May 2013 Grocery Challenge

lizalloareds

Today was a nsd

Sweetie83

I am starting to realise the benefits of snowballing with leftovers! Got quite a stash in the freezer. Making 3 meals out of 7 a week also helping. Although I find it a lot harder to cook when the weather gets warmer as don't feel like stews, mash etc.

rogue999

Had a mare for the last week or so - food is just disappearing at an alarming rate! I think I was being a bit optimistic setting my budget so gonna have a rethink for next month. Luckily my month ends on Wednesday and won't have time for anymore spending so this is it for me this month.

MrsCautious

sheeppappar wrote: »

hm i have been thinking i should really add my love2shop voucher spends in to my sig as it is actually still the cost of what i've bought.. even though it hasn't actually cost *me* anything.. thoughts? I've added it in for now anyway which means I am going to bust the budget again this month.

I'm selling my house and keep getting stressed out so have done a couple of quick shops where I've just piled stuff in the trolley - still meal-planned but not properly price-checked.. and I did my last shop in the co-op in about 10 minutes so just grabbed what I needed however much it was argh! Still none of it is going to waste so that's something.

Once (if!!!) we get moved in June then the GC will be super important so I am keeping with it .. still here in the May one until Tue 28th when I get paid though.. loving the ideas and encouragement from everyone xx
keep it up!!

xx

I don't count vouchers I have won, been given or got through cashback as they are saving me money on shopping, same as taking money off with nectar loyalty card points. This makes sense to me -- I'm not necessarily challenging myself to consume less (though this is happening) but to spend less so I note money spent and continue to find ways to pay less, including money off coupons. I've had £50 of stuff with Love2shop vouchers this month, that's £50 off my grocery bills as far as I'm concerned and it saves me money/is not counted in my budget/signature.

K9sandFelines

Mrs Cautious and sheeppappar

Please may i ask what site do you qualify for love2shop vouchers? I am registered on just about everything else!

MrsCautious

I won some in a competition on a Facebook page called Rant and Rave and have a card I can top up with money I get back through Top Cashback, you can choose to be paid that way, or by BACs or Paypal, they add an extra little bit if you choose the vouchers.

sugarwalsh

I feel I must declare this week will be a disaster as far as budget is concerned! Daughters birthday on Thursday, so pizza express for the family. Sunday it's her party. Doing afternoon tea style, so sandwiches and cakes, plus some home made ice cream.
in an attempt to a) keep budget under control , and b) make space in freezer we had 'potluck freezer tea' tonight. Tomorrow it's roast chicken, possibly with bulgur wheat... Wednesday some other equally delightful combo! My children will think their mum has lost it!

K9sandFelines

Need to add £1.41 back onto sig when on laptop, as i've had a refund for some dodgy peppers i forgot about.

K9sandFelines

MrsCautious wrote: »

I won some in a competition on a Facebook page called Rant and Rave and have a card I can top up with money I get back through Top Cashback, you can choose to be paid that way, or by BACs or Paypal, they add an extra little bit if you choose the vouchers.

Thanks Mrs C, i do remember you saying now. Memory like a sieve !

MrsCautious

K9sandFelines wrote: »

Thanks Mrs C, i do remember you saying now. Memory like a sieve !

Me too, who am I again?

I spent £8 on groceries last night, including kiwi fruit and fresh coconut, the current fruits of choice from my daughters, plus dog food and yet more dog treats, cooked meat for sandwiches and Basics garlic bread. I'm going to be feeding an extra 2 14-year-olds tomorrow, so will be cooking a big pasta bake.

This leaves me £9 for the rest of the month, I may be being a bit optimistic to think I can do it but if I don't it's not the end of the world, I randomly decided to go from £200 to £180. The closest I can finish to that, the better.

My daughter cooked tea last night and used about three times more rice than she needed, never mind it was only 41p for the bag. I'm going to make fish pie for tonight, resisting an urge to buy prawns to add to the salmon and cod, I'm also going to make some mushroom soup to freeze to use up mushrooms.

I'm going to stick with £180 target for next month as have enough meat/fish/frozen portions of hm veggie chilli for a week or so into June. I picked up some YS sausages for £1 in sainsbury last night but put them back, reminding myself they weren't needed as I already have some I paid less for in the freezer. I'm going to make sausage, beans and hm wedges as a main meal one of the nights, I think this could be the most 'basic' meal I will have presented to my children but they are learning about budgeting more than they ever have. That's not to mention me sitting down and planning/budgeting/making a million lists in recent months, a complete turnaround, I do wish I'd been better with money in years gone by.

I hope my witterings are on-topic, thank you so much everyone here for all the inspiration.