April 2011 Grocery Challenge

GroinSexyPavement

Will have 5 extra mouths to feed this long weekend, so I'm very worried about exceeding my budget. I hope I can just scrape through, though there has been talk of takeaways and meals out :eek::p

Trim_my_budget

We have a Spanish friend coming to stay for a week next Saturday, so any ideas for nice meals that aren't going to break the budget would help! Have just about managed this month feeding hubby and 2 hungry teenagers on £70 a week and dont want to go back to old ways!

quintwins

morning all, today shud be a nsd, havent really decided wat to do for tea, i'm thinking cheese and ham toasties and a few chips, i'm feeling rough again i was up half the night with one of the boys and my ears so i'd like something quick and easy because i then have to go help my mum move

Chloris

Have updated signature with our last big shop of the month. A whopping £77.06 at MrM. I seriously am banned from going to the shops as we always spend more when I am there. If I write the list and leave DH to it is works fine. He doesn't know what the meal plan is so doesn't pick up nice little bits to go with things. I am under budget at present, so it looks like no top ups this week. Except maybe milk.

Made lovely smoked hoki fishcakes, new pots, peas and tartar sauce for tea last night. 52pence a head, so annoyingly over my ideal 50p.:p That will be because of the tartar sauce that wasn't on the list .

Baileys_Babe

Just popping to up date & keep me on track.
13/4 Sains £32.58 mainly fruit, salad & fish in laws were visiting the next day
15/4 Ald! £11.80 a few bits for dinner and some baking stuff for the stores
19/4 Tesc0s £14.50 included a bucket of Easter eggs for Sundays hunt as well as the bits from the original shopping trip earlier in the month where I came home to socialise instead of going to Mr T's
20/4 £14.50 veg box

Bring my total for the year to £1354.30

Rebekah24

Was not sure where to pop this really, but any help at all would be fantastic.

I think I will ultimately join the April thread for help with this.

Probably going to shoot for a low goal for myself and go for it. I have been getting my OH's shopping and my own for the past couple of months but it isnt really working out doing it that way. Now he is going to order his and I am going to get mine seperately.

Would it keep me more mindful to have physical £10 a week to spend or £10 in an account?? - any tips at all would be ace.

All my food items go in the salad crisper/ I have a freezer drawer! Nice and easy!

I spend around 1/5 of the amount OH & kids spend & I really need to start making more savings in my personal budget, this is somewhere I can really be saving on!! Have done it in the past when on my own and want to get it going again!! Just need some help really

I am thinking - divvy up £30 in an envelope and thats my food money for the month. When its done its done. If I do get anything for OH to immidately give the receipt to him to be reinbursed

Can use freezer space etc for whoopsies ... plenty of opportunity to shop different places and lots of larder space in new house!

Been away too long I think..have clearly been gone far too long!! lol we been spending £40 a week..I never used to spend that a month!! Time to get it down!!

Any tips/suggestions would be most welcome. Thanks in advance guys

nessie216

Morning . . . just about

Just updating my sig & my April challenge is complete (runs from 20th of month due to pay day)

Major disappointment as totally blew it, but i have had a pay rise, and done some overtime

Also stocked up on my cereal bars etc.

Next month will be better

So...

April = £237.31

May Challenge = £180.00

Changing it to give me a little bit of a boost if i come in under budget!

nessie216

Trim_my_budget wrote: »

We have a Spanish friend coming to stay for a week next Saturday, so any ideas for nice meals that aren't going to break the budget would help! Have just about managed this month feeding hubby and 2 hungry teenagers on £70 a week and dont want to go back to old ways!

How about a mushroom risotto?

A curry?

Chilli?

Shepards pie?

I haven't read the past .... pages, but has anyone been taking the tips on board from the SuperScrimpers on Channel4?
You can bulk out a chilli or shephards pie with oats apparantley, keeping costs down!

rachbc

Just checking I have got this right - you live with Oh and kids but buy and cook seperate food for yourself? Why don't you cshop/ cook togtehjr - its often a cheaper way of doing things overall.

You have a budget of £30 per month - is this for all your food/ drink? I don't know if the cheap family recipes planner can be adapted for 1 as some if it invovled bulk batch cooking but in theory that would feed you healthily for £25. What sort of stuff do you like to eat/ cook?

goodgirl80

goodgirl80 wrote: »

bought some eggs for omelettes because I couldn't be bothered cooking oh and bread because i couldn't be bothered making it (noticing a pattern here?!) and squash

£98.18

am at £124.54 for the month, have got about £38 left from my expenses so will do a shop this weekend and hopefully not have to buy anything until May! And that's got to cover petrol for next week as well! Fingers crossed