August 2013 Grocery Challenge

savingpennies

elsiepac wrote: »

Hi Meg

Thanks so much for this, I really appreciate it.

I've actually had some fantastic news yesterday, which is a humongous pay rise! It was semi expected, but no idea of amount or when it would be, so yesterday all confirmed and good chance will apply for pay at end of this month! Had mum over for tea last night (I do every Thursday and we have a walk and chat then watch a film) and she is thrilled for me, it quite literally takes me from a salary I was on 5 years ago, to the highest salary I've ever earned, by a couple of k! Eek! I'm actually going to be well paid!!! I can't wait! So mum is now giving me a couple of hundred that I am taking on hol as my money, so sis will never know, so I'll be able to pay for a couple of meals out for us all and have spending money, yay! It's being added to what I owe them, but since I'll now be paying them off at a rate of knots and will be clear by feb 14 not mar 15 (!) then we are all happy ( as I hate owing them money!)
Really looking forward to holiday now, two weeks Sunday, yay!!!

Regards GC I'm not doing well, I've spent the bulk but have a full fridge etc so we will see how it goes!! I'll do a proper update on that either tonight or tomorrow

LC x

Congratulations on the pay rise :T , there isn't much good news about jobs/salaries out there. I found out this week I had got one... wait for it ... 0.7%:D so I am back on the challenge as money seems to be going through my hands like water. i started back in January and was doing fairly well but need to make much more of an effort.
I called into a local supermarket last night for leeks and came out with 2 packs of breaded fish and 2 packs of stuffed ravioli all reduced, so felt quite chuffed with myself. Currently there are 4 of us at home: OH, DD1 home after graduating, DD2 waiting for results and then off to university + dog. So I will aim for £300 for food/toiletries/cleaning stuff and see if I can reduce from there.

NickJW

Well done elsiepac! :j

Thank you to everyone who helps run the boards, and welcome to all the newcomers.

Had to go and edit my July declared total, because I noticed I had a Bo0ts receipt which I forgot to add! :mad:

Spent £2 in Mr S yesterday and will need to get some things for lunch + sugar today

Meals this week will be/have been:

Monday (I cooked) - Za'atar Chicken breasts served with spiced carrot and walnut beetroot couscous (last leftovers from the market on Saturday)
Tuesday (I cooked) - Pasta in a tuna tomato sauce
Wednesday (I cooked) - Gochujang (Korean chilli bean paste), honey, garlic and soy marinated chicken, served with mangetout, baby-corn and rice
Thursday (housemate cooked) - M+S BBQ chicken with 2 of their salads (quinoa and cauliflower, plus some lime no mayo coleslaw), and tomato/lettuce salad.
Friday (housemate will cook) - need to use up a pack of steak from pre-new diet (limited red meat). Has been in the freezer as a RTC item since November 2012, so have defrosted it, sliced it finely, and marinated in some sesame oil. He will do some sort of stir fry tonight.
Saturday (housemate will cook) - TBC
Sunday - going out :beer:

Hope everyone has a good day!

NickJW

Ooops - just realized I need to aim for £130 NOT £160 this month!

couponchaos

Spent another £33 at tesco yesterday but should now do the whole month except bread milk and fresh fruit and veggies. Total of £73 spent so far.

citygirl40

Well I knew my biggest challenge to this month is the OH spending. He works right next to sainsbobs. This week looking at the receipts he has bought 2 bottles of squash despite me buying 8 bottles earlier in the week (and I showed him where I'd put them:mad:).

I passed my degree (got a First, whoop) so with all best intentions he bought me 2 bottles of wine and some flowers, one bottle broke in the car on the way home. These came to £14.73!!! (We don't have our own spends this month cos we're skint lol). He's never big on gestures so I couldn't say anything but omg, the flowers would have done, I only have £60 for the whole weeks food!!! Anyhow, thanks to a cashback on Andrex Eco at £4.49 and Shopitize £6 odd, I've managed to pull it back to £60.23 for the week. I am hoping to try and spend very little next week (crosses fingers).

Sligo

€127.87/€750 - a good start to August as under budget for the first week.:j

It's Bank Holiday weekend here so shopping tonight and the cupboard is a bit bare but the freezer is nearly full to top. I think I need to inventory it! (Says her who works in Stock Control!!! )

NickJW

Well done citygirl40!

Spend of £4.69 in Mr S today

chocolatebum

weekly shop done today at aldi, spent £75.48 which wasn't too bad as stocked up on kitchen roll/cheese/dog biscuits for the month. using up meat from freezer so also managed to stock up on some tins/cereal etc.

Cheapskate

Hi everyone

Thought if I posted more often, I'd see my spending in black and white and be more careful! So...spent £3.80 on ice creams out and milk from the shop yesterday, and £23.65 in total today, about half of that was at the local butcher (stocked up as he's on holiday next week). We've enough chicken in the freezer for at least 2 meals, a small brisket joint, enough braising steak for 2-3 meals, few salmon fillets, plus tins of tuna/salmon/corned beef/potatoes/pulses. With more effort than of late, I have enough stuff to make at least 2 weeks' main meals, probably more, but need to plan properly.

Have found some MrM vouchers from a leaflet drop, so off there for a change (other end of town, so I rarely shop there).

Off to trawl the recipes and match them to my stores!

A xo

LisaJane

£59.43 spent this week. Got out of work early today and have chilli, a beef curry and a bolognese on to batch cook as my freezer stocks were empty from defrosting the day before going on hols. Also have a separate dinner for tonight and tomorrow night from the batch cooking plus salmon, chicken and sausages in the freezer. I've worked out from what I've got, I've enough for 12 nights of dinners for hubby and I! Just have to watch my tendancy to call into the corner shop on the way home from work for wee treats and this should be a good month!! Fingers crossed.