October 2013 Grocery Challenge

XSpender

M&S had their 20 pack of sausages in for the first time in ages so I picked up 3 packs for £10. This works out at 17p a sausage much cheaper than the usual 22p fro mr t but I have only been able to get their GF butchers choice ones once. Otherwise they are the 2 packs for £4 from M&S at 25p each. As I have to have GF sausages my choices are a bit limited and all M&S sausages are GF.

We have spent a bit too much on snacks this weekend, £5.38 in the local Nisa and £22.81 in Mr S on vits, ginger beer, act1mel, basics pickle, 2 lurpak in an enamel pie dish and crisps and chocolate.

I need to add on the £12 odd I spent on vits at boots too.

I thought I was doing well after my small shop on Thursday:(. We are very well stocked up which is a good job as I am beginning to feel a bit twitchy that there isn't a huge amount to last us the next three weeks.

I made some lovely flapjack on Friday using up a small bag of dried mango and some sunflower seeds. They taste like Florentines which I love.:). The sponge cake with rice flour is a little dry but will be disguised with custard;)

My meal planning went to pot last week so I need to focus on this for next week.

WantToBeSE

I can't believe it's October already..blimey this year has gone by so fast!

Doing my last shop of September today, see you all in October!

minicooper272

Someone was very organised - on my computer it says this months thread was set up in 2011! I was worried I found the right one!

I agree with you WanttobeSE - how on earth is it October already?

I went food shopping yesterday, and picked up food for the rest of the week, which should save me a little bit in October. I think I'm still going to target £80 this month. Have put on a bit of weight lately, so I need to start watching what I eat again, and the healthier foods always cost that bit more. Having said that, I do have a fairly big stock-pile in the freezer again, which will help keeps costs down a little bit.

CountingPennies

Kicking off October with a split shop at Ald* and The Land Of Ice totaling £40.57p. This is includes pop, squash, packed lunch bits, milk, potatoes, fruit, biscuits, plenty of bread (to stop me from shopping as much through the week) and some freezer bits for quickie meals when DH gets in from nightshift.

There is a couple of bits I forgot to get, however i'm not gonna get them till i desperately need them. Then i might discover i don't actually need them as much as i thought!

CP xx

want2Bfrugal

As friend is visiting for the week so we spent a little more than usual. Spent £41.92 at Mr MS buying fruit and veg with hubby.

Beginning to see that Hubs is a bad influence on the budget. I would have gone to Mr A, it would have been cheaper, I think.

This leaves £18.08 until next Sunday. I am optimistic that I will keep within budget even though I am feeding an extra mouth. I plan to feed everyone as much of the dreaded pasta as I can - it will reduce my pasta mountain

K9sandFelines

£2.39spend at Mr M on bananas and wagon wheels for packed lunch, and DD2 wanted sausage rolls instead of a veggie dinner,so 64p spent in Co-*p too, so£3.01total. I was going to make them myself with veggie sausages and then realised the YS pastry was not defrosted. Pity kids announce these things at the last minute

K9sandFelines

Also just signed up for Mr T anytime delivery saver for half price via a code on hotukdeals (please shout if anyone would like it) as I prefer them to Mr A. So need to add a third of that which is £6.

2childmum

RomanyLass wrote: »

Hello all, I've just joined the MSE forums today

I am a British Romanichal Gypsy, born in a caravan in the New Forest and now living in one. My Husband and I sold our house last Month and purchased a touring van. We currently live on farmland in Somerset. We have 3 doggies and a 20 year old Daughter who is a second year Undergraduate at Brighton University. Hubby is a Master Barber and works part time as I am disabled and have certain caring needs. Before I became ill, I was a Secretary to a member of the Royal Family. I am 40 and Hubby is 43

Hubby and I are hoping to save enough money to be able to purchase a small property without a Mortgage. We have given ourselves 5 - 7 years.

Being frugal is not going to come easy to us. Before I was ill, we never had to worry about money and were quite lavish in our purchases. We have always found it difficult to say no to our Daughter when she asks for things.

This is going to be a hard task but, we have our goal in sight and so we need to start somewhere. I have chosen groceries because it is where we spend the most money - food.

I want to aim for £30.00 a week for the 2 of us and £40.00 a week when my Daughter is home (not till Christmas now).

I have a few issues, unfortunately. Our Caravan oven has broken and it may be a while before we can have it fixed. We have a slow cooker, 4 gas hobs, a grill and a microwave. We do not have a freezer, just a full size fridge and storage space is limited so, any helpful suggestions appreciated

One thing I have noticed, which may help, is that there really is an abundance of wild food here in Somerset. Just along the path from us are blackberries, apples, pears, walnuts, hazelnuts, rowan berries, elderberries, sloes, mushrooms, rose hips, sweet chestnuts, greens, herbs etc.... all going begging. My Grandfather was a traditional Romany and he taught me a lot about foraging and basket making.

Oh, neither of us are vegetarian, however, Hubby won't eat fish, of any kind.

Hi. Just to say it's good to have another newbie trying this out for the first time. I'm just going through my cupboards/recipe folder to plan what we will eat this week - although we are still officially spending September's money I'm having a trial run at spending less this week.

I dug out our slow cooker earlier this month as Wednesday's are manic this term and the only way to feed everyone and get everyone to the right place at the right time is to load the slow cooker at the beginning of the day and have jacket pots on the timer in the oven. We had a chicken casserole, a beef casserole and lamb curry so far and I think i will go for sweet and sour chicken on Wednesday.. I have a slow cooker cook book so I'm basically starting at the beginning and working my way through!

Foraging for free stuff sounds great. Not a lot around in the depths of London, although we have discovered a bramble bush growing in our garden (gardening not being our forte!) My long term plan is to grow herbs in one patch but it's overrun with weeds at present. I wouldn't know what was safe to eat anyway - it's great that you have that knowledge. Good luck for October!

medsdemon

Didn't end up shopping yesterday after all. But managed to get to As*a today and spent £53.18. This should be plenty for this weeks meals for just the 2 of us without having to spend anything for lunches or top-up shopping:T This included some chicken thighs and a portion of casserole steak. Most of our meals are going to be veggie:D

I made some apple and walnut muffins for snacking and pack-ups this afternoon and have split peas soaking to pop in SC for Split Pea Soup for dinner tomorrow night. For tonight I just can't decide what to make or what I fancy. I have loads of runner beans, chard and lettuce from our garden so perhaps a veggie curry and rice??!!

Tiglath

Can I join with £350 please? It's been a year or so since I did a grocery challenge but things have slipped. 3 adults, 9 cats. Cheers