May 2013 Grocery Challenge

hex2

At least you can start to see it taking shape now Florence, I found the ripping out bit the worst. The floor looks good.

Lots of egg based plans today - this is when I am grateful for 6 a day from the hens. I have promised to make egg mayo to go with the cress the boys have been growing, I put those eggs on one side when they planted it as they are easier to peel if they are more than a week old. DS1 and I have had mummy dongalls (bacon and egg muffins a la Takeaway Secret). I plan to use the last of the bacon scraps on a bacon and egg flan and dinner will involve egg fried rice.

We are out of cake for the boys as well so some more eggs getting used there.

It is a good job they got rid of the guidelines about restricted egg eating

3 for 2 on some cheese (including value) at MrT is very tempting even without a voucher. The value parmesan type cheese lasts well and goes a long way, cheapest I can find otherwise is MrS at 11.50 a kilo so c£8 a kilo is well worth it. 88p for three lots of mozarella is good too, plus 50p a packet for the not feta. I have enough room in the freezer as well.

Just googled and you can freeze feta type cheese if you drain it first.

WantToBeSE

I like the flooring in your new kitchen, Florenceem, very nice

Was refunded £2 from Asda as they missed a few things off my order yesterday, so will amend my signature now.

Guineapigsqueaks

Morning All

Just reporting mid-week spends (it's been one of those weeks).

3 x 4pts milk, 1 ltr each apple and orange juice, bread rolls x 12 that I went into Mr T for, plus tub of Dairyle* cheese spread and some Vas*line Aloe Vera body lotion (my favourite, lovely) both on half price = £7.52. Then local pet food store, guinea pig food and sunflower hearts for garden birds = £8.98.

Have updated signature. Still on target I think. Weekly shop either today or tomorrow I think. Might go to Mr T as he's sent me some bonus coupons with Clubc*rd vouchers, including 4 lots of £5 off £50. I'm getting so that I won't go grocery shopping now without a coupon of some sort .

Woke up with no energy this morning, but had a cuppa now and feel much better. Right, best motivate myself. Weather is grey, grey, grey here.

Happy Saturday all. Guineapigsqueaks x

Bluegreen143

Not had any spends the last couple of days, but checked with OH and the smoked sausage he bought was £1. Total so far - £152.11, leaving me with £32.89 to spend until Friday. Doing my last proper shop of the month tomorrow and will try to spend no more than £27-8 so that I have a few £ to play with if I need milk or salad or I've forgotten something.

Made 'stetchy' spot-the-sausage casserole last night :rotfl:. If I'd made sausage and mash OH would have had 3 sausages and I'd have had 2, but in the casserole I used 6 sausages and made four portions altogether - so only 1 1/2 each (well I gave more to OH and less to me). It's the first time I've made sausage casserole and I thought it was really lovely so definitely making it again :j. Plus I got to use my new Ikea casserole dish for the first time, which I've been dying to do :rotfl:

NickJW

Hello all.

Just popping in briefly to update my spends before I lose the receipts! :rotfl:

£13.15 in Mr W
£5.63 in M+S

So £18.78 to update.

Hope everyone has a nice day

MrsCautious

Have spent £24.50 on groceries since last update, including a shedload of toiletries after coming to the end of supplies, plus loo paper and dog treats. Am still hoping to come in under £180 for month. Not included in this total is another £10 off at Sainsbury's through nectar points and £50 of stuff from Iceland which I count as a gift/freebie as I won the vouchers, I split 2 lots of mince into 4 meals and got 2 chickens among other things. The chickens are £3 each and described as small but look quite generous to me, could do us for 2 nights.

Feel like I'm bumbling along really, should be able to meal plan well into June with what I have so will go for £180 for next month too, it's easy to be hard on myself but I don't suppose £180 for all food, household, toiletries and dog stuff is too bad really -- even if I'm finding ways to reduce cost rather than quantity iyswim x

Bluegreen143

Just found receipts for ice-cream I bought last week - 89p - and YS bread rolls I bought this week - 70p (rubbish reduction from from £1 but I needed the rolls anyway).

So that's an extra £1.59, bringing my total so far to £153.70 Bit tight this week but I'm sure I'll make it

Not reducing next month either as it's a five weekend month for me. I've been at £185 for about 4 months now and can't seem to get any lower but would love to shave off just a wee bit more. This included cat stuff, cleaning things, toiletries and cling film, food bags etc. For just food, I seem to be spending £150-160 a month for the two of us so will need to see how I can bring it down! I'd ideally love to get our food spends down to £120 and the other stuff to say £20 a month but maybe that's a bit ambitious!

sugarwalsh

I realllllly ought to stop thinking I am about to smash my budget. Everytime I report I am gong to do it we go over!! It's a bit more difficult at the moment as getting stuff for Daughters birthday, so lots of cake ingredients, ice cream ingredietns etc. The party is next Sunday, so next weeks budget will be blown again, I am sure!! I do still feel we are more aware of what we are spending and things are back under control. No birthdays in June, phew.,...

cattysmum

Good Afternoon just come for a little look round and to update my siggy, this months plans going well up to now have only spent £149.07 of my £200 budget. Had a busy baking day today as I had a glut of eggs, lovely man from work delivers me a dozen eggs every fortnight from a local farm, but for some reason I bought some as well so this afternoon have made chocolate brownies and a lemon golden syrup drizzle cake, first attempt and it came out lovely, now need all grandkids round to demolish off my efforts!!! good luck with rest of the challenge everyone.

cattysmum

LarLar wrote: »

Sent my other half to the shop for some salt and it says on the salt 69p which has been printed on it by the manufacturers. But it had a sticker on the top saying £1.10 which has been put there by the shop owner.

Some expensive salt right there..

Left over budget = £72.90

My local costcutter shop have a tendancy to do this especially on catfoot the tin says on it a special offer of ie. 75p and the shelf price says 78p, needless to say I only shop there when Im in desperate need of something as its my nearest shop at about half a mile away.