July 2011 Grocery Challenge

Baking_Mad

Hi all,

I'm a newbie here, have been reading your posts for a few days now and must say I'm very impressed. This thread is great. I'm definitely joining in next month.

Good luck to all of you with July GC.

Mrs_Money_Penny

Hi All Haven't been on for 3 weeks as had a horrible time with my Dad being hospitalised and diagnosed with cancer. He's home now just being made comfortable. It's all very sad and sudden and I feel emotional and exhausted.

Therefore shopping budgets have gone by the wayside. Could you put me down for £300 for July have altered my signature to reflect all the recent spending. Will try and manage on £50 for the next two weeks should be a challenge. Then next month we are on holiday for 2 weeks.

chickadee

So sorry to hear about your Dad Mrs M-P. (((hugs)))

XSpender

Sorry to hear about your Dad Mrs Money Penny.

£14.98 spent in Mr S last night so the budget is well and truly blown:o I could have spent less by not taking advantage of the offers on cheese and salad cream but as we will only need them next week/next month it seemed false economy to buy 1 bottle of salad cream when the second cost me 30p and the cheese worked out less than value.

Also bought a Mr S thin and crispy vegtable pizza for £1.60 as I had a right headache and couldn't be bothered to make pizza bases. It was really lovely and I would have it again. Cheaper than a takeaway!

I am not declaring yet as I forgot to get some yogs and tinned fruit for DS but I am going to see if I can last until Friday before buying them.

This is the first month in ages I have remembered to list everything and have for the last 2 weeks meal planned properly and made an effort to use up what I have got, even substituting similar ingredients when I don't have the actual item and even though I have gone over I am actually pretty pleased with the results.

This month I have also cracked how to make a pastry case deep enough and leak proof and have discovered I like plums:rotfl:Now to tackle yorkshire puddings using a recipe from a colleague as mine never rise:)

rej-c

Wishing you and your family strength, Mrs Money Penny.

I need to add two small shops to my total, of £4.80 and £3.70, taking us to £78.86/£250. These were a few fresh items [bread, mushrooms etc] and some first-aid box things. [Nothing like having an apparently unstemmable flow of blood pouring from a deep cut in your index finger to make you realise that you don't actually have the dressings that you thought you had, and basic little plasters aren't even slightly going to do the job... Needless to say, I have appropriate supplies in now, and if I could cross my fingers, I'd do so in hope that we never need to use those dressings.]

I haven't done much in terms of proper cooking since the bread-knife accident on Thursday night, but we're almost out of biccies and chocolate, so I'd better get at it again; and, checking the bank accounts this morning, I realised that we actually have less than I expected available until the end of the month, so of necessity, I'll have to come in well under my £250 target. Going on what's in the stockpile, I see pasta, pasta, rice and more pasta in our immediate future. Hey, the 'eternal butternut squash' may even end up in a veg curry :rotfl:

Anyway, NSD yesterday. Likely to be a small spend this afternoon - have to return to the hospital for them to check and re-dress my finger, and there's a big Mr S store where I have to change buses on the way home, so, if it's still open, I will probably pop in there for [pre-sliced!] bread and do a scout for whoopsies. Then, hopefully, next to nothing for the rest of the week.

My best to all, and good luck with staying on track.

highland_fling_2

Good morning everyone,

Mrs M-P: sorry to hear about your dad. my thoughts are with you and yours.


popped into M$S yesterday, totally unplanned, but really glad I did. Bought lots of whoopsies, e.g. chicken for £3, two pork loins for £2, also bought some reduced bits to put away for Christmas gifts. Was really chuffed with bargains. Had chicken for tea last night, (just shuffled meal plan), and it was lovely. Froze the rest of food for another time. I love finding bargains, I had a rosy glow for the rest of the day.:j

TizerCat

(((Hugs))) Mrs M-P for you and your family.

Total for last week was £28.99 as had a sneeky chocolate brownie on friday!.

This weeks budget is £45 again for me and 2 students have spent £17.70 so far at $sda, so looking good

quintwins

todays a nsd for me i haven't really been keeping track of them this month but i think i've managed quite a few foodwise, but we've out in alot of desil and eaten out a few times not to mention a few big spends on a computer and the next sale, belts will most certainly be tightened from now on

i have chicken casarole in the slowcooker for tea and i'm gonna spend the rest of the day cleaning while hubby cuts the grass

annem38

well another good week and am now at 94.96/250.00 which as this is my week 3 means i am waaaaaay under budget, mind you if it hadn't been hammering it down this morning it would be alot higher so not sure how i will fare next week, will have to see!

has certainly been interesting going thru the freezer, had some delish foot long sausages ( wait***e, 1.99 for 4 instead of £4, bargain) will finish them off tonight in toad in the hole, and there seems to be in an awful lot of frying steak in there, i presume it was on offer a few months ago and i obviously went mad

.....and don't get me started on what is under the sink, i could start my own cleaning company with products which apparently can only by used on bathrooms/windows/cooker hoods/floors...........also don't need to buy many toiletries for the next year either (2 years if we are counting moisturisers LOL)

right must run as homemade cake won't eat itself and mash potato from last night is about to become potato cakes ready for brekkie tomorrow

and i might not post very often but would like to say a big thank you to all of you, as right now i feel like i am taking back control of my house,finances and quite frankly life, i love you all!!!

anne

philsmum

Best wishes Mrs M-P thinking of you and your family.