July 2011 Grocery Challenge

franby64

Afternoon.

I've just bought fruit, bread, eggs, bacon, turkey breast and a baguette and spent about £13! But I'm still only halfway through my budget for the month (well I set it high enough!) so not so bad.
New total is £225.12.

XSpender

£10.04 spent in Mr S yesterday on basics nappies, coffee, milk, basics toms, basics cheese, basics salad and a whoopsied cucumber.

I forgot fruit yesterday and as DM and DSD are coming for dinner on Sunday I decided to get the bits I need for that today so another £10.08 spent on basics potatoes, 15 eggs, basics fromage frais, basics mozarella, double cream, apples, bananas, onions and clementines and 4x branston beans on offer.

The apples will be going back tomorrow as everyone is badly bruised and I am not paying £1.50 for apples I can't eat:mad:

I am planning on making toad in the hole, mash, carrots, peas and onion gravy followed by a cream filled victoria sponge (either plain with jam and cream or chocolate just with cream). At Christmas I made some mincemeat and choc buns which DM loved so I will make some of these and some scones to have when they arrive. This will use up the jar of mincemeat I have and some of the huge sack of scone mix I bought form AF.:)

Only problem is I thought I had veggie and meat sausages in the freezer but I haven't got as many as I thought so another trip to Mr S will have to be made.

Budget stands at £240.07/£260 and I have 7 days of my month left and I am quietly confident that I may actually come in under budget. I have never ever ever hit my budget doing the GC:eek::D

Oops sorry for the ginormous post:o

emmad5689

Another NSD today and tomoro should be too although will have to get some things on friday, really don't know if I will hit budget or not

QOTD

Pinwheel I'm missing my fruit :sad: I know what you mean about it being expensive and although it's great for eating healthily it's not so great for eating cheaply

Since I'm on such a tight budget this month I have abandoned fruit for the time being and we are just sticking to plenty of veg that is in season, and loads of lentils to bulk up the meat - not that anyone else in the family actually realises this

Crumbs, just remembered that as well as forgetting tinned tomatoes, I forgot eggs as well. Oh well I can just pop in somewhere tomorrow on the way back from tomorrows interview and get them.

QOTD

Oh, Just remembered, from last weeks shopping one of the tins of tomatoes (value brand) contained lots of black tomatoes and also ones which had holes and had obviously been eaten by insects. Ended up having to throw the lot away and use another tin (hence why none are left in the pantry).

My OH mentioned it to me (he was cooking and using them) and I thought nothing of it..... until I then thought, no wait a minute we paid for these and were unable to use them so really I need to compain. I told OH to make sure that I wrote a letter that night - to make sure it was done - and in the end actually decided to email instead and scanned a copy of the receipt.

Anyway I emailed 10 July and today I had a call from Customer Services. Now I will admit I'm not 100% on what was said as I was on my way to an interview and negogiating a roundabout trying to figure out where I was going (BTW I was on handsfee!) but I gather that they apologised and will be sending a letter of apology along with some vouchers - not sure as to value - to compensate me :j:j

Job done, and thoroughly impressed with myself for taking some positive action - not just talking about doing it - and getting a positive result. My first letter of complaint, must remember to do it more often when the need arises.

Mothership

M&S
2 Deli deals 3 for £5
2 Packs Mackerel
1 Quiche lorraine
1 Chicken Breast
2 BBQ Chicken Packs
1 Coleslaw + 4 Baking Potatoes for £2
2 Packs Lorne Sausage £1 each
1 Pack of Pork Sausages £1
1 Carton Thick Double Cream 59p
Total Spend £15.59

S********s
Value Lettuce 80p
Cherry tomatoes £1.30
2 Tubs Flora Buttery £2
2 Packs Rolls 2 for £1
Bananas 80p
Total Spend £5.90

Local shop
2 jugs milk £1 each

Total Spend £22.69

Greggs
My daughter brought me a lovely Large whole-meal brown loaf and a bag of 6 whole-meal brown sub rolls (massive) for 50p each. Fantastic value.

We had a lovely salad tonight with baked potato, My DD2 and I shared a pack of mackerel OH had the chicken.

Sausages Bacon Mash + Cabbage tomorrow.

Gave the farmers market a miss this week, still have loads left from last Tuesday.

Hope you are all well and happy. And your cupboards and coffers overflowing!

Long_tall_sally

A few spends here & there this week. "Should" just need to get some veg for the rabbit & guineapig on Friday before we go away for a week. I have updated my signature by £37 although £8.25 of this was on a magazine for all of us which am not sure whether I should have included or not as I never generally buy mags anymore but guess the cost of our treat needs to come out of somewhere. Not really sure whether I am doing well or not this month but I do know that the freezer is actually pretty empty so that is a job well done but we will still have a few days to get through when we return from holiday until payday.

QOTD - well done on complaining! It is a lot of hassle but it is usually worth it & like you say, you paid for them so they should have been fit to eat.

:wave:Spiggle!

rej-c

Hope everyone's well - sounds like lots of positive action being taken. Thanks for being such a positive influence. :T

Monday and Tuesday were NSDs. Only £1.50 to add to my tally today, for a couple of bags of frozen chopped onions, taking me to £70.36/£250.

I confess, I picked up a couple of other bits while in the supermarket, but as they were totally unnecessary/unplanned - such as a couple of packets of Basics biscuits and one courgette that cost 47 flipping p! [Proof that I'm turning into my mother came when I heard myself loudly tutting while checking my receipt :rotfl:] - those came out of my pocket money. Hopefully that will motivate me to stick to what I need to get - which in reality is very little, given the stockpiles at home.

Tomorrow should be an NSD, hopefully Friday too - although I'll see how the fruit situation is then. If I spot any whoopsied bananas on the way home on Friday, all bets are off

Rowan9

QOTD wrote: »

Pinwheel I'm missing my fruit :sad: I know what you mean about it being expensive and although it's great for eating healthily it's not so great for eating cheaply

Since I'm on such a tight budget this month I have abandoned fruit for the time being and we are just sticking to plenty of veg that is in season, and loads of lentils to bulk up the meat - not that anyone else in the family actually realises this
.

Hi - just a quickie to say I've been buying market value (or market place??) apples from MrT - they are less than £1 and have been really good. Think MrM does something similar. Bananas are quite cheap just now as well. Also been buying tins of grapefruit and MrM has a huge tin (in fruit juice) for about £1. It does DH and me a few days for brekkie.
Hope this helps a bit
edit - just checked - I have a bag of MrM value apples 8 big Granny Smiths for £1.05

Gintotmelinda

hi all

XSpender where are the Branston Beans on offer? I need to stock up again.

Have a good afternoon all.

Gintot