July 2012 Grocery Challenge

ikkle87

Been to Ald! and spent £26.07, bit annoyed that I didn't spend enough to use my voucher from the paper but not to worry, I would have just ended up spending for spendings sake.

Then went to Mr M's and spent £43.51. Stuck to my list though and seen as my list on mysupermarket came out at £95.67 I am not too unhappy with my total spend of £69.58. I do still need to go to @sda but that is for 2 whole chickens, some chicken fillets, some steak and some cooking bacon so not enough to push it up massively and there will be enough to do a fair few meals in the following weeks.

GreenFairy

mummyyof5 wrote: »

Can anyone advise me please???...have been roped into the cake stall at LOs school next Friday...Need to make at least 4 chocolate cakes...always use sandwhich tins then layer with buttercream...can I make cakes in advance...say this weekend and freeze....then just defrost layer up and decorate on thursday night???

Never frozen them before so dont know if possible but I have a very busy week so hoping this will be possible xx TIA xx

You can totally do that. You can even ice them when they're still partly frozen. It's how professional bakers do a lot of their cakes as it avoids getting dark cake crumbs into the pale frosting/icing/buttercream or vice versa.

Kitchenbunny

Afternoon everyone. I'm feeling down in the dumps. I've managed (yet again) another small spend. These small spends of mine are somewhat unnecessary and add up to larger amounts. Now I have access to any of the supermarkets I am going just for something to do.

(sigh)

Anyway, today's little spend is another £5.03 on things like tinned corned beef, tinned mushrooms, apricots, that kind of thing. I could kid myself and class it as "storecupboard spends" but they're still spends.

I'll get back on the straight and narrow soon. We have black bean chicken with noodles for tea tonight - something light as it's rather muggy here. Have a good evening, all.

K xx

Florenceem

MY YD I just stayed with visited the SM so much while I was there - sure she doesn't realise how much she spends on food a month - not that she would listen to me anyway!

nicknack

Just been to Mr T and the RTC section was overloaded - mainly sandwiches and cold pasta dishes, but managed to get 3 packs of Danepak bacon, reduced from £2.60 to 85p each which I will put in the freezer, and some turkey breast for OH's sandwiches tomorrow less than half price at 60p. Not much room in the freezer now so will have to stop myself from buying anything else to put in there!

Lovely sunny day here, washing's on the line and the housework's done so I'm going to put my feet up now :T

PennyGrabber

DebtFree2012 wrote: »

One more question please guys

I buy fresh fruit on a w/e and by thurs/fri it's getting past it's best. Any ideas of what I can put in the kids packed lunches for the last 2 days to keep fruit intake up without ahving to hit the shops again? I will try buying green bananas and hope they ripe in time/not too early....

I have this issue, so I buy something for the first part of the week, like melon, grapes, bananas etc, and then for the latter half, we have apples, pears, cuc, carrots, more melon, as these things keep for ages in the fridge. I also have a stash of dried fruit for just in case, dd's fave is dried mango.

Kitchenbunny wrote: »

Afternoon everyone. I'm feeling down in the dumps. I've managed (yet again) another small spend. These small spends of mine are somewhat unnecessary and add up to larger amounts. Now I have access to any of the supermarkets I am going just for something to do.

(sigh)

Anyway, today's little spend is another £5.03 on things like tinned corned beef, tinned mushrooms, apricots, that kind of thing. I could kid myself and class it as "storecupboard spends" but they're still spends.

I'll get back on the straight and narrow soon. We have black bean chicken with noodles for tea tonight - something light as it's rather muggy here. Have a good evening, all.

K xx

I'm guilty of this too - well, I was. I'm trying so hard to just go once a week, and for most weeks I can manage it. (Just not the past two!) For me, it was looking around at my stocks, and realising how ridiculous it was that I have so much I can't even fit it into the cupboards! Really helps, am even tempted to take a pic of it on my phone, then when I feel the urge, just look at my pic, and give myself a stern telling off!!

Hugs, x

jumblejack

No spend again:j

Went foraging instead. Found wild cherries that were ripe for picking and the last of the elderflowers don't think I'll bother collecting anymore of those this year now as most are beginning to turn into fruit.

I found some trees that I would love to have identified. I have just been on 2 websites and still can't ID them.

If anyone is good on native trees, they are on the foraging thread on the old style board. Id be really grateful if you could give me a heads up. None of them are in the food for free book but I'm still hoping that one may be edible!

MrsCD

Nice to have you back Florenceem :wave: Children eh! Tell her next time she can do her curtains herself!! Mine don't listen either!

Spiggle wrote: »

Hi everyone,

I'm not joining you this month as I have lost all my spreadsheets for the past three years (grocery spending, mortgage, piggy banking, etc). If the files are recovered it will be a while so I'll pull out for July but will be attempting to monitor roughly. I'm just loathe to (and don't really have the time to) rebuild all my spreadsheets if there is the slightest chance I'll get the originals back.

So good luck everyone, keep your purses closed and your list stuck to your hand and I'll see you soon.

Take care,
Spigs

Aaargghh :eek: That's awful. Hope you can retrieve them all. Hugs.

sistercas wrote: »

jumblejack good spot :T

justback from l!dl and @sda £14 in l!dl and around £80 in @sda £20 of which was suncream for the holiday

should have everything for the week now though

Hope you have a lovely time

mummyyof5 wrote: »

Can anyone advise me please???...have been roped into the cake stall at LOs school next Friday...Need to make at least 4 chocolate cakes...always use sandwhich tins then layer with buttercream...can I make cakes in advance...say this weekend and freeze....then just defrost layer up and decorate on thursday night???

Never frozen them before so dont know if possible but I have a very busy week so hoping this will be possible xx TIA xx

Yes, I freeze plain cakes all the time.

DebtFree - Do you have any very small Tupperware boxes? You could put some tinned fruit in them for packed lunches.

NSD today - too busy digging mud in the garden to make a trench for the rain when it comes to hopefully stop the patio flooding again!

ikkle87

Made some cheese and bacon savouries with the intention of them doing for lunch for the OH and he's scoffed em lol, said they were really nice and can I make some more please. x

XSpender

Updating my signature after a 97p spend at work today. My total stands at £396.33 leaving me £103.67 for diesel, food and anything else we need over the next 2 weeks.

I have half a tank of diesel so this is enough for next week but I will need another £30-35 for the week after. I have rejigged the meal plan after having my first sausage in 25 years last night to include a sausage meal per week and have also included another meal using up something from the freezer for DH and eggs for me.

I know I am going to go over budget, maybe by about £50,but I have just about halved my 'food and booze' spend compared with last month and I feel like I am getting back on track. Meal planning is really helping.:D

I have decided to include ALL of the membership fee and spendsfrom my visit to Costc0 on Sunday whih has pushed my total up. I am still not sure if to start a 2nd purse for these items to create a float/savings or just take the one hit this month and have cheaper months to follow.