November 2011 - Grocery Challenge

rosieben

rising, so sorry to hear about your dog, they are such a part of the family aren't they

xxlouisexx56

Thanks for all your suggestions.

Today i bought a packet of smaller jammy dodger packs for pound and gave her one of those to have.
The hard thing is, we have to walk past the shops, as they are right by the bus stop we wait at to go home. But with her jammy dodgers today, she didnt ask me for anything

Before, she was having to go to the after school club and i had severe working mother guilt so she would get treats all the time. Then the new baby came and she was still getting treats (baby has had colic and reflux and even 7 months on still takes up so much of my time and attention) to make up for the time we dont get to spend together, and then redundancy came

prepareathome

Well only 98p for groceries - Heinz Mushroom soup, I love that stuff, but so rarely buy it as so expensive but BM had it in so treated myself, so put it away for a needing cheered up day - the worst was spending £120 on other items like top soil, compost, 4 holly bushes - went to buy them earlier in year and were £2.99 for a bush about 3ins, these are 15ins and same price, but £10 for 4 obviously the ones they were selling earlier that have grown as they only had 10 left, some new dishes as my hands like to do their own thing and I end up dropping rather a lot and we didn't have any decent sized bowls left for food, a safe cutting board thing - that was an impulse by at garden centre, its stainless steel with a bit cutting blade which might make it a bit easier for me to cut things as hands hurt so much it hard to hold something and cut straight or cut at all sometimes, so this will make it easier for me to slice properly and not have big chunks but cost £14.99, just got to make sure I keep my fingers out of the way, small storage boxes for when ( if ever) I get study sorted out ( its stacked high with junk but important papers are mixed in with it all, storage boxes for the flour son is now getting me, oh yes got a sack of Self Raising from him £6.30 of 16kg. Also popped into the one charity shop in the shopping precinct and picked up a kingsize pure cotton sheet - looks brand new and a double duvet with two pillow cases again looks brand new, both for £9.50 not to use on beds but as material, as bought a sewing machine a few months ago and have ideas of what I would like to make ( want to surprise hubby with new hankies I have made for christmas and the material these are made of is perfect, he has always used resusable hankies but to buy decent ones now is getting expensive but material is pricey, so both in the wash now. Oh yes and a dress for me for Christmas, again in charity shop, just a simple dropped waist black dress, plain but can be made to be dressy with lots of jewellery that was £7 . Oh yes another impulse buy a lovely gold spiral tree about 15 ins high that has 120 lights on it and sequins stuck all over it, should have been £14.99, which I would not have paid but for some reason they were marked down to £7.50, only thing in the garden centre that were as this is not a cheap garden centre but its nearest being just over half a mile away and they will deliver any amount for just £5 with being so near and rather then than me or hubby bringing all the top soil and compost, but that should be enough to ready the beds for the vegetables in spring. Will be nice on the table on Christmas and Boxing Day, I usually buy one Christmas thing a year but don't have many as used to store them in the garden shed but one year about 9 years ago someone broke in and stole them all, some were things bought when children were born, irreplaceable so very slowly building up my collection again, just need to see if I can get my mini Christmas tree - usually get it from Sains and afterwards in spring plant it in garden, did have a few growing but workmen flattend and killed them so just have one surviving that is over 10ft tall at 8years old and actually have lights to put on it this year - solar powered.

Opps this is supposed to be grocery shopping, but got side tracked - I know I spent a fortune on other things, but I am proud of being in BM and only buying the soup, never mind just in BM being in the shopping centre and not buying anymore groceries as there are plenty of food shops in there.

Right painkillers have kicked in, can you tell I am high ( as a nurse told me its a legal high enjoy it LOL) so actually going to make a start on study.

First better update my sig and think I should start a thread for non-grocery spending LOL

MissOrganised1972

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 really feel for you. We find ourselves in a much different position to that which we were in a few years ago. I have told the kids quite a lot that we can't afford things. However, I have come to realise that a) they don't understand and b) it really is not their problem. I do still re-iterate to them that money does not grow on trees and that they can't have everything but I do believe there is a difference. It is VERY hard but you have to stick to what you know you can afford.

