January 2008 Grocery Challenge

affordmylife

Im going to do a top up shop tomorrow cos the cupboards are still bulging but we need fresh stuff - milk and fruit etc. I am to spend below £30. Will update tomorrow after I have been.

Well done everyone. Im really enjoying this challenge. For me the trick has been 'just dont go to the shops' If i go I spend - simple as that.

I am intending to carry it on for the year!!!!

Patches41048

This thread just seems to have exploded!!!

I'm very impressed with how everyone is doing, i feel a bit annoyed with myself as i'm regularly forgetting to do a packed lunch but have restrained myself to a 99p netto sandwich or a small salad out of the pocket money ive 'allowed' myself. It makes such a difference!

I also found where the stardrops was on the shelves and the washing soda crystals (?) so it may pay off in the long run .... very tempted on the slow cooker idea ... If i got used to sorting it before I leave for work it would do for tea and leftover for lunch the next day.

Anyway, I have to do a main shop soon or DS will lynch me! In the meantime ive updated the signature. It seems very low .. im sure the main shop will sort that out!!!

Sassamac

A NSD yesterday for me and less than £4 today which was all either reduced, value or on half price offer. I only went into town so need to go to Tesco tomorrow for a couple of bits that werent available. Im about a quid over budget and what I need to spend tomorrow will be about my daily allowance, so Im just about on target unless I find some more yellow stickers to go mad on! I havent bought any fresh bread for about a fortnight - we have been survivng on reduced bread, value pittas and reduced stuff like bagels, english muffins, fruit loaf etc. which can all be toasted to disguise that lack of freshness.

Off to read back and see how youve all been doing while dinner is in the oven.

tattycath

Hi everyone. Another nsd for me today!!! Well done to everyone so far and continued good luck for rest of challenge.

Sunnyday

OO thanks patches, you have just reminded me that i need to add soda crystals, white vinegar and stardrops to my list for this weekend, i had totally forgotton about these.
Hopefully we don`t need too much so i`ll make a proper list later for DH to fetch tomorrow.
SD

funkyfunkymonkey

Well, I am now £9.10 over my January grocery budget. I have been buying lots of BOGOF's and other 'from scratch' ingredients so in a way alot of the food will help towards next month - so I don't feel a complete failure. Especially when I look at what my grocery bill used to be each month in 2007!!!

FFM

funkyfunkymonkey

It's sort of like a freebie

I bought 2 tins of Lyles Golden Syrup today from Tesco as they were 'Buy 2 for £1' - a pretty good deal.

When I got home I noticed there was a little 'pack' of vouchers/entry forms on top of the tin.

On each tin you get 50p off your next purchase of Golden Syrup Pouring Bottle an 30p off 8 sachets of Porridge. Our Tesco's will take money off vouchers even if you don't buy the product, which means for each tin you buy you get 80p in vouchers.

So, buy 2 tins for £1, get £1.60 in vouchers. :j

Money Saving or what!!!

There is also an entry form for a special recipe book and a couple of recipes for flapjacks and syrup sponge.

FFM

Sassamac

am sorely tempted by that slow cooker now, even though I had decided not to buy one but look out for a freebie, or make do until then. My only reservation is the size of it as it wont do batch cooking if it only feeds 4 at a time and also I would like to put roast chicken etc in it so we can go out all day on Sunday without worrying about being back in time to put it in the oven, or having to alter the oven temp having left it on a low temp. hmm decisions decisions.

Ellidee

Sassamac if you want to cook a whole chicken in the sc get an oval shaped one.

windowshopper100

I picked up my Argos SC bargain today - found I had some pudding rice and I wasn't afraid to use it!

Chocolate orange rice pudd cooking now - just had a taster and it's looking good but next time I'd cut down a bit on the cocoa and up the sugar a bit - but I'm still learning. I may just go and stir a bit in now.....

Agree with Ellidee about shape, especially if you need to feed four, but I think I could get a smallish one in ours (3.5l, round), but there's just the two of us.

I'm v. glad I got it.:D

WS100