April 2013 Grocery Challenge

SpendingSensible

Can I please join again. Am still on March GC so won't start until 1 April, but my aim is £350
Think that should be doable looking at March spends. and am secretely hoping it will be less..

Florenceem

thriftmonster wrote: »

Spent £33.16 in MrT at lunchtime but added in some stuff for work to get to £40 to use my £5 off voucher. this includes a leg of lamb for Sunday and Easter stuff for dh and the kids as well as stocking up on loo rolls and washing stuff (to make sure I got to the total). Found gram flour in the world foods section for £2.39 for 2kg as opposed to the little bags at about £1.50 for 500g so well chuffed. And walnut pieces were a lot cheaper in the baking section than in the wholefoods section. Somehow I'd got out of the habit of checking - grrrr!

What do you make with the gram flour please?

K9sandFelines

It was on the bread program last night Florence, think it is used in flatbreads/tortillas.

Florenceem

K9sandFelines wrote: »

It was on the bread program last night Florence, think it is used in flatbreads/tortillas.

Thanks - I haven't seen the bread programme yet. No TV so watch on catch up.

lushlifesaver

Breakdown of April budget:
Cleaning: NIL
Bath/Beauty: £10
General groceries: £60
Doglet: £10
Meals out/take away [excluding 'date nights']/treats: £20

Spends today:
Bath/Beauty: £5.03
General groceries: £6.99

Total spends today: £12.02

I can see by allocating out the budget in this way that it should really be an over-estimate for the two of us+doglet if I shop wisely.

Today I popped in to a Home Bargains with a colleague - haven't been in one for ages and forgot how brilliant they are; wish we had one closer! I bought a little stash of micro noodles for my desk drawer at work for days when I can't be bothered making my lunch/forget/run out of time and they were a bargain (4@£0.59 each)

Tonight is the England game so I will take a shower and then whilst bf watches that I will write up two month long meal plans with the aim of using up what we have in the cupboards. The reason I'm doing two is that one will be done as if bf is here full time (i.e. doesn't get selected for the squad at the end of this week) and the second will be as if he does get selected so some nights (often 2/3/4 in a row!) it will just be for me

I will plan for 6 meals a week (Saturday is 'date night' = take away/meal from a different budget!) but realistically we will eat 5 of them and the other will either be bf paying for a meal or us going out with his grandparents/parents May be back soon to pose some questions!

pinkypig

39p on a huge YS red cabbage which is braising in the SC with apples ready to freeze in batches. Sig updated.

Have done a meal plan for the whole month which is new for us so we'll see how it goes. This is to try and use a lot of the AF stuff that I got last month and to try and stick to two big stock up shops to use two Aldi vouchers. Will give a try this month and if it doesn't work I'll go back to weekly planning. Having to be a bit more creative now that we have made all the obvious cuts/savings. Determined to get it down to £35 a week:)

PP x

smokies

Was hoping for a NSD again but, while at work (I work for Sa!nsburys) they where reducing Extra Virgin Olive Oil from £5,49 to £1.39 (got 2) could not resist as Olive Oil was on my shopping list for next month....

(note to self DO NOT TAKE PURSE TO WORK)

ikkle87

£34.27 spent in Mr M's and also a spend in Asda but I need to go through the receipt as got some toys for Jakey and bits for my nan that aren't out of the grocery budget.

Got honey & mustard chicken for tea tonight with a jacket spud.

34.27/220

ikkle87

smokies wrote: »

Was hoping for a NSD again but, while at work (I work for Sa!nsburys) they where reducing Extra Virgin Olive Oil from £5,49 to £1.39 (got 2) could not resist as Olive Oil was on my shopping list for next month....

(note to self DO NOT TAKE PURSE TO WORK)

15% staff discount too. Makes it even better! We bought some swimming trunks for the wee man whilst the 25% is on and then staff discount means they've cost about £1.50 a pair.

Coxy11

Evening everyone,

Budgets done to here

Welcome to the newbies:
Olderbutnotwiser, katep23 and dollydog

I will be over to join you officially on 1st April. Still posting my own GC figures on the March thread.

Coxy