Grocery Challenge - February 2012

baroley

I have 26.68 to last 'til the end of next week, a week off work, and visitors coming to stay. I am going to have to be inventive! (or borrow from my Christmas fund!). At least I know where I am financially rather than blindly spending money.

Good luck everyone. This is a tough time of the month/year for lots of us!

debbiedeejay

Afternoon all

Weekly drudge round Mr M's cost me a whopping £37.54:eek: - and why?? Because I left my phone in the car (use the calculator function on it to tot things up as I go round) - instead of bothering to go back and get it decided to "round" things up/down and was distracted twice by chatting and forgot the totals! And I wasn't going to stand there and recount it all - I would have looked a right ninny plus the place was heaving(like Christmas, that mad)

I did remember the shopping list but even so there was a couple of things on it I could not get as out of stock so that was pants too.

But on the bright side made H/M chicken Caesar salad , using one load of thigh meat per person so a bit cheaper than breast (they were on offer a mix tray of drumsticks & thighs,about 9 pieces,for £2).

Off to update signature - think I might be sailing a bit close to budget.:o

russetred

Rationing_Revisited wrote: »

Hubbie and I (+3kiddies) are experimenting with a 1940s ration diet for the next 2 years. weird intro i know... i get to the point... eventually lol.
We used to spend £100+ per week on groceries and then still went back to the stores for top ups... Now we spend £30 -£40 per week for ALL of us NOT PER PERSON.

This came about when hubbie and i asked the question would a modern people benefit from the 40s ration diet that their parents/ grandparent became so healthy and fit on.

Well we're about 2 months in... in the first 1.5 months i lost 1stone... we can now afford to save 1/4 of our income (which, over the 2 year experiment will = £7800) in an online saver and we lack for nothing.

Our site (rationing revisited) charts our progress, shopping comparisons (quality and price) and logs all the recipes / tips we use.

This experiment was done by Thriftlady back in 2007.Just search for Thriftlady's wartime experiment a fascinating read. Pennygrabber JTD just the difference for the tesco price checker vouchers.

Spiggle

PennyGrabber wrote: »

... Also, if you chew minty gum, it goes a little way towards counteracting the bread-baking smell they have...

Well, well, you really do learn something new everyday on here! Thanks PennyGrabber and thanks so much for your list :T which I just realised I hadn't said earlier, sorry.

Welcome too to the newbies joining us either now or in preparation for the March thread. :wave:

So I've updated the sig which includes a small corner shop for today for things OH couldn't get yesterday. I'm hoping we'll be fine for the end of the month now.

Still haven't bought any P*rs*l colour wash liquid since the MrT debacle in January. I suppose I can't growl at it anymore because I rang cs and they gave me a voucher for £10 with no minimum spend for the hassle and wasted trips I made. To be honest, I've been using the Bio and haven't noticed a huge difference in my coloured clothes (a lot of black stuff) so won't get stressed about it again but wait to see when another good offer comes around.

I'm itching to get into my garden but it keeps chucking down every so often and so the ground will be too wet today, perhaps tomorrow fingers crossed.

Right I'm off again but around for most of the day.

Take care all,
Spigs

ixia

:) Afternoon everyone

I've been my weekly shop to Sainsbos spent £73.03 and with other spends this week i have spent £93.12. This leaves me £86.44 to the 29th, think it might be tight.

I have bought some wine and a pudding to take to my friends within this budget should probably have taken it out another shop never mind I will see how the week goes.

Keep up the good work everyone

tessie_bear

hi....been to lidl this morning but wasnt very impressed with the offers....we got the leeks and got a cute chocolate chicken that we have just eaten....made a quiche for lunch and the kids had pizza

i have done next weeks meal plan and might need a few bits of fruit and veg next week but ill see how we go...we are looking forward to pancake day...i like lemon and sugar the kids like golden syrup and dh likes jam...its a fun evening

need to sort out the approved foods order we had as well....most of it is residing in the garage so need to get some in the kitchen to cook with
have a nice day tess

tigerfeet2006

Had a couple of spendy days, though not from the Grocery budget. Thursday we took the kids to see T he Phantom Menace in 3D. Had to go to the big multiplex as our fleapit is not showing it. It cost us £35 for the five of us to get in. I took our own snacks and drinks in with me courtesy of Approved Foods, so didn't have to worry about that. Though DH was moaning about not having popcorn and sprite <rolls eyes> the kids were happy enough. In our local fleapit it costs us just under £35 for tickets and drinks and popcorn, so although it is less salubrious we try to go there. We then used some MOC's and had Subways, cost us £14 for two nachos, two footlongs, three drinks and two cookies ( double choc chip and saved for when the kids went to bed )

