August 2007 Grocery Challenge

Kerfuffle

Hello everybody

Hope you're all doing well with your challenges, obviously looking at my new and improved edited signature I'm not doing too brilliantly. Today I've got to buy pork chops so I'm going to be over budget even more but I've got to buy them cos a) my meal plan tells to me to (!) and b) if I don't the garlic powder and soured cream that I bought to go with them will go to waste.

When I set my challenge I said the challenge was to feed 4 adults, well I forgot to mention the dog.....mustn't forget the dog, speaking of which, must go and let him out (whoops).

Toodles.

tim_n

I've been setting up house and didn't have many of the essentials I needed to start home (all my spices etc) - it's a bit like ready steady cook - you provide the ingredients and they provide the extras like oil etc - stuff you don't (or shouldn't) use much of but always have in your cupboards at home.

Therefore I have gone cold turkey on my credit and debit cards. They are in my safe at home and my girlfriend has the code to the safe. Her cards are in there too, in a money box (a money box wouldn't be secure enough against me as one of my hobbies - a legal one - is lockpicking)

The house is now as ready as it can be for 'normal' use and I can start doing the jobs without spending loads of cash. My credit card bills have gone up wildly to £2k this money making me liquidise my savings. But now I'm all sorted I don't expect expenditure on that level again!

My challenge will run from today (since I bought loads of stuff yesterday) until the end of the month. The money I save will be pin money, based on a food bill of £20pw.

orchid-96

Hi all, thanks bungarm2001 for the ideas for the Chicken, I managed to get my lunch for yesterday and today from leftovers and what I 'boiled up' I used and put in some rice and peas along with the chicken and that has given my babies lunch for yesterday and today (it didn't seem like it will be a favourite so will have to make sure they are hungry today!!) - Next time I will do the boil it all up with the veggies etc. I didn't know whether you could put it in with the skin and I didn't want to pick it off yuk....

I am going to have to get some softener and some nappies in the next day or so, think I will take cash to morrisons instead of going to Mr T and getting tempted...

Looking forward to getting my veg box tomorrow - I used to do it most weeks but stopped as I was wasting too much...will really try to get organised with it this time and maybe buy every other week...I don't know if any of you do a veg box scheme, they are good and I think really good value too...

cheerfulness4

Bobbykins wrote: »

Hang in there and don't give up....it'll all work out as long as you keep at it!

Thanks Bobbykins and Rosieben for the encouragement. I managed to stay in budget one month and that was the month I read this thread daily, so that tells me something! :rolleyes:

Newlywed I've done that with the lentils and they whoofed it down and were none the wiser. I completely forgot, how stupid am I? I've got lots in the cupboard and I could mix them in with the mince dishes again which would really help stretch the budget. Thanks for the reminder! Feeling all postive again.

howskint?

This will be my first month of this but I really need to keep track of what Im spending and where I can reduce it. I've set a budget of 300 pounds for two adults, 2 children and a dog. We're going away to Dorset on Tuesday camping for 9 days so this might push my budget but I'm feeling very determined!

Got enough cleaning stuff, toiletries etc for the month so it'll just be food. Got loads of rice and pasta in and have already got the stuff for 5 of our evening meals when we're away so here goes!!
howskint? x

newlywed

Just checked on mysupermarket.co.uk as have a choice of 4 supermarkets near work. So off to sainsbury tomorrow and hopefully keep to budget and keep to the list without buying any extras!!!

Nix143

Trying againn this month - lost count last month

So did an online Mr T shop last night and spent £50.46 - not a very good start BUT that is for meal plan for NEXT week which means I should hardly spend anything next week *crossing fingers like mad*.

My OH is over for a week and so had to buy 'proper' food, does that make sense? When I'm home alone I get by on foraging from my cupboards but when her and the Nipper are here I have to cook 'proper' food..............

My target is £200 but my gut is that I am coming in well under that - but because I always lose count I can't tell - my vow this month is to keep a blurry record of everything.......and meal plan when necessary.

Good luck everyone, I'll be crossing everything a lady can cross for you all

FBThree

On my own at home today, and no-one to go see. Have spent ages of the day on my derriere doing admin and it's times like this that I want to just pop down the road and go to a shop! Won't though. Still loads of a day to go.

ooh just realised can go put a magazine in the Sue Ryder. That'll give me a reason to stretch my legs!

Doom_and_Gloom

Me and 14 mice this month (only one of my 2 females ended up being pregnant so I was expecting more little ones but only 11 arrived, still really cute though ) and I'm budgeting £40 again although how I did it last month I'll never know. Menu planning is probably the only reason. I have menu planned for all of this month already because of this. Budget includes my food, the mice food, sawdust for the mice, toiletries and the like.

So far have spent £13 of budget on food that should last me nearly two weeks (except the fruit at probably one week maybe more) and that incules a pack of 12 toilet rolls. So I have £27 left of my monthly budget. Should be fine as my fridge is stocked well with loads of vegetables and fruit, I've got enough flour, yeast and the like to make bread or pizza bases if I need to. The freezer has 5 home made ready meals in it as well as veg and the like and I've got enough pulses and tinned items to last me probably all month so I'm looking at this month to be very good .

cymrubaby

crockpot wrote: »

I need to join again.

My month started on 20th July when hubbie got paid, was hoping for £200 for month for 2 adults and 2 children 5 and 8 but just added receipts up and already spent over £150!

So better say £250 plus it`s school hols, although they do normally have a packed lunch.

I have decided that I will only buy wholemeal bread- and they are eating it minus crusts! also I will only cook 1 meal for all of us, working better than I thought.

Trying to eat out of freezer and cupboards as much as pos.

Thinking of doing a small £30 online shop next week so I am not tempted but will have to pay £3.75 delivery. Or would you leave kids at home and take cash only so unable to over spend?

Hey Crockpot, if you do decide to shop online you can search this website for vouchers or codes for money off your shopping, depending where you shop, i've managed to have £5 or £10 off my shopping every single time i've done it online thanks to codes, so techincally i'm not paying for delivery and i'm having a bit extra off each time. Bargain!!!