January 2008 Grocery Challenge

Sassamac

Upsey_daisy wrote: »

DS loves fruitshoot when he goes to nursery so I have got 4 for the price of 1

Tesco's do their own brand of fruit shoots in a multipack which I think are about the price you quoted. is this what you bought or do you mean they were reduced price branded fruitshoots? DS loves them we keep them in the car for emergencies when we're out as they keep unlike a homemade drink. he cant tell the difference between the branded ones and Tesco ones. Also they are so sweet you can dilute easily to make them go further.

Jacks_xxx

:wave: Hiya lovelies.

Here's my basic shopping list for the month and what it costs. It's based on things I buy week in week out without fail, and is all meals for a family of 2 adults, two teenagers and a grumpy poorly old cat. (plus of course we have "extra mouths" quite often and I take meals round to my grandmothers as well.)

It's all from Tesco cos I can get it delivered with a money off voucher - but I may end up going to Lidl for some of it (if I can have the car ever.) But I've promised to take my granny who's 93 so I don't know how much actual shopping we'll get done - it's more of an outing really.

It's meant to be a no frills, back to basics, budget busting, shopping list but it adds up to quite a lot!


6kg of pasta 5.10
10kg rice 6.45
10kg potatoes 7.96
4kg porridge oats 2.36
3kg branflakes 3.40
8 packs mince 11.20
4 chickens 15.56
16 tins tomatoes 3.36
8 brown loaves 4.72
8 2ltr skim milk 10.72
8 2ltr whole milk 10.72
1kg med cheddar 6.00
tuna for the cat 20.25
frozen coley for cat 5.28
fruit veg salad stuff 80.68
bakedbeans / spaghetti etc £5.
loo roll 4.48
frozen fish fingers etc 5.00
sausages 11.96
eggs £5


Which comes to a grand total of £215.72 :eek: and that's not including hubbys non-negotiable Tesco Value custard creams!

There's quite a lot that I'll need to add in there as I go along probably - but every expense not already listed I'll be confessing to on here.

I'm basically thinking porridge / branflakes / toast for breakfast, (Sausages, eggs, beans, fried potatoes etc on the weekends)

Sandwiches and fruit for lunch for all of us whether at home or work.

A roast chicken once a week, chilli one night, spag bol one night, shepherds pie one night, something with cheese potatoes and leeks another night, something on toast one night, fish fingers another night etc.

Life isn't usually quite that neat in our house but we'll try our best - there's a bit of built in leeway for the nights my son has his tea and then is hungry again about two hours later etc.

I'm cooking for a couple of group occasions this month(birthdays) as well.

I'm posting all this on here to keep me on the straight and narrow!

Love Jacks xxx

Herbaholic

HAPPY NEW YEAR everyone!

I'm back, tail between my legs and nursing big bruises from the big fall from the money saving wagon! I have a budget of £280 which started on the 28th december and has to last until 27th Jan. Luckily we have loads in the freezer and cupboards so I think I'll make it. I haven't meal planned or anything for about 4 months now and our bank balance is really feeling it. New Year and fresh start, will sort a meal plan out and get my butt in gear this week.

Lil-Me if it's too late for totals for this month then you can add me next month

Herby

Sassamac

nykmedia wrote: »

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:

permission granted.
my DH always looks in the fridge / freezer / cupboards and then says 'we have no food - only ingredients'. he doesnt cook so doesnt see how the food could make a meal.

LouiseJ

My teenage boys are just the same.

Last night one of them said "There is nothing to eat in this house", what he really meant was there are no magical, ready made plates of exactly what he fancied at that moment in time.

He emerged from the kitchen grumbling while clutching a bowl of tortilla chips with home made salsa and a piece of stollen cake.

It is really snowing at a fair pace here and I need some bread for OH packed lunch tomorrow which would be my first grocery spend in 2008. I wonder if my kind and generous neighbours could spare a few slices for a woman in need of help. (I know I'm pathetic but it would save me going out in the snow and petrol to the shop which is 2 miles away).

LouiseJ

I wonder if I could persuade my 13 and 15 year olds sons to leave their Xbox 360 and join mummy in the kitchen for some cooking lessons.