Yesterday we went to see my new neice. Couple of hours up the motorway and back. Made sure I took plenty of snacks and drink so we didn't have to stop for lunch. Though DH was jabbering on about stopping for a KFC on the way back but I managed to persuade him otherwise. We had chilli ( from the batch I made the other day) and oven chips for dinner, the kids loved dipping the chips in the chilli and creme fraiche ( left over from the pork dish I did the other day)

So although spendy I was quite pleased that I managed to rein it in a bit, no that's an under statement, I am proud of my self! Especially not giving in to DH. Though when I do my next menu plan I am going to have to put a KFC inspired dish on it from the Takeawy Secret book.

Tonight's dinner is a huge chicken that I have put in the slow cooker, stuffed with quartered onions and has garlic salt, oregano, and pepper over the top. Will serve with veg and possibly roast potatoes.

Suffolk_lass

Spiggle wrote: »

I'm itching to get into my garden but it keeps chucking down every so often and so the ground will be too wet today, perhaps tomorrow fingers crossed.

Just been in the garden and planted eight trees (!) and arms are aching a bit. We were putting in a new Greengage and Bramley into the veg garden and filling some gaps in the hedge at the back (open to fields) with 4 damsons and 2 little plums (called Merryweather) - so although they will grow up to 3m they are primarily hedging and they were bare-rooted. Hah doesn't sound nearly so impressive now! :rotfl:

Good to be out there though and looking increasingly overcast - we are shortly to receive Spigs' rain I think!

Bit of late lunch now then off to get some seed potatoes and some new flooring for the bathroom (they chopped up the floorboards when they sorted out the shower this week and a bare painted floor is no longer an option)

Good job I was saving up for a rainy day 'cos I think we've had ours recently. Just read the leccy meter too so fingers crossed that the bill is not too horrendelburger...

As predicted... cats and dogs!
Have a good weekend everyone
SL

meg72

tigerfeet2006 wrote: »

Had a couple of spendy days, though not from the Grocery budget. Thursday we took the kids to see T he Phantom Menace in 3D. Had to go to the big multiplex as our fleapit is not showing it. It cost us £35 for the five of us to get in. I took our own snacks and drinks in with me courtesy of Approved Foods, so didn't have to worry about that. Though DH was moaning about not having popcorn and sprite <rolls eyes> the kids were happy enough. In our local fleapit it costs us just under £35 for tickets and drinks and popcorn, so although it is less salubrious we try to go there. We then used some MOC's and had Subways, cost us £14 for two nachos, two footlongs, three drinks and two cookies ( double choc chip and saved for when the kids went to bed )

Well done on taking your own drinks and snacks. I took my DGS
tothe cinema on Wednesday,first time for a couple of years and was shocked at how much prices had gone up, but was really pleased that it was Orange Wednesday so one pensioner one child cost just £5.90.

I took two cans of Irn Bru,amazon deal worked out at 17p a can,
a bag of Galaxy minsterals, saved from a Boots Meal some time ago and two bags of Hula Hoops, 99p Store,so 20p.

I then watched in, absolute amazement , a young couple with two little ones spend over £20 on drinks and snacks:eek:
I dont drive,so £6 on Taxii there and back but i feel it was a bargain night out for us.

WelshWoofer

Just reporting the weekly spends....
A trip to Aldi this morning saw me spending just over £16 - pretty much all fresh stuff, F&V and a couple of frozen things. Was pleasantly surprised with the total as I did get a few weekend treats and some vitamins too.

My total is now up to £97 (from £150 budget) with just one shop to go. I have been good this month!:rotfl: