October 2011 Grocery Challenge

Rainy-Days

I would really love to join this thread - and it will be my first one ever!

Problem is we are going to have a big stock up from the butchers next week and that spend usually comes in at around £180.00 or so but that carries us for around four months. So I am guessing that you are saying I am going to have to add that in, in which case:-

Including butchers visit = £380.00 for the month

Without butchers costs = £200.00 for the month!

Can someone give me an idea how to go about this with the above! Thanks oodles

TrixieB

adelight wrote: »

After saying i wasn't gonna shop until next week I just did an approved foods shop totalling £21.19 inc postage
10kg pasta, 6 cartons soy milk, big tub pesto, 10 xmas puds(love these for sunday pudding!!) and some bits like water, fruit bars and extremely cheap chocolate.

Who was it here who was spending lots on special milk as they cannot have dairy? Maybe approved foods is worth you looking at?

spendaholic

Gosh, this thread gets busier and busier. I haven't had time to go through all of them, sorry.

However, my spend last week was a bit disappointing. £45.12 with a £40/week budget. It included £6 of bird food that I might start getting elsewhere. I don't get that every week, but it makes a hole in the budget when I do get it. I would have come under had it not been for that.

Islandmaid

Hi all,

Just popped into Mr L,s and spent £9.03 on WU liquid, dog food, bin bag, sandwich bags and some rolls, so mostly essentials, did buy DS a rare can of cola, as he had to endure the rantings of my DD last night:mad:

I just want to put her on mute till she,s a human again:o

Hey-ho - hope your all having a lovely day x

PennyGrabber

Hi all,

Having been MIA for a while, I'm back with a vengeance to sort out my food crisis. I have too much of it, in too many places. Every week I buy more than I need, as things are on offer, and I have a ridiculous stockpile. Today it stops.

My plan:

Phase 1. I will sort everything into date order (mostly done anyway), and then work through it. That is my meal plan. Tonight I'm having cheese toasties, as I'm ill and that's what I fancy. Tomorrow is boiled ham (freezer) and then thursday is ham egg and chips. Rest of ham for lunches on Thurs and Fri. Fri dinner may be pasta or potato bake - got tons of jars when they were £1 at a$da.

The issue for me is that I keep 'forgetting' that we don't eat very much. My 2 are 6 and nearly 5, but they have never had large appetites, and so a 4-person pasta bake will last all three of us for 2 main meals, and me for a lunch too! That's great, and very MSE, but why do I have so many of the damn things?!?!?!?!?!

Phase 2 of the plan: to not go shopping. This includes AP, as I like to stock up, and literally don't have anywhere left to put anything. I have 4 2-litre bottles of chinese stir fry sauce. My children don't even like it!!! But, it was a bargain... (:mad::rotfl:)

Phase 3 of the plan: when I do need the odd thing, I will WALK to the local co-0p, which is a 5-min walk away, i.e. too far to carry heavy bags!

Phase 4 of the plan: to not stock up until at least after Christmas, and then only on things I actually need to stock up on. I shall make myself a list to put on my fridge, which will have stuff like baked beans (max8), tuna (max8), sausages (max 3packs), etc.

Any other ideas gratefully received!! Help, please!!!

TBH, I'm hoping it will be easier now anyway, as when i was by myself, I used to mooch round the sm while the children were at their dad's, using the excuse of not wanting to take them round the shops. However, I now have a new OH, and so I tend to chat to him on the phone when I don't have the ch now (he lives 105.8 miles away). So, I will spend less, but unfortunately, it also means that I'm eating less at home, because i go to see him at weekends when ch at their dad's!!!

Thanks for letting me rant everyone.

PG x

Lulabelle06

Hello i have been super busy and havent been able to post in ages! declaring 235.30 for September and setting a budget of £225 for october. Good luck everyone. I will certainly need it as already spent over £70!! x

rising_from_the_ashes

TrixieB wrote: »

Who was it here who was spending lots on special milk as they cannot have dairy? Maybe approved foods is worth you looking at?

It was me!:D

I have to say I've not had Soya milk for years (tried it and didn't like it but as I didn't know I was lactose intolerant at that point it didn't really matter).

May well give it another go though!

Off to have a look at AF now!

Ta

TrixieB

Knew it was a reg on here but just couldn't think and I don't know why but scrolling back didn't occur to me til now - well I do know why, zombie tablets!

Hopefully soya milk has greatly improved since you last had it, or at least is ok in cooking like baking things, soups, white sauce, porridge if not in your drinks on your cereal etc

I tried oat milk once and it was quite nice, and almond milk is rather scrummy too. just used them for porridge as cannot bear it made with just water and was on a dairyfree diet at that time also discivered Vitalite is dairyfree and cheap, a lot cheaper than soya marg etc

helen_jelly

Rainy-Days wrote: »

I would really love to join this thread - and it will be my first one ever!

Problem is we are going to have a big stock up from the butchers next week and that spend usually comes in at around £180.00 or so but that carries us for around four months. So I am guessing that you are saying I am going to have to add that in, in which case:-

Including butchers visit = £380.00 for the month

Without butchers costs = £200.00 for the month!

Can someone give me an idea how to go about this with the above! Thanks oodles

Hi and welcome - I recognise you from the Preparing for Winter thread hehe

You can do your budget however you want but for me I would take the hit in one go and then its done with, so I'd set this month as £380 and then £200 for the months after. Hope that makes sense. Once you've decided post again and I'll add you to the front list

Helen x

Rainy-Days

Thanks Helenjelly that does make sense and I shall take the 'hit' for this month! It seems such allot but I am hoping that November might see a reduction - having said that there is that C word to consider!!