May 2013 Grocery Challenge

becsxxx

Various spends adding up to £50 for me this weekend. More than anticipated but we were low on lots of stuff having had an unexpected visitor stay for a week and also it was "home date night" yesterday.

Don't know if I've mentioned these before, but basically, DH and I used to always have "date night" out in a restaurant, but since wanting to be more MS, we have started having them in at home.

There are a few "rules": (1) we have to use our cookbooks (we have SO many but yet usually cook the same stuff of make it up as we go along!); (2) one person cooks the main course and one the starter and dessert; (3) neither person is allowed to know what the other is making, although the main course person can say fish, or red meat etc. so the other person can plan; (4) we dress up nicely, set the table with candles etc.etc. so it feels extra special!

We love it and yesterday had: pan fried scallops with pancetta and spinach salad with balsamic dressing (DH); herb crusted rack of lamb with spicy courgette fritters (me); Nigella no flour chocolate cake (DH). Amazing, but does explain why the grocery bill was so high this weekend - but still a lot cheaper than eating out!

I'm hopefully done for May now, and am actually pretty pleased to only be £20 over my reduced budget and think this is mainly due to our unexpected (veggie) visitor and having to re-jig a week's menu plans.

Hope you are all enjoying some bank holiday sunshine x

Crowdpleaser

Declaring may at £306.28. Dead pleased as have spent a hell of a lot less than in past! On to June! X

sefilby

Mr t 's £12.12 bbc stuff for today & £18.63 for weeks meal and £5 fruit from the local market

MrsCautious

Hello, coming to you from a rain lashed caravan in West Wales, lovely to relax.

Becsxxx your date nights sound wonderful.
K9 how lovely to be in Blackpool, I have been too many times -- if that's possible!

I'm declaring at £206 for May, £26 over target, but realistically for all we've had to put up with this month, not too bad. I've had a couple of NSDs today and yesterday, making about 7 this month, again not too bad.

I had £60 cashback from switching home insurance last week and made a reasonable £30 in 2 hours at a table top sale, flogging some clutter from home, so I'm thinking that makes up for my grocery overspend. May brave a first ever boot sale in a couple of weeks and give eBay a go.

Anything I spend on food for the rest of the week will be included in my travel/holidays budget. After that I'm going to try for £180 again for June, have enough stuff in to plan about 10 main meals so really hope can be okay, need to wean my girls off &£@)(;: Go Ahead biscuits though.

LarLar

Another £20 off the £120 budget which is down to £53.74 so..

£53.74 - £20 yesterday and £10 today = £23.74 left of budget.

Total spend of May = £96.26 :j

K9sandFelines

Beef in oyster sauce and rice .... and a NSD

Welsh_Poppy

Mrs cautious
Sorry about our weather today let me know if you need ideas as live that way and visit the area most weekends.

Total spend for May £96.25 it was a close run thing to stay under budget.
See everyone on the June thread.

lizalloareds

nsd today

xxlouisexx56

£40 since last posting. Got some good whoopsies. My freezer is full but I am low on nappies and wipes.

MrsCautious

Welsh_Poppy wrote: »

Mrs cautious
Sorry about our weather today let me know if you need ideas as live that way and visit the area most weekends.

Total spend for May £96.25 it was a close run thing to stay under budget.
See everyone on the June thread.

It's still beautiful in the rain xx