November 2012 Grocery Challenge

MrsCD

NSD today, apart from buying DD's Christmas pressie! But no food bought, so that was a bonus.
This afternoon I made my Christmas mincemeat and got 4 big jars to put away until I'm ready to make my mince pies.
Dinner was a 'use up whatever you can find in the fridge' meal, so I made some salmon fish cakes with leftover mashed potato and tinned salmon. Used up coleslaw near its BB date, some salad, and some sweetcorn to go with them. Not exactly TV chef standard but quite tasty!

Hurdler

Hi Coxy and thanks for the welcome. Just tucked up in bed now after birthday drinks with a really good mate ... Need to rouse myself in about 8 hours for that trip around Mr T ...

[Deleted User]

Coxy11 more (((((((hugs))))))) here. I feel your sadness - I have a 19 yo boy struggling - too many of the wrong type of friends - its a constant worry, though hes starting to change. Your nephew sounds like he just needs his confidence building, bless him - there are lots college courses he can get on up to 18yrs, and he will meet friends - good luck to you, hope it goes well.

forever_saving

Total is now at £311.05. I have plenty in the freezer so we should be ok.
When i look through my diary i have so many silly spends during the week. Most of the time i don't need to buy anything but i just do. This week alone i spent just over £36 on spends here and there. When i have done the weekend shop i shouldn't have to do that. I am going to draw out £10 and just have that in my purse for this week. I will have to buy more bread and milk as the week goes on.
Good luck to everyone else.
FS

XSpender

I thought my month ended on Thursday when I get paid but it ends tomorrow when my CB comes through so I am declaring a total spend of £534.77 out of a budget of £500. Although I am a bit disapointed to have gone over this is the closest I have come to hitting my budget in a long while.

This includes 60 M&S sausages I bought yesterday on their 3 for a £10 offer. All the sausages I got were ys so I got the 3 for £9. I was debatting if I should split the cost across the next 3 months but, after speaking to DH, about it we have decided to count it in this months spend as it was spent in this month.

Next month's budget runs from 19th Nov until 20th December and covers 4 weeks so I am going for £400. My Christmas food budget is a seperate £50.

This month I need to concentrate on cutting waste, using up the meat in the freezer by meal planning and buying enough lunch stuff to stop me buying food in the work canteen. I am also going to use up the GF flour mixes I have to attempt to make my own GF bread and also to make cakes and mince pies.:)

Flat_Eric

quick poll for this morning....
due a food shop to be delivered today but have since discovered that the brandy my OH requested I ordered is cheaper at my local convenience store from tomorrow. I've ordered a litre bottle which is costing £28 :eek: (on offer price:eek:) but the local shop is selling 70cl for £18.49 (this works out at £26.41 a litre).

So - I am in two minds whether to send the brandy that will be delivered today back with the delivery driver? the price difference isn't too much albeit a saving nonetheless BUT I've put my clubc*rd vouchers towards the brandy so in effect I'm getting it for free. (I'm not really but it feels like I am and i know I could probably get better value for my vouchers but putting it towards my xmas booze works for me!)

What would you do? I will feel a bit of twit sending it back - I know I shouldn't....

Suffolk_lass

Coxy - sympathies :grouphug:. He needs to feel he's got things going for him. DS was a lost soul until he ws 18 and realised he could study the thing he was interested in - music in his case. Can you give him some responsibilities while he's staying? - show him how to do some house-hold stuff (if he doesn't know) and get him to do it so he is contributing to the running of things and explain that this is his contribution - I agree that the college options are good while he's still entitled to do Further Education courses (funded) but he has to be interested for it to work. It is so much a self esteem thing. One more thought - would he be willing to help a charity to get some stuff on his CV - Working for something like Food Bank would make him feel valued and let him see others worse off. He and your Sis must be so frustrated. Really do feel for you.


MrsCD - I love home-made mincemeat - was all set to make some but found three kilner jars in my stores from last year .

Just about to make Nigella's spiced peaches instead.

For me I have marzipanned and iced and wrapped my (8 :eek:) cakes for the Christmas Sale on Wednesday - just a few things to do for tomorrow's fund-raising committee meeting(!) and my week's shopping to get...

Re Christmas - we're up to 8 for Christmas Day and DS casually said he might invite a few fellow students who might otherwise be on their own so that might increase again. I think I'd better order a Turkey after all...

flubberyzing

A £9.16 spend at Tesco this morning.
Pleased to see 8p mushy peas back (they've been absent for a few weeks), so I stocked up on them as they are lovely with lashings of vinegar.
Half-price Branston beans, so snapped them up, having used up my last tin during the week.
A couple of YS pizzas, but the cost of them goes to my 2nd purse, so different budget.

Pleased to see their value xmas wrapping paper back! And cheaper than last year! Only 14p this, and I'm sure they were 16p last year. They went quick last year, so I made sure to get as much as I thought I'd need, plus a little extra. Doesn't matter when it's only 14p eh?

CookieMonsta

Hi guys, I'd like to join in please. My spend this month has been £247 so far which is really too much considering there is just the two of us and two cats to feed! I think next month's target will be £200, christmas dinner is sorted as we are going to a family gathering so hopefully I can achieve it.....

meg72

Coxy11 wrote: »

Thanks tattycath, and yes you're right, he has no self-esteem whatsoever. His Dad left when he was 6 - only moved up the road but hasn't bothered to be in touch over the last 11 years. I think this has a lot to do with it all. Just hope staying with us for a bit will help and not make him feel even more rejected

Aww Coxy big hugs for you and the boy,hope it all works out well
for you all,I bet your sister is not feeling too great either.