December 2010 Grocery Challenge

Hippeechiq

adelight wrote: »

I feel so naughty.
I went to stock up on the basics; bought a bag of spuds, tea bags and chopped toms for £2.21 and paid with a tenner. But when I put the change back into my budget at home, there was an extra fiver in the change!

Result!! :T treat yourself to a bottle of wine or some choccies

Have a fab time in Scotland Nick :beer:

Well I'm having a right old start to December - had my delivery today from A$da, totalling £60.31, and I've got nowt! Seriously, it's not long back that what I had delivered today would have cost about £25. I've got no meat, no cheese, no coffee, no $limfast, no F&V & no milk - my 6 biggest expenses.

I have got a pack of 20 cheapie lagers (anything stronger and OH is under the table! - lol ) for just under £6, but that leaves £54 and really, I've got sod all. I've not even stocked up my store cupboard!

Most of what I buy is own brand, of those that aren't a few were on offer, and there are a few smart price products in there too.

It's scary, it really is. I'm beginning to think that I definitely get more for my money with my weekly cash, than I do with my money put aside for my online shops.....well, actually, I know I do. I just physically can't carry enough to do all my shopping on foot with a backpack and a pair of hands.

Anyway.....it brings me to a total spend 6 days into the budget of.....
£131.43 leaving me with a remaining budget of £143.57

Not bad - almost ½ my budget gone in 6 days - I think I may have surpassed myself :rotfl:

larmy16

Hippeechiq wrote: »

Hiya

Can you elaborate on this? I buy value vinegar, both malt and white. Which do you use? How much do you use? Where do you put it i.e. in the dispenser or in a ball in the machine? What temp wash do you put the machine on? Do you use solely vinegar or do you add some washing tablet/powder/liquid?

Thanks

Hi Hippie

I may not have been too clear in my last post. I use the vinegar (cheapie malt one) instead of rinse aid, with my LIdl/Tesco value tablets.

When I said about putting a whole bottle in, that is once a month when I give my dishwasher and washing machine a good clean out. The dishwasher is positively gleaming afterwards. I use a hot wash with both.

Hope this helps.

janie-h

larmy16 wrote: »

Hi Hippie

I may not have been too clear in my last post. I use the vinegar (cheapie malt one) instead of rinse aid, with my LIdl/Tesco value tablets.

When I said about putting a whole bottle in, that is once a month when I give my dishwasher and washing machine a good clean out. The dishwasher is positively gleaming afterwards. I use a hot wash with both.

Hope this helps.

Thanks for that. I use Lidl dishwasher tabs, came out very well in some tests (can't remember which one) so I tried them and was impressed. Also buy Finish when it's on in Home Bargains as good price. Was wondering about descaling/cleaning with vinegar. My mam, god bless her, swore by vinegar to clean and there were always bloomin' great vats of the stuff around the house and garage! We just thought she was barmy LOL

Anyway, printed out my weekly menu/grocery planner and started filling it in - just about to finish it as off to shops tomorrow after work.

It hasn't snowed for 2 days here!!! But after 10 days non stop snow, it hasn't melted either - just packed solid snow with ice on top. (Not nice) But it does make me feel very christmassy :rudolf::xmastree::rudolf:

Hippeechiq

Hi larmy - sorry hun, it's me who's the one not being clear

What I'm really wanting to know, is how much vinegar you put in your washing machine? (not your dishwasher)

Where do you put it, as in, in the dispenser or pour it straight into the drum?

What do you do once you have put the vinegar into your washing machine?

Do you put your machine on a wash with just the vinegar in it? Or do you use washing powder/liquid too?

Sorry to be a bit dense, but I really have no idea .....that said, I do realise you mean you only do this every now and again to keep your machine clean and free from smell

youngmummy

so far ive spent £119.00 but this was a complete monthly shop so i should be ok as will only need top ups for the rest of the month and im going to make my own bread so hoefully i will be under but to be honest it doesnt look that way !!!
hope everyone else is doing ok x

larmy16

Hi Hippee

I am wondering if you mean do I use vinegar as fabric conditioner in which case I don't - think there are people on OS who do though.