Yeah and I know the response I'd get!

Sassamac

Hi Jacks, I may be able to shave a few pennies of there.

Jacks_xxx wrote: »

6kg of pasta 5.10 you can get value penne pasta for about 18p for 500g. its a bit tougher but you could mix half and half.
10kg rice 6.45
10kg potatoes 7.96 spuds are quite expensive but value 5kg pack is less than £2
4kg porridge oats 2.36 value 1kg pack is about 40p
3kg branflakes 3.40
8 packs mince 11.20 a bag of frozen works out cheaper than fresh
4 chickens 15.56 I buy the biggest I can find as it means more for leftovers
16 tins tomatoes 3.36
8 brown loaves 4.72
8 2ltr skim milk 10.72 I have just started to buy full fat and dilute it
8 2ltr whole milk 10.72
1kg med cheddar 6.00
tuna for the cat 20.25
frozen coley for cat 5.28
fruit veg salad stuff 80.68 offers change regularly so we just stock up on what is on offer
bakedbeans / spaghetti etc £5.
loo roll 4.48
frozen fish fingers etc 5.00
sausages 11.96
eggs £5


Which comes to a grand total of £215.72 :eek: and that's not including hubbys non-negotiable Tesco Value custard creams!

There's quite a lot that I'll need to add in there as I go along probably - but every expense not already listed I'll be confessing to on here.

I'm basically thinking porridge / branflakes / toast for breakfast, (Sausages, eggs, beans, fried potatoes etc on the weekends)

Sandwiches and fruit for lunch for all of us whether at home or work.

A roast chicken once a week, chilli one night, spag bol one night, shepherds pie one night, something with cheese potatoes and leeks another night, something on toast one night, fish fingers another night etc.

Life isn't usually quite that neat in our house but we'll try our best - there's a bit of built in leeway for the nights my son has his tea and then is hungry again about two hours later etc.

I'm cooking for a couple of group occasions this month(birthdays) as well.

I'm posting all this on here to keep me on the straight and narrow!

Love Jacks xxx

Janeryan

Have just updated my signature to show how much in total I have spent since 21 December(early pay day for Christmas-it's normally the 28th)but here is a weekly breakdown as I am in the challenge for £40.00 a week

21/12 - £40 - spent £16.79
28/12 - £40 - spent £14.63
4/1 - £40
11/1-£40.

After that will have run out of money!! I will carry forward the underspend from weeks 1 & 2 to fund the rest of the month.

18/1 £48.58(£23.21 underspend from week 1 & £25.37 underspend from week 2)

BTW any veggies out there-Sainsburys have Linda Mccartney Country Pies on half price at 99p and other stuff from the range on half price too!

Sassamac

well I am having a NSD today shopping wise but will be stocking up tomorrow.
I have a method now of writing things down when they run out, as if there is no evidence of it in the cupboard (i.e. the empty packaging has been binned) I forget that it needs replacing and end up having to make a further trip.

Better than that we're having a hot lunch with leftover from dinner 2 nights ago and a hot dinner with leftovers from last night. so 2 free meals effectively.

orchid-96

I am going to do my weekly shop tomorrow, have done a meal plan and plan to go to Aldi tomorrow for a change, I am though going to Tesco later as I need to pick something up that I ordered from Tesco direct so I might think about getting a few bits from there if I think I will struggle in Aldi (just hope I don't blow the budget)

Anyway wanted to ask you guys, I am wondering if you have any tips for healthy snacks for the kids, my 2 21month twins have got a bit fussy and now won't eat cheese, bananas, apples which they seemed to love before!
obviously don't want to spend a fortune, I already give them toast, which they don't mind..

I am considering at the moment whether to get a slow cooker, would you recommend one? with 3 young children and a rough tea time rush, I was thinking it might help keep me organised, but can you do loads of different stuff in it?

Only spent 1.99 so far, went into Morrisons to pick up some bits for someone else and ds wanted some for lunch but not too bad as on bogof so got another pack in th freezer...

It keeps threatening snow here but not really happening yet how about you all?