January 2008 Grocery Challenge

EagerLearner

We've done our first big shop from Tesco - but I got £5 off a £50 spend with a voucher, plus £4 off with an evoucher they sent me... so essentially we got free delivery, plus got £4 of free items. And quite a few deals...

Saturday we have a £4 voucher for a £20 spend in Sainsburys - will try to get to £20 exactly so we only pay £16 he he...

Good luck all!

Frugaldom

Is this a common factor when doing your grocery inventories?

I checked my cupboards, wrote out 2 pages of foodstuffs and basic ingredients, have a freezer that's got plenty in it and think I'll hardly need to spend a penny this month and then some smart 'person' asks what there is there for eating or states that there's nothing to eat! Permission to feed them on bread and water for a month, please :cool:

tattycath

Hi Nykmedia. I can relate to that. My kids are always saying there is nothing to eat. Of course when I tell them they don't know they're born, I am just old and when I say we used to live from hand to mouth when I was little they say that was in my day. Cheek!!! When I was growing up we never had much food in the cupboards. We always ate what was put in front of us and we didn't do 'i liked carrots yesterday but I don't like them today!!!'. Funny how kids go off food so easily. Last week they liked something and this week they claim to have never liked it!!! Yes I'm in full agreement. Why can't we just give them the basics until they appreciate it!!! Because we are too nice-that's why, we are overly soft!!! I have to say though 2nd DD didn't like carrots until just before christmas and now always eats them and even admits to liking them!!! RESULT!!!:) and I have been known to hide lots of veg in stews, casseroles, curries, spag bol etc etc.

littlemissclumsy

am really enjoying this challenge!

had a good look through the cupboards and freezer and realised we have loads of stuff in stock. decided on meal planning and have spent what is needed to complete the meals for the week today.

£26 spend in Tesco, then popped back later and managed to loads of freezable bits reduced for £4.52! 8 chicken breasts (thats 2 meals) and cod (again 2 meals) plus bits and pieces for salads and pack ups.

Planning to use everything in cupboards and freezer this month. That includes baking all those cake mix kits that have been lurking at the back of the cupboard for ages!!

Blairweech

Tattycath- that's funny what you say about kids I remember as a child telling my Mum that I did not like chips (what?????)...well, she then proceeded to give me plain boiled potatoes (which I genuinely do dislike) - I soon changed my mind about chips!

I forgot to say that my budget is for 2 adults and 2 cats. We spend £20 a month on milk (from the farmer next door) and about £10 a month on cat food.

Had out first spend - 55p

Have made 2 weeks worth of meal plans - have everything in, just need to buy fresh veg. This is a good start

Oh yes - just to make life that bit more interesting, OHs pay date has suddenly changed to the 11th.

mumzyof2

Blairweech wrote: »

Tattycath- that's funny what you say about kids I remember as a child telling my Mum that I did not like chips (what?????)...well, she then proceeded to give me plain boiled potatoes (which I genuinely do dislike) - I soon changed my mind about chips!

I forgot to say that my budget is for 2 adults and 2 cats. We spend £20 a month on milk (from the farmer next door) and about £10 a month on cat food.

Had out first spend - 55p



Have made 2 weeks worth of meal plans - have everything in, just need to buy fresh veg. This is a good start

Oh yes - just to make life that bit more interesting, OHs pay date has suddenly changed to the 11th.

spent 55p? May i ask what on? lol im so nosey :P nah only coz it seems a little amount hehe

tallullahbelle

I'd like to give it a go please. Aiming for £300...
thanks for the inspiration.

charleypink

nykmedia wrote: »

Only Me!!

I was just on checking my ipoints account and they have a slow cooker for, I think, 5400 points. Will need to go back and check, cos I have a memory like a hen and have forgotten already

Just back, it's - Delonghi CKS510 5L capacity stainless steel slow cooker - 4200 points

Hi nykmedia.
thank you for your post, after this christmas i don't think my budget would have stretched to a slow cooker!!
Iv'e just ordered one with my ipoints, can't wait to get practising with it.
charley:j

scotrae

DH went out for our first GC spend of the year last night and valiantly/obediantly kept to my instructions to not buy anything other than the carton of milk. He's adapting well, although a bit bemused by my efforts to squeeze one tea bag out for two mugs of char. It helped that I managed to serve a lovely roast last night using up a long-forgotten squash and a wrinkled parsnip along with some veg from the bottom of the freezer. MIL had given us a small piece of beef which I'd pre-cooked and eked out to three big sandwiches, one portion of curry for the freezer and the dinner for 4. I've also made some flapjacks from the cupboard contents, which should distract the children from the empty biscuit/crisps drawers.

I'm going to have to spend some today though ... thought we'd venture off to Lidl and I'm going to try their dishwasher tablets out, having seen them recommended on MSE.

Bank 'balance' (not technically the right word, IYKWIM) reminder came in this morning ... a fortnight until anything else gets paid in unless I can make some money sooner. Trying to think of what I could sell off without OH noticing!

Have a good day one and all!
I'll have to treat him to some extra spuds though. Any tips for the best buy?

Sunnyday

Hi everyone
i`ve just spent the last couple of hours catching up and renewing my motivation Thanks you lot!

We found an Aldi yesterday and spent £5.68 we didnt need all of it but it was well spent.
Still have to find a Lidl though and i`m not sure if there is one close by or not.
I could have sworn i posted here last night but it must have been somewhere else , we had a a takeaway but it was paid for by DH`s pal as it was his turn:D
Well i`d best get something done and move my behind off the sofa as i could just stay here all day, loking forwards to walking the dogs as it`s snowed in the night so they will come back nice and clean instead of nasty and muddy.
Catch ya later
SD