My girls are a similar age to yours (just 8 & 5). I have tried to pre-empt these situations and also, make up for it in other ways. I always have a drink for them when we are going somewhere. We have a treat bag for each of the girls. It is full of trick or treat sweets. Also, whenever they go to a party or are given a treat, they are allowed one item but the rest goes in the treat bag. That way you have a stock! Whenever I go to collect them from school I have a 'snack' for them to avoid any requests to buy something. It can be anything like something from the treat bag, a jam sandwich, a piece of fruit, bought pancakes (value ones are only about 25p & so very handy) or something homemade. That is another great 'bribery' tool. I'll say we'll go home and bake cakes together and you can lick the bowl and have one (of whatever you've made) for pudding. You then have some supplies for packed lunches / snacks for other days. I have realised that they will always ask but they're kids, they're going to. Eventually she'll accept what you say (but still ask the next day) & I know it sounds a clich! but all they really want is your time & attention. Do NOT feel bad. She has you, that is all she needs.



EDIT - Sorry - I replied to your post & then caught up with everybody elses posts!! So, I guess I just duplicated what everyone else said! Sorry.

lisakay_2

well today is the last day of Novembers challenge for me. after the first 3 weeks i completely lost focus, didn't keep receipts or records and lost track of what was spent. working back and if i've remembered everything then I am £20 over budget BUT that includes beer for DH which wasn't supposed to be in my budget.
so i suppose i am within budget, but no idea really by how much

MUST DO BETTER:rotfl:

I'm off now to make a meal plan for the next 2 weeks and work out a new budget to include 2 extra very hungry children that I'm looking after weekdays until after christmas. I have a very healthy appetite, but the 10 yr old girl would eat more than me if i let her! She will not eat most veg so I'll be looking for exciting new ways to cook veg that she may eat, fussy little madam!

PennyGrabber

I had a bit of a bargain yesterday. I was in the c00p, getting a few of their half price chocs and biscuits for presents, and they had some chicken breasts reduced. They were the elmwood ones, 3 breasts for £7.50, half priced to £3.75, then yellow-stickered to £2.75. I bought 5 packs, as I had enough in my grocery purse to do so (left lots still on shelf!). I then spent yesterday evening taking them out of the packs, and wrapping them individually for freezing. 15 breasts, £13.75. Nice! As we don't eat a huge amount of meat in a meal, one chicken breast does the three of us for a main usually, so I'm really pleased with that haul; it was cheaper per kg than smartprice, and looked a lot nicer too. I was a touch sad, though, as there were so many, i felt they'd be more reduced later, but as my children were coming back from their dad's, i wouldn't have been able to get there.

NSD today, tuna pasta bake for dinner. Fed two extra children today, and there is still enough left over for my two to have it tomorrow after their swimming lesson. It's always such a rush on a Friday, as we don't get home til nearly six o'clock, so I have to have something quick and easy.

I know it's not entirely gc-related, but I'm spending my weekend doing lots of sorting out of clothes in my children's rooms. I have new chests of drawers for them, and so I'm going to go through all of their clothes as i transfer, to see if I can get rid of any. These will then go into my outhouse in boxes, ready to car boot early next year. I'm really quite excited about this prospect for several reasons, mainly that my house will finally look a bit more like a home, and also, because when I have a focussed, planned weekend, I spend less time and money in the supermarkets!

Well done everyone, on getting to the home straight on what feels like a long and hard year. We're all doing really well, and should be proud of our efforts and achievements. I know everyone says it, but we really would be spending more if it weren't for the friends and support we have in this group, so i would like to say a huge thank you to everyone here, for supporting others even if you don't know you're doing it.:T:beer::T

PG x

tigerfeet2006

rising_from_the_ashes wrote: »

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.

For what it's worth I have to agree with Rising. You shouldn't have to do multiple meals. We are a family of 5 with too who need a gluten free diet and we all eat the same. They all have their favourite meals and I try to do something to suit them each week ie: DC3 loves sausages so I did the Savoury Sausage Bake which lasted us 2 days with a little tweeking. The pasta was on pre-scription, the sausages were Dohertys Free From Sausages from the freezer section in Asda and were 8 in the pack, cost £1.98. I also had a head of brocolli at 69p, 2 tins of tomatoes at 66p, 4 smart price mozzarella balls at £1.76 (you could use grated cheddar to make it cheaper), 2 cloves garlic 10p-ish and a sprinkling of herbs 10p-ish. So the meal cost me £5.30 for 5 people. Today I chopped and fried up the 2 rashers of bacon I had left from a meal earlier in the week with an onion and then bunged a tin of sweetcorn in with it. Warmed the bake up and then served it all up on the plates, result empty plates. You could also serve it with more veg. to make it healthier and to get the 5 a day quota in. I had a HM meal from the freezer and DH was fed at work tonight.

