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September 2020 Grocery Challenge
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Hi all, I am new and would love to join this thread. I see myself as a fairly budget conscious shopper (meal planning, lists etc) but the budget has gone out of the window this August. We were meant to be going to Tenerife but instead spent some of that money on eating out, and buying more expensive food. This will end on Monday with our last 50% eat out at a posh restaurant.
So starting from 1st Sept I am budgeting £450 for the month for 2 adults, 2 teenagers and a hungry 10 year old. I am hoping I will be surprised and spend less but thought I would try to be realistic for the first month. Ideally I would like to be around about £350.10 -
Can you put me down for £200 this month please, that includes pet food and toiletries.
Pay day tomorrow and my freezer doesn't seem to be going down much...blush and I have plenty of staples in the cupboards.
The main reason for that is Farmfoods have some great deals at the moment, we picked up chickens for £1.99 each and I usually stretch them to three meals, casserole veg, mixed veg, and corn on the cob are 59p a bag which is way cheaper than buying fresh, I went to home bargains and got 4 packs of mince for £1.99 each and it is way nicer than most supermarkets. Oh and we went foraging yesterday and got 3 kilos of blackberries, some apples, hawthorns and sloes to make some sloe gin which we also make for Christmas pressies.
I am doing an inventory today and will do my meal plan based on that, hopefully I won't have to buy much. Christmas is fast approaching and I have been buying a couple of pressies a month, only six left to get and I have cards, paper etc from the January sales.
October is our worst month because car insurance is due and zoo membership, but both pay for themselves eventually. We live a five minute drive from Whipsnade zoo and we can go up any time we like and we also get half price tickets for family, and 10% discount on everything but we take a picnic and it is a cheap day out.
Haven't been much this year because it has been closed, but they gave us extra time on our membership.
I will post my meal plan as soon as I have got it sorted out.Blessed are the cracked for they are the ones that let in the light
C.R.A.P R.O.L.L.Z. Member #35 Butterfly Brain + OH - Foraging Fixers
Not Buying it 2015!9 -
Woohoo I just found a Waitrose gift card for £50 when I was sorting out some paperwork, that will come in handy for SeptemberBlessed are the cracked for they are the ones that let in the light
C.R.A.P R.O.L.L.Z. Member #35 Butterfly Brain + OH - Foraging Fixers
Not Buying it 2015!10 -
Aaargh would you believe it, had a phone call from the hospital saying that my op has been rescheduled to 17th September and I have to go back into shielding for three days which is better than the two weeks when it was originally scheduled, so it looks like I will be preparing a lot of homemade freezer meals because I will be in a sling for at least a month!Blessed are the cracked for they are the ones that let in the light
C.R.A.P R.O.L.L.Z. Member #35 Butterfly Brain + OH - Foraging Fixers
Not Buying it 2015!8 -
elsiepac said:@Doom_and_Gloom did you used to have 2 chins? I had 2 rescues but the older one, the mum died earlier this year at a rough age of about 20. Her daughter is still going and is about 17.
Since he lost his mate last year we noticed him get lethargic and getting depressed. As soon as we noticed that we made sure to give him more out time, more interaction, increased the toys in his cage etc and he perked up. They were spoiled as it was but now he's really spoilt as an only chin.
It's odd to know others with a chinchilla as they aren't a usual pet.
I'm very sorry to hear about the loss of your older girl *hugs*. Even though 20 is a good age for them it's still hard when they go as they burrow into your heart. I'm sure like us with our little boy that you now dote on your girl more than before. Hugs to both you and your chin.I am a vegan woman. My OH is a lovely omni guy10 -
Budgets updated to here
Welcome @Competsoph and @ToadyAli - hope you both enjoy your first month as GCers! Don't be afraid to ask questions and there's tons of resources in the first few posts of this thread.
