August 2012 Grocery Challenge

Kitchenbunny

Thanks, PG, for the rough puff pastry recipe - I will be giving that a go.

Spent another £0.99 today on a deodorant, so will update my signature now. Decided to have a curry tonight Can't go a week without one, oddly!

Have a lovely evening, everyone!

K xx

Honey_Bear

Quoting Barking Mad: I need to slow down and find some sort of compromise

Someone I used to know had four different shopping lists for groceries. When she was working flat out (this was in the olden days when local shops delivered) when the shop phoned on Thursday morning she'd say 'List 1 (or 2 etc)'. Whatever turned up was what we ate that week. Admittedly there were times when the cupboard was a bit stuffed with extra pasta or rice, but that can be worked out over time.

What I'm suggesting is that if you are constantly trying to make up a meal plan around what you can get vouchers for, chasing YSs, and shopping at several different supermarkets, you are spending a lot of time to save money.

Personally what works for me, is doing less, so we eat roughly the same meals over a given period and if you do that, the shopiing list kind of writes itself. We're not that keen on processed food, which it seems it what most of the voucher offers are for.

I, of course, am a complete twonk, and stock up on things we only eat rarely, because shopping is so much more fun than actually eating the stuff!

cowboymum

Interesting reading about coupons - I don't normally use them as I don't often buy branded stuff but might look into it. Still not doing very well on saving money on groceries. Spent £6.22 at Tescos yesterday for bits and bobs, and almost £40 on reiverford stuff (haven't updated signature yet as have lost reciept!).

Loobeyloop

Good evening all! Hope everyone is well, haven't had chance to read your posts yet as feel the need to put my spends on here asap, makes me feel more in control,

So today was a good day, my DS went out with friends (he took a packed lunch. I had to give him train fare £2.60, I went out for a drink with friends, I was so good, they all bought coffee and food, I sat watching them eat, drinking a pepsi max that cost the extortionate amount of £1.45:eek:
Had to pop to MrT but was very restrained all in all today's total (which also included buying some cakes to take to a friend today when I met their beautiful cavalier king charles puppies, so gorgeous ) spends are £17.75.

Right off to read your posts and update my sig. Hope you all have a lovely eve, and I can't thank you enough for this thread, although only 8 days into it, I am more aware of what I'm spending/buying, it's very early days yet but I'm so confident I will do this! Thank you all, you are fab! xx

sneakyspender

Had to go shopping yesterday evening and a dc with me. Spent £40 on picnic stuff,fruit and wine. Knew this week would be expensive. Getting anxious now as 14 days to pay and more entertaining to do :eek:

Bluegreen143

No spends today, OH made lovely vegetable arrabiata for dinner with a side salad. Not feeling well, got a sore throat

HOHOHOoffwegoKaren41

Another £15 to add from mr 0ldis today on much needed fruit cheese and veg bits added to sig..

CupOfChai

Oh good grief.

I went in the shop again . ButbutbutBUT...

For the first time ever, I pulled off the "Shop pays you" trick. :j

It was completely by accident, I didn't make much off them and didn't even realise till I looked at the receipt because I had bought other stuff as well, but woohoo!

debbiedeejay

Had to buy more milk - DD2 is milk monster even at 16yrs old!. Anyway she had been for a farewell meal with her chear leading group and it was being paid out of the kitty before the group folds so luckily no need to give her money for that.

So after picking her up we went to MR T's to get milk ................and cola of course and a few YS items including chicken pie,aubergines,Cumberland pie,2 cream cakes(now gone:o) and quorn burgers.

Total spent £7.35.

Got home and realised the milk is full fat - normally buy 1% fat stuff so have put a pint in the old carton and added a pint of water. Hope she don't notice too much!

jasmin10

Well that its all baked out tonight. Just come up to bed to update.

Everything has been made from the recipe and ideas on here btw. Made JJ's Herby bread for the first time and well... it went down a storm with DH, half gone already - will defo make that again. I reckon I could of halved the dough and rolled out two thinner circles as each bit are rather large at the mo. Certainly recommended by me, oh and I bet they do taste yummy as dumplings too.

Also made the cheese and bacon puffs, but mine were cheese and wafer ham. Made the sausage rolls using the sausages skinned and mixed with stuffing. Made the cheese and marmite twists but I think I have done it completly wrong, I got lost on the recipe when it said roll out to 20 and 25 and from thereon I made it up as I went along - anyhow they are twisted and taste a little of marmite, think next time I will add a bit more. Also have some bread pudding that I made and had in the freezer and also made some Jelly (hope it wont go like water with it not being in the fridge and in the picnic bag). Quite proud of myself if I may say so myself. I usually go and buy all the picnic food. This time not one thing is bought, even have the flasks out ready to make coffee in lol.

Think the only thing is my puff pastry didnt really puff lol. I was expecting my sausage rolls to be like the ones in the shops, crumbly and flakey. Mine have risen a bit but not flakey should hm puff pastry be flakely ?

So thats us all sorted. Still cant believe after 2 yrs, DH is finally off work and we get to all go out together. :j

Thanks for all your help with the ideas and recipes people, night night x