November 2011 - Grocery Challenge

russetred

xxlouisexx56 wrote: »

another 5.50 spent in iceland today. reduced beef, meatballs and a chicken for sunday lunch. 4 pints of milk too.

I was made redundant last month and i am currently fighting for at least redundacy pay. My DD (nearly 6) keeps asking for a drink / crisps / sweets on the way home from school.
We've tried to explain to her we dont have alot of money now that im not at work but she just tells me to get some money from the cash machine. She really just doesnt understand. I wish she would stop asking as it makes me feel worse than i already do

Not an easy one that but what I would do is take a drink refill a fruit shoot bottle or whatever you have/ packet of crisps from multi pack/ HM cake, flapjack, biscuit with you and hand them out when she asks.

Winchelsea

Haven't been keeping proper account of spending this month, but feel sure I am well on track, as have not been able to get out to the shops much (am in my second week of acute bronchitis).

Have had plenty of storecupboard/back of the fridge meals! DS has been staying here - he's been unwell too, so we've been sharing the cooking and what jobs we can manage.

I'm on my second lot of antibiotics (first lot didn't touch it) so should bounce back very soon!

bikelesschick

I've not had time to catch up with others' posts or look at my spending until now :eek:

Things are not as bad as I'd thought. I've spent £45.62 (budget was £30) but I have loads of food that will last me quite a while.

Looking at what I have already, I don't think I'll need anything at all, maybe a loaf of bread but I'll try to use some pittas I have in the freezer instead.

Things that I've learned so far and my plan of attack:
1) I've lost track of things right from the start. So I must write things down regularly! I've dug my old cash book out so from today, I'll be writing everything I spend on it everyday. (I think someone asked how to keep a diary, sorry, I can't remember who it was. When I've done it in the past, I bought a cheap notebook from W*lko and just wrote everything I spent everyday. It sounds like a big hassle, but it only takes a couple of minutes providing I've kept all the receipts in my purse . I also have a spreadsheet so I just update that when I have more time. I find that just writing things down helped me).

2) I've looked at my receipts and found that I struggle to go in for a couple of bits and stick to these so the plan is to avoid the sm as much as possible or, if I really need to go in, I'll go straight to the items on the list instead of looking around. If it's not on the list, I don't need it! It'll be difficult to avoid the offers but where there's a will, there's a way.

3) I'm thinking about having a separate purse for GC but the only thing is that I collect air miles so I would lose them for not using my cc. I pay it in full every month and only use it for the miles really... can anyone who uses the 2nd purse thing share their experiences please?

4) I'll do a meal plan for the rest of the month as well.

Any other ideas and suggestions are welcome:)

And thank you everyone for this lovely thread:T

tessie_bear

louise...could you bake some cakes with her and bring one to the gate the next day...walk another way home that doesnt pass the shop...by my sons primary school there was always an icecream van....some (daft imo) parents seemed to buy one everyday....i refused to buy for my son on the grounds it was too expensive and it was unhealthy to eat one everyday...my goodness im miserable
hth

recovering_spendaholic

Louise - I feel for you - as others have suggested you could take a treat with you to meet her as I know how expensive trips to the shop even for a single choc bar can be. I am in a similar situation to you and my younger DD is constantly asking for things that I can't afford and it makes you feel terrible. Hopefully you will get back to work soon - I have become self employed but on a MUCH reduced income! Fingers crossed for you.

Have got to go to a meeting for work at 4.30 in town so will have to pay for a coffee - I am going to Starbucks to meet them so will treat myself to an egg nog latte. Other than that a NSD for me today.

I have made chickeny rice for tea and will leave it ready for kids to heat up when they get in, plus there are yoghurts for afters. I will have it when I get in ( if there is anything left - otherwise I'll have soup).

Does anyone know if there is an Aldi MOC in the Daily Mirror today?

rosieben

The December thread is up and running

tracey12_2

xxlouisexx56 wrote: »

I was made redundant last month and i am currently fighting for at least redundacy pay. My DD (nearly 6) keeps asking for a drink / crisps / sweets on the way home from school.
We've tried to explain to her we dont have alot of money now that im not at work but she just tells me to get some money from the cash machine. She really just doesnt understand. I wish she would stop asking as it makes me feel worse than i already do

I also had this problem with my 2 dd. As some others have suggested I also take a drink of squash for them and also take a snack each day such as a small tub of dried fruit, biscuits, HM cake, HM flapjacks, a piece of fruit or a small bag of sweets with me and then they eat that on the way home rather than going into the shop each day as that can certainly cost a lot more.

Tracey

westlothianlass

Hi all, well November was a bit of an up and down month, managed to go over my total but not by such a scary amount that I want to hide myself under the duvet. Had some very frugal moments and batched cooked but fell prey to too many choc's on offer and too much wine:o.
Hugs to those that need one and well done guys and gals we are getting there one whoopsie at a time, I haven't posted much but I do love reading how everyone is getting on so cheers from me .
x

quintwins

still feeling really ill, ran out of loo roll so sent oh (he got andrex ) so £3 on 4 rolls and a bottle of fizzy water for me, and mil feed the other 2 kids for me off back 2 bed in abit

oh and my kids ask for sweets all the time, i buy 7 packets of chewits for £1 in poundland and carry them in my bag and give them 2-3 at a time so they last longer and squash from poundland sports bottles, and as a treat i keep a bottle of value lemonade in my kids don't really get fizzy juice, so if there not happy with taht i'll say ok wait a wee while and we'll get some lemonade at home

rising_from_the_ashes

Long_tall_sally wrote: »

All 4 of the "kids" have their own "fussiness" which often involves cooking different meals for people on the same night. I also never know for sure whether one or both of his sons will definitely turn up on the nights that they are supposed to be here because they both have jobs involving shifts plus social things that they often forget to tell me or their Dad about!

Sorry if this sounds harsh Sally but IMVHO they should all eat the same (I know that's easy to say) - there is no way I'd be cooking different things for different people each night (apart from if it's a dietry issue).

If they've each got their own favourite meals, have you tried letting them each choose a meal each week (within reason of course!;)) - you could incorporate this into a meal plan. The "deal" would be that they get to choose something they like once/twice a week but they have to accept everyone else's choice the other nights.

As for the older 2 .... I'm afraid that's just disrespectful - again, personally, I'd be saying it has to stop. They could quite easily send a text/leave a message to say whether they'll be there for dinner. If no message/text is received - then no meal will be prepared (so no waste) and they'll have to make do with whatever's around if they do turn up.

I hope I've not offended ...... as you will see from the below, my head's mush and huge apologies if I've missed more of the story and it's more complicated.




To everyone, sorry I'm way behind - hope everyone's OK ..... I've lost track of my spending this month (although have been keeping a note of daily spends in my diary, it's not been split into relevant budgets) - lost my darling dog last week and struggling to get my head together.

Will be back for December - wishing everyone the best of luck with the rest of the month.