June 2011 Grocery Challenge

CRANKY40

franby64 wrote: »

One issue I'm pondering is the matter of junk food and who buys it.
Me and OH are trying to lose some weight, mainly by cutting out junk and having 3 sane meals a day + fruit. So I'm stopping buying packets of biscuits etc but the kids are complaining (even though it'll do them good as well!).
I thought about letting them buy their own junk with their own money, something I've always discouraged before now, in the hope that they'll realise they don't want to spend their money that way. (And it would save me money on my GC:D!)
But I don't want them buying/eating loads of rubbish either!
Am I being mean in not buying them treats?
What do other people do?
(They are 16,15 and 12 BTW).

I make cakes and biscuits for my ds (he's 6). He won't eat brown bread, so I make his cakes and cookies with wholemeal SR flour.... There's only about 6 ingredients in everything I make instead of 16, no preservatives or weird stuff and it makes me feel better about the things he eats. He is only 6, weighs 3 stone and doesn't eat much in the way of sweet stuff.

spendlessmummy

Hi everyone,

I've been watching this thread with interest for a few weeks and have decided to take the plunge and join in for July.

My target will be £200 for two adults and a stage 2 weaning baby for the month. I will not be including nappies but will include all her food.

Looking forward to the challenge!

tessie_bear

hi....its hot today (lovely) and i have decided i cant be bothered with asd£ so am planning a trip round to the local nisa to buy some milk....we will need some fruit and veg for later in the week so i will have to go at some point but dont need anything but milk today so i think my plan will work

i have some bread rising and a line full of washing out so feel smug at the moment...it wont last...need to think up some summery food for a day or 2 or until it rains
take care tess

quintwins

spendlessmummy dont forget you can make your own dinners for your baby and freeze them, it doesn't take aslong as you think, or you can feed them what you have and freeze extras for quick lunchs



morning all i have to give the nursery £12 today!!! thats coming from my budget i also need some milk and gravy, i'm off to town in abit then i'll be back to declare, it's scary looking this month, but next month should make up for it.... hopefully, if not going by my over spends i'll need to get my budget down to £125 a month to meet my annual target


i'm going to poundland so i msut keep repeating it's only a bargain if i acually need it

spendlessmummy

quintwins wrote: »

spendlessmummy dont forget you can make your own dinners for your baby and freeze them, it doesn't take aslong as you think, or you can feed them what you have and freeze extras for quick lunchs



morning all i have to give the nursery £12 today!!! thats coming from my budget i also need some milk and gravy, i'm off to town in abit then i'll be back to declare, it's scary looking this month, but next month should make up for it.... hopefully, if not going by my over spends i'll need to get my budget down to £125 a month to meet my annual target


i'm going to poundland so i msut keep repeating it's only a bargain if i acually need it

Thanks, I do actually make most of my daughters foods in batch for the freezer as it works out much cheaper and I know what is in it! Only use some pouches for when we are out and about for a mealtime which isn't often! Need to improve what hubby and I are eating before I can start us all eating the same!

quintwins

spendlessmummy wrote: »

Thanks, I do actually make most of my daughters foods in batch for the freezer as it works out much cheaper and I know what is in it! Only use some pouches for when we are out and about for a mealtime which isn't often! Need to improve what hubby and I are eating before I can start us all eating the same!

lol you could also batch cook for yourselves aswell , i used to patch cook once a week when DS3 was little and it lasted all weeks lunchs with a few left over for our unhealthy days, if you do want to give pounches you can get them in poundland they also do wee plum dinners which are organic and in nice wee reusable bowls i saved a fortune making my own and only bought him tubs/jars twice


i totally agree with knowing whats in it, when my twins were first weaned we gave jars (we were young and thats what people did so we knew no diferent) but soon stopped when we relised it came out the colour it went it, if there was that much colouring ect there body couldn't absorb it god knows wat it was doing to there insides :eek:

toddles*

overspent this month but still very proud of myself. The overspend was all the wipes and toiletries bought from the sainsbugs half price baby event. They will last me until next year and are all tucked away nicely until my little prince makes an appearance. Which according to the consultant could be mid-august!! :shocked:
Also found out at the beginning of the month that I had diabetes so Ive had to buy extra foodie things for that all included in my grocery budget. So to only be £20 odd pound over is great. Considering we used to spend £350 a month on groceries.

The chest freezer really does help reduce our budget. its so good for leftovers, whoopsies and bread and milk. We hardly EVER just nip to the shop anymore for anything. We call our chest freezer our little corner shop!

Meal planning is not for me though. I can plan a good few meals to have throughout the week but I cant know exactly what Im eating everyday. Sometimes I crave certain things so meal planning just doesnt work. I do always work my weekly shopping though around what I already have in the house, so I suppose thats meal planning in some way.

[Deleted User]

I am well inside my June Budget and have been staying away fron shops for most of the month.Using up my stores instead of buying more I will stick to £100.00 please for my budget for July as I can cope with that o.k. plus all my surplus cash is going into our holiday fund only 48 more days until we go :):)

Winged_one

I am completely rubbish this month. I went to Mr SQ on Friday, to get a couple of bits but ended up getting most of the week's shopping and spent €123. I DID go to F&V shop for the F&V, and that was another €18, while I had to get things for my gran yesterday in Mr T and got a spare packet of burgers and of sausages as I had invited neighbours in for a BBQ, and choc mini rolls for gran and bread for us, so another €12 there.

I used burgers, burger buns and sausages from freezer, and made 2 chicken breasts into about 18 kebabs with one pepper and a handful of mushrooms. I used old potatoes in the cupboard to make wedges, heated a loaf of garlic bread, and threw some tomatoes and cheese on the table too. One neighbour brought 2 bowls of salad, and another brought hot dog rolls. The spare burgers and sausages weren't needed, so I will freeze those for another day instead.

I have a load of broad beans, peas, spinach, lettuce, raspberries and some carrots as well to use up from the garden. I didn't try the potatoes yet, but I may have some next weekend, and I need to use a cabbage soon too (there are a few coming ready at the same time).

Menu this week is:
Sat: Confit duck, mini roast potatoes (HM) and HG steamed carrots
Sun: BBQ
Mon: Lamb rogan josh (only making tonight, but double batch for freezer)
Tues: Nasi Goreng
Wed: Chicken, pasta and sauce
Thurs: Bacon ribs and potato wedges
Fri: Something easy for me, alone!!!!
Sat: Probably something indulgent for 1, like a risotto

Gorgeestwo

Yet again, I've gone way over and I'm sure I've missed out some receipts so really haven't done well at all!

Could I be put down for £350 in July please?
I'm determined one month to actually be in under budget, this time I'm going to be more organised about coming on here and keeping up with the thread as I find it really spurs me on to do better when I can see how well you're all doing :T that and making and sticking to a meal plan, I always feel like stuff gets in the way and messes all my plans up