September 2012 Grocery Challenge

savesummore

budget_babe wrote: »

Budgie is pondering, yes its always a worry.

But do many of you on here make your own bread? I am just wondering if its worth investing in a bread maker?


Budgie xxxxxxxxxx

Hi, Hope you feel better soon.

My OH makes all our bread by hand, tin loafs, chappti's pitta bread and bagettes and its sooooooooooo much better than shop bread

So as well as stopping you visiting the shops you get a better products

Honestly the thought of eating one of those white lifeless sponge like sm loaves make me feel ill

So in summary (lol)......Go for it

Suffolk_lass wrote: »

A natural antibacterial spray is water and essential oils


Ingredients

• 1 mug water
• 5 drops orange essential oil
• 3 drops lavender essential oil
• 2 drops eucalyptus essential oil
• 2 drops tea tree oil

Instructions

1. Add all ingredients to a spray bottle.
2. Shake well before use.
3. Spray on countertops and other hard surfaces and let air-dry.
4. Store in a cool, dark place.

The essential oils are all anti-infection, antiseptic, anti-viral, lavender is also antibacterial and eucalypus and tea tree are all the above plus anti-fungal.

I also make my own degreasing spray which is a combination of 1 part white vinegar, 1 part washing up liquid, 6 parts water and something you like the smell of - I last used the remnants of a febreze spray when there is so little left you can't spray it any more but more normally some lemon extract (2-3 drops) to cover the vinegar. I re-use an old shower spray bottle and it keeps for ages under the sink.

I also have a bottle of white vingar that I keep under the sink too and I de-furr the kettle periodically and just tea-strain it back into a jug and re-use it about ten times until it stays cloudy.

Thank You :T Thats fantastic

Spends today:

Mr T: £42.14 (inc £6 off £40 spend)
2nd purse: £18.30 :eek: have used loads though and I love 2nd purse

pixiedust09

I'd like to join again for the September please. Haven't done the challenge on the forum since Jan, but really need to get grocery budget in order . Have already been doing it for half the mth of august, so want to keep at it. Can you please put me down for £260 for 2 adults for the month. This will include cleaning stuff and toiletries too. I will have a seperate budget for pet food. Thanks.

savesummore

More spends added to signature

£8 £land
£2.50 Indian sweet shop

lizzie_b

Hello
Can I join in with you all please?
First time grocery challenge and we're trying for £100 thats for 2 adults, no children, no animals.
Running from 24th Aug-26th September.
We tried for £150 last month but had lots going on and a weekend away, but this month we are doing nothing outside of our usual routine and I have to renew my passport so need the spare money for that.
Wish me luck, I hope to pick up some tips on here from the pros
xxxx

cowboymum

Right here goes! Trying second grocery challenge of the year for me! Actually increasing amount this month to £460. It seems loads but is for 2 adults, 2 children and 3 childminded children.

This month I have a strategy! £45 per week on Tesco shop (regular delivery thing) and £15 per week veg box, plus stuff from second purse (massive stock at the moment). I am also carrying over a shop from last month, which I counted on August thread but haven't yet paid (on credit card).

Finding it a bit difficult as I am between credit card and using debit card / cash, so not sure what I've paid and what I haven't. Plan for that is to pay of credit card as I go, rather than leaving it to end of month when it has to be paid.

So carrying over £72.14 from August plus £150 into second purse (last months second purse spendings).

sampipoli

hiya,
I am a newbie to the grocery challenge but desperately need to tighten those purse strings and September is as good place to start as any!

Please put me down for £400 for period 31 st Aug to 27th Sept and this includes all household cleaning and toiletries for 2 adults and 3 children. I think I have been spending in the region of £475 - £500 in previous months so might be a challenge but one I am up for!

Wish me luck! :beer:

sjprmc01

£1.99 in the Mr Ts up the road on toilet roll!

Mrs_Addicted_to_Spending

Spent quite a bit today but we seemed to need all sorts like coffee (decaf and normal), tea (normal and herbal) etc so hopefully the big shop will have covered those types of things for this month and we can be a bit more economical in the weeks that come (I can always hope!).

she_who_can_not_cook

cowboymum wrote: »

Right here goes! Trying second
Finding it a bit difficult as I am between credit card and using debit card / cash, so not sure what I've paid and what I haven't. Plan for that is to pay of credit card as I go, rather than leaving it to end of month when it has to be paid.

QUOTE]
i am in favour of the cash envelope method for a number of reasons
1. it makes you use your mind along with the fear of embrassment at the checkout that definatly makes you think "do i need that"
2.it makes you budget cos when the money has gone its gone
3. but you can gig money around the env's if you see a good bargain i go shopping every day , walking home from work(exercise) i go passed aldi iceland and check out the reduced

MrsCD

Oooh, what a lot of newbies! Hello and welcome :wave: Hope it works out well for you all.

Suffolk Lass - thanks for the spray recipes. I use half and half water and white vinegar and a few drops of eucalyptus oil in a spray in the bathroom. It stops the mirror steaming up!

I'm still officially in August until 2nd Sept, but will keep up on here, otherwise there will be hundreds of posts to catch up with