Grocery Challenge - February 2012

Fiasco55

NSD today. I am off out to see a hypnosis comedy show with my friend. We are going for dinner first but that is coming out my entertainment budget.

I will need to go to out tomorrow to get my water. Might see if there is an offer at mr t to use my £20 money card.

Have a good night everyone.

Suffolk_lass

DundeeDoll - I also run until 29th Feb – see you here then.

I was careful today to write my list and meal-plan but then the post came with £20 of Waitflower vouchers (related to spend on my operational day-to-day CC). I was all set to go to Aldo's but this took the pressure off a bit. I got all the meat I need out of the freezer and adapted my list. It really looked do-able. I knew something metaphorically sparkly would grab my attention but I had prepared for this. I was going to bat it away.

Then I flicked through my dear old preserves book after posting on Pennygrabber's DFD and the next thing, I was indulging myself by looking up where I could buy Kilner jars from - Dunelm Mill. Never been there before but there were loads of offers. Apart from 2 x 1lb loaf tins it was only the Kilner jars I bought and they don't actually come out of the GC budget but it sort of jogged my equilibrium out of kilter and the next thing was I had bought a bag of five (yes, I know...) organic apples in Waitflower's veg and fruit aisles, for £2.49. :eek: O.M.G!! That is 50p an apple. I am so cross with me. Last week I got two bags of six for 99p a bag so three for 50p. What a chimp.

I also recognise that the vouchers gave me a sense of indulgence and I picked up an Oyay moisturiser for £9.99 (good price but I bought one last week) that will combat the seven signs of ageing apparently – so that's old, decrepit, fat, female, fifty, hormonal and what was the last one? Oh yes; forgetful. Brilliant stuff then. :whistle:

And then there were the three packs of meat for £10 - these have come out of 2nd purse which is massive smassive now. The meat is in the freezer...

It could have been worse, I am still just under the target but only because some was written away to second purse and the vouchers have been taken off the GC total. I think I recognise my spending pattern now.

Ninno820

Just got back from the sm - bargain free city!! I went to get a couple of things for the choclate fudge cake - one of them was evaporated milk - knew that I wouldnt use the whole tin so boughta couple of tins of fruit in nat juices to use it up. Bought a reducd bread roll and pack of veg. Along with yoghurts and a cooking sauce on offer my total bill came to £7.42 - should now be okay until next weekend so am quite proud of that.

nannygladys

Hi everyone
Another NSD today, well my four week period started yesterday and I havent withdrawn any cash from the ATM so I cant spend it:) Today I have made a banana cake and a big pot of lentil soup, which is for my lunchtimes, I have a menu planned for 2 weeks which I will use for the four weeks, nothing exciting just plain food and if there is any money left after the four weeks I will do a store cupboard buy.
Jxx

savingforoz

I'm declaring for February at £39.96 - 4p under!

I'll go for £50 for March,please.

wannabee_in_credit

Hooray! I've done my final shop of February - and managed the lot in Ald! without having to go to Mr A at all today. It was £45.67 which takes me under budget for February at £209.52/£220 - I shouldn't need to buy anything else before March.
I think that there are 5 Saturdays in March so I'll pledge £275 for the month - I can seem to stick with £55 a week.

Florenceem

I went shopping today - got the potatoes on offer at Li.. - 2.5 kg for 74p. Also got a 5 kg sack of onions for £1.39.

We had chicken pie/roast potatoes/roast parsnip/cabbage/carrot and onion for dinner.

meanmarie

My receipts for February total €179.98....which seems wonderful but am sure I spent more than that and know that OH paid for some food as well....but will declare at €180 and please put me down for €180 again for March.

Many thanks to all who do such hard work for this thread.

Marie

XSpender

Dropped my car off with DBIL to get something sorted on it before it's MOT on Monday and found an Ald1 and B&M close by so did the week's shop. Also popped into M&S to get a bottle of wine as a thank you (forgot when I was in Ald1:mad:) and picked up a 3 for £3 stir fry veg, noodles and sauce offer and some half price strawbs. My favourite:)

Have to say I have never liked stirfry the couple of times I have tried it(too bland) but DH is on a veg kick after catching a virus on top of tonsilitus last week and requested one. It was lovely and we will have it again but will try and recreate it myself.:)

I have spent this weeks part of my monthly budget but it does include d/w tablets, kitchen roll, fabric conditioner and a few other items that will last longer than my March challenge. I am quite happy that for once I haven't gone mad in the first week and blown my budget. Oh this spend also includes a takeaway and some alcohol too;)

DH and I sat and planned what (manily veggie) meals we wanted to have this week. This is a first I normally do it myself and it goes out of the window so I am hoping we will stick to it this week especially as the fridge is now groaning with tons of Ald1 veg.

Herbyme

Suffolklass, I love your 7 signs of ageing, so much more realistic than the ones in the advert!:rotfl:

I'll be here till the 29th too, then will try really hard not to be Mrs Extravagant with the first shop of March, leaving me trying to catch up with myself the rest of the month. Have ignored the recent 0cad0 emails with the 10% and 15% offers, now waiting for the 20% one to do the big shop, figure that's better value for me than the Mr M's petrol voucher, which seems to represent about a 10% saving. Oops, did I say 'the big shop'?:eek: What I meant was the WEEKLY shop... old habits...

NickJW, I can relate to all of that - shopping when tired/hungry, no list, trying to work round other people's unpredictable habits and lesser interest in MS, spending money not planned in order to reach a MOC llimit... soooo familiar!