March 2008 Grocery Challenge

funkyfunkymonkey

For anyone searching for cheap condensed milk to make Millionaire's Shortbread, Netto are selling it at 99p at the mo. Netto also have boxes of 32 packets of Golden Wonder assorted crisps for £1.79 - great if you put a pack in with packed lunches. Sell by date in my Netto was June 2008, so don't buy too many that they run out of date before you can eat them.

Have had another great baking day, Ultimate Choc Chip Cookies, Peanut Butter Cookies, loaf of bread and Millionaire's Shortbread.

The trouble with baking days is that I have to taste the end product, I couldn't believe the amount of chocolate that went into the choc chip cookies so had to try one - they taste good, but I feel yuk now as I also licked the spoon after doing the toffee layer on the shortbread

I just can't drum up enthusiasm to go and cook tea now.

FFM

SAVVYMUMMY_2

Hi there everyone
I have been reading this thread for the last 2 weeks or so and would like to have a go at the April challenge. First time I have posted anywhere, so please be gentle with me. Just a quick question, when you all started out on the challenge did you start of with a full larder/fridge/freezer of goodies, or did you start from scratch.
I think I will start with £300 and see how I go(should hopefully feed 2 adults and 2 little fellas who would eat for england.

JayneC

hi everyone,

been out to the local grocers for milk, eggs,fruit and veg. spent £8.85 there and also went to butchers and bought bacon and sausage £4.20.

did a bit of baking - choc brownies and fairy cakes and trying some rolls from bread maker, it's not finished yet so can't report on that yet.

Having a bit of a lazy day as I'm on my own with baby grandson so just enjoying that. his mum an dad are at a wedding and other kids are at their dad's. it's not very often the house is quiet!!!

I'll be starting April on Tuesday. i think it's 25th??

Please put me down for £240 again and I'll try harder.

that's for 5 of us - me, 3x teens and 9 year old, plus 1 cat

candygirl

Hi everyone:j :j
Had another NSD today, even though I had a chippy tea, that's not included in my GC;)
Hope everyone's staying on target, I have a week to go till end of my challenge and have about £20 left so should do it.I am away for a week next month so will aim for £100 then, something that would have been completely impossible a while ago:T :T

JayJay14

Hi again everyone,

I have raided Lidl, Aldi and Asda today so I should be set up for the rest of the month. £10.66 at Lidl - mainly on dog food and laundry stuff. £4.58 at Aldi on fruit and veg on offer. Asda was £13 16 on general groceries and free range eggs. I usually get my eggs from a farm shop but this morning when I went they had 'Free Range' marked on the shelf, 'eggs from caged hens' on the boxes and code 2 on the eggs themselves which as I understand it is neither of those. Needless to say I voted with my feet. I used to get all that sort of stuff from the farmers market but it is soooo far away that fuel costs outweigh the benefits.

Will now go and cook dinner - baked bread this afternoon but had to leave DS to get them out of the oven as had to go out - still they seem to be ok:j Bought a pint of double cream at asda so also off to make something wicked:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

MRSMCAWBER

Evening everyone

The weather here has been crazy today.... snow, glorious sunshine, snow -more snow....the grass n fields are covered but the pathways are still clear... I love snow..and grumbled about the lack of it over xmas... but why does it wait until now when im being over run with veggie seedlings :eek: ...

Had a lazy day today -again flicking through cookery books n mags... making plans n things for what recipes i can make once all the veggies start appearing in the garden.... found some lovely simple n light ideas....

