Grocery Challenge - February 2012

greent

Sorry to hear of your loss, DundeeDoll,

Spent 80p the other night on dbl cream as DS1 had made scones in DT that day - being a heathen child he was happy to have squirty cream, but DH & I wanted real cream to sample them with!

Avoided shops Thurs and Fri and went to Ald! and Mr T today - used my £5 off £40 in T's, but only spent £40 because I bought some shopping for which I'll be fully reimbursed on Weds - so total spend to date for the month is £37.27 - very pleased with this, as it equates to less than £10/ day so far and daily budget equates to £13.79. Fridge and freezer still both rammed, as are cupboards! Have all lunchbox stuff in until at least Weds (poss Thurs) - when I'll only need bread/ rolls. Will also need milk, juice and maybe fruit then, too. May buy Ds1 part of his bday present in T's at the same time to make use of the £5 off voucher, otherwise will not bother with it.

DH suggested a takeaway tonight - I declined and we are having fajitas instead with late night nibbles of cheese and warm pitta to go with wine All already here, so no need to venture out into the snow (which has settled here although is predicted to stop falling at some point overnight)

Stay warm, everyone!

ModestyB

angelatgraceland wrote: »

I get my bread flour from Lidl at 60p and the yeast I buy in the Mr T or somewhere-the orange packet-itlots in it-about £1 but you need to measure it out in teaspoons-its cheaper in the longrun though. I think its Allinsons. youve n ot paid a bad price though-you have time to look around before your next purchase.

LondonDreamer wrote: »

Mr A and Mr T both have bread flour for 60p as well.

Allinson's yeast in the tin is much cheaper than the sachets, as mentioned above. The yellow tin is for handbaking and needs activating before use, the green tin is a bit more expensive but is instant and can also be used in breadmakers.

Cheapest supermarket instant yeast that I know of is actually at Waitrose - Dove's Farm 99p for 125g (about 18 sachets) in an orange box.

Thank you both for your help. I like the sound of Dove's Farm yeast, is it only from Waitr*se? I've never actually seen one of those shops.
I never go to Mr. T. and rarely A$da.
I had a bit of luck today, DD needed to go to Bilston today and I went along as I'd been having a feeling about a certain CS opposite the Major's chip shop. How I knew there'd be a cheap breadmaker waiting in there for me, I don't know. Haven't been there for months.
Anyway, I got me a breadmaker for £10. Hope it works! WTS. :rotfl:

CompBunny

I'm really sorry to hear about your father in law, DundeeDoll I hope you and hubby are coping ok. Budgeting is still important of course, but be kind to yourselves xxx

I'm back to GC after a couple of months "off". I've been very very good still, just not noting everything down here I was pretty floored by losing my Grandfather and wasn't too well for a while, and then had all the stress of moving house and keeping up with this just didn't happen!

However, I'm back for February and hoping that everyone is well! Can you put me down for £150 please?

I'm starting off with £18.75 spent at Tesco today (and £26 on fuel, for my own records!). We've moved out to a village and its a 30mins drive to the nearest supermarket so is good for GC. We have a little co-op but not much other opportunity to spend money! Also walking distance to OH's job so should save 150miles worth of fuel spending each week! That £18.75 will last us until next saturday apart from perhaps a loaf of bread midweek.

Can't wait to get going with you all again *hugs to everyone*

nimbo

DD i'm sorry to hear about your FIL. xxxxxxx

warm snuggly hugs to those who need them (been working on the market all day today, and can barely feel my fingers...)

i have spent a whopping £43.80 (£100) of my budget - however tomorrow i plan to batch cook some corned beef hash (the mash potato version not the stew version), and some leek and potato soup... (i make terrible soup, and will have to dig out a recipe but i will get soup down it can't be that hard...)

i do have loads of food in, so if I'm good and don't buy chocolate then i should make it...

Gintotmelinda

Couldn't just read and run....Dundeedoll ((hugs)). Take care.

Gintot

LittleMissAspie

Monthly stock-up today. Was a horrible experience, I'm never going back to that supermarket again. I only went there because we had the voucher from the newspaper but it's a rubbish shop. Several items were way more expensive than we usually pay, lots of things I wanted were sold out and to top it all it was horrendously busy, probably due to said voucher. The queues were blocking the aisles and no-one moved to get out the way so we had to turn around and get to the next aisle at the other end. The freezers were blocked by the queue so my boyfriend asked a woman to pass him something that he wanted, she practically shoved the packet in his face barely looking at him.

Spent only £35.90 but am short on several items, and feel ripped off on the others!

NickJW

Sorry to hear of your losses DD and CompBunny

NSD day today, and NSD day tomorrow if the Mr W delivery comes okay (got lamb shanks to look forward to! ). No snow in my part of London today. I don't even know if it's cold outside because I haven't stepped out of the house - the trains aren't working this weekend and I couldn't be bothered with the whole replacement bus malarky. Due to this I'm having a pretty basic dinner with things in stock - pasta with chopped tomatoes, chilli, olives bacon and mushrooms

Stay warm everybody

rej-c

My sympathies to you and yours, DD.

Well, I came on to update my total and suddenly realised I hadn't named my target yet. :wall:

So, here it is: £100 for rej-c again this month, please, Helen - and I'll aim for 15 NSDs as well.

Off to a poor start with spending on the 1st-4th of the Month totalling £26.66 - not helped by Him Indoors getting himself some unnecessary chilled chicken breasts [we have plenty in the freezer] when he nipped to Mr T's for us this afternoon... and I just remembered something I meant to ask him to get, but forgot to put on the list. Ah well. I'm just glad I didn't have to leave the house, TBH, so I'll take the hit

It's his birthday in a couple of weeks, but I have a separate budget planned for that; otherwise, we'll be using up more of the stash, and I want to make some space in the freezer - gaps are currently filled with whoopsied bread items from last month, but I should put it to better use, given how little freezer space we actually have [shared house].

That'll be my Feb food project - get the freezer topped up [or put a plan in place to get it filled up] with good, worthwhile, nourishing stuff in the most cost-effective way possible.

Best of luck to everyone, and, as ever, thanks to those keeping this thread on the rails :T

zebbeddee

Big Hugs to Dundeedoll & Compbunny xxxx:grouphug:

DundeeDoll

Sorry to hear your news CompBunny. Thanks for the condolences everyone, it means a lot.

Did the week's shop at Lidl today - £33.79. I am seriously wondering what the heck I spent money on in Mr T!! Didn't scrimp either - mature cheddar, premium dry bacon, fairtrade tea, 4 large packets of crisps and a pack of biscuits among the basics. 4 margheritas for £2.49 - will add slices of salami and a bit more grated cheese. Trying out the 1kg for £1 dry cat food as well (trying it out on the cats - don't worry, not eating it myself lol). Still bought the 2kg Go Cat (£4) just in case they turn their very fussy noses up at it. Paid in cash. Liking the idea of the grocery purse, especially since I got late payment charge over new year cos I forgot they have a gazillion bank holidays so although my payment went out of my bank in good time didn't make it to their smelly old account till a day late grrrrrr.