August 2012 Grocery Challenge

Soworried

A spend of £31.08p added to my total. I am getting very close to budget now and I still have until Friday to go.
I shouldn't need anything between now and then but I will grab any YS bargins that we will use.

russetred

jumblejack wrote: »

Bless you:A

You are an amazing person with a titanic sized heart.
Those children will always appreciate their time with you and the stability and love that you unselfishly bestowed upon them.

Those kind of experiences stay with a person and can mold personalities. As they reach adulthood, they will appreciate it even more so (as we do with our own parents, as we reach independance, raise children etc.). We then more fully understand the sacrifices that our loved ones have made in our behalf and it empowers us to develop similar qualities.

Beautifully put JJ.
My thoughts will be with you on Monday Katy

Bluegreen143

KatyReed Just wanted to say that I'll be thinking of you as well on Monday.

Mr A delivery arrived - hopefully last shop until the 31st *fingers crossed*

Spend £48.36 including delivery. Ordered whole mackerel by weight and they rounded it up, not down, so I have two instead of one :eek: OH doesn't like fish, so I was thinking of cooking both and flaking the extra fish to use in salads for lunches. Any ideas on how long it'll keep/if I can freeze cooked mackerel??

Also ordered 2 organic beef mince 500g packs for £6, they gave me one at the pre offer price of £3.47 and substituted the second for a 700g normal mince. This was priced at £4 odd but they gave me it for £3.47 to match the one I ordered, but surely I should have got the two for £6 as the only reason I ordered two was because it was on offer?? Was too slow on the uptake to send back and anyway needed some to make OH a burger tonight, but was just looking at the receipt and thinking it was unfair.

Apart from masses of mince and fish, bought: coke on offer, some toiletries, cereal, pasta, cat stuff, cous cous, fruit, lots of veg, milk, butter, flour, ketchup, pot noodle & crisps (for OH) and soy sauce.

Feel smug about the ketchup as I ordered smartprice for the first time in a glass bottle for only 20p . Thought OH might moan about it being in a glass bottle and super cheap, so I washed out the squeezy bottle from our last ketchup and refilled with the new stuff, voila, fake expensive ketchup in squeezy bottle :rotfl: :T

NickJW

Bluegreen143 wrote: »

KatyReed Feel smug about the ketchup as I ordered smartprice for the first time in a glass bottle for only 20p . Thought OH might moan about it being in a glass bottle and super cheap, so I washed out the squeezy bottle from our last ketchup and refilled with the new stuff, voila, fake expensive ketchup in squeezy bottle :rotfl: :T

Oh what a good idea! I don't like ketchup in glass bottles, but don't mind the taste (all tastes the same to me! ). I guess there will be some waste because not all the ketchup can be decanted, but the cheap cost outweighs that.

Think I might have been judgemental with my mums Mac'n'Cheese recipes - cheat ingredients are there to make busy lifestyles easier after all. I wouldn't have any qualms about using a fresh cheese sauce, so no difference really.

Spend of £9.70 in Mr W on kitchen roll, mangetout, bread and ham for lunch and squash (concious that I'm drinking too much of this - I drink water at work, but always want squash at home. My water at home, even when filtered doesn't taste nice). Also spend £1.09 in the corner shop on diet coke and chewing gum.

Having a new recipe from Ching He Huang - Five spiced chicken stir fry tonight. Needed something quick because I went to work today and am going to work tomorrow, because I want Tuesday off work. Most of my friends work shift work so I asked my boss if I could work 2 half days today and tomorrow to have Tuesday off, so I don't have to waste a days holiday. Nice to have that element of flexibility at work. Tomorrow will be Korean style beef (currently marinating in the fridge) with mangetout and spring onions. Both recipes take no more than 20 mins to cook, but will need to get some more rice tomorrow.

Hope you have a fab holiday PennyGrabber - I used to love Disneyland Paris - I have fond memories of going to a campsite near there when I was younger (Haven) - still ranks as one of my best holidays.

Katyreed - my thoughts are with you on Monday also.

Enough of my waffling - I can't believe how much quieter the thread gets towards the end. Having to juggle reading two threads now.

