December 2011 - Grocery Challenge

rosieben

KolaKube wrote: »

... should I nip over the border and do a huge extra stock up shop for the long month of January (but count it in my budget or not..?!). Or should I just save the cash up. Hmm.

Really difficult isn't it? I'd be inclined to stock up for January, but I'm a bit of a store cupboard zealot

HelenPie

Another NSD yesterday :j

This is my first attempt at this challenge and I'm already amazed after just one week at how little I NEED too spend. I made a bag of frozen mince and some swede and peas last 3 dinners, sandwiches for lunch (one loaf of bought bread, one home made ). Roasted a chicken and now still have enough meat for 2-3 meals, plus a wonderful stock for soup. Porridge for breakfast....amazing when you put your mind to it!

I've always know the tricks and tips to do this but get bored and lose focus so leave my hm soup in the fridge and buy something instead I think targeting the NSDs and focusing on less waste is what is keeping me going.

Thanks for the motivation everyone :cool:

quintwins

KolaKube wrote: »

Hello again!

Tesco online shop came yesterday and all in good dates / order, I was impressed (normally there's something missing, or damaged!). They took my £15 of £75 voucher, and the final total came to £61.26. The christmas cupboard and freezer is now stocked, and looking at it I think we do have enough meat in the freezer (hopefully!) to last until Jan. Will have to make out a December meal plan and see if thats the case..!

I have a grocery challenge dilema... I've discovered 75 euros knocking about the house which equates to about £60 (40 in OHs wallet from a recent trip over the border, and 35 in 1 and 2 euro coins in my euro piggybank which I had forgotten about..!). We leave near the northern / southern irish border so they can accumulate as change but I don't really think of them as cash because we dont go over that often - should I nip over the border and do a huge extra stock up shop for the long month of January (but count it in my budget or not..?!). Or should I just save the cash up. Hmm.

Other option is a poundland near the border that accepts euros and get some new christmas decorations... double hmmm!:rotfl:

if you drive i'd nip over and fill my car with fuel

Alwaysthebusybee

I am still tracking ... Not actually bad for what I had budgeted although I am about £70 over - saying that we need nothing other than bread or milk (DH likes sliced bread for toast and he drinks milk by the pint!!) Pay Day is early this month too with it being December But not too early I still only have 31 days to account for - or there abouts.

Out of my grocery budget I buy saving stamps in 2 shops so I am £5 for one and £7 for the other - everytime I nip in for bread I buy one I am very much hoping that November 2012 will be a free one due to my saves :T

Although January's challenge will be using £100 M & S vouchers as they are a Christmas gift from work and £100 cash ... going to have to be very organised with meal planning etc.

Can't wait to join you all soon

tessie_bear

its blowing a gale here....i hope everyone is keeping safe particularly gc ers north of the border....popped to farm foods for milk today so quite stocked up now....got pork chops for tea and some nice veg....i think aldi veg has really improved all seems very fresh and lasts a while as well

have a nice day tess

prepareathome

Just a small spend of £6.15 to add from popping to local newsagent/general store as he is cheapest place to buy dettol spray at £1.29 where as SM is usually £1.99 and as he only had 4 left and not sure when he will get more in ( he only buys things that have a price on them ) I thought better take them all and a roll of the jumbo kitchen roll which he does for 99p as just started my last one, would have bought a few but last one he has till next week. So hoping apart from milk, which I will get hubby to buy on way home between now and Saturday that should be all the shopping till I hit Lidl when it opens on Monday. Right off to update total.

Hope everyone is safe and warm

tigerfeet2006

:mad: Rant alert :mad:

I had an A$da delivery booked for first thing this morning. I gave them extra time as the weather is fowl here ATM but nothing turned up. Spent ages on the phone to them trying to sort it out and eventually found out that they had cancelled the order because the computer had done the automated thing this morning and been it had been rejected. Now we had four phone calls this morning from 5.45 onwards and everytime we picked up it said that it was an automated service and to press one to speak to customer services etc. Eveverytime we tried we couldn't get through. After much passing the buck about it they finally agreed to do the order tomorrow morning but I would loose my five pound voucher. Needless to say I was not happy with that and much passing the buck later they still would not budge and I would have to pay nearly £93. So I told them they had lost a customer.

Just spent an hour and a half on the Tesc0 site ( it's playing silly boggers with me so was quite slow) and got a delivery coming tomorrow and it is costing me £83 ish obviously won't know for definately until the
order comes. Needless to say I could have done with out a wasted morning.

HelenPie

tigerfeet2006 wrote: »

:mad: Rant alert :mad:

I see why you needed a rant! What a palaver. Fingers crossed it all arrives tomorrow from mr t.

dannie

Good afternoon,

Yesterday I had to go an errand I dislike so combined this with checking a 1p offer in Tesco and buying some more milk. It was just the milk I purchased. I wanted some pop but the "price drop" seemed to have vanished so I didn't bother. So my mood, chance of a bargain and convenience contributed to the spend.

tigerfeet2006

HelenPie wrote: »

I see why you needed a rant! What a palaver. Fingers crossed it all arrives tomorrow from mr t.

Thanks Helen. I hope so to.

So tonight's dinner, as I have no delivery, will have to be falafels I think. Though DC1 does not particularly like them, hmm! Maybe have to see what is in the freezer HM meal wise.

Another rant, I seem to be having nothing but rants lately, spoke to DH about what had happened this morning as he was asking about things I should have done and he was talking bout free delivery. He was under the impression that it was free delivery and couldn't understand why they don't do free delivery. He was ranting to me that I shouldn't be wasting money on getting shopping delivered and we should do it ourselves in future. Whe he thinks I am going to do it I have no idea. I would have to get a taxi back from where ever and it would be more than the delivery charge. I do the cooking so I know what I want so he can't do it for me and he wouldn't do it in the evenings as by the time he gets home, puts the kids to bed, have dinner etc. it would be 9pm Ish and he would be knackered. Saturday by the time we get moving it is late, then we would have to drag three kids around, plus the crowds, plus I don't want to cut into family time doing shopping and the arguments that usually ensue. Sundays by the time we have been to church, had lunch and see his dad, the shops are closed. So I don't know what is going to happen.