November 2011 - Grocery Challenge

sproggi

£15.24 added to my total from yesterday's spend. Fridge is now 2/3rds full of milk, so hopefully it will last more than just a few days for a change!
Today will be a NSD as there is nothing that I need (highlighted to drum it into my head).


Sproggi

recovering_spendaholic

Prepareathome - thanks for that link - I found it really interesting. I don't spend as much as the British family but I could do easily if I didn't try really hard and use this board and the tips it give me, plus the food and grocery shopping thread.

NSD today. I need to get milk but can wait until tomorrow.

Just had toast for lunch as wasn't really that hungry - DD2 had beans on toast using up half a tin that I had used in the week.

There will only be DD1 and I for dinner tonight as DD2 is out at a party, so I will be making chicken casserole with my reduced chicken thighs from the other night, with jacket potatoes.

Just editing to add that I have got the chicken casserole in the oven now, however I thought (having just watched the Hairy Bikers making them) that I might make some dumplings, but I don't have any suet - can you make dumplings with marg or butter instead?

Spiggle

prepareathome wrote: »

Not sure if this has been shown on another months challenge - this was taken I think a few years ago am sure that is when I first saw it, but came across a link to it again tonight, but still literally food for thought the amount some families spend per week, even in my wildest times I never spent the top amounts even with three growing children. Then the other side of the coin those who spend so little. Even though I have gone over budget, I have not spent a penny on junk food, no soft drinks , crisps or anything other 'food' like that bought.

http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1626519_1373664,00.html

Hi prepareathome and all,

What a very interesting link that is. I am amazed at the amount of fizzy drinks in the pictures. _pale_ I have to declare that I don't drink any unless they're mixers for my m*rt*n* or v*dk* and then it's only one thing, lemonade. I tried to convince myself that the Mexican family may not have clean water to buy that much per week! :think:

As for crisps, well there are some shocking amounts in there all around. :eek:

I think the thing that hit me the most was the wide spread the humble pizza has managed. Then my MSE head started thinking how much the ones in the pictures cost versus making your own which, in our experience, are sooooo much nicer than shop bought. :drool:

Sorry if that was a ramble. Slinks back off to watch my items selling on eB*y ....... :rotfl:

See you all later,
Spigs

PennyGrabber

DS was at a party for lunch today, and dd wanted to stay but have our lunch on a different table. It took about three attempts for me to explain to her that I can't afford lunch out and dinner out in the same day (well the same month, really!!), but after that, she understood, and we had pizza (frozen for emergencies, although I do make my own most of the time, I do like a shop bought frozen one now and again) at home fo rlunch. Bonus.

NSD so far, then, although I will be goign to te$co later to buy ds some vests, so I'm sure i'll be tempted. Will try really hard though...

LittleMissHappy_2

prepareathome wrote: »

Not sure if this has been shown on another months challenge - this was taken I think a few years ago am sure that is when I first saw it, but came across a link to it again tonight, but still literally food for thought the amount some families spend per week, even in my wildest times I never spent the top amounts even with three growing children. Then the other side of the coin those who spend so little. Even though I have gone over budget, I have not spent a penny on junk food, no soft drinks , crisps or anything other 'food' like that bought.

http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1626519_1373664,00.html

Thanks for this prepareathome, looked / read this with great interest. I agree with Spigs about the amount of fizzy drinks (luckily none of my 3 like fizzy and they are 10, 9 and 6) and crisps (they do like these ) but what really struck me was the African family and the tiny amount of food they had to eat. It put a lot of things into perspective for me, not just food related things either, it made me remember how lucky I am x

prepareathome

Sigh even more spent today £30 between Cool Trader/Fruit and Veg Shop/Sainsburys/Farm Foods and Iceland - this last for Junk food, their pizzas for £1 each for granddaughter, she is a fussy madam and basically lives on pizza and pasta with tomato sauce. This does include 6 bags sugar and 600 teabags to add to my store cupboard so really I have enough sugar in to do us till March, its with looking at supermarkets and seeing price going up and Cool Trader at moment still charging 79p a usual bag I thought will stock up. They only had the teabags we like out on display, none in back they told me that they don't think they can get any more and at 89p for 80 was good price ( Fresh Brew) so bought them all. I couldn't believe the price Calpol is now, granddaughter not the best and still not taking tablets - she is 12, so still taking Calpol 6plus. nearly £4 urg.

Only good thing is next month should not have to buy so much staples as no room to store any more, kitchen is groaning and no room to put any in rest of house. Teabags and sugar are still in shopping bag till I find somewhere to put them.

Oh gosh forgot hubby picked up milk yesterday so that was another £3 for 12 pts we buy skimmed at Sains £3 for 3 4pt bottles which lasts us a week or so and stays fresh for about 10 days. We are go through so much milk yet its only used in breakfasts and drinks ( mind you hubby has at least a pint a day in his breakfast). I use dried in bread making.

Todays main meal is chicken soup with lots of veg using some whoopsied breasts - 79p ( never buy them otherwise so expensive) which will be served with HM bread and breasts will be put into a pie tomorrow I think.

Will go and add that £3 on to sig, had updated it with the rest of spends.

Spiggle

LittleMissHappy wrote: »

... It put a lot of things into perspective for me, not just food related things either, it made me remember how lucky I am x

You are so right LittleMissHappy!

All the best,
Spigs

Thorndrop

Spiggle wrote: »

Haha, thanks Spiggle. I like to think I already do most of those things wherever possible, but it's great advice nonetheless.

I have £5.68 to add from today, bringing my total for November up to £28.76. I bought some herbs and stuff along with my general 'top-up' weekly shop.

tessie_bear

hi...small spend in lidl today...i love that shop so sane at this type of year....food not pilied floor to ceiling....got some chicken half price some fruit and veg....they have some lovely things in for christmas....quire tempted to get one of their geese crowns as havent tried that before

need to do a meal plan and make something tomorrow as it is stir up sunday

take care tessa

meg72

Thorndrop wrote: »

Hmm.. I've kind of being doing this for this month already, even though I've just joined here. I'm a student (and am just buying for myself) and I'm really careful about money, but don't have a proper 'budget' set in mind, so I've recorded how much I've spent in order to get an idea for a starting point. So far I'm on £23. I like to buy basic products in bulk which will last for ages (bread, pasta, rice, oats, beans, lentils.. - yes, I'm also vegan, if you're wondering, and it makes things a lot cheaper) and are really cheap and make up the basis of my meals. I do enjoy cooking and I don't eat out or buy convenience foods. Would love to know what you would consider a good budget for one person for the month since I have no idea what's 'good' and what's a 'bad' amount to spend yet.

I think you have done very well to only spend £23so far. There is no set rule or good bad amount to spend,everyone is different and have different needs and tastes. Set your budget to what you can comfortably afford,then it becomes a fun thing to shop around, get
whoopsies and offers etc.If you set your budget to low it can be a real misery trying to achieve it and make you feel a failure when you are not.

Good luck wil llook forward to your posts to see how you are doing
please if you have the time could you post a vegan meal plan for a
couple of days I already do vegetarian days and apart from raiding the fruit bowl 3times a day dont have a clue about Vegan.