Grocery Challenge - February 2012

Florenceem

Had a great long weekend away - thought I may not get home because of the snow. Had to shop today - spent £6 in Al.. .
Dinner was salmon, home made wedges and salad - shredded red cabbage/tomatoes/celery/onion and grated carrot.

coldcazzie

Hi everyone. I'm a bit behind as our credit card month runs from the 9th to the 9th, so I'm only just declaring January's total, which is £434.40 out of my £500 total. :j :j

This month I was going to go for £450, but I'm going to push the boat out and go for a target of £420.

I do have a question though for everyone. When you work out your total, do you include toiletries and household items like toilet roll, kitchen roll, boxes of tissues, tooth paste, shower gel etc etc or do you leave those off and restrict it to food? I'm curious as I've started buying some of our toiletries etc at places like Wilkos and Home Bargains so they're now separate purchases - this means I could exclude them if I wanted, but I still sometimes buy bulky things like 18-packs of loo roll or 8-packs of kitchen roll via online shopping cuz it's easier to have it delivered than have to cart it home on the bus - this means I generally include it in my total cuz it's a pita to minus those costs from my total. Just curious what others do?

Hope everyone's Februarys have started out well!

cw18

coldcazzie wrote: »

I do have a question though for everyone. When you work out your total, do you include toiletries and household items like toilet roll, kitchen roll, boxes of tissues, tooth paste, shower gel etc etc

Personally, mine is food and drink only - but that's because I have a seperate budget for toiletries and cleaning products. If I counted the ones bought in supermarkets into this challenge total, then I'd also count the ones bought elsewhere - otherwise there'd be too much temptation to set a budget to include them all, and then not do.

The only thing I 'wobble' on is take-aways!! It's not something I've ever done often, but I've already had a few this year. My chap treated me to the first couple, so this last weekend I decided it was my time to pay - and then wasn't sure whether to log it under 'groceries' or 'anything else' (which includes clothes, cds, dvds, odd bits and pieces for the house, and days out). In the end I chucked it into groceries as my 'anything else' budget isn't really that big, I blew it last month with some keep-fit stuff for using at home (so want to spend as little as poss in Feb), and I figured it balanced out the days he's bought for me when I've not had to cook........ plus it was actually eaten at home. Means any more I pay for this year will also have to be logged under groceries as I've now set a precedent for them going there, but any meals out (restaurant type) will go under 'anything else' as that's socialising

PennyGrabber

Morning all,

I'm off work again today, still not feeling right. My mum was supposed to be coming up to look after the children for me as it's a td day at their school, but because i'm poorly she's not coming! Her justification was that she can come another time when she can spend time with me too. I wanted her to come and be my mummy!! Never mind - my children are really well behaved (for the majority!), so it won't be too hard. The main prob will be getting up off the sofa to make lunch and dinner. They will be here for dinner after all, not at ex-h, so I'm going to think of something easy for then.Maybe fish fingers waffles and peas.

NSD as I feel too bad to go out!

PG x

tessie_bear

hi....brrrrr its cold here i suspect a bit more of the white stuff might be on its way...got chops for tea....i need to do a meal plan for the next few days so that will keep me busy

got some chicken left from roast yesterday so need to think of something nice to do with that...maybe a pie....planning a shop on sat at lidls but nothing until then as far as i am aware

take care tess

Linz4383

tessie_bear wrote: »

hi....brrrrr its cold here i suspect a bit more of the white stuff might be on its way...

according to the weather were expecting some more friday/saturday! hope not its like an ice rink out there! and im at work this weekend

off to asda later so will make sure ive got everything in for next weeks meal plan hoping to not spend much next week on groceries as i think im out for t one nite with my sister and havin the girls round for a takeaway next weekend!

everyones doin fab! be careful thos who have had snow! mines like ice now!

just thought id let you no if anyone has andrex toilet roll, if you put your points in on there site they have some recipe books which you can claim for 40points (currently double points), i had the childrens one last time they did it and there not bad rrp is about £7-8, theyve currently got a soup one, baking, one pot (ive just ordered) and a pasta one, they are limited stock tho so you will need to be quick!!!

M0neysav3r

Hi
Haven't been around much this week but have been totting up my spending nad so far spent £62.02, I popped to A5da last night and was thrilled to pick up a few bargains, a guy in front of me was hogging the whole bargain bit for a while but i still managed to get some readymeal things for dh for 20p, tomatoes for 10p, packs of chicken for 60p, pizzas for £1.20 (not exactly a bargain but they were the fresh ones usually £5!!) A lovely bbq chicken for £2.20 - So that lot with the rest of my freezer that i was planning on running down should be the basis of this months meals.
So top up shops for the rest of the month, hopefully.
I also managed to get a birthday cake and the months pet food too

Mortmain_Dreamer

Off to L!dl soon for some basics - milk, fruit, eggs etc. I'm determined to come in on budget this month, but not confident that it will happen. It's DS' 6th birthday next week (half term!) and he has requested a party tea so need to get some extra bits and bobs and get baking. This afternoon need to make some peanut butter, we go through tonnes of the natural stuff normally so going to try making my own. Got to bake some pitta breads and wraps, and make some yoghurt.

elsiepac

Just a quick note to say thank you carolinerunner, I may look into it - unfortunately I'd be lying if I said I felt inclined at the mo!!!

I've been playing with my meal plan and realised I don't need to buy anything else from Week 2 after all, so made the weekly budgets look more normal, below.

On track to come in under budget.

LC

Feb GC: £55.31/£98
Week 1: £13.38/£14
Week 2: £17.69/£18
Week 3: £0/£13
Week 4: £0/£14
Week 5: £0/£14
Stores: £24.24/£25

PennyGrabber

Children have chosen toasties for lunch, and I have some melon already cut up, so they can have that and grapes for pud. Got some milk coming to the end, so I may do an angel delight for pud tonight. This avo's snack will be dried apricots/mango/raisins or tinned peaches/mandarins. Almost feels planned!

Feel bad that we're indoors all day, but I'm just not up to taking them anywhere. Still, dd has done crafting so far today, and made 2 cards, with plans (and a shopping list!) for another about 20 projects! Hobbicraft here we come once I'm better!

PG x