July 2011 Grocery Challenge

JayJay14

emmad5689 wrote: »

Morning all, anyone any ideas to reign the other half in? made a sausage casserole last night and he said he wasn't hungry (often isn't when it's warm) that was fine however later on decided he was hungry so made himself a cheese sandwich but he cuts slabs of cheese which means not enough left for sandwiches through the week and had 3 packets of crisps aswell as pinching a sausage out of the casserole that he didn't want that he knew I said I would eat today. I could scream sometimes.

I can't give any advice really on this one but sometimes there somes a point when the message gets through. In my case it was when I cooked a pan of curry for tea and then had to pop out for ten mnutes. When I came back I asked OH and DS where my tea was it turned out they had just shared the panful between them, never occured to them that I mught actually want to eat:mad:

Cue heated words - things have been better since, but to stop them being tempted to take more than a portion I now divide up as soon as it is cooked - especially if I want some of it in the freezer for later.

First spend of the month for me last night - £5 in A$da. Two tubs of Kellys cornish ice cream for £3 and dog biscuits and jelly. Need to go to the cash and carry this morning for a big box of burgers as DS likes the flatter catering type rather than the chunkier supermarket ones that shrink to a meatball :rotfl:Yes I know I should make my own but they are quite good burgers and handy to have in.

yummymummy05

I'm back!!
Well after a year doing my PGCE I didn't have time for MSE, but I have the summer off and I'm doing supply teaching next year so it is more important than ever!!

Can you put me down for £40pw please for July (thats for w/b 02/07 to 23/07).

There are 2 adults and 2 children so this is gonna be tough but it's all the money I can afford right now.

Plus my freezer is no longer defrosting itself as it has a leak - so will have to think about getting a new one in the near future!

will post my weeks meals later!
xx

ragz_2

£400 for me this month again please. I do have DS1 party food to buy but I'll be doing HM food (it's a birthday tea so proper food as it's dinner time!) followed by jelly and ice cream so shouldn't cost a lot.

Have enough washing powder to last the month.
About to go dig about in the freezer before writing meal plan (lost enthusiasm for that really, must get back into it. I keep forgetting to defrost things!)

NSD yesterday. (grocery wise anyway, spent a LOT at school fete!)

xshootingstarsx

First spend for the month yesterday £44.56 which included some other things apart from food. This shop will last us two weeks as dh is going away next week so there will be no weekly shop then. Got a few bits and pieces to pick up tomorrow like meat from the butchers, foil and some veg.

WonderfulLife

I spent way over the amount i wanted to in June. Of the £373.63 that I spent, only £141.91 was on Real groceries. This means I wasted £134.57 on eating out and £95.15 on chewing gum and diet coke. That is some revelation and one that I wouldn't have had if I hadn't done the challenge. I'm hoping to have a no gum or coke month in July. It should have a major impact on my ability to keep on track as far as my £200 budget is concerned. I'm also going to feed people at home instead of eating out. I'll budget £50 from my £200 for that so that I can put on a good spread for visitors.

Good luck everyone this mionth

rej-c

emmad5689 wrote: »

Morning all, anyone any ideas to reign the other half in? made a sausage casserole last night and he said he wasn't hungry (often isn't when it's warm) that was fine however later on decided he was hungry so made himself a cheese sandwich but he cuts slabs of cheese which means not enough left for sandwiches through the week and had 3 packets of crisps aswell as pinching a sausage out of the casserole that he didn't want that he knew I said I would eat today. I could scream sometimes.

I'd be tempted to tell him he's having bread, marge and air sarnies for lunch for the rest of the week because he caned the cheese, plus he owes you at least one lunch

Seriously, though, my Him Indoors has occasional, erm, moments of a similar nature - although, in fairness, he generally will eat whatever's put in front of him and be glad of it, so he could be worse. But when he's in one of those moods where he suddenly needs a quick 'food hit', like many of us, he defaults to 'simplest possible' mode: if there are no no-prep munchies like biscuits, chocolate or crisps handy [and I'm trying to cut down on those in the house, so there often aren't], and he resorts to looking in the cupboard or fridge, he doesn't see 'ingredients', he sees 'nothing to eat' and so tends to grab bread, marge, cheese, peanut butter - stuff that he can just slam together and nosh quickly.

I'm vegan and he's not, so I only buy meat and cheese for him in relatively small amounts when there's a yellow label on it, and try to make sure that there's only a couple of portion's worth in the fridge at a time - the rest lives in the freezer until it's rationed out, and he's generally too impatient to rummage in there and wait until stuff defrosts.

I also pack leftovers away as quickly as possible, to avoid temptation, and try to clearly point out when tubs of leftovers are available for him in the fridge, and tell him how to reheat if necessary; sometimes he goes for it, sometimes not, but at least if I make it clear what's up for grabs and what's not, he can't complain that there's nothing to eat, and if he chooses to go and spend his own money in the local chicken shop instead, all the more leftovers for me. :rotfl:

Sorry for the ramble, but HTH

rosieben

Welcome to the challenge, rej-c, good luck!
and welcome back yummymummy05, well done on the PGCE :T
20somethinghousewife, great whoopsies! :T I do love hearing about the great whoopsies GC'ers get

CherryPie, sorry to hear about your gran <hugs>

Chloris wrote: »

...and the supermarket . ...

Personally I find it wonderful when someone posts that they went in to a shop and bought what was on their list then left. How many thousands of pounds are spent by the supermarkets to try to stop that happening? With all their evil arts. ...

Well said Chloris :T

Natty68

Can I rejoin please? I sort of went off track but I need to get back on track again and actually have some excess money left over at the end of the month.. Although at the moment all my money goes on my debts etc..

CAN YOU PUT ME DOWN FOR £500 THIS MONTH, that includes bills and petrol.

JIL

emmad5689 wrote: »

Morning all, anyone any ideas to reign the other half in? made a sausage casserole last night and he said he wasn't hungry (often isn't when it's warm) that was fine however later on decided he was hungry so made himself a cheese sandwich but he cuts slabs of cheese which means not enough left for sandwiches through the week and had 3 packets of crisps aswell as pinching a sausage out of the casserole that he didn't want that he knew I said I would eat today. I could scream sometimes.

its not been my husband that i have the problem with more my daughter, i know she wont look in the salad drawer so in the past i have 'hidden' cooked meat, chocolate, cheese etc in boxes in there out of her way. the problem then is remembering its there!!

HalfaSixpence_2

Did a Sainsburys shop last night wanting to get the petrol coupon as dh is going to be doing a lot of driving next week. The New Me actually found it quite hard to find £60 of stuff that was on the list and cheap enough, particularly since there is no freezer space left unless I take something else out so couldn't stock up on anything perishable. Got to £68 in the end after deals so got the petrol coupon and was then given a coupon for £14 off my next shop over £70, which seems quite good but only valid until 8/07! Am deliberating whether it would be feasible to shop for the rest of the month, do major stock up on non perishables (they have an offer on the classic catfood my cats like) and maybe even put some stuff in my MILs freezer.

How do people find it works do do a big shop? I'm really used to shopping a couple of times a week and I'm worried it would just mean I'd run out of money half way through the month.