April 2012 Grocery Challenge

rising_from_the_ashes

Suffolk_lass wrote: »

You know you are worth it and we all think you are too! You go for it - it's not like it will go off or anything. And it so improves one's mood, a tiny bit of pampering at almost no additional cost. How lovely. :T:T

Awwwwww, lovely words, thank you

Well, I did get some more - not as many as I maybe would've as the shelves were almost bare (everyone's up to the same thing I suspect!) but I do now have 9 bottles of each :j so if I use one "nice" one, then a "cheap" one, they'll last for ages :D

Pretty chuffed as 9 bottles would cost £19.80 full price and I paid £6.60:j:j

Sig updated with totals :eek: still 1/2 the month to go & things not looking great - hopefully it'll start to balance out a bit soon as I do have big stocks of some things that I'll not need to buy for the rest of the year...... (fingers crossed)

cleggie

Good afternoon GC'ers!

I am really impressed with my underspend last week (week 2, check out the signature!!!! ) and now we are into week 3 i am aiming to come in under budget too.

i am not sure what to do about the week 4 shop though. I get my Student loans in that week, and will do a really big shop, stocking up on things like wash powder, tinned goods, loo roll etc. This is something i do 3 times a year. I am not sure if i should include this shop in my GC.
What do you al think?

mummyyof5

Another NSD here ...carbonara tonight...chicken for tomorrow with all the trimmings and toad in the hole Monday...have everything in stock for these meals,.
Have choclate cake in oven and rice pudding in slow cooker all from stocks x
Will be going to HB on Tuesday though:D

[Deleted User]

Cleggie - I include everything that is supermarket related on my grocery challenge, I also stock up on things like toilet rolls, but wait till there are really good offers. There was recently 3 x 9 pack of andrex for £10, which i thought was good. Maybe as you are doing so well, you could start off a second purse system for these, so put aside any monies left when you are under budget, its amazing how quick it builds up, but its really up to you how to manage things.

Could not resist an AF shop, have updated sig. Hoping to come in under myself, as im gonna start off my 2nd purse system with it.

rising_from_the_ashes

cleggie wrote: »

i am not sure what to do about the week 4 shop though. I get my Student loans in that week, and will do a really big shop, stocking up on things like wash powder, tinned goods, loo roll etc. This is something i do 3 times a year. I am not sure if i should include this shop in my GC.
What do you al think?

Well done on the underspend :T:T that's huge!

Save_Dosh wrote: »

Cleggie - I include everything that is supermarket related on my grocery challenge, I also stock up on things like toilet rolls, but wait till there are really good offers. There was recently 3 x 9 pack of andrex for £10, which i thought was good. Maybe as you are doing so well, you could start off a second purse system for these, so put aside any monies left when you are under budget, its amazing how quick it builds up, but its really up to you how to manage things.

I'd want to include it too (or I may get a bit carried away:o and I want to know how much I spend in total over the year).

As was suggested to me by the lovely GCers a while ago - what about having a larger budget for the months that you do the stock up in?

PennyGrabber

Hi Cleggie - I wouldn't include it in my weekly shop - I'd make a note of it in my signature though, as in mine below!! I do stock up shops throughout the year, and it would seriously screw with my figures and make me feel like I kept missing my targets if I included it. I know you said about spending around £100, so why don't you give yourself a target of £100 plus your weekly budget for next week?! That way, you acknowledge the spend, and it's in your signature. I think you need to include it, so you know how much you're spending overall - it's a number you need to know, ready for budgetting next year...

JIL

I was wondering how others organise their cupboards and fridge and freezer? I went into the kitchen to my MFI kitchen larder in the hope of sorting it out but I cant face it.
I have one shelf of tins of all descriptions, another shelf of jars and packets, a whole shelf of spices and herbs, stock cubes and packets of sauce mixes. Another shelf of baking stuff and bread things.
a shelf of pasta and rice and dried cous cous type foods. then in another cupboard cooking oils and cereals, jam, honey etc.
On another shelf crisps and biscuits and crackers.
I am sure I buy things as i forget what I have.

So any tips on what others do to organise their cupboards or fridges and freezers to ensure nothing gets ignored or missed and keeps the grocery shopping down?

craigywv

JIL wrote: »

I was wondering how others organise their cupboards and fridge and freezer? I went into the kitchen to my MFI kitchen larder in the hope of sorting it out but I cant face it.
I have one shelf of tins of all descriptions, another shelf of jars and packets, a whole shelf of spices and herbs, stock cubes and packets of sauce mixes. Another shelf of baking stuff and bread things.
a shelf of pasta and rice and dried cous cous type foods. then in another cupboard cooking oils and cereals, jam, honey etc.
On another shelf crisps and biscuits and crackers.
I am sure I buy things as i forget what I have.

So any tips on what others do to organise their cupboards or fridges and freezers to ensure nothing gets ignored or missed and keeps the grocery shopping down?

I tend to write a list of EVERYTHING in my 2 freezers and stick it to the fridge, i also keep all meat together, all bread stuffs, frozen veg from my miniscular garden loli find this helps me out knowing what i have , also a list of my larder lol (cupboard under the stairs) i keep all dry stuff in there rice,tins crisps etc and i freeze my flour, cornmeal etc again lists of what i have on the fridge hope this helps:)

fozziebeartoo

I made the mistake of wandering round the shops after a lunchtime date so another £12 added to my sig

£3 in Poundland, £2 in Wilkos, £3 in Iceland and £4 in Sainsbugs.

Toasted the end of tomato and cheese bread for very early brekkie......wanted to watch F1 qualifying

Granola and greek yog for early lunch before I went out.

Have defrosted YS/whoopsied pork steak for tea and planning to do mushroom bulgar wheat (bought on a whim) with it.....not sure that is a good combo but will give it a try

Managed to freeze 2 portions of last nights chicken casserole for another time so freezer is no nearer to being emptied! :rotfl:

freakyogre

£11.85 spent at Tesco on Thursday.

I've been to a local food festival today which was really good. Bought some nice bread, a giant cookie and some spices which i've included in my total.