March 2013 Grocery Challenge

Guineapigsqueaks

Hello All

Since I last posted:
Extra spend at Mr M of bits I can't get at Ald* = £17.73
18 Loo Rolls and some Stardrops cleaner Home B*rgains = £4.38
This week's shop (at Mr T this week for a change) = £46.22
Nice Hydrangea in pretty gift bag from Mr T for Mum = £10 (will include in budget as doing okay )

Total: £78.33, have updated total on signature. Glad I went to Mr T, as well as something nice for Mum, came away with 5p off litre fuel voucher which will be useful and £6 off £40 shop for next week, it's worth shopping elsewhere for a few weeks as Mr T likes to give you these when you've been AWOL

Love to all x

lbnblbnb

Just updating. Now at £94.51/£150 so 63% til 19th March.
Things have been incredibly stressful at work so have not been tracking it closely but pleased to see I am on target. One shop left of my month and £55.49 left. That will include a birthday meal for DS. So it is doable.
Very fed up with OH not being on board. I feel very resentful which is not good. Any advice welcome. He started going on about the value bread I got for packed lunches and telling me I shouldn't buy it when he has no interest in our finances and is earning very little whilst I am so stressed cause of work and do all the managing of the finances.

Bluegreen143

lbnblbnb wrote: »

Just updating. Now at £94.51/£150 so 63% til 19th March.
Things have been incredibly stressful at work so have not been tracking it closely but pleased to see I am on target. One shop left of my month and £55.49 left. That will include a birthday meal for DS. So it is doable.
Very fed up with OH not being on board. I feel very resentful which is not good. Any advice welcome. He started going on about the value bread I got for packed lunches and telling me I shouldn't buy it when he has no interest in our finances and is earning very little whilst I am so stressed cause of work and do all the managing of the finances.

Oh *hugs* - I know exactly how you feel! My OH used to be so stubborn about it, and he resented me buying cheaper food (in his case fair enough as we both work hard and he does like a treat). It has resolved itself now as he is motivated to save for our wedding (he wants a bigger, fancier one than me lol). Is there anything that would motivate your OH, even if you used a little bit of the saved money for a small treat every month for example?

I know it's tough but try hard not to resent him, remember you are all fired up and enthusiastic reading the threads and he has suddenly had this big change imposed on the way he eats. Maybe sit him down and explain why you feel resentful and how you feel, but without nagging or making him feel defensive. I know how it feels to know you're in the right and feel really resentful that you're doing lots of hard work and he doesn't appreciate it, but (I've said this before), remember that you are moneysaving to make your lives better, not to make them worse through lots of arguments! Hope this makes sense!

Spent £2.20 yesterday on salad, cucumber and spring onions for a salad to take to a dinner party. I had a lovely meal at a friend's, OH was very good and made a chicken kebab out of stuff from the freezer without buying anything, so proud!

medusasmummy

Bluegreen143 wrote: »

Oh *hugs* - I know exactly how you feel! My OH used to be so stubborn about it, and he resented me buying cheaper food (in his case fair enough as we both work hard and he does like a treat). It has resolved itself now as he is motivated to save for our wedding (he wants a bigger, fancier one than me lol). Is there anything that would motivate your OH, even if you used a little bit of the saved money for a small treat every month for example?

I know it's tough but try hard not to resent him, remember you are all fired up and enthusiastic reading the threads and he has suddenly had this big change imposed on the way he eats. Maybe sit him down and explain why you feel resentful and how you feel, but without nagging or making him feel defensive. I know how it feels to know you're in the right and feel really resentful that you're doing lots of hard work and he doesn't appreciate it, but (I've said this before), remember that you are moneysaving to make your lives better, not to make them worse through lots of arguments! Hope this makes sense!

bluegreen. what a great way to look at it, and who could argue with such logic

lizalloareds

spends so far for wk2
£19.26 Mr T
£13.54 Aldi
60p Mr M
£16.31 Mr S
sig updated

she_who_can_not_cook

lbnblbnb wrote: »

Just updating. Now at £94.51/£150 so 63% til 19th March.
Things have been incredibly stressful at work so have not been tracking it closely but pleased to see I am on target. One shop left of my month and £55.49 left. That will include a birthday meal for DS. So it is doable.
Very fed up with OH not being on board. I feel very resentful which is not good. Any advice welcome. He started going on about the value bread I got for packed lunches and telling me I shouldn't buy it when he has no interest in our finances and is earning very little whilst I am so stressed cause of work and do all the managing of the finances.

I know i can not say cos i am having issues with him too but for the bread i can get reduced hovis kingsmill ect ect I pay around 45/50 pence a loaf .when isee it in tesco i get three loaves if space in the freezer. Now if he is not happy re the big yellow stickers swap bread bags. Now if he notices that i do love aldi thick toaster bread the blue bag one thats not a bad price

meg72

WelshWoofer wrote: »

Done the Mr T run this morning - managed to spend £40.07 on groceries and £11 ish on stuff for school and a couple of books (not included in the grocery budget).
That takes me up to about £65 but I have plenty of food in and should only need fresh bits next week.
Some of the prices have shot up - last week the dog food I buy was £3 this week it £3.48 :mad: Other items had 20p added on to the price too- makes a big difference across the whole grocery shop.


Just need to plan the week's menu around what I have (I know, the wrong way around!:o) and what will go off first.

Why do you think its the wrong way round, I think its the right way round, if you plan your menus round what needs using first then you hae no waste, and if you plan around what you already have you dont overstock on something possibly leaving yourself short of something you need.

No you have it right .

meg72

lbnblbnb wrote: »

Just updating. Now at £94.51/£150 so 63% til 19th March.
Things have been incredibly stressful at work so have not been tracking it closely but pleased to see I am on target. One shop left of my month and £55.49 left. That will include a birthday meal for DS. So it is doable.
Very fed up with OH not being on board. I feel very resentful which is not good. Any advice welcome. He started going on about the value bread I got for packed lunches and telling me I shouldn't buy it when he has no interest in our finances and is earning very little whilst I am so stressed cause of work and do all the managing of the finances.

Oh dear I do feel for you, but please dont take offence when I feel for OH too, you say he is earning very little so may feel rather left out of the grand plan, you have done incredibly well with the savings, I see from previous post that you are building an emegency fund. He may be feeling rather insecure in that he is not contributing much to this.

You need to talk about how you are both feeling about this and maybe compromise a little, personally I hate value bread for sarnies, its great for toast though. Hugs meg

Debtbusterintraining

£3.10 on bread and milk,off to update my signature now!

lbnblbnb

Thank you blue green, she who cannot cook and meg72. You have given me pause for thought! I think OH has a fair point about the value bread, but it does reveal poor communication. I will try not to be so driven! I know I can be all or nothing about things.