August 2012 Grocery Challenge

XSpender

More spends to report:o

£11.12 Greengrocers on tons of fruit, jacket pots and spring onions including £2 on a big punnet of nectaries, a massive bag of green grapes and a smaller bag of black grapes. I am very impressed with the freshness and quality so may visit here every week. I have to make sure we eat it all though as I bought more than we need:o

£9.15 on GF bread, bacon, huge shower gel and handwash. Annoyed to notice this morning that the pump bit on the handwasher is smashed off so I will have to take it back:mad:

£28.28 in Ald1 on stuff for lunches, mozarella, ham, yogs a couple of jars/tins etc but also includes £2.99 on pork and £5 on nappies.

I am over budget now but am only intending to buy milk, bread and fruit next weekend. I must stick to my meal plan and get organised so we don't 'pop' to the shop and spend more money especially if I have DH in tow.

We had a lovely meal out last night and they were so accomodating about my GF requests for a local italian:T We used the money we had saved from not drinking alcohol for the last 3 weeks so it is not included in the challenge.

DS is having a snooze so I am going to see if I can find a recipe for GF ginger or apple cake and then make some cheesy herb bread for DH who is working and won't be back until mid afternoon.

Enjoy your weekend all, I am looking forward to watching the last of th Olympics:)

[Deleted User]

Hi folks. I am still keeping on top of the food budget this month. Went to Mr T last night and had a rummage through the bargains. Got a large broccolli for 10p, spinach twin pack for 13p and philli cheese at half price (£1.16 for big tub). It just so happens that all of these are ingredients in a recipe for Broccoli and spinach soup which I will make today.

I also stocked up on reduced bread - got 3 Warburtons thick sliced loaves and 3 packs of rolls all for £1.20.

Off to make the soup and a wee raspberry crumble to go with it. Soup and pudding for dinner for the next few nights.

jumblejack

£3.40 spend to start off the week.

This was for 20, yes 20, big bars of lush Lidl milk chocolate on the weekend offer. They are dated 8/13 so will have to be hidden away well if I am to ration them out til then!;)

Dinner was HM spicy (whoopsied) carrot and (indian shop) lentil soup with buttered toast (whoopsied bread).

In wilkos at the moment, they are selling trellises at a fraction of their original cost. I got a couple for my honeysuckle which is thriving since I replanted it in the kids herb planter

Kitchenbunny

JJ good luck on making them last! I was severely tempted to stock up on that offer but know for certain I'd not be able to resist the lure of the cupboard. Sadly passed it by. I hope it's still as good chocolate as I remember it being though - love their chocolate!

No spend today - did some shopping but it's coming out of a different budget so am not including it in the GC budget this time. I'm hoping next week will be quite a quiet week, food wise, but I kinda doubt it!

I've taken a freezer curry out for me tonight and will do some rice with it. Should be a nice easy meal! Lots to do though - burgers to make and a couple of cakes. If I put the Olympics on in the background it should make is easier!

Have a lovely day all

K xx

NickJW

Hi All

Spent £14.88 in Mr T today - mostly necessary things, but a few snack items jumped into my basket due to my hungover state.

Chinese pork and rice for dinner this evening.

Hope everyone is well.

mummyyof5

Had 2 NSDs but spent £8 on salad,fruit and baking potatoes for tonights tea..cant keep up with salad stuff at the moment.

£8 at MrTs...cereal,eggs and a large block of double gloucester cheese for jackets.

£2 in £land

and its shopping day tomorrow...may go over at this rate but not too worried as kids are all off and eating like crazy.....need milk...meat stuff veg...more salad stuff,juice,squash,flour,and things for sandwhiches...plus lots of tinned stuff...sigh ...

Honey_Bear

cowboymum wrote: »

I have worked out what I use throughout the month, and separted it into 4 shopping lists, so I get what is on the list for that week (someone said that their mum years ago used to do this to save time - thanks for the tip!).

That was me, so I'm glad it's helped someone. You've actually refined and improved the system, so I'm really impressed!

If only I could be so well-organised myself! I've just managed to spend another £26.41 today, and regardless of why it happened I have still managed to spend 75% of my food budget for the month and it's only the 11th August. I have taken the £37.50 left out of my purse and put it in a seperate section, in the hope that it will make it impossible to ignore how the fund is dwindling. I wil be really cross with myself if I go over budget this month, as having lurked since January this year, you'd think I knew enough to set it at a realistic level.

Apparently not. Hey ho.

MrsCD

Cowboymum - I try to go to the sm once a week, and so far it's more or less worked for me. I also do a frozen shop once or twice a month. I do the Asda Price Guarantee every week, the day after I shop, and only use vouchers for what I would have bought anyway. I don't buy anything just because there's a voucher for it.
At least you're trying to make it work, and that means you're in control of your money. No-one can make you spend it if you don't want to.

NSD today - partly because I've been at work all day.

Looking forward to the Olympic closing ceremony.

KatyReed+5

Ok so i think after my 1st month of GC spending £100 + over my budget then reducing my budget by £50 was a bad idea, i have already gone over, WAY over. Went to the cash and carry, and i bought.

10 x 50/50 bread - £7.90 In the freezer.
8 x 4pt Green Milk - £7.12 In the freezer.
2 x Massive packs sandwich ham - £3.98 In the freezer.
3 x cook at home baguettes 2 pack - £2.07 - In the freezer.
1 x 5ltr squash - £5.04
1 x 2.27kg oven chips - £1.65.
2 x 2pack garlic baguettes - £1.38.
1 x 2kg bacon - £7.99 In the freezer 7 portions normal and 2 portions diced.
1 x 2kg gammon joint £ 8.99 - In the freezer.
1 x 2kg Apples £3.00.

2 x tubs of sweet for daughter upcoming birthday - £7.65

£55.12 total.

This really should be it now, i can't buy anymore, there's nowhere to put everything i already have. I am very glad i defrosted and cleared out my freezers and they are now both bursting, i couldn't fit one more thing if i tried.

Katy, X

TheThriftyScrumpers

Mmmmmm DH defrosted some ys lamb steaks and cooked (courtesy of mr o 30 min meals) Moroccan lamb with flatbreads, herby couscous and stuffed peppers. It was delish

Lamb cost £1.20 and couscous was cheap as used a tiny amount of bag with some growing parsley (ys of course) and some chilli (ys chopped and frozen) and salt pepper, olive oil and lemon juice. Full price flatbread and peppers but hey, you can't have it all

Something with ys sausages on the plan for tomorrow.

Just watched the Olympic relay. Brilliant.

Night all x