double that (hangs head in shame)

Billie-jo

Although have spent some money today I am having a good day.
Firstly in I*eland there was already a £1 coin in the trolley . got my milk from here then nipped into greengrocers and got a few potatoes and some oranges. Afterwards went into M0rri$$son$ and brought the three packs of beer for £18 however went put them through the self service till they came out at £24 so the assistant came over to alter it for us.She couldnt do it for ages then went to get a supervisor to do it. She was obviously in a hurry, typed in some numbers very quickly and left us to pay - ha if she had of looked for a minute she would have seen that instead of coming to £18 the total showing owing was just £9 so I called her back to put it right.........:rotfl::rotfl:did I heck I paid the £9 and left quicker than I would normally do. (they have more money than me) :beer:
Just in the middle of making some mushroom soup now and we having cumberland pie for tea with veg.

-12 here when we went out this morning so also got a few bits for some elderly neighbours. No way could they get out to the shops.

toddles*

sorry bit late, where does the time go.
Please put me down for £400 this month

Just been to Mr HB and spent £35. My first spend of the month. loads of great bargains.

GL everyone for spends this month. Im already done for xmas, put the tree up yesterday, just the food to buy now.

Norman_Bean

Sparklyfairy wrote: »

Those are really top tips..I use them all too & you really can't imagine the savings until you use them! I think the meal planning, for me, was HUGE. I always read about it & couldn't be bothered with all the faff - but once I took the plunge & put a plan in place (the list of main meals my family tend to eat) my life instantly became so easy! Now I stick solely to my shopping list (first checked on mysupermarket to get prices) and make double..if I do a weekly plan, that instantly becomes a 2 week plan by doubling & freezing everything. Well done - you are doing great!

it does make life easier and cheaper - I really don't miss the daily 'what shall we have for dinner?' dilemma either x I can recommend monthly planning too - you only need to think about menus once a month and with your cooking double method you'd only have to come up with two weeks of food x

Long_tall_sally

Small spend yesterday of £3.50 yesterday by OH who decided to nip into town for a birthday present & kindly got us some milk & toilet rlls from Farm Foods. Wished he had told me though that he was going to do this as we will soon need bread & veg, especially for the guineapig and it was market day but he never thought!

I can't get anywhere at the moment. My car (or me!) seems to be the only car who can not make it to the top of our little road without the wheels spinning & now this morning I had a totally flat battery. I am beginning to feel a bit stir crazy stuck in apart from walking to school & work & back.