October 2013 Grocery Challenge

studentmidwife

Hi, could I please join in this month . My husband started a new job this month so we are down by about £400 :eek:because he hasn't been paid a full month!! I start today and my budget until next payday (4weeks) will be £200.

Just done my first shop of the month and spent £20.89 in FF and £22.00 in Aldi so £42.89 so far this month. Got enough meat in FF to last at least 2 weeks - not tried it before so not sure on quality but hopefully it will be ok.

Just used a bag of mince and onions from FF to make Cottage Pie for tomorrows dinner and Chilli to freeze for later in the week . Was worried there wouldn't be enough mince for both but by the time I'd bulked them both out (with baked beans, kidney beans, veg etc) there was plenty.

Meal plan for the week:
Friday - Pizza and HM chips
Saturday - Cottage Pie with veg
Sunday - Spaghetti and Meatballs
Monday - Gammon, Pineapple and HM Chips
Tuesday - Chilli and rice
Wednesday - Pork Steaks, Potatoes, veg and gravy
Thursday - Chicken Tikka and rice

Might not necessarily be in that order - will see what we all fancy each day!

meg72

1.25 spend today, half price bread and meatballs, dont usually buy these but for 50p will give them a try.

dramarama

How is it nearly October?! I'm going to join again pretty please with £140 for the month hopefully I'll come under this month after joining the GC last month.
Looking forward to hearing what you're all up to and catching up with the great ideas and recipes on here.

kayester

spent a fortune in morrisons today. but as its september have classed it as september still.
meal plan
Friday: pizza and wedges with garlic mayo
Saturday: take away as friends coming round
Sunday: Stew, dumplings and crusty bread
Monday: spaghetti bolognaise
Tuesday: crispy fajitas
Wednesday: enchiladas
Thursday: homemade Curry (rogan josh) with naan and poppadoms

K9sandFelines

K9sandFelines wrote: »

£360 yet again please. Must reduce it before 2014. I will crack this grocery challenge if it kills me !!

Many thanks.

Despite saying that i need to drastically reduce this budget, please can i adjust it to £380 as i seem to be over my £360 aim every month since DD1 returned, so going to have to try and go back up to come back down if that makes sense, as i am getting a bit despondent

she_who_can_not_cook

K9sandFelines wrote: »

Despite saying that i need to drastically reduce this budget, please can i adjust it to £380 as i seem to be over my £360 aim every month since DD1 returned, so going to have to try and go back up to come back down if that makes sense, as i am getting a bit despondent

Don't be try your best and raise the budget.roll on the next month

meanmarie

So little everyday food in the house I decided to-day to start my October spend.....will run to 31st no matter what happens!!

Spent €95.70 in Aldi today, think that I now have enough meat to see me through to end of month.

Marie

meg72

K9sandFelines wrote: »

Despite saying that i need to drastically reduce this budget, please can i adjust it to £380 as i seem to be over my £360 aim every month since DD1 returned, so going to have to try and go back up to come back down if that makes sense, as i am getting a bit despondent

Oh Bless dont get despondent, you are feeding an extra person. That cant be done on fresh air.

2childmum

K9sandFelines wrote: »

If you click on advanced instead of quick reply when you are posting, the formatting bar will show above the posting window. Hope that makes sense, and good luck with your first month.

Thank you for that info - I shall try it out.


My budget this month is £450.

Let's see if that works.

I had decided, as part of the big plan, to try and eat out of cupboards and freezer the last week of my month. Problem is, I've spent this week stocking up ready for next week! :rotfl: That's not going to work then!

I have a folder of all the recipes we like and I am a bit OCD about trying to eat everything in order. My next plan is to go through it and find the cheaper recipes and only cook those. I'm sure there are enough of them for me not to get bored cooking them and the family not to be bored eating them. I'm going to search out cheaper meat and stuff on special offer to freeze and then the following week find a cheaper recipe and cook it - even if it's not the next one in the folder!! Wish me luck.

And I've downgraded the gerbil food. Needs must

K9sandFelines

she_who_can_not_cook wrote: »

Don't be try your best and raise the budget.roll on the next month

You're right. I can't expect to undo years worth of habit in a comparatively small fraction of time. I was going off a figure I was spending before DD returned, but I am sure tbh she doesn't cost anywhere near as much as I am overspending. I have set up a money envolopes system on my phone, which I am going to start as of tomorrow and see how I get on when I physically see what is in the bank dwindle!