January 2014 Grocery Challenge

MrsCautious

Thank you Coxy and Meg for your kind words about my article! Good luck Meg with your fundraising -- it is so worth it!

Well I blew my budget in Sains yesterday, it's a long time since I have gone so far away from a list, well actually I didn't have a list! In my defence I was feeling really ill when I went, am full of cold and have a bit of a bug that's going round I think. Plus I had only eaten a bread roll all day and it was about 5pm. I now have loads of stuff in and will be adjusting next month's total target to take into account my overspend.

There were some good meal deals on offer though, can't remember buying so many ready meals in ages and ages, best was a pizza, plus a packet of fresh chicken goujons and a pack of potato skins and cheese and bacon, plus a big bottle of Diet Coke for £8, it's billed as a 'takeaway deal' but there are 2-3 meals there for us.

I bought some sausage rolls that were on offer and ate one on the way home, then when I took the shopping in, the dog ate the rest

I am exhausted from being ill, working and running around for/after 2 15-year-olds, I've set out hours I want to work, I think this will be a big step forward in feeling less chaotic. I have been mostly cooking from scratch for months and months and now I'm buying fizzy drinks and fat laden potato skins and sausage rolls/processed chicken, I need to have a word with myself. But at the moment the odd ready meal gives me a break, one less thing to have to plan/prepare in a very long and busy day!

Cheers.

debbiedeejay

Did weekly shop in mozzies yesterday , the place does my head in but I take my Dad weekly shopping there and he is more comfortable shopping as he knows where things are and knows his way round - if I did my shopping elsewhere he would feel I was putting him out so me doing mine at same time he sees it as being ok - anyway £37.10 spent.

Plus during the week I walked to nearby L0nd!s with a colleague as its only just opened to have a look round - fine for real emergencies when at work and need to nip in for something. Anyway I did buy 2 big bags of salted crisps for £1.50 - needed a bag to go with my potted beef sarnies I was having that day for lunch and I just love salted crisps with them - anyway the bag was huge so it was shared out with others. Still have the other bag left to use next week over a few days.

Oh and I made ThriftyLesleys raisin pancakes this morning for breakfast - very nice too and at 4p each not bad price - made a change from porridge - wonder if they can be frozen and microwaved?

Anyway have already updated sig already so am ok at moment.

FrugalLina

All throughout last year I was very ill and had my groceries delivered by Asd@, but now I am better I have decided to walk to the shops and fetch it myself, rucksack on back and carrier bags in hands (quite determined not to have a trolley). I trotted off this morning confident it would be a breeze, I am back home now and am half dead!

I needed quite a few staples like bread flour and cooking oil, vegetables, butter, etc, all heavy stuff. I think I need to consider shopping more often.

In my defense, I have been running down the freezer and stock cupboard so I could clean them and I needed to restock now that is done.

Anyway, I spent £25.01 and I don't need any more shopping until next weekend, hopefully. So that means my total for January is £36.44.

kayester

little bit off topic but i have just created a thread with items we all want to save up for in 2014.
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4878219

i will be buying these items with what i save on the grocery each week

debtdawg

NSD today, though I need to go to Lidl tomorrow and stock up for the week. I've done our meal planner but I think that I will be over on the amount of budget I have left for the month, hopefully not by too much though. It's felt like a very long month!

Coxy11

Hi all,

MrsCautious - you're welcome

Small spend today of £1.95 in Sainsbobs on weekly post-swimming treat for the children.

DH and I are out at friends for dinner tonight, so children will have A!di ambient filled pasta with stir through sauce. Tomorrow we are having roast chicken, Yorkshires, roast pots, cauli cheese and cabbage.

DH has been paid - new job's payday is 25th, but I will stick to calendar months for the GC and I'm in a routine now.

Roll on 31st Jan

Coxy

icontinuetodream

oops!! been awol for a while due to various reasons....however, pleased to report that I have managed to stick to under £15 per week!

I hopefully only need veg and milk this week....I have some kiwis and clementines left in the fruit bowl which are still okay but found a few really sad looking lemons which I didn't realise I had! I will make lemony potatoes with those tomorrow as last week bought a large sack of spuds and a sack of onions....nomnom!!:D

Islandmaid

Hi all,

Spent £59 at Ald! Yesterday, so my final for Jan is £277:o

£27 over isn,t too bad I suppose - cupboards were pretty bare after new year and this month feels like it has lasted forever.

Roll on Feb

meg72

For anyone who uses Iceland theres a £5 off voucher for a £25 spend.
valid until 29th.in todays Daily express.

I am wondering if I did a £25 shop and used this coupon I would still get free home delivery?

ArthriticOldThing

Haven't posted for a while but gone TOTALLY over budget this month. :eek: Next month starts today for me so MUST try harder.