October 2011 Grocery Challenge

debbiedeejay

Flat Eric - have heard somewhere that if you sprinkle cat litter into trainers it helps to keep them smelling sweet as they absorb the smell (and probably the moisture too)put it in the night before and tip the stuff out in the morning.HTH

Realised after updating signature that am over this months budget by £2.70 but am not going to beat myself up - well not just yet anyway.

Looks like I will have to raid the cupboards and freezer this week - not much fun with two hungry teens at home. ah well at least it will help with stock rotation and making space - for what I have no idea but that's what I will tell them;)

spendaholic

Not such a good week this week, with all the detergents needing replacing at the same time. I spent £63.10, bringing my total to £200.13 ... which is actually only 13p over budget, so not too bad after all.

So, I'd like to declare at £200.13, please. Thank you!

Islandmaid

Ok chaps and chapesses,

Tried to do a careful shop, most of which will come out of Nov,s budget, I have tried to split it into this months spends and next months spends, with some specifically for the party, which is now upto 40 people approx.....

Party food - 2 x large mulled wine - £9.98
6x chocolate bars (for brownies) - £2.10
4 x 500g minced beef - £6.76
2 x bread flour - £1.36
4 x passata - £1.16. !All from Mr L,s.!
3 kilo chicken wings - £3.79 = £25.15

Monthly meat spend - November
2.5 kilo brisket (into 3 joints) -£10.51
2 kilo good sausages -£5.00
2.5 kilo pork (into 2 joints) - £9.85
2.5 kilo stewing steak - (3 portions) - £11.20
2 kilo - minced beef - £6.76 = £43.32

General shopping from Oct budget
Garlic 89p
Pears 89p
Peppers 99p
Plain flour 52p
Sugar 82p
Rice £1.39
Pickle 82p
4x tuna - £4.00
Orange juice x 2 - £1.98
Bin bags - £3.58
Crisps - £1.99
Milk £1.39
Mushrooms 2kg - £2.50 (freezer) =£20.76

Grand total = £85.44:T

Sorry if you think i,m mad writing all down, but it helps get my head straight, i,ve just got to remember to keep a note of the November bit - all chopped, bagged and tagged and sat in the freezer niw - sorry to waffle on xx

PS OMG watched exteme coupons thing on tv last night - not sure if they are mad or hero,s - just wish we could get away with it in the UK:rotfl:

Kaloloke

Hi all,

I went over again last week by a little bit

Today I have spent £13.75 at the co-op on reduced cheese and some ham / chicken for sarnies and £3.65 at the bakers on bread and 2 x cakes

K

meg72

Declaring at £50.80.Soover by 80p but am very pleased as this was £5for four packs chicken thighs in Icelandand £6.80 for absolutely loads of whoopsies in Asda, proper price would have been £26,78.

Have enough in for meals for November and really must use up as now have no space at all in freezer for Christmas stuff,although already have turkey crown (bought reduced last Easter) beef,
Pork and gammon joints.

So please can I be put down again for £50 For November. I will use this to stock up on Christmas goodies

CompBunny

Adding £12 to my total...still on track to come in under budget Really pleased with myself, but have the tendency to skip lunch and breakfast and just have a carrot and an apple or something on some days so as not to use up food (OH gets a proper packed lunch of course, its just I sit at home all day expending little energy so it seems silly to use up food). But this probably isn't ideal so will try and think of practical cheap things.

I'm interested in experimenting with dried chick peas and lentils...do you really have to soak them?!

PS ZoeGirl what sort of couscous do you use? I never knew you could just shove boiling water on it and leave it to cook itself!!! Would the Tesco Wholefoods cheapy one work OK?

Car-ree

Hi all,:)
Did an Aldi shop today and have stuff left from last weeks shop so I should be good for this week, I've still got £10 left for food this week, and just need to get trick or treat sweets and make/buy some cakes for a halloween party. So Will come in under budget this month :j my month ends sunday. Have updated my sig.
Dh has been home since friday and don't think he's eaten anything from home, barr some biscuits I made for the DDs:mad:
He has decided to do his own food shopping, which will cost us more having 2 lots of food shopping but we are saving £300+ a month on petrol as he's not back at work till next year, and he lives away from home in the week and buys his own food then anyway, so I suppose it will work out ok
Anyway hope everyone is doing well with their challenges and if you're really skint a great cheap meal someone told me is pasta bake with value pasta 18p and value tom/chicken soup 18p pour over pasta then add half tin of water bake for 35mins GM6.

rising_from_the_ashes

Hi everyone, finally got my Mr A order delivered so have some veg at last!:o

Another £42.55 to add bringing me to £95.93/£100 so getting very tight and still a week to go!:eek:

I should have enough in to last - although I may go slightly over as DM visits on a Monday so if I'm running low by then I'll have to take advantage as can't get out myself just now.

rising_from_the_ashes

A quick question ..... if I do need DM to get me a few bits on Mon, which will be for November use - can I count this as November budget even though it's the 31st?

It seems a bit silly to pass up the opportunity when she's here.

tessie_bear

hi...had a great day out with the kids today....we had a pleasant time and got on but i saw a few stressed families....making ends meet is hard at the moment....anyhow nothing spent from gc budget but some spebt from other budgets:eek:

we had costco chicken kievs for tea...lush hopefully buy some more later in the week when we visit along with a lotof other things such as eggs/weetabix/cereal/oats

take care tessa