January 2014 Grocery Challenge

First_Trouble

Declaring £101.92 only slightly over budget but am happy with this.

Anzac_Biscuit

I'm flagging... grumpy and tired and couldn't-be-bothered-ish.
Managed to get through the work day without buying anything but ended up buying dinner after an event in the evening. Plus hadn't eaten enough so was feeling a tad faint by then!

Humph. Now officially over in my entertainment budget - though still nowhere near the official groceries one. I'm feeling the pinch though cos I just got my medical bills, which is pretty much wiping out my savings. Oh well. I guess I'll just have to recover next month - and at least I've been spending less than usual, which has gotta help, right?

Off to bed.

Anzac_Biscuit

Looks like everyone has moved to the Feb thread. Think I'll stay here til payday on the 15th and then skip straight to March

I've had a bad week for spending - lots of lunches out, coffees and other snacks. Just been feeling rough, and overtired, and disorganised at home. I suspect tomorrow will be more of the same but hopefully I'll get in a good shop on the weekend and set myself up well for the final week of this very long month!!

It's still been great to keep track of exactly what I spend - and posting on here makes me actually take note. I've been making progress too - and I think will be in a much better position next month to avoid known weaknesses and be more disciplined. I'm still pretty shocked at how much more I've spent on eating out/ent than on proper 'groceries' - had an idea it was bad but wow :eek: I don't mind quite so much if it's in order to catch up with a friend (seems to be my main social activity) - but I would definitely like to cut out any bad-planning-related eating out (ie lunches at work or unnecessary coffees/snacks due to bad planning or lack of discipline).

Anzac_Biscuit

Just had coffee to catch up with a friend (so I don't mind too much) and did a small shop, mostly baking supplies. Definitely flagging but I'm still hoping to pull myself together a bit better next week for the race to the finish line!! One more week til payday....
:rotfl:

Dinner last night (and I think the night before) was veg and lentil soup that I made a week or so ago in the slow cooker to use up some veg that was about to go off. Breakfast this morning was rice and prunes (no more cereal, bread or milk) - the prunes have been hanging fire for MONTHS so I'm trying to use them up.

Mostly I think I should be fine for this week, provided that I actually do the cooking. Plenty of food in, just need to get over the slump and prepare it.
On the menu for this week: beetroot, salad of some sort to use up olives and sundried toms, some sort of cottage pie or mince thing, and hopefully a chicken casserole in the slowcooker to use up a pack of frozen chicken thighs. I also have frozen berries, some dead (frozen) bananas and a small bit of crumble topping, so hopefully I can use those up too and start the next pay month with a clear freezer!

mags50_2

You're doing so well Anzac and all on your own too
See you in the new thread x
:T:T:T

Anzac_Biscuit

Thanks mags!

I've updated the sig for the weekend - spent a bit on berries and plastic cups for a church afternoon tea. More than I would have liked to spend but oh well. They all liked it! NSD yesterday

Today I made a tiny bit of progress after falling apart last week cos I actually made dinner tonight :T and lunch for tomorrow :T

Hurray, go me

Didn't have any breakfast though

Lunch was Thai (paid for by a friend, and planned ahead). Dinner was puy lentils with tomato and lettuce. The cottage cheese I was going to have with it was off so went in the bin, which was a shame. Not the most interesting of dinners really but it was progress nonetheless!

Cooked the whole packet of lentils cos they've been sitting around for ages - so some will get cooked up tomorrow with some mince in a cottage pie or something similar; the rest has gone into the freezer in batches to add to things.

Lunch tomorrow is lentils with lettuce, olives, tomatoes and some chopped anchovies to make it more interesting than dinner was :rotfl:

I think I may possibly have gone a little too overboard in the whole frugal/pantry challenge thing - it's getting that I don't want to spend anything at all, which just means that I don't feel inspired by the frugal-but-boring things in the fridge, so don't bother cooking it, so don't have anything for lunch. *sigh*

Hmmm. Must do better next month.

meg72

So sorry you are here lonely but will make a point of checking back
until you come over to Feb. It is possible to be too frugal and be totally bored with what you have in, I hit a rut like that same old menu all the time, but my DD and DGD challenged me to a healthy eating completion. the first one to lose 7lbs gets to choose a lunch out, if my DGD wins its going to be Sushi, no way, I am so determined she dosent win have splashed out a bit more and am really enjoying my new healthy recipes.

Anzac_Biscuit

Thanks meg70. I think you're right - if I spend a little bit more I'll be much more excited about what I have planned

Ate lunch out today cos I just couldn't face those lentils (and I was cold in the office and wanted something hot).

Three more days....!! :j:j:j

Tonight's dinner - chilli made with beef mince and lentils, and whatever else I find to use up I'll make sure it's tasty!! Some will go in the freezer for lunches or an easy meal next week.

Anzac_Biscuit

Done. I'm declaring my end of the month
Clearly I have a long way to go but I think this is the first time EVER that I've managed to keep track of all my spending for a whole month - and I've certainly learnt a lot!

Thanks to everyone for the support - and now on to Feb!

:beer: