January 2012 Grocery Challenge

aberdeensaver

Running my budget into the ground this month, but it was our first attempt. This week we have very little money left but still have £35 of a Marks and Spencers Voucher left.

Went out at lunch to get some pieces for some home baking and a few pieces for dinner. So leaves me £32.94 left to last hopefully until Friday (my pay day) but OH gets paid Wednesday. I would really like to get through till Friday but we will see. The freezer is emptying nicely so we might manage to defrost it next weekend ready to start again with lots of good batch cooking meals.

I treated myself to two magazines out of a different budget, and cant believe that I feel bad about spending on them when I used to spend more than that on smoking every day! I now have an app on my phone that tells me how much money I am saving and I have sworn if I try and 'borrow' a fag of anyone at work I will have to pay them the amount I have saved financially. considering the numbers are already up around the £20 - £30 mark I can guarantee I will be asking NOBODY ever again.

Hope you all have a good day. dinner tonight is sausage and bean casserole that I think I took off the first page, plus some home made bread, see if I can master it any better as each loaf so far has looked and tasted more like a ciabatta than bread!

xxlouisexx56

spent 2.69 in morrisons yesterday. 2 jars of own brand pasta sauce and then 5 mushrooms and 3 carrots. That made spag bol with the mince i had in the freezer. We ate it last night and then put a big portion in the freezer for when we are away and SIL is looking after the kids.

Will be going out later to get potatoes for dinner, should get a couple of bits for sunday so we dont have to go out again

Byatt

tjak wrote: »

So, I get paid today and start February GC. It is the first month where I have got to pay day with money in my account, unheard of! :j
I am so pleased to be able to declare January as £221.14/£250, especially as that included my christmas veg box. It is a real step forward, as previously we had been spending £300 - £400 a month :eek: (and that is for 3 of us plus dogs and chickens).

So, please can I aim for £250 again in February, and I will plan to bring it down in March if I am successful again.

Good luck everyone, your support has been fantastic.:T

Well done!! :T:T

LavenderBees

Hi All

Still hanging in on this challenge with a healthy spend of only £5.40 today on veges, red lentils, tea bags and garlic at Mr A's this lunchtime. Having to rush to fit it into my lunch break defininitely focuses my mind!:)

I need frozen peas, but can't have them defrosting in the office this afternoon, so may pop out tomorrow to get some...then again, that prevents another NSD on my challenge so maybe not...not sure I can live without my frozen pea fix, though. They go in everything I make.

Siggy updated and I have a whole £10 to spend next week...what will I do with it all?

xx

Suffolk_lass

aberdeensaver wrote: »

Hope you all have a good day. dinner tonight is sausage and bean casserole that I think I took off the first page, plus some home made bread, see if I can master it any better as each loaf so far has looked and tasted more like a ciabatta than bread!

Sorry if this is Grandma sucking eggs advice but when I did an Italian cookery class a few years ago I remember the teacher saying that the salt kills the yeast in bread so I have been stirring the dried yeast into the flour before sprinkling the salt on top so some of the yeast stands a chance of working. That and the Hairy B*kers tips of greasing the proving bowl with oil and putting a shower cap (hotel giveaway style) over the proving dough has helped enormously.

I previously specialised in housebrick wholemeal so I also mix wholemeal and strong white for my own 50/50 version. HTH a bit

I am a relative novice at this compared to some here...

TheThriftyScrumpers

Hello!
I hope everyone is well. OH struck lucky at Mr S last night and came away with £28 worth of grub for £6.30 including a Thai box meal that should have been £8 for £1.90 and two curry and rice meals that should have cost £3.50 each down to 70p. This will be brilliant for weekend easy dinners instead of takeaway.

Just as well as we have had a run of bad luck - leak in shower room, damage to carpet, dishwasher breaking and unexpected £300 car expense, all since Xmas. Oh well the only way is up from here (crossing fingers and toes).

Weekend Meal Plan

Fri - shepherds pie and mixed veg
Sat - Thai bargain meal
Sun - stew and dumplings

aberdeensaver

Suffolk_lass wrote: »

Sorry if this is Grandma sucking eggs advice but when I did an Italian cookery class a few years ago I remember the teacher saying that the salt kills the yeast in bread so I have been stirring the dried yeast into the flour before sprinkling the salt on top so some of the yeast stands a chance of working. That and the Hairy B*kers tips of greasing the proving bowl with oil and putting a shower cap (hotel giveaway style) over the proving dough has helped enormously.

I previously specialised in housebrick wholemeal so I also mix wholemeal and strong white for my own 50/50 version. HTH a bit

I am a relative novice at this compared to some here...

Oh thank you so much, I will try less salt this time see if that helps, I have possibly been a bit liberal with it as OH loves anything salty!

Any idea how I stop the crust braking my teeth? I have tried adding some milk powder and wrapping in a tea towl out the oven but still very very very crusty!!! I am tempted to give up and buy bread machine but is not cost effective for us as not massive bread eaters.

sistercas

only got £11.50 left for the last week of the challenge

spent today:
£20.07 in l!dl
£53.42 in @sd@
£70 in c0stc0
£13.28 in pets at home

thats a total of £388.50 which is 97% 0f budget :eek:
to be fair the cupboards and fridge are bursting , so we will have plenty to eat , will just need to get fresh milk, fruit , veggies and cat food

hopefully wont go too far over :cool:

Suffolk_lass

Sproggi - re glasses - your earlier post acted a s a timely reminder so thx for that as have been getting more headaches (always a sign) and OMG had my eyes tested yesterday and yes, new glasses all round. I have four pairs currently - 1 varifocals for all the time, 2 pairs for the VDU screen (home and office - and work paid for the office pair) and a pair of sunglasses that are also varifocal (for reading on holiday) - anyway, £328 later for 2 new pairs (can't re-lens the old ones) plus a work voucher for the replacement work VDU pair (still got the sunglasses to do). I knew it was coming and I was prepared (sort of).

Not prepared for the call just a while ago from DH. Car in for service today and he has already had two calls - 2 new tyres, new brake pads and something else (might have been disks - probably - been nagging him to book the thing in for nearly 7000 miles) - anyway, looking at £1300 for that :eek::eek::eek: I might cry. I just hope they will take my 0% promo card over the phone or we are up the creek without a paddle in Feb :wall: Def need :coffee: No choice but to do it. Rely on car to commute 500 miles a week + associated teenager taxi services (5 miles from Stn and no buses after 6pm any more).

kerri_dfw

After mothership suggested it yesterday I've setup a challenge for the 2nd/3rd purse system. If you'd like to join it's here