May 2012 Grocery Challenge

mummybearx

Got loads to catch up on, but adding in spends of £2.64 at MrT's on juice and mini naan breads.

My mission was to last one week without supermarkets, I failed, but only by a little. Went to sm on Thursday to get the above stuff, that was day 6 of my 7 day's. Plus I didn't go on Saturday or Sunday, so that's 9 out of the last 10 days :j

Me and DH went out for lunch/dinner on Friday, actually the first time since at least christmas time we have been out for dinner. I know we have already blew the food budget, but I don't care. It was lovely to be out like a normal couple chatting, having a laugh, really lovely

Lunch today is soup I made yesterday, enough left for lunch tomorrow as well x

NickJW

NSD for me today. Got a YS rump steak out of the freezer, sliced it thinly and it's marinating in the fridge with rice wine, soy, sugar and garlic for 'Korean Style beef' with sliced spring onions and a bit of L/O pak choi and rice for dinner.

Lunch is boring cheese and mayo sandwiches!

Well done Pixie Fairydust on your new job! :-)

xxlouisexx56

Hello! spent 20 pounds in sains on sat most of that was on nappies.

Spent another 4.11 in there this AM on 8 pints of milk and 2 loaves of bread.

I've done a meal plan that will take us up until next thursday. So i only need to buy a few bits and bobs. Thats the end of the month so fingers crossed i will stay in budget!

fozziebeartoo

Yesterday was a NSD :j

Today I spent £1.98 in Tesco Express on YS things and £12.14 in Lidl, but most of that came out of the Second Purse and will be bought back at a profit later on :T

Brekkie was granola and greek yog (which I have made last 2 weeks+ instead of eating it all in a week ).

DD brought some bacon over when she dropped DGS off, so I took a 1/4 of a block of puff pastry out of the freezer and made 4 HM bacon and cheese puffs - DGS and I will have them for lunch and then 2 to add to the freezer.

Tea will be Sunday lunch LO's - there is a bit of chicken pie, a couple of slices of pork loin and a sausage, as well as veggies in cheese sauce and roasties so mix 'n' match tea

Have an expensive week or two coming up - both DD's birthdays, need taxis to get to DGS's nursery he is visiting before starting, friends birthday and girlie night out and another big roast family dinner here to celebrate DD's birthdays AND need to buy tickets for the Jubilee Street Party in my road.....

Too much month and not enough money :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

chelseabun_3

fozziebeartoo wrote: »

For the people asking about Motherships fantastic Second Purse system......

I kept reading about it last year but just couldnt "get it" but this January I joined the dedicated Second Purse thread that Kerri started and when I actually started DOING it, it suddenly all became very clear! :T



See if this very basic example helps at all:-

SP has £10 float.

You see your fave cereal for 1/2 price and pay £1.00 out of your SP.

SP now has £9 and you have a packet of cereal in your shop.

When you need to open a new box of cereal, you take it from YOUR shop and not a supermarket and pay yourself the usual supermarket price of £2.00.....

So £1.00 goes to SP to bring you back up to your balance of £10 and the £1 "profit" goes in 3rd Purse.

That's how I do it.

Some people keep putting profit into SP until it gets to the level they want but I am too impatient! :rotfl:

I also pay back the price I am comfortable with......sometimes it is the full retail price and sometimes its just what I paid for the item.

The Second Purse thread is here:-

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3745005

If you check my signature, it shows how much I have in 2nd and 3rd purse and how much I have already spent on my "luxury extras" that the Second Purse has helped me get, I bought loads of Yankee Candles, Body Shop stuff, perfume and Sloggis so far.

All stuff I wanted but would struggle to fund normally

Motherships Second purse has been a revelation to me :j

Thanks Fozziebear I was like you too - couldn't get my head around it at all, but since I've been doing it it's making far more sense! I've found Kerri's spreadsheet really helpful too.

LMM - hope you give it a go, but beware - it's addictive!:D

Pixie_Fairydust wrote: »

Well I've still got 5 days to go before pay day and I'm over my budget :mad:

................. But it's made me focus on menu planning and organising my weekly on-line shop so I'm not tempted to nip out to the local shops........... a pint of milk will turn into a £5 shop :eek:

On a positive note, I have just been offered a permanent position within the NHS, 20 hours per week, Tues, Wed and Thurs. So I am really pleased, as my previous contract was on an 'as and when' basis, so its nice to have a bit more stability

Off to do my meal plan for the week, I have a quorn/leek/potato bake in the oven as I type, pizza, HM wedges and carrot sticks for DS............ so at least tonight is sorted.

Have a great day everyone.

Pixie

Congratulations Pixie, that's fab news! :T:T:T

Just read through the weekend's posts. I was away this weekend, and when I got back DH had sorted out more shelving and storage in the garage and pantry (understairs cupboard to everyone else!:o) for me to store all my extra stock bought with the second purse! My hero!:A

However, he'd also been to Mr T and spent money!:eek: £12.58 to add to the sig! Although, to be fair, most of it was needed. But he BOUGHT bread! We have a huge stash of flour and a breadmaker that he knows how to use! :mad: No excuse, none at all. He just didn't plan ahead! But I couldn't be too cross with him, not after the lovely shelves he put in the pantry! He knows how to get around me!:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Hopefully we're on target for this month, but I haven't transferred any GC money to the SP yet, so we'll see!

mummyyof5

£26.00 in L**l yesterday...A NSD today..on the plus side I have persuaded OH to start taking pack up when hes in the yard...hes a coach driver so if hes on a trip or on tour he doesnt need it...If only on school runs..he goes back to the yard and it costs £5 just for a sandwich and piece of cake from a mobile shop that comes round....today he took 4 rounds of cheese and pickle,crisps ,a slice of golden syrup cake ,apple and banana...he gets fruit this way too...far less than a fiver for that lot.:j

meanmarie

Been to Aldi to-day and spent €33.13.....total spend so far this month is €116.48, leaving me €6.35 per day until end of month.

Marie

Coxy11

Sat and Sun were NSDs :j - helped that I worked from 8am-6pm on Saturday and yesterday was my nephews birthday so at DSis house all day.

Spend of £7.18 today in Co-op on YS bread and sugar snap peas, potatoes, ham and milk. Came home from work at 1pm to discover all the milk had gone so had to settle for black coffee with my lunch - actually not too bad, so may continue

For those asking about the 2nd purse - do come over and join us on the thread. It's highly addictive and be warned - you will need storage space for your 'shop'

Off to update sig.

Barbeduk

Hi all, managed to do most of the week's shopping today, £8.24 in Mr M on frozen stuff, bananas and apples, oh and the savers pasta. Then !id! for the main shop; bacon, sausages, ham, eggs, yogurt, filter coffee, cheese and perhaps some chocolate fell in too, £23.60.

Have a weetabix cake in the oven and must make the syrup cake again this week. Sadly the dog ate most of the last one!!:eek:

Will update sig.

Has anyone else noticed they've swapped the £s they've saved for some extra lbs? Think I've been making too many of the cakes!!:D

abitofhelp

Evening, i'm late posting today. I bought a large chicken at the weekend. We had chicken, wedges and salad yesterday, chicken salad with hm bread today. Youngest child had a chicken leg each day. I have some left for a sandwhich for lunch tomorrow, the remaing meat has been shredded for the freezer. Finaly the carcass has been simmering in the slow cooker today for stock.