October 2007 Grocery Challenge

brummiebabe

October is turning out to be an expensive month (as I knew it would be...being a 5 week month!)

Not kept an accurate record of shopping (I know..I know..) but only have £194.53 left for 3 weeks shopping...sounds like a lot I know, but with 3 children (2 DSs currently seem to be having growth spurts & are extra hungry!) & me & DH - I know I probably won't manage to keep on budget!

Have a Tesco delivery coming tomorrow which I've just been through again & taken off some items....guide price now around £90 but I know it'll be less due to BOGOFs/offers etc! SMA Progress for DD is on offer again...2 tins for £10 - have ordered this & am hoping it'll be the last time I have to buy it!! DD :A is 1 on 3rd November - & I intend to try her on cow's milk asap!!

Will need nappies next week but get these at Boots due to extra points & I've got a money off coupon:T

Will try to keep a more accurate record from now on!!

Olliebeak

Good morning everybody - and welcome to pixie and gytha ogg (gytha - do I know you from QA???;) )

I've been keeping a check on myself during the last couple of weeks and have also started the OS in earnest. Monday is payday (:j :j ) so my October challenge will begin then - so fingers crossed. The freezer is in need of running down before defrosting so there is a strict intention to clear that this month. Not much left in FF so any leftover meals that need freezing will have to go in there for now - at least that is self-defrosting so no arctic circle build up :rolleyes:!

gytha - I'm another one who would just love to find a cheaper way of feeding the 'moggie' - mine has become too spoiled. This one will only eat 'whiskas oh so meaty' but won't touch the fish recipe ones - he's a cat for God's sake!!!!! One little expense that we've cut out - he adores the catnip drops BUT I've found those were causing his digestive problems - tough luck cat - deal with it!!!!!;).

I'm also going to order a veg box for delivery - to see if those work out any cheaper than ASDA.

Ollie

meanmarie

Have now spent €177.18 of my €330 budget, really not sure what's in outside freezer apart from crab apple juice, seemed to do nothing else the week before I went away except juice and freeze, but that will go by degrees through the year as I have spare time and sugar.

Will only need some milk, eggs and bit fruit and some veg between now and end of month I think, will be making bread and if OH doesn't like it he can do the other thing and buy his own! Think that I need to build up a bit of a dry goods store as will have 12 for almost two weeks around Christmas, have 5k rice and some noodles, pasta, couscous and beans so with another few bits there will be a few large meals for very little.

Good luck to everyone in their savings quest

Marie

oops_a_daisy

Oh dear I think I need to go and sit on the naughty step :rolleyes: I was out with my boss yesterday so had to buy lunch as I couldnt let him eat alone while I ate my sandwiches in the car so that was £2.50 and then today ( gulp ) I took something back to a shop in town but had to walk past the fish and chip shop at lunchtime and I was verrrry bad so £3.80 later off I went fish and chips in hand ( with extra vinegar and salt and scraps ) OMG they tasted soooooo good. So Im off to update my signature, to walk the dog ( to burn off some of the calories ) and to sit on the naughty step. I knew I couldnt keep it up for a whole month

rosieben

oops_a_daisy wrote: »

Oh dear I think I need to go and sit on the naughty step :rolleyes: I was out with my boss yesterday so had to buy lunch as I couldnt let him eat alone while I ate my sandwiches in the car so that was £2.50 and then today ( gulp ) I took something back to a shop in town but had to walk past the fish and chip shop at lunchtime and I was verrrry bad so £3.80 later off I went fish and chips in hand ( with extra vinegar and salt and scraps ) OMG they tasted soooooo good. So Im off to update my signature, to walk the dog ( to burn off some of the calories ) and to sit on the naughty step. I knew I couldnt keep it up for a whole month

you have to treat yourself now and again oops a daisy! We're not here for a life of abstinence, but to spend less than we were spending!!

friday is my fish and chip treat day, I eat with an elderly rellie, thats my excuse!! :rotfl:

MissMuppet

I've been shopping again today, I am making meatballs for dinner (enough to freeze too) so needed a few extra bits... also trying to go organic so managed to pick up a few organic bits and in fact they were cheaper than normal stuff!

I'm back to work on Monday so I will need to be really careful with my lunches otherwise I could be over budget very quickly!

Bobbykins

Oops a daisy - I'm with Rosieben on this one...if you don't treat yourself now and again life would be VERY miserable and it's so de-motivating. What's wrong with a little reward to keep up morale. Don't beat yourself up!

(All this encouragement and positivity is making me feel a bit better about the £3.98 I spent on myself in Tesco on some flowers!:D)

Cheers all!

LouiseJ

OK I know I should have learned my lesson from last months Lager fiasco but we are having friends around tonight for an Indian Take away, its our first in about 8 weeks & really looking forward to it, however my OH has gone to get the beer in at Asda goodness knows what he will buy without me there to keep him away from all the speciality beers. Will let you know the outcome.

Doing really well this week as well.

LouiseJ

He's back from beer buying and spent on a tray of 20 carlsbergs £10 and 4 bottles of Kronenbourg Blanc £4.48. Knew he wouldn't keep away from the speciality beers. Never mind it could have been worse. Carlsbergs will have to last the rest of month though!

Better go & add £14.48 to my week 3 total now.

rosieben

LouiseJ wrote: »

OK I know I should have learned my lesson from last months Lager fiasco but we are having friends around tonight for an Indian Take away, its our first in about 8 weeks & really looking forward to it, however my OH has gone to get the beer in at Asda goodness knows what he will buy without me there to keep him away from all the speciality beers. Will let you know the outcome.

Doing really well this week as well.

Louise, could I suggest you set up a separate budget for 'entertaining/going out', that way you keep it well away from your grocery budget so it wont distort the figures.