January 2012 Grocery Challenge

Linz4383

i no this isnt GC related BUT!! i needed to share with everyone just rang about this warm winter scheme ( i never really new anything about it but saw somewhere if you have achild under 5 n low income you may get it) so anyway ive just rang up and have been told ill get it so between now and march ill have a nice £120 credited to my account also had my water bill this month (on meter) so £60 to be credited back there and should have a lower direct debit
well just today at work then a few days off so hopefully a few NSD's!!! im certainly ready for a few although im 2 weeks in and am so far under target for my weekly/annual target!!! may use the amount ive not spent to stock up on herbs/spices as ive got a few recipes i want to try out but dont normally buy herbs/spices!!
everyones doin fab well done

Suffolk_lass

I'm not sure how many are Norfolk, Suffolk or Essex based but TMH

Not including alcohol and sweets or chocolate the leaflet lists:

BOGOFs
Special K cereal Bars (5)
Shreddies 500g
Ocean Spray Cranberry 1L
Coke/Diet 6x330ml
Buxton Water 1.5L
Twinings Everyday Tea bags 80
Co-op garden peas 454g
Oxo 12
Ice-cream - truly irresistible 500ml
Ambrosia creamed rice pudding/Devon custard
Walkers crisps mixed 12 packs
Lucozade 1L
Penguin biscuits (9pk)
Danepak Bacon
Richmond Sausages 12 skinless
British Ham 100g
Pilgrims choice cheese 400g

Half Price
Loin Pork Joint £4.89/kilo
Kitchen paper - thirst pocket twin packs (£1.07)
Persil small & mighty 1L (£3.34)
Comfort concentrated 1.5L (£1.78)
CIF/lemon power cream bathroom spray 750ml (£1.68)
Seedless grapes 400g £2
Mandarins 700g £1.35
Swede (wrapped) 55p
Parsnips 500g 55p

Other Offers
Young's Admiral's Pie/Mariner's Pie £1
Bird's Eye original burgers/chicken burgers 4pk £1
Fairy Dishwasher Pouches 51s £5
Sun-pat p-Nut Butter smooth/cruchy 340g £1.65 (third off)
Hula Hoops 7pk £1
Medium Pork Pie £1
Muller Light/Rice 4 for £2
Hot cross Buns 2x6 for £1.50

raphanius

£12.85 for today's veg box plus some milk and cream from lid* leaves us with £6.50 til the end of the month. its going to be close.

meg72

linz4383 wrote: »

i no this isnt GC related BUT!! i needed to share with everyone just rang about this warm winter scheme ( i never really new anything about it but saw somewhere if you have achild under 5 n low income you may get it) so anyway ive just rang up and have been told ill get it so between now and march ill have a nice £120 credited to my account also had my water bill this month (on meter) so £60 to be credited back there and should have a lower direct debit
well just today at work then a few days off so hopefully a few NSD's!!! im certainly ready for a few although im 2 weeks in and am so far under target for my weekly/annual target!!! may use the amount ive not spent to stock up on herbs/spices as ive got a few recipes i want to try out but dont normally buy herbs/spices!!
everyones doin fab well done

So pleased for you that you will get the £120, I am on pension credit so automatically got a letter telling me I qualify but I dont think there has been enough publicity to notify people like yourself
that its available, It makes me sad to think familys are missing out on this.

meg72

Right have finally updated my signature, am really pleased to have spent so little this month.
My daughter took me to lydl yesterday and although i didnt buy much I was very impressed with the amount of shoppping she got for £20 ish.

I did buy a killo pack of cooking bacon and its lovely stuff, 5 thick slices and some small bits. I am
thinking I will plan my weeks main meals round this. So today will be bacon in parsley sauce with
boiled potatos, carrots and green beans. I will do some extra pots and tommorow have a fry up with some bacon bits sliced potato and onion. Lovely with brown sauce.
I also picked up reduced bread and eggs in poundland So have the makings for a few more meals.

Linz4383

meg72 wrote: »

So pleased for you that you will get the £120, I am on pension credit so automatically got a letter telling me I qualify but I dont think there has been enough publicity to notify people like yourself
that its available, It makes me sad to think familys are missing out on this.

there definately isnt enough publicity on it! i could have got it last yr too but i didnt no anything about it!!!! i limit how much i have my heatin on coz of the bills .. if my DD isnt here it doesnt go on!!! and to think i werent goin to ring because i didnt think id get it! hopefully more people will see it!! and apply it only takes 5 minutes!!! maybe tax credits should inform people on low income... i too found with the healthy start milk vouchers they dont tell you, as someone who had never claimed anything apart from working tax credits and child benefit until id split from my ex i dont have a clue about alot of things about!!!

mrsspoon_2

I've been lurking on this thread and others for a while now! Have picked up lots of tips, the best being Lidl bread flour - so cheap! Only thing is it's been a novelty having home made bread so have been through 3 loaves a LOT quicker than we normally would, but am hoping that will die down soon! I am going to give 50/50 bread a go today as I do prefer wholemeal, but the cost of wholemeal flour is so much more .