@Butterfly_Brain Congrats on the Wa1tr0se card, what a great find! Also shame your op was rescheduled but at least you'll be out of the sling by Christmas and of course it'll force you to meal prep which is never a bad thing lol!!
@Doom_and_Gloom aw that's so sad about your girl, and not old at all if the ages were correct. Correct feed is so important for them isn't it - mine were never even given hay before I had them! The vet was shocked they were in such good health when I took them in for their first check up! Unfortunately the girl I still have (the daughter) has always been extremely skittish and would never take food from me or anything even when mum was still around, and now she's alone she's 10x worse. I don't like to stress her so I don't try and touch her or anything, but even when changing her food etc she acts terrified! I took them in about 5 years ago and they had already lived in a couple of different homes and had never really been socialised or interacted with and whilst I did get the mum to a point where she would come to the cage door when called and would take treats from my hand, that was the furthest I ever got with them. It's amazing to me when I see people interacting so much with their chins as mine couldn't be more different, although I appreciate it's different circumstances!
I’m a Forum Ambassador and I support the Forum Team on the Old Style, Crafting and Techie Stuff boards.If you need any help on these boards, do let me know. Please note that Ambassadors are not moderators. Any posts you spot in breach of the Forum Rules should be reported via the report button, or by emailing forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com.All views are my own and not the official line of MoneySavingExpert.GC: May 22 £tbc/£250 Vegan 27-8-138 -
Setting my budget to
£191.32
this month - yes I know it's an odd figure!I’m a Forum Ambassador and I support the Forum Team on the Old Style, Crafting and Techie Stuff boards.If you need any help on these boards, do let me know. Please note that Ambassadors are not moderators. Any posts you spot in breach of the Forum Rules should be reported via the report button, or by emailing forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com.All views are my own and not the official line of MoneySavingExpert.GC: May 22 £tbc/£250 Vegan 27-8-137 -
elsiepac said:Setting my budget to
£191.32
this month - yes I know it's an odd figure!
How did you do the highlighter block? Was that the "quote" feature?
- Pip"Be the type of woman that when you get out of bed in the morning, the devil says 'Oh crap. She's up.'
It ain’t what you do, it’s the way that you do it - that’s what gets results!
2025 Fashion on the Ration Challenge 66 coupons - 25.5 spent.
4 - Thermal Socks from L!dl
4 - 1 pair "combinations" (Merino wool thermal top & leggings)
6 - Ukraine Forever Tartan Ruana wrap
8 - 4 x 100g/450m skeins 3-ply dark green Wool Local yarn
1.5 - sports bra
2 - 100g/220m DK Toft yarn8 -
PipneyJane said:elsiepac said:Setting my budget to
£191.32
this month - yes I know it's an odd figure!
How did you do the highlighter block? Was that the "quote" feature?
- PipI’m a Forum Ambassador and I support the Forum Team on the Old Style, Crafting and Techie Stuff boards.If you need any help on these boards, do let me know. Please note that Ambassadors are not moderators. Any posts you spot in breach of the Forum Rules should be reported via the report button, or by emailing forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com.All views are my own and not the official line of MoneySavingExpert.GC: May 22 £tbc/£250 Vegan 27-8-137 -
elsiepac said:PipneyJane said:elsiepac said:Setting my budget to
£191.32
this month - yes I know it's an odd figure!
How did you do the highlighter block? Was that the "quote" feature?
- Pip
- Pip"Be the type of woman that when you get out of bed in the morning, the devil says 'Oh crap. She's up.'
It ain’t what you do, it’s the way that you do it - that’s what gets results!
2025 Fashion on the Ration Challenge 66 coupons - 25.5 spent.
4 - Thermal Socks from L!dl
4 - 1 pair "combinations" (Merino wool thermal top & leggings)
6 - Ukraine Forever Tartan Ruana wrap
8 - 4 x 100g/450m skeins 3-ply dark green Wool Local yarn
1.5 - sports bra
2 - 100g/220m DK Toft yarn8
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