Do you know what you are entitled to get on prescription? Check the Coeliac website, get the free samples from Juvela and Glutafin and take full advantage of the prescription stuff. I always get Genius bread for my two. It comes in cases of 6 and is unsliced so a loaf goes further. They do white, brown or seeded. Mine like seeded. http://www.coeliac.org.uk/

Definatly get the older 2 to let you know if they are coming, if they don't then don't plan a meal for them. It is plain disrepectful not to let you know they are not coming. If you have cooked and they don't turn up then freeze it and you have a HM ready meal in your freezer ready for next time they come.

Sorry if I have waffled and I hope I have not offended and I hope you don't think I am trying to teach you to suck eggs so to speak.

On a lighter note DH has just learned he has got the pay rise he has been fighting for since June :T Won't amount to much by the time all the deductions etc. happen but at least they are recognising his worth. It will come in his December pay packet and will be back-dated to September so won't be of any help for Christmas really but hey-ho it's a payrise and he hasn't had one in 3 years so I can't complain.

recovering_spendaholic

Rising - so sorry to hear about your dog - it's so upsetting as they are such good company. We lost our dog last July and recently got two puppies and already the kids tell me that I am fonder of the puppies than I am of them!! - Well the puppies are nicer to me!

LTS - I sympathise with you having to do different meals. I always try and make one meal but DD1 is so difficult and gets so stroppy that I sometimes just make something for her because I don't want the stress and aggro. DD2 will eat most things and if it is something she doesn't like she will have a go and then make herself a piece of toast if she is hungry later. DD1 on the other hand makes such a song and dance and I often get really upset - I don't understand why she gets so angry about food!

I was working late tonight and didn't get home until after 8 but had left some chickeny rice for the kids to heat up when they got in. DD2 ate it but DD1 said it was horrible (she usually loves it and it wasn't any different from normal!) so she was in a foul mood when I got in. I ended up not eating any tea and then making a bowl of porridge about an hour ago and now I feel too full to go to bed!

Hoping for a NSD tomorrow - we have loads in so should be fine. I still haven't made my christmas cakes so might do one. Does anyone know if there is a way to make Christmas cake without eggs? I have a friend who doesn't eat eggs and I would like to make one for her. I think I will go and have a google around and see what I can find!

I am declaring at £370 for November, £10 over budget but still over £100+ less than I was spending this time last year - I have already set my budget for December at £450 because of Christmas.

prepareathome

recovering_spendaholic wrote: »

Rising[/B

Hoping for a NSD tomorrow - we have loads in so should be fine. I still haven't made my christmas cakes so might do one. Does anyone know if there is a way to make Christmas cake without eggs? I have a friend who doesn't eat eggs and I would like to make one for her. I think I will go and have a google around and see what I can find!

Off the top my head, my excuse it 1.30am, you can buy egg replacer - I just bought a pack from healthfood shop although they did have to order it in, £2.69 and makes the same as 66 eggs but is not eggs or when hubby had to go on low cholesterol diet years ago he missed cakes and then they said no eggs, and I found out olive oil can be used instead, not good in a light sponge but in a fruit cake should be fine as its heavish but would not be noticed in that. I used it in also sorts of cakes and pastries ( he never has had a weight problem) and everything was fine although as said in light cakes they did seem a bit oily but he was happy and maybe I used a bit much as had to guess - I would just keep adding until mixture looked like normal and seemed to be binding.

Am sure others will have better ideas but thought would just mention it.

quintwins

still pretty ill here altho i do feel better i might even manage to do something today i could hardly move yesterday but i'm still not up to eating, the non sick kids can have cheese sandwichs for lunch and stew for tea, hubby can have whatever he makes himself, probably cheesy beans on toast and the sicky child will be offered some more dry toast, he was sick in the night but then woke up at 4 crying he was hungry so he had dry toast and managed to hold it down

nsd today and thankfully tomorrow is saturday so we can all have a lazy day

i just remebered i forgot to tell you all about my huge turnip i got in the farm shop honestly it was bigger than my head and heavier my 2 year old and was only 75p (as were tiny ones) i'm expecting it to do 3-4 meals i'm gonna peel. blance and freeze it when i'm feeling up 2 it