March 2011 Grocery Challenge

debtfreewannabe321

£11 spend on fruit & veg stall in town, after watching the people's supermarket on tele it has made me think twice about where i get my meat/fruit & veg from! They look much fresher and yummier too

So i think my spends are already up to £22/250 not a brill start! still have a big shop to do tomorrow!

cutiepieabf

perrywinkle wrote: »

Hi cutiepieabf,

I've made this one quite a few times and it couldn't be easier (although easier to freeze in a cling film lined loaf tin and then slice than to scoop from a tub) - have also used chopped chocolate or chopped crunchies instead of the honeycomb, and I think it would also be good with some raspberry puree or similar through it.
http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/3648/barbecued-pineapple-with-honeycomb-ice-cream

HTH
perrywinkle

Thank you Perrywinkle! i will try this this week and let you know how it went.

laineyc_2

We had a lovely weekend in Scotland. A walk on the beach on Saturday was a tonic to city life. Shame Scotland lost in the rugby but the atmosphere was great. DH was delighted.

Have defrosted mince for meatballs and to make pie fulling with. I have to buy onions and milk on the way home from work. My coffee order from Amazon has not appeared so they are sending it out again. I have order a small shop from Te***s this week with oil and free range chickens. Will be going to Lidl on Thursday for the rest and a rake since they have gardening stuff on offer on from Thursday.

Moniker

Hi folks - sorry I have been MIA lately - don't know where the time has gone.

Have updated my sig with last month's spends. Although I am an annual budgetter now, I have noticed that I was about 10% over on my nominal monthly spend for Feb. This should improve this month as with Lent approaching I won't be buying the wine and chocolate!

I read in the paper today that a US research organisation reckons that food price inflation is higher in the UK than anywhere else in Europe. That make me feel better - it's not me being extravagant - it's inflation! I don't know if our prices were starting from a lower base or not but they certainly feel as though they are higher than when I started this three years ago.

Have a few days off work this week - so have been cooking. Have a big batch of bolognese in the slow cooker and it smells divine! Cannelloni, later. Off to eat a (frugal) cheese on toast lunch.

Moniker

01001011

Hi, I have not been doing the GC for years because I managed to keep the spending low by myself. Now I have moved to Luxembourg and I need to start a new budget. Things are sooo expensive here. There is no super cheap basic products or BOGOF deals, never mind crazy whoopies.

I am aiming for €100 this month.

lauzellen

NSD here :A and i'm hoping for another tomorrow - we have run out of bread but it can wait until i do my shop on thur and we'll have other things for lunch :cool:

kittypimms

Hello all!

An overspend last month, but hopefully now have built up eough stores and recipe ideas to attack the new challenge in March! (and fingers x'd no further dog-tummy issues requiring expensive chicken!)

Please can the doglets and I be put down for £65 for March please?

Thankyou!

angelatgraceland

greent wrote: »

My March doesn't really start until tomorrow, but the children informed me that the guinea pigs are out of hay, so I nipped to the local pet shop on the way home this morning for a large bag (£5.60). That's next to Aldi, so I also nipped in there for things I'd have gone in for in a couple of days (£22.89)
SO.... March has started here with £28.49/ £400...


ETA: just had confirmation that eldest son has got a place at grammar school, so some celebratory food may be the order of the day!

Try to find a farm not too far away to get your hay-you can get a whole bale for that price! Maybe go halves with a friend or give a friend half of the bale if they will collect it with you? G.Pigs. The used hay and their poo are excellent manure so using lots of cheap hay worked for us.:money:

I came in well under budget on grocery for Feb but had a lot of other expenses instead! DD needed more clothes-I dont know how she wears things out so quickly! Car MOT but at least it passed-trips to hospitals-lots of parking and it will continue as DH has been diagnosed with a tumour on his liver. Had bowel cancer 4 years ago but this is worse and now awaiting a pet scan. Focusing on the budget is not my top priority but is a matter of habit now although I do buy DH spur of the moment treats of course! Lots of fuel needed in the next few months Im guessing but I will deal with it!

BrownGun86

Right guys, I really need your help!

I have to reduce what I'm spending on work lunches but my problems are that: by the time I get home from work at 8/9pm I can't be bothered to prepare much for the next day, I don't like sandwiches, I never have any leftovers (greedy OH and dog!) AND I'm trying to lose a little bit of weight.

So I've been spending a fortune on low calorie (well, relatively) wraps, salads etc from B*ots, S*insbury's, S*bway, you name it!

Pleaaaase inspire me with some alternatives I can bring from home

angelatgraceland

BrownGun86 wrote: »

Right guys, I really need your help!

I have to reduce what I'm spending on work lunches but my problems are that: by the time I get home from work at 8/9pm I can't be bothered to prepare much for the next day, I don't like sandwiches, I never have any leftovers (greedy OH and dog!) AND I'm trying to lose a little bit of weight.

So I've been spending a fortune on low calorie (well, relatively) wraps, salads etc from B*ots, S*insbury's, S*bway, you name it!

Pleaaaase inspire me with some alternatives I can bring from home

Assuming you are home on a sunday you could prepare a couple of wraps for Monday and Tuesday in advance? I take in a dish of couscous or rissoto or homemade soup and reheat in the micro at work. Can you do this?