September 2011 Grocery Challenge

rising_from_the_ashes

poppy-glos wrote: »

Because they were cheap - i bought beefsteak tomatoes, now about to do an internet search for what to make with them (not had them before), any suggestions gratefully received

These are lovely roasted with something like couscous or savory rice in - I also chuck in whatever veg I've got lying around that needs used up too.

• Cut the tops off to make a "lid" and scrape out the middle (which you can add to the couscous/savory rice if you don't want them for anything else)
• Stuff with your couscous / savory rice mixture
• Pop the lids back on
• Drizzle on some olive oil
• Roast in the oven until nicely browned and soft

I do the same with any "a bit past it" peppers too...... very quick & easy (never the same as it's always different types of veg in) and one of my favourite dinners - yum!:D

rising_from_the_ashes

Bumpmakesfour wrote: »

How do you stick within your budgets?Do you withdraw cash at the start of each week/month?Or just keep receipts for card payments? Thanks xx

I'm still working on this!

My downfall is that I see offers and stock up (which is good) but I end up with loads of say pasta & nothing to go with it!

rej-c

A little catch-up from me: two NSDs added, plus two spendy days totalling just under £15.

So, that means just over £50 of budget left to the end of the calendar month, and I'm hoping to spend as little of that as possible because any 'leftovers' are going toward celebrating our anniversary next month.

I cleaned out a kitchen cupboard yesterday and moved some of the food around [we're in a shared house, so only a couple of cupboards to use in the kitchen, everything else is stashed in the bedroom]. That cupboard is now full of stash tins and a couple of jars [not all of them by any means, but it gets them out of the bedroom]. Doing this shift-around made me realise that, aside from a pasta mountain that will see us well into next year, we have more than 40 tins of baked beans in stock.

As a result of this little eye-opener I'm starting to believe that if I just 'shop from the stash' first when planning or writing shopping lists, I can, hopefully, shave a healthy amount more off the monthly spends. [Also, rather than a Shepherdless pie, tomorrow we're having a baked bean-based sausage casserole ]

This month, as a little experiment, I've been buying discretionary junk [sweets and biscuits] from my own money rather than the housekeeping, and it's really brought home to me how badly I need to cut back on that nonsense - I've cost myself a fortune! :rotfl:

zippychick

rosieben wrote: »

that's fine Zip, thank you for the new thread :A

so to keep things simple, any recipes from this point on I will add to the October thread - if anyone notices me updating this month please feel free to

Thanking you!!!!! Im going to unleash Octobers now!!!:D

MissOrganised1972

Bumpmakesfour wrote: »

How do you stick within your budgets?Do you withdraw cash at the start of each week/month?Or just keep receipts for card payments? Thanks xx

I only started the challenge in September. I took the money out and kept it in a seperate purse. Everything seems a little more real when you're are handing over the actual cash. For my first month I am quite chuffed that I have only gone a little over budget & had actually acquired the funds to cover that overspend.

During this past month I have realised that there are more shops on the planet than just the big supermarkets! I think that will help me to save.

I think I have made my final purchases for the last month £14.70 in the last few days. Therefore, my spend for September is £133.81 (£120 was budget) I am quite happy with that for my 1st month. Just working on my meal planner & shopping list for October!

quintwins

rising_from_the_ashes wrote: »

How do you normally do your shopping - if cc, have a look at the last couple of statements or if not, do you have receipts from the past couple of months lying around to get an idea?

i tend to update my sig after i've been shopping or if i'm not gonna be near a computer i make a point of keeping my receits, i don't really liek having cash, well no i do i love cash but i spend it too easy so i do a mixture of both but 80% of the time i put stuff on my card


had a nice lazy day had a wee nap even then just made fishfingers and chips for tea, sheperds pie will keep til tomorrow that was wat i had in my meal plan for tomorrow anyway so this saves me rethinking it

Bumpmakesfour

Thanks for the ideas guys x
Ok.Plan for first month is...I have a savings acct linked to my main "shopping n stuff" acct,so I'll move all the money into the savings then every monday put the £140(£120 main shop,£20 top up) into the main acct.Then I'll either sit and do the one big on line shop and pay by card or take cash out to hit Aldis etc for fruit.This way once the £140 runs out it runs out.How does that sound?
Am sat doing my first weeks plan now,defrosted the freezer yesterday and it's sat ready and totall empty waiting for me to batch cook and find some frozen bargains.So..Do I go over to the october thread now and start for real? xx

freakyogre

£6.50 ish spent since my last post.

£2.00 on a wrap for lunch on Friday.
£1.00 on grapes yesterday.
£3.50 on 2 x shampoo, 2 x conditioner and some wet wipes.

cattysmum

Just a small spend today at Mr Ts and Sainsbobs, I had some MOCs burning hole in my pocket for Sacla sauce 1.49 in sansbobs, I had vouchers for £1 so four of those stashed away, some more ocean spray juice, so spends today coming to £13.50 hopefully now just a few bits more before the end of the month, I have a MOC for £10 for morrisons/tesco that needs using up before 2nd Oct so that will be my next big shop next saturday (1st Oct). Woop really hope I can stay on target this month, its looking good, just wanna thank all posters on here for their imput, dont think I could do this without threads incentive Thanks!!

becky170

I'm going to declare £124.05 for September. I'm just under budget so happy :j Going to try for £120 next month.