With the second bottle I put the whole amount into the washing machine in the drum and put on a hot wash to descale the machine. I don't add anything else.

Hoipe this helps. I just think that for 13p it works out very good value compared to commercial descalers.

Also I heard a Miele engineer saying that a good thing to use in the w machine to clean it out was good old washing soda. A mug full on a hot wash once a month. He said it clears out the pipes of scum.

elf06

Hi all. Wow its taken me a while to catch up but I guess thats what I get for not coming on more often

Well I have so far managed 4 NSD's this month and the spendy days have been a mobile phone top up (managed to get £40 credit for £7 :money:) but its not included in my GC as I have a seperate budget for top ups and yesterday managed to get a reasonably big shop for £22.66. Got 6 rolls or wrapping paper, tags, 3 bottles of $urf (b1g2f in Mr T just now), peppercorn sauces x2, 2 fillets of fish, tom sauce, mayo, mustard (why do these all run out at once???), some bics, fresh lychees (OMG not had them in ages and had forgotten how yummy they are), strawbs, sugar, chesnuts, malt baps, plums, bananas, kitchen foil, lemonade, bubble bath for DS (this is a once a week treat as his skin doesnt cope very well with it), some calp0l (getting to that time of year and realised I didnt have any in stock - fingers crossed it wont be needed though ) and a couple of treats (xmas mini r0lls, cinnamon whirl and a 6pk of crisps).
Currently very happy with my spends and considering going back for more of the $urf offer.


My lovely parents also gave me a saving stamps card worth £50 :eek:. Now I'd like to say that the money I spent yesterday isnt included because of the stamps but I would like a true figure of a December spend so I shall be including all spends (well all spends that would normally be included) and just be incredibly greatful for their generosity.

Hope everyone is warma and well - sorry for the long post.

LolaLemon

elf06 wrote: »

bubble bath for DS (this is a once a week treat as his skin doesnt cope very well with it),

Have you tried some oats (add some essential oils too if u want) wrapped in a muslin (or muslim, i always get that wrong!) and either tie it to your taps so the water runs through it, or add straight to the bath whilst filling up, this makes the water a bit creamy and is brilliant for the skin, u can then use the 'bag' as a sponge and get washed with it, its lovely (oooh i sooo want my bath back! only got a shower in here)

elf06

LolaLemon wrote: »

Have you tried some oats (add some essential oils too if u want) wrapped in a muslin (or muslim, i always get that wrong!) and either tie it to your taps so the water runs through it, or add straight to the bath whilst filling up, this makes the water a bit creamy and is brilliant for the skin, u can then use the 'bag' as a sponge and get washed with it, its lovely (oooh i sooo want my bath back! only got a shower in here)

Ooooh no i havent - sounds lovely though. I might need to give it a try. Thanks

Hippeechiq

larmy16 wrote: »

Hi Hippee
With the second bottle I put the whole amount into the washing machine in the drum and put on a hot wash to descale the machine. I don't add anything else.

Hoipe this helps. I just think that for 13p it works out very good value compared to commercial descalers.

Also I heard a Miele engineer saying that a good thing to use in the w machine to clean it out was good old washing soda. A mug full on a hot wash once a month. He said it clears out the pipes of scum.

That's what I was trying to ask!! :rotfl:

So you empty a whole bottle of malt vinegar into the drum and then put it on a hot wash - yes? (please tell me I've got it this time - lol)

I use a dessert spoon of washing soda every time a do a wash - but I also like the idea of doing a hot wash with a mug full of it to clear the pipes out, so thanks for that tip

Got to have a Mammogram this afternoon. Not looking forward to it - I don't enjoy getting semi naked in front of strangers and having my b00bs squashed between to plates (hope Nick's not reading! lol) but I do think check-ups are important, and although not my favourite things, I wish smears and mammograms were done yearly.

Oh dear....this isn't very GC related, is it? lol.

A somewhat tenuous link - but I have to get some milk after hosp appt so although I would have liked a NSD, I won't be getting one.