January Grocery Challenge 2015

Tidy_Up_Tash

Hello!

Small spend for me today, £3.15 with Mr T. No YS stuff as nothing was worth having. Only needed essentials, Porridge Oats, milk, etc. anyway.

Wednesday should be an NSD.

threepenny_bit

NSD for me today - 3rd in a row. This makes 12 NSD this month so far and I am hoping for many many more

Caterina

JIL wrote: »

I really don't mean to put anyone off, but I saw some fabric softener that was marked vegetarian and tallow free, so I wondered what tallow was? I was shocked at what I found out and its no wonder washing machines clog up, as well as the drains. I now also use white vinegar and a few drops of essential oils. I also use a small handful of soda crystals in the powder drawer.

There is tallow in most soaps, too, the saponification process needs fat to work and most soap companies find tallow the cheapest option.

If you want to avoid tallow you need to buy soaps that are specifically marked as "vegetable".

mumofthetwins

£15.01 SPEND for me yesterday ... Still no too bad though as got loads in !!
Lisa x

Happygreen

Another NSD for me, OH chipped in and got 3 small things which I'll not count as not out of my budget . I forgot to tell him about the milk and now we are snowed in :mad:

plymouthscubagirl

Thanks LynneJK, makes sense about the NSD's. I'll start trying to count them for next month.

Thought I did quite well yesterday as put some reduced fish in my basket whilst at Morrisons (didn't need to go but went along for the walk out of office with colleagues), then when I got to checkout i put it all back as didn't really need and should be using up freezer stuff not adding! So a small victory and small spend of £3.72.

Bobarella

NSD 6 here.

See I think everyone on here does NSDs differently. I was originally under the impression it meant when nothing was spent that wasn't essential.
Now I only count them if I don't spend money physically that day. So if a bill goes out that doesn't count but if I bought an apple it would count.
I find meal planning is essential for getting them as my previous method of buying what I need when I need it wouldn't allow me to get any. But I don't think my food budget would really change as I buy as much YS as I can anyway.

CountingPennies

A NSD for me is whatever money I allocate for the grocery budget, because this is the grocery challenge. But each to their own!

NSD yesterday :j:j:j

Fingers crossed for another NSD today :j:j:j

Have a good day folks!

CP xx

xx_Jo_xx

:hello:


Hi everyone,


Im still chipping away at this challenge thankfully - and so glad Ive been sticking to it! I ended up with £160 of unforeseen expenses on the car and don't yet have a savings pot for immediate use, so its come out of my overdraft at the minute. In fairness though, not too long ago the overdraft would have been maxed out too, so I suppose I am getting there, in small steps! I really really have to get a grip on sticking to budgets though...but ive been super-good this week at using up store cupboard lurkers!


£94.52/£300 (205.48) NSD 6/31


soda stream £10.99
asda £6.61
HB £20.98
Uni Lattes x2 £3.00


Today I need bread and milk, and thankfully I am reluctant to buy anything else and see what I can use up! I think I'm going to wait until a bit later though and try to pick up some YS bread.


£136.10/ £300 (163.90) NSD 8/31


Re: NSD - I don't include bills in NSD or bus fares/parking or anything like that - but I do include some personal spends.


Im personally very guilty of picking up personal items I don't need ie toiletries, a DVD etc when in the supermarket so I do include these until I start to become more conscious of them. Another example is lattes at Uni - I have a travel mug and could take my own, which would save me at least one coffee a day.


Im very guilty of not realising how much I am spending, because its only a little bit here and there... I include these in my grocery budget and NSD to force me to ask myself, "Do I really need this? And can I afford it?" I know this approach doesn't work for everyone, but its helping me at the moment

First_Trouble

JIL wrote: »

I really don't mean to put anyone off, but I saw some fabric softener that was marked vegetarian and tallow free, so I wondered what tallow was? I was shocked at what I found out and its no wonder washing machines clog up, as well as the drains. I now also use white vinegar and a few drops of essential oils. I also use a small handful of soda crystals in the powder drawer.

I bought a big storage tub and I mix a packet of soda crystals into Mr T basics washing powder haven't had to buy powder for months and still have half a tub left (there are only two of us though) I haven't looked back. I also use an old Va*ish scoop as a measuring spoon :A

I didn't know what Tallow was either just looked it up :eek: