January 2011 Grocery Challenge

fizzypops

spent some money at the weekend and forgot to upadate my sig!!:doh:

updated now and i hope i can keep to my budget this month. hopefully wont have to buy anything till next week now.

Catslovelycats

Done Tesco shop. Spent £26.36 on food and £6.58 on household things. Did it via mysupermarket for a change and followed most suggestions to downgrade to value products. The test will be the taste... Bought 2 packs of loo block. One at 87p and the other at £1.84. Forgot to remove the expensive one from basket so shall take it back for refund..:A
Off to change sig now

waltzingMathilda

bella121984 wrote: »

Morning everyone! Im trying to do my meal plan and shopping for the next 2 weeks and I have realised I spend a fortune on stuff for DS lunchbox. I have been buying those fruit bars which are one of your five a day, planet lunchbox I think they are called, they do smoothies and all sorts, but they are so expensive! He loves them, and I know he will eat them, where as if I put an apple in there he will have a bite and thatll be it. He usually has a sandwich and some cucumber/pepper/cheese or something, with maybe a mini breadsticks too, and a yogurt if I have any and one of those fruit bars or smoothies instead of fruit...what do your kids have in their lunchboxes?

Hi
I also seem to spend a fortune on fruit, usually bananas clementine or sometimes grapes or cut up melon in lunch boxes. As you say, apples often 1 bite out though funnily enough they seem to eat them at home ok.
I usually aim for cucumber in sandwich - with chicken, cheese, ham or whatever, a piece of fruit plus raisins/dried apricots/apple juice/humzinger (not sure how healthy these really are). Very occasionally (if I can be bothered cut up cucumber/celery/carrot).
Also put in a yogurt or occasionally baby bel and also a treat - ideally home made but sometimes a small chocolate bar.
I find it hard trying to think of stuff to vary, especially if doing late at nigh like me when all you feel like doing is collapsing on the sofa.

x

lolly101

Hi Everyone,

Well I blew the budget yesterday! I spent £21.60, although it was a good shop as half of the money went on three packs of the Dry Nites pants that are on offer (included in challenge, and will buy even more before the offer ends). The rest was on lunch box bits, fruit and veg, etc.
I then spent £5.53(£27.13 in total) in Morrisons today. I shouldn't have even been food shopping today but we nipped in for lunch so ended up browsing. I bought...

2 pizzas that were on offer at £1 each (did not need them, should not have bought them!)
Box of tissues (did need them - got a cold)
Milk (did actually need this, although only found out when I got home!)
Dr Pepper Zero (REALLY didn't need this as I already have 7 bottles of diet cola in pantry!!!).

This makes my total... £139.58/£125 :doh:

martafdz

Welcome Ilona! I am quite new too, about 2 weeks doing the challenge and so far so good

Thank you minnie for the tips in soda crystals. I did not know it sorted out drains, I am buying it for sure to try and unclog mine! It takes ages for the water to drain in the bath and it leaves all the soap in the sides! They used to be fine, so I guess the drain might be a bit blocked somewhere down the way.

Pincher, maybe it's the same brand. Somewhere in the forum there is a thread on what real brand makes the supermarket brand, I cannot remember the name of the thread now but there were loads of well known brands making food for supermarkets.

I wil lbe spending today, I need a few bits and also some packaging for eBay (though this has been already paid by buyers). I can't be bothered to go out, I feel cold and here it's so comfy!! But I have work and also a mystery shop to do before that... so I shall be moving.

See you later!

sabs10

Hi all,

just popped in to update sig.

Half way through challenge and am quite pleased with result so far. Have been making use of the hoard of food in the deep freeze & pantry, so have only bought fresh as required. Only blip is the 16.95 spent on take out last week end, but 2 kids & 1 adult all tired, cold & hungry needs must i felt. Did spend last week making HM ready meals/take out style so this doesn't happen again.

Will hopefully only need fresh milk & veg this week, which will help keep to budget

Have a good week all

sabs

OrkneyStar

Hi,
Was at Tesco today, getting an ironing board, so got a couple of bits. Promptly dropped the milk (2 x 2L) on way from car to house, carrying ironing board and DS under my feet- managed to turn them upside down and ran into house with cartons- where I salvaged about 2L from 4L.......just lucky I had an empty 2L to put it into!
Still got about £20/£40 of this weeks budget but not got diesel yet!
Have PM'd MrsM about getting my budget removed so [STRIKE]hopefully that will be sorted[/STRIKE] that is now sorted- thanks for those who helped!
x

minnie2

soda crystals can also be used to descale boiler,

they can be used as a water softner

gets out oil and grease stains on clothes

you can use it to clean coffe and teapots etc

XSpender

Phew! it has taken me all day on and off to catch up with the posts. I'm not complaining though I really enjoy reading them all:D

3rd NSD in a row today:)

Tonight we are having leftover LMc roast with mash, carrots, cabbage and broccoli and gravy. I am also going to do some fruity meringue nest things for desert.

I may cancel my veg/fruit box this week as I am not sure I we will get through it all. I will see how we are getting on later in the week as I don't need to make a decision until late wed night.

Our freezer is the emptiest it has been in months:D There is still loads in there though and I really only want to fill it with HM meals and milk/HM bread.

My DM bought me a baby and toddler recipe book at the weekend and I have made fish pie for DS today. He absoloutly loved it so I will be trying another recipe tomorrow. Even I though it smelt lovely and I hate fish:T. Best thing was the fish used was a piece of frozen cod in batter with the coating removed that I have had in the freezer a while as DH keeps trying to get himself to like eating fish, can't, and I end up with stuff in the freezer. Have one more piece left so this will make another 4 meals for DS at another date.

I am having a cooking day tomorrow. The plan is to make ratatouille (sp?), 3 portions of moussaka for DH (I don't like it), paprika pork for DS and 2 leek, qu0rn and broccoli pies. I might also make some of the sunshine scones from weezels thread as they are really nice and are god for snacks/DH lunchbox.

I really do not want to go to a shop until later in the week but we only have 2 bananas left (you would think 3 chimps lived in this house). I am sure there was something else I had run out of too:(

I really, really, really want to come under £350 this month. I am going to raid my cupboards and put my thinking cap on to avoid buying much at all.

Good luck to you all too x

Long_tall_sally

Went to the Co Op today in my lunch break to stock up on some more of the Co Op healthier eating sauces which are on offer at 54p each as the one we had on saturday was lovely. Got 7 jars of that, some Whotsits at half price, some veg for the rabbit & guineapig & also my bargain of the day - a HUGE frozen turkey for only £5! It must be big enough to feed 20!