July 2013 Grocery Challenge

lizziebabe

Just to let you all know - Coop are selling 2 packs of 'Fab' Ice lollies for £3. There are 6 lollies in each pack - very :money:

Florenceem

Billie-jo wrote: »

More spends today £13.51 but with coupon off and price match promise paid £12.38 Have £66.60 till end of month so not too bad.
For tea we were going to have Hairy bikers meat balls & tomato sauce but too hot so ended up with a gammon joint and salad. Very nice it was too.



Florenceem - I also married young 17 and a week, we lasted 12 years but then split. I could not cook when I got married but you had to learn didn't you and make do. I remember his wages been £15 and we struggled but had to get on with it. How times change. The first time I made dumplings I didn't know they swelled up so made them fairly large, what a mess when they all lumped together in the pan Made one or two bad mistakes along the way but all part of learning.

I lasted 26 years then split. His wages were less than mine when we married. I was on piece work in a factory.

Florenceem

For dinner tonight we had Huss + Fries - Mr F came home with a bag! + salad dressed with Balsamic vinegar. Cost of dinner for us 2 - £1.46.
I pushed the boat out - had 2 tomatoes in the salad tonight.
Mr F popped to town for the Post Office. He came home with a big bag of tomatoes from a market stall - 50p.

lizalloareds

spends today £29.99

60p Mr S
£3.10 Butchers
£8.55 Mr A
£10.78 Mr M
£2.69 Mr T
£1.89 £ST
£2.38 Ald*

MrsCautious

On the subject of being OS, I feel like I've found a happy medium. I used to really berate my mother in law for being so frugal, buying things from charity shops/second hand when my mum loves to buy posher things, me and my late husband were brought up so differently -- we seemed to veer from having plenty of money to none, then back again (and prioritise having a good time whatever our financial situation somehow) whereas his family were more steady and wiser with money and wouldn't dream of blowing it in pursuit of entertainment/fun. To this day my mum in law can't understand why I spent money on new curtains when some I bought 15 years ago are "perfectly fine."

This led to definite tension when we had our children, instead of graciously and gratefully accepting secondhand presents for my children, I was irked by it, I'm not proud of that. With two decent incomes coming into our house I was prepared to pay more for ease and convenience -- ready made this and that which meant I didn't have to spend more time cooking and cleaning up afterwards, when we had two young children and I was running a business.

Now I've lost my husband, of course I'm a lone parent, but I feel a huge responsibility not to fritter away money on stuff I could easily make myself or get cheaper, my husband was the sensible one and I honestly feel proud and know he would be proud of me at how I have taken control of our budget. He was so caring and sensible that he was able to put things in place so we don't really have to worry about finances but this is making me more MSE rather than thinking 'to hell with it' -- I've also taken a payment break from work so getting my shopping bill down has been very important.

I look at my mother in law's approach to money in a whole different light now. But even she wasn't impressed when I fed 7 people with a tray of Aldi mince and I delighted in telling her how much it worked out at a head.

CountingPennies

Yeahhh! Managed to avoid Mr T's as planned!

Went to Home Bargains and spent £15.12p, but this included cinema sweets and drinks for tomorrow, 2 packs of crisps, biscuits for the week, doggie poop bags and dog snacks, sugar and a couple of bags of pasta and spaghetti. Oh, and another bottle of sun cream (higher factor for youngest who is really pale skinned).

Then tonight i made a couple of HM pies which will do tomorrows tea. Have some pastry left over, might to a quiche tomorrow but too tired tonight. I was thinking about baking pies and freezing them but not sure how to do it. Do i freeze them uncooked or after i've cooked them? Can you even freeze them? They are cornbeef and mash potato. Won't be freezing these ones, but if i know how to do it then i most certainly will in the future

Tomorrow is basic beans on toast before cinema for lunch. Cornbeef pie, chips and peas for tea and cereal for supper!

Islandmaid

Morning all,

Was up at 530 this morning and have been busy busy - washing done and hung out, was at Mr L,s by 7 spent £50, but have got loads, kids break up from school monday, so needed 'grab' food for the 3 teenage dustbins I own...

AF order came yesterday, another £50, the kitchen is now bulgeing at the seams, and instruction has been given that its not to all be eaten in one day, because it won,t be replaced... Just spotted DS 19 sneaking off to his room with a family size chocolate bar in his mitt - its not even 9 am:eek: apparently the heat has made him weak, and he needs chocolate to boost him :cool:

Off to clean the bathroom and play cupboard tetris in the kitchen:)

Have a fab day all x

minicooper272

That's a really impressive story mrscautious - my parents uses to be a bit similar, and I grew up judging other families who were more frugal than us, and envied those who were even more extravagant (I embarrassingly remember b****ing about a teenage friend who would shop in charity shops). I really changed my tune as a student, where my income meant I had to make financial sacrifices and priorities. Now I'm 2 years into the working world, I love comparing my charity shop finds with that same friend! You are definitely giving an amazing example to your children, learning this lesson a little earlier than we ever did, and knowing that they can go out into the world and be self sufficient.

This is why I do like MSE, it's nice to find others who could but won't and who can remind you that it's not worth it!

Bluegreen143

mrscautious - you and your late hubby sound the opporsite of mr and OH - in that I'm the frugal one and he's not so sensible! The funny thing is I'm following in my mum's footsteps - she was a teenage single mum on benefits and had to learn to be super frugal because she wanted to feed the two of us healthily. And OH lived in a well-off household in a nice area with plenty of money when he was younger.

But times have completely changed, they actually did before we met - because whereas OH's mum is now widowed then divorced, and retired (she's in her mid sixties) and is struggling to get by

...my mum and stepdad have managed to put the years of scrimping behind them and have worked really hard (my mum was studying for so many years!) and now they both have really well-paid careers, far more than national average and plenty of money (which they spend on nice food and having the odd weekend away and suchlike - not to mention generously helping us with the wedding ).

Since me and my sister have both moved out and graduated and working now, and they are still young (in their early 40s) they are now getting to really enjoy it after a lifetime of being skint - I'm so proud of both of them especially my mum, who was once a teenage single mum on benefits and now is a career woman high up in her company! They still have a little debt left and are behind on retirement/savings, but have done so well and I think deserve to treat themselves a bit now!

So it goes to show, nothing lasts forever and things can change so easily!

Billie-jo

Small spend of £7.76 earlier this morning and that's it now until at least Monday if not longer.
If its any use to anyone Morri$ons have daddies sauce half price (69p) and also Roses Marmalade (82p)
Enjoy the weekend all of you.