Suffolk_lass

Compromised with this week's shopping. Bought 1k of chicken breasts that are all in the freezer with 3 packs of meat for £10 and four packs of Kerrysilver butter (except that the butter was labelled at £1.25 and went through at £1.60 s0 another trip to get my refund :mad: and all these are stock shopping whereas everything else is against August - it does take me slightly over target but hopefully with four Fridays in September I can underspend my target to redress the balance on the year as a whole.

On a more fun note I have made apricot and apple jam from the first crop of apricots from our little tree (fourth year) and apples that are windfalls from the garden. I made 3 big and 1 small pots. Just made two large jars of pickled onions from the shallots we grew (the vinegar was in the store cupboard) - DH gets the credit for peeling them all including all the teeny weeny ones that pack the jars so well. I have picked a big punnet of yummy HG tomatoes and a trug of plums that the hedge between us and the field at the back.

We've got stir-fry for tea - turkey with HG carrots, onions, courgettes and runner beans with some shredded white cabbage that has been lurking in the fridge for several weeks. Already had bean sprouts but shamefully bought ready prepped egg noodles and a sachet of RM sauce.

We are all shattered today after a v heavy fest weekend. Resorted to TA curry last night - 1 between 2. DS was working until 3am (again). What you might call a "slow day" is taking place!

Enjoy the extra day everyone
All the best
SL

jumblejack

Suffolk_lass wrote: »

Compromised with this week's shopping. Bought 1k of chicken breasts that are all in the freezer with 3 packs of meat for £10 and four packs of Kerrysilver butter (except that the butter was labelled at £1.25 and went through at £1.60 s0 another trip to get my refund :mad: and all these are stock shopping whereas everything else is against August - it does take me slightly over target but hopefully with four Fridays in September I can underspend my target to redress the balance on the year as a whole.

On a more fun note I have made apricot and apple jam from the first crop of apricots from our little tree (fourth year) and apples that are windfalls from the garden. I made 3 big and 1 small pots. Just made two large jars of pickled onions from the shallots we grew (the vinegar was in the store cupboard) - DH gets the credit for peeling them all including all the teeny weeny ones that pack the jars so well. I have picked a big punnet of yummy HG tomatoes and a trug of plums that the hedge between us and the field at the back.

We've got stir-fry for tea - turkey with HG carrots, onions, courgettes and runner beans with some shredded white cabbage that has been lurking in the fridge for several weeks. Already had bean sprouts but shamefully bought ready prepped egg noodles and a sachet of RM sauce.

We are all shattered today after a v heavy fest weekend. Resorted to TA curry last night - 1 between 2. DS was working until 3am (again). What you might call a "slow day" is taking place!

Enjoy the extra day everyone
All the best
SL

I'm loving the sound of your productive day :T

Well done. You go girl:T

All that home grown and home made produce:j

Wow!!!!

Well

craigywv

will update sig,shop today of 21.89 in mr t got 2 of the tins of chocs think they miniature heros and celebrations they a fiver each also selling quality street and roses too so will get some next week when i get paid for some fleabay items put a few things on last week ,have a load of boys coats etc but waiting until its colder maybe get a few pounds more for these, so washed them and was able to get them dried on the line today as it was so lovely.also mr t selling biggish box of biotex for 1.50 half price so got 3 as its hard to find and a lot cheaper have a good evening all.

Nicki_Sue

Quick update - So far this week I have spent £72.80/ £100. A bit of a splurge today on cheapies that I didn't really need but my new week starts Thursday and I have most things in for between now and then so hopefully I'll be able to keep within budget!

Mrs_Addicted_to_Spending

PG - have a great holiday .

KatyReed - *hugs* for you for tomorrow

jasmin10

Returning from being AWOL for the week. This months GC has had disaster written all over it from start to finish. Up to £236 and I will need to get a couple of bits tomorrow (pasta & Milk) think we can make do with everything else.

I have sorted a meal plan for the rest of the week. My September starts from 28th. So I have vowed to draw a line under August and have a resolution for September to be firmer with myself. At least I wont have a ridiculous spend right at the start.

Katy - Reading your posts made me feel choked up for you. I will be thinking of you, my heart goes out to you - your such a wonderful person by caring for these children all this time - I cannot imagine what you are going through. I hope that you will be able to stay in touch with them. You are in my thoughts *bighug*.