Grocery Challenge - February 2012

Ninno820

Twiglet0309 wrote: »

Roll on March when I may set myself a Grocery Budget and join in the challenge

Why wait - jump in while you have the enthusiasm!

My "march" budget will start on the 23rd of Feb when I get paid and will run through to the 22nd March, others will start whenever they get paid whilst some run from the 1st to the end of a month - you can define your month how ever you would like to. Alternatively you could set yourself a target to last until the end of feb and then start the month at the beginning of march. I guess that what I am trying to say is that you define the rules - not us. If you are anything like me then I would start whilst you are up for it - life has a habit of deflecting me!

I have a huge debt that I am only two months into sorting. However I am now in the position where, if a cc bill comes in - as it did this morning - then I open it with glee then rush to my spreadsheet to see what impact the slightly reduced total has made to my overall debt repayment. This may be silly but its a huge headrush!

Barbeduk

Ninno, I know the feeling! DH has just been paid for an extra day's work that he did last week and I've been trying to see if any of it can go towards the cc debt. But then I got the quarterly statement from EDF saying they want an extra £325.54 on 1 march :eek::eek:.

But imagine how much worse that would have been if I hadn't been doing the GC and was still burying my head in the sand. So thanks guys for all the motivation.

Have a lovely frugal weekend and remember, don't give those SM any more profit than you have to!:)

mi_jardin

I have an £18.24 spend to report today. I got a few store cupboard bits, so even though I only have £17 left until next friday, it should be enough. I used a few coupons too which helped, that was £2.10 off.

Ninno820

I can't remember who said it (sorry ) but I remember that someone told a story about the family playing "hunt" the mince. As I stirred the soya mince (I dont like it so am trying to use it up by "hiding" it), the green lentils, the slightly soft veg in the freezer and the small amount of lamb mince left in the packet (thought that there was more) I couldn't help gigling to myself about the "hunt the mince" game. Thankyou for brightening up my day!

rising_from_the_ashes

Ninno820 wrote: »

if a cc bill comes in - as it did this morning - then I open it with glee then rush to my spreadsheet to see what impact the slightly reduced total has made to my overall debt repayment. This may be silly but its a huge headrush!

Sorry chuckling at this - it was sooooo me when I was clearing the debts.

I oddly miss it a bit - I'm now back to living on a tight budget (which is why I got into debt in the first place) as the debts were cleared through 2nd jobs (thankfully now gone) but I'm paranoid that I'm going to go off track again so I'm still obsessed with spreadsheets and log every penny spent and keep track in my sig (so there's no escaping the figures!:))

cleggie wrote: »

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/51118511#Comment_51118511

The link to my new DFD! Come on over and have a read if you like, the support and encouragement woud be really appreciated!!

Ohhhh will pop over for a read shortly Cleggie:)

Hoping for a LS weekend - don't really need any groceries & still have my £7 off £50 Mr T voucher which I'm hoping to hold off spending until next weekend

EverTheOptimist

Evening all

I think i am heading for another fail. I have £7.06 left until 29th Feb. :mad:

I am going to go through my freezer tomorrow, i am pretty sure i have 10 days of dinner left in there. Just not sure how i am going to buy some fresh fruit and snacks. May try and get over to Horrorsons for the veg.

Thankfully i get lunch free at work so if i need to i can have my main meal at lunchtime and then a cup a soup for tea, or even cereal actually.

I spent £5 on a baking book from the book man at work. i bought some bits over the last couple of days that i didnt need but wanted to make some bits from my book, and as i dont seem to have many stock cupboard bits i had to buy new. Although now i have some bits left over for the cupboards.

Well i made 12 bread rolls, and honeycomb ice cream. Wow the ice cream is good if not very sickly.

I do have petrol money set aside, so if i dont need to top up petrol i can borrow a bit from that budget. so although i will go over i hopefully wont go into my overdraft. And just thought i also have some Mr T vouchers i can use.

Ahhhh maybe there is light at the end of the tunnel. And who'd have thought the shortest month would feel so long.

Right off to read Cleggie's diary.

Enjoy the weekend all.

killielila

:hello: guys can i come play ?

ive been on the site for ages but went bit AWOL but am back and ready kick A$$ lol

i live with my DD and recently moved in DF and between xmas new year and my DF moving in my bugets went all hay wire .... but due to a screw up (party mine party DWP) my esa was stopped mid jan and ive had to make do with just my tax credits and fame allowance and thankfully well stocked freezer n store cupboard
so working out a budget im going to TRY 40 a week which means 80 pounds for rest of Feb wish me luck ?!?!?

[Deleted User]

Hello all, I have popped over from the freezer/food cupboards challenge (both bulging) and noticed the Approved foods and Bargain Foods mentioned so have had a quick look, compared some prices - only on food, have that compulsion to buy and stockpile food, and just wondered if others have used and been satisfied. Some of the products work out well cheap but have to take delivery into account which is not easy to find, £5.99 on one but cannot find on the other.
Best of luck to any one just starting to budget, I found YS, then use slow cooker, seems to increase a small amount of meat into huge portions, most of which, in my house, end up in freezer.
Wendy

supersally01

Evening all,

Hope all are well, need to report spends:mad:
Decided in my wisdom to stock up an all the good buys and low price items using MOC's at Mr T's (Comfort, Coke, Dettol, Small and mighty, Jordans Cereal, Aunt Bessies, Philli, etc)

Spent £46 before discounts and MOCS, came down to £33. I now have a really fantastic supply of washing products, Cola, Cereal, surface spray etc. I know it was worth it, but I have gone over my budget.:(

Also got the pasta from Amazon, so another £3.90 to add.

The poor young lad putting thro my Mocs suddenly felt sick, and had to rush off to the toilet!! Hope it was not my fault, as I had at least 12! The Supervisor had to take over, and failed to put thro 2 MOCS, so £1.50 down. Not the end of the world tho!
Also got sweets for the kids for the cheap cinema at the local theatre. They enjoyed this as was Puss in Boots.

Also called by Morrisons, and got the Surf using a MOC for £1.50. Also 2 x pasta bakes (like these) 1/2 price, some cans for the cinema and 30p fruit/carrots. £4.87.

It was going to be a NSD today, as night shift last night, but went out to collect a prescription and boots order, and got chips to go with tonights tea. Could not be bothered peeling spuds tonight!

Am going to M&S tomorrow with my Living Social voucher, as they have 25% off wine. Will get 6, and a 3 for £10 meat. Should be about £25 after staff discount.

Really cannot spend any more, but there have been quite a few good buys, and I would be silly not to stock up. Hope next month will come under budget. On the plus side, I did have a £36 tax rebate backdated from 2006, so not too bad!!

Fiasco55

Another NSD for me today. Fished out half a pizza from the freezer for dinner tonight and I am toying with going ys hunting tomorrow.