I won't be spending anymore until my April budget starts.... got plenty in -even though hubby is off work now until the 7th April :eek: ... bar 1 day on duty on thursday..
So im going to declare my spends for this month as €31.25.... we haven't been living on scraps...honest
Im only allowing €10 per week for next month-only need fruit, veg n yogs ... but im going to keep €100 out of the bank in total... just in case there are any bargains to be had for the coming months...find it saves me a fortune this way

Have made a new loaf today ,whilst the oven was on i made us layered potatoes n onions in lamb stock for lunch -with corned beef through the middle for hubby... i love just tatties n onions... oh and i roasted a small bonless shoulder of lamb for tomorrow too.... have eyed it up and there should be enough for lunch tommorow and leftovers to make a lamb n veg pie for the freezer and some for either a greek stew with pasta i have seen not bad as it was only €5 and i wanted it out of the freezer to make room for the milk

OH... i have stared writting down the APRIL budgets folks are mentioning.. no hurry, but those who have mentioned it..i have got you

SAVVYMUMMY.....hello and welcome on board .... everyone is different.. but i did start with quite a decent stock of food... so now i am pretty much spending one months money to buy bargains for the following month if that makes sense :rotfl: so last month i was taking advantage of Whoopsed items that i am using this month and next month...
Im sure you will soon find loads of ways to make your money go further..everyone on here is sooooooo helpfull n friendly :T

searching_me

:hello: everybody ITS SNOWING
its just offically turned spring and it snows lol... good old britain :rotfl: .. spent £4.06 in co op today i forgot milk and sweetcorn for roast dinner tomorrow.. now i dont need to leave the house til wednesday GREAT!!! :rotfl: should be 4 nsds fingers crossed xxx

lil_me

MRSMC -- good to hear the weather isn't just the UK :rotfl: just thinking the onions and tatties, do you just put them sliced then on top of each other then cover with stock? and how long does it take to cook? Sounds nice with the corned beef in the middle too. I'm a bit boring and tend to just do mash most of the time so looking for 'inspiration'.

Oh and April budget while I am on if you have started it (in my house will start from 31st March) will be £300

£240 was really harsh for 5 weeks for all of us and the animals, we still have a week to go but I think we'll manage it (If I spend over £110 in the next 8 days you're all allowed to kick me) but has helped in using up some of the stocks, especially as I need to empty my big freezer completely next week. April budget a bit higher as the stocks will be at an all time low by then and will need to restock the freezer and things like rice etc I will have ran out of :eek: we're onto our last pack of loo rolls :rotfl:

Fi27

Hi

Have done my first shop of this month. My month started on the 19th so i already have a lovely new budget to play with :T

Did very well with Mr T online shop, had code for free delivery and got nearly £10 off in bogof/multisavers! Stocked up for the month on teabags, coffee, squash, tinned tomatoes, washing powder & cleaning products. For once all the things i needed were on special offer :rotfl: Mr T bill after discounts etc was £59.32. I also spent £17.40 in Mr M's, thanks to the person who posted that loo roll was £1 a pack :A i got 4 packs! Had DS with me so did end up buying a few things i didnt need like mini doughnuts, crisps and pop-corn (it is the holidays :rolleyes:) DS is nearly 15 so i had explained to him that i was cutting back a little and following the GC. After he tried lopping several more items into the trolly and i promptly lopped them back out he seemed to get the hang of it, reprimanding me rather loudly in a v busy supermarket that i couldnt have the chocolate trifle i was eyeing up as we are trying to stick to the budget!

I offered to put the trifle back if he put his crisps & doughnuts back - i got my trifle

Anyway, total spend £76.72. I'm determined not to go back to supermarket through the week as that is what i find bumps my weekly spend up.

DS did me a spread sheet on the computer so i can easily track my spends over the month, bless him :A

Savymummy Welcome :hello: this is my first month doing the GC too. I budgeted £300 for 2 adults, 1 teenager. I dont have a freezer so no stocks there and i dont have alot of cupboard space so not a huge amount of supplies there either. I have bought a few bulk items this month and now have a wee stock pile of tins n things in my wardrobe! This thread is brill for motivation and the recipe ideas are really cheap and easy which helps. I am hoping that by being more aware of what i am spending, thinking about meal plans in advance and trying to use up what i have got before buying anything else will help me to cut back. Everyone keeps saying to cut back a little at a time and i would definately agree. Good luck and i look forward to reading how you are getting on :cheesy:

Fi

DonnaP

Hi

FFM - could you (or anyone else) point me in the direction of the recipes for Ultimate Choc Chip cookies and Peanut Butter cookies?

Thanks

Donna