November 2007 Grocery Challenge

Jacks_xxx

:wave: Afternoon lovelies! :wave:

As it's blowy here today, I've stripped the beds and done all the towels and the sofa throws etc

Which is great - but now I'm out of washing powder! :doh:

I need to do some shopping soon anyway, as I've run everything right down and all we have left to eat is

• some pasta,
• some couscous,
• assorted frozen veggies,
• half a box of branflakes,
• half a jar of black olives,
• half a jar of anchovies,
• 4 cans of tomato soup,
• 1 egg
• a sachet of custard mix
• and about a pint of milk.
• (plus 320 teabags that were on special offer.)

Tonight's tea will be some sort of veggie pasta concoction, and tomorrow we'll all have branflakes for breakfast (except the cat who'll probably have the egg because he's run out of food too) but after that it's going to get interesting!

Have a good weekend everybody!

Love Jacks xxx

Jacks_xxx

I keep meaning to ask this!

If you could just give one tip to help out your fellow Grocery Challengers - what would it be?

Love Jacks xxx

rosieben

Jacks_xxx wrote: »

I keep meaning to ask this!

If you could just give one tip to help out your fellow Grocery Challengers - what would it be?

Love Jacks xxx

My tip would be - make a weekly or monthly meal plan. If you then write your shopping list for that meal plan it will save so many of those 'emergency' shopping trips which tend to add up and wreck the budget!

lil_me

Ooooops I haven't popped in here since the move have I? Oh bother, sorry

Well doing ok so far, spent more today which is now on my total, sticking with the £270 again, well going to try to anyway. As usual all meals inc lunches for 2 adults, 2 kids and the animals (2 dogs, hedgehog, fish and lizard) toiletries, cleaning stuff and this includes meals out unless I have a voucher for a free one.

belfastgirl23

So yesterday lunchtime I rediscovered why you shouldn't shop on an empty stomach. £7.65 in M&S when I only went in to get some fresh bread for lunch and some garlic bread. One huge baguette and praline bar later I also remembered that I'd signed up for the weightloss challenge. Idiot!

Trying to get the wherewithal up to go to Lidl tonight since we need dishwasher tabs and theirs are the best and cheapest. We're going away this weekend so I was also going to get some treats to cut down on buying when we're way (tho we have both dinners sorted, yum, there's a really good Italian where we're going). I also need some other lidl staples. It's just the thought of it really, especially on a Friday night. But I know if I don't go tonight then we'll have to stop on the road tomorrow and DH will make a £20-£30 dent in the budget.

Wish me luck!

Jacks well done on the washing, it's mizzled here all day so no point in putting anything out (and my hair looks like I've been pulled through a wind bush backwards). My top tip is internet shopping tbh - I'd never take that amount of time to check prices etc when I'm in the shop. Even if I just do a virtual shop and then call in to tesco to pick the stuff up it still saves me £

And welcome to the new folk. This is great when you get the hang of it. I've finally (this month!) been able to start paying £100 extra pm towards the mortgage which previously I know I would have frittered away on food we don't need and calories I can't afford Good luck.

suzialwaysbroke

I think the meal planning is the best - I am a recent convert (from Oct '07) & am amazed at how it focuses you on just how much you can spend on nothing much, when you don't keep track of it. Definately recommend the planning!!

mrs_pokemon

My top tip is,Using up what is in your cupboards and freezer.i have been much more inventive with meals since starting this challenge.
It is quite shocking the things that we used to waste.

Bobbykins

Top tip from me is actually 2 tips!

1) Meal planning, definately
2) Shopping with cash - a tip I picked up from here a few months ago. I was having real trouble resisting the "bargains" and "offers" and it was doing my budget no end of no good!
Following advice on here I took to drawing out just enough cash each week for my budget, plus just a couple of quid for genuine "too good to miss" offers, in case I saw any:D .

Result? I got into much better habits about only buying what I really needed. :T

belfastgirl23

Oh dear haven't updated the sig yet but I just spent £40 in Lidl when I really only meant to go in for about £10 of stuff. It was all stuff that we will use but even so it leaves me with about £50 for the rest of the month. Although really what we need would be very limited after a shop like that. Think I'll try to stick to just a fruit and veg shop next weekend to try to make sure we come in under budget. Ah well...I suppose this time last year I'd have spent that on expensive goodies in M&S without even a thought for it....

rosieben

belfastgirl23 wrote: »

...I suppose this time last year I'd have spent that on expensive goodies in M&S without even a thought for it....

same here - I've reduced my grocery spend by more than half since I found the GC, thanks to all the great tips and information on here. :T :T :T