Would like to join in for Feb, when can I post my budget?

Also, which forum is best to post just for a bit of support? I have worked out we're likely to be in this situation for a very long time to come, I have no support at home as my husband is burying his head in the sand and as nearly everything is in his name I can't do anything! I just want a friendly ear!

rising_from_the_ashes

mrsspoon wrote: »

Would like to join in for Feb, when can I post my budget?

Welcome mrsspoon:D

Post your Feb budget up in big red letters with a "F" beside it and HelenJelly will add to the new thread when it's up and running ... feel free to post on here if your Feb budget has already started.

LavenderBees

:j

Come in under budget for this month....yay! go me! :money:

I popped out for frozen peas...and came back with some whoopsied bits & pieces from Mr Ms - sausages, lamb, lamb bones, mince - total spend £9.38.

Now, I'm giving myself a bit of a slap as technically, I didn't really need any of this at the moment, but I've been SOOOoooooo GOOOOOooood this month....honestly, I have, that I just had to break out a little. I did reject many whoopsies that I would have automatically snaffled in the past, so I am getting better.

But I'm declaring myself at £98.52 for the January challenge, as I won't shop at all next weekend (that's a first), and my new challenge for February starts after that. I'll just have to make do with everything I already have in...:p

I'm toying with the idea of going for £100 again. I don't need cat food next month so that will be a big help, but loo rolls, cat litter etc will be needed at various points.

Yes, I think £100 for February will be my aim :T

Good luck to you all...:T

rising_from_the_ashes

Well, back from a mixed trip out - got the book I've been waiting for ages to come into the library:j it's by one of my favourite authors so will be tucked up with that shortly (horrible outside).

However, popped to the village PO to get my car tax only to discover it's still shut on Sat mornings - it's for sale and an interim person is running it but I'm worried they'll close it due to lack of people going ... Sat is the only day most working people can go and it's always heaving but it's been shut for months on a Sat now which must really be affecting numbers/turnover:(.

Then onto Mr A .... *rant warning* to discover that yet again they've no Lactofree milk:mad: This has been going on for months - despite me (and several others - as I'm told every time that I'm not the only one who does) complaining they still run out all the time. The guys who work on the milk line now all know me and when they see me coming say "I'll go and check through the back". Asked to see the store manager (who I've also spoken to several times) and he came over and said "don't tell me there's no Lactofree milk again" ... so I'm well known:o Really frustrating as it's not like you can just pick something else up and it's a 20 mile round trip to Mr T (which I hate shopping at) - pointed this out yet again and also that I can't afford to shop there and then have to waste 20 miles fuel / an hour of my time to go to Mr T just for milk ......:mad: *rant over" sorry:o

Was a bit annoyed as put my receipt in one of the bags but it's disappeared:doh:(very windy) but came in and updated my spreadsheet straight away after unpacking the bags and think I've come in correct as had £21.22 in total to add and I know the amount was £26 something (pet food in separate budget and spent £5 on that) so think I've been pretty accurate.

Couple of good buys:

Whiskas Pouches (12) for £2.50 - still on offer so got another 2 - big cat is sorted for a few weeks now (wee cat won't eat it:()
Campbells condensed soup 5 for £2 usually 79p each - find these fantastic for chicken casseroles etc (making one tonight in fact:))

Also got some casserole steak (2 for £7) so will be making a bit pot in the SC tomorrow - checked the freezer before I went and the ready meals for use during the week are very depleated (only 3 Chilli and 2 Mince left) so will be adding to them with chicken casserole tonight & beef casserole tomorrow:)

Couple of big bags of SP porriage oats for the birds - they're eating loads just now and find mixing this with the seed helps it last longer. I've a couple of blocks of lard in the fridge that I bought a while ago to make them some HM treats for when it got cold, so will be doing that later too!:)

Slightly over on Jan's allocation but stocked up on quite a few things that will last a few months. Will have to try to make the milk I've got last until Weds (3 cartons) and will have to head over to Mr T to get some which is a bit of a pain.