January 2008 Grocery Challenge

Bobbykins

OH, forgot to say, I did a bit more of my "big" shop today at Mr T's on my way home from work....spent £45.95. Got a bit more to get from Sainsbury's, probably tomorrow.

I will then just have to top up on fresh meat, fruit and veg during the month.

Oh, and I'm SO excited (bounces up and down on seat) MIL has a bread maker that she doesn't use anymore and she has volunteered it! WOOHOO, can't wait to have a go. I occasionally make bread by hand just for the hell of it but not on a regular basis....watch this space!!:D

rosieben

Bobbykins wrote: »

Awwwwww Rosieben....you edited your post before I could comment!! I was going to have a laugh at the thought of a sausage casserole in a "party" top, (where you miss-typed PARTY for PASTRY)....but then you edited to correct it! boo hoo
I have visions of a sausage in a sparkly, strappy top! :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

oh Bobbykins, you've rumbled me I thought it was funny too but had to change it lest you all think I've been on the cider! :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

tranquil_2

Feeling quite proud of self. We've just been to the shops for milk (normally means I spend about £20) and I've spent ... 99p.

Well, it did help that DH took my purse to work with him (accidently) leaving my 5 year old to pay for the milk with her pennies (don't worry- I will reimburse her moneybox). She's very proud of herself. We did have long life milk in but she wanted fresh so insisted we went to the shops. Bonus is she's learning the value of money. She wanted strawberries as well but realised that she didn't have enough dosh.

We've come home to home-made bread, with jam and milky tea. We only have HM bread because not having any money today I thought I'd better bake!

meanmarie

Joyce's Daughter...

I am not the greatest at meal planning, too disorganised but try to take note of what is in freezer to make a dinner from a protein point of view...meat, fish whatever and then on my list would go something like '3 fish, 1 beef 1 pork'...meaning that I can take advantage of any offers to be had...mind you the reductions here in supermarkets don't seem to ever be as good as in UK, but there are still often reductions which make a difference.

Good luck with January

Marie

Sunnyday

belfastgirl23 wrote: »

Hi Gem and sorry this is so far after your post can't keep up these days...

It's worth thinking about making your own pizzas - see this info
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=354383
this has proved really MS for us (Pizza Express *4 times PM = £100, making HM pizzas = £10ish). And it isn't too hard either


Oh and Sunnyday, you can use this to find your nearest Lidl http://www.lidl.co.uk/uk/home.nsf/pages/c.service.s.sts.index

Thanks Belfast girl,
there is a lidl not too far away it seems so we shall hopefully have chance to visit over the next couple of days.
Had a small spend of £5.79 in Morrisons this afternoon and then came home and spent the afternon making 4 roast chicken dinners ( 2 will be reheated in the microwave tomorrow) some nice stew in the pressure cooker that has yet to have the cooked chicken added to it and in the slowcooker there is a ton of veg and different types of beans and pulses with chicken stock just waiting to be switched on overnight, i`ve even got the breadmaker filled up ready for the economy 7 switching over later on too.
I feel quite pleased with myself today:D
Reading about meal planning has made me want to have another look at mine now so off i go, oh and Jacks your cat sounds lovely and a bit like mine too, shame she/he`s poorly but needs must, if a special diet is whats needed i`d be doing the same.
SD

lil_me

I walked into one of them M&S food places today, I did pick up a basket, wandered a bit then put the basket back without spending anything very proud of myself. Amount of women buying 'ready meals' all I could think was 'make it yourself you lazy *****' how awful of me, but £4 or so for a meal, could make double it for that.....just shows how much my habits have changed as I used to buy that sort of thing. Oh and those caterpillar cakes which every supermarket does, why is it £3 more in M&S?!!!

We have birthdays here too, I am allowing treats out for them which is why my budget was a little higher this month. Cake at home however.

shaaark

rachelmk wrote: »

I had tons of new potatoes that were starting to sprout a bit so cooked them too and then sliced them up, layered them in a dish and put layers of some Christmas cheese that needed eating/chucking (Double Gloucester with onion and chives) between and on the top, stuck it in the oven and, b*gger me, a potato bake type thing emerged!

That sounds dead nice! I'm inspired!

dlb

Joyce's Daughter.
I meal plan for the month ahead trying to use up as much as possible from what i have in, but if i do see a bargin or good reductions i snap them up and freeze if possible or change meal plan to fit the items in, if the bargins can be froze then i do so and then use them in next months meal plan.
I used to only meal plan for the week ahead but as iv got used to doing it i now do the whole month, i still only shop weekly but because i know whats on the meal plan for the weeks ahead i know what sort of bargins reductions im looking for.

bails

Hi all, hope you've had a MS day! Accidentally ended up in Tesco today, but only bought things on offer that we need/use and saved £10.11 :T Mozarella for 24p and goats cheese for 28p My mum got a £7 chicken for £1.90 too. Off to catch up on the thread now.

Tired_Mummy

I know I'm a bit late, but can I join in please as we certainly need to curtail our spending after Christmas . I think we'll go for £275 for this month and then hopefully we can come in under, that's for 2 adults, 2 children and a dog plus all cleaning stuff (well all of my bicarb of soda anyway:rolleyes: ).