January 2008 Grocery Challenge

kittynortheast

Duh! Call me thick, I've lurked for a year nearly but it's the first month I have oficially joined in. I've read all the links and Lil_Mes message about putting your spends for Jan on the list but still don't get it (only have one brain cell and it's breathing for me at the mo!) How do I get it on the list???? Soooorrrry.

MRSMCAWBER

Hi there Irish mom

I have a set of measuring cups -and its only recently i have started using recipes with "cups" as they drive me mad ...so im not sure about normal cups either I have just weighed 1 cup of flour and its 120g and the 3/4 cup of milk is 180ml

In future if i post a recipe using cups i will do the grammes, mls too
hope that helps

Kittynortheast..

When you are typing click on the "go advanced" button just below then just type
"lil-me then how much you budgeted and how much you spent" click on it so it all goes black then look at the top of the box where you see the A and click on the little arrow and click the red box.... and then when you look your writting that you have highlighted it should go red... so lil_me can see it..and then she wil add you to the list..
hope that makes sense ...

kittynortheast

MrsMcawber Thanks, I sort of thought I needed to put my total somewhere easier for Lil_me to find - Slow or what actually, I think I've got it now!!! I presume I need to write it here!!

To Lil_Me - Buget £360, Spent £329.44 Thank You

snowball2103

Power is still down in my local bank so I went to the branch in the next town. Of course I just had to pop into Aldi's for a look as I was passing. Spent another £13.37 that included lots of fruit and veg and a bottle of wine that mysteriously jumped into my arms! Have just put on bread and hope that the only other thing I'll have to buy this week is milk.

Snowball

lil_me

kitty your total is now added, posts on the first page for those who don't know where to find it.

Aldi has some good F&V offers on at the mo snowball, well worth popping in for me, I have one closer than Tesco but used to drive past it to go to Tesco, silly really.

Just remembered DS2s birthday tomorrow so spend will increase as been promised birthday tea of whatever he wants to have, but I'm way under budget so not too bothered.

cheerfulness4

Just done which should hopefully be my last shop of this challenge. (only the loo roll is a concern, as usual :rolleyes: )

I spent £13.38 in Morrisons on milk, bread, cereal, potatoes, marg, fruit & veg and a big box of soap powder. The latter was reduced and should last me all next month if I make use of my wash balls as well.

What I've learnt:

Pulses save me pounds! :T
How to make HM seedy bread as good as Warb's.
Alway to keep a grocery inventory
That freezing baking stops impulse buying when tired.
Never to shop without a list.
And that coming here and updating my sig keeps me focused.

Away to bake bread etc for next week now.

MRSMCAWBER

Hi LIL_ME

Budget for january €200 spent €61.12 :rotfl:

Mollymop5

MRSMCAWBER wrote: »

Hi LIL_ME

Budget for january €200 spent €61.12 :rotfl:

Wow thats a fantastic saving.Well done :T

Frugaldom

miecherox wrote: »

I have had great fun doing this challenge this month and DH has been brill too. I can't believe out average monthly spend was nearly £600 a month!! What were we wasting!! ...

The most crucial thing this grocery challenge has done for us is to reduce the pressure of me finding a job...for the time being...x

Household budgeting when you are a wife, a mother, a homekeeper IS your fulltime job - it can pay for itself in no time if you count up everything you need to pay out in order to maintain a fulltime job elsewhere - different food, workwear, transport, childcare, cleaner, gardener etc, etc, etc... You are probably doing the job of all those people and if you count 24 hours per day at minimum wage... umm.... :eek: You're worth a LOT!

PS: Came back to point out the financial 'value' of being a stay at home partner/mother/homemaker whatever the PC terminology is these days and, at UK minimum wage rates, it works out at £940.80 per week if you count round the clock care and attention. :eek: :eek: :eek: (Sorry for going off topic, just realised I'm in the shopping challenge thread!! oops! )

NSD for me today and still well under budget for end of this month .

PPS: If anyone makes the comment that 'you are sat on your **** half the time' then keep the peace by agreeing, and confronting them with HALF the weekly rate :rotfl: Sorry, again, no offence meant to working mums etc

tattycath

Hi everyone. Went to asda last night with OH. I have updated my sig with the (amount over £15 that I spent) I need to get some cooking apples today coz I forgot and it's pork for tea!!! I did remember some kind soul putting the golden syrup offer on this thread-not sure who it was unless it was Bobbykins) Anyway whoever it was thanks.I was that strange woman in asda last night looking like I was lookin for a clue on supermarket sweep, frantically picking up tins of the stuff until I found the ones with the money off coupons on... wouldn't you know it they were right at the back!!! but I found them!!! :rotfl:My OH just stands patiently and waits these days while I rummage around and run round the shop like a headless (freerange) chicken trying to find the best offers and reductions. It must be rubbing off though because last night he was pondering and trying to get the cheapest deals too. Result!!!
I'm rambling again. I'll shutup!!