April 2008 Grocery Challenge

Kaz2904

Congratulations to frankeroonie. How lovely that baby was born on Dad's birthday. I bet it's what he always dreamed of for his 30th .
Well I made a pot of coffee this morning to stick in the flask and the blimmin kids keep snaffling it. Toe rags. Funny how they only ever want filter coffee though? Never mind heh they probably get 1 cup per 3 months! ttfn, Kaz

MrDT

sleepybookworm7 wrote: »

Do you count 'meals out' in your budget? Not that it happens that often in this family at the moment!

Hi sleepybookworm, I think everyone works it a little differently. Personally I count groceries, breakfast or lunch bought at work, any snacks bought out and about, household bits like cleaning stuff, toiletries, alcohol bought from the shops etc in my gc. Nightsout and meals out aren't included, they're few and far between but would totally blow the budget if they were included!

Other include everything, others just include evberything from the supermarket, others count food only etc. I think it's up to you

Oh, and congrats frankerooney :T

jenid

Ok last week spent 17 pence in Tesco (including 6 1p light bulbs, bargain!)
And £8.77 in Sainsburys on some veg and food for a long journey as we were travelling and I wasn't organised enough to prepack some food!

So only £8.94 spent so far but off to Tescos in a moment for a big shop.

Can I ask, as this is my first month I have lots in the freezer and cupboards that I have been using, is this considered 'cheating'. I guess it will get harder every month to stay on budget as the cupboards run down.

Blairweech

Nipped into Asda last night to buy cream and mushrooms for tonights coq au vin. Also bought some pretzel sticks from the foreign section. £2.05 spent

OH bought me a bunch of red roses as well, but he paid for them

Will update sig.

Congrats frankeroony!

victory

frankeroney :j :j :j

thanks for the recipe angel:D

SmellyOldSock

congrats frankeroony! All the best!

I only bought milk and 2 packets of crisps for the kids so a spend of $2.48. Am really pleased with myself, so far so good!

so spend this week so far is $63.48

best wishes
Charlotte

scotsaver

:j Congrats frankerooney - takes me back, my 2 girls are just coming up for 12 and 10 but I don't know where that time has gone - scary or what.

Have updated my total and that should be me for a week now as we are off home to Bonnie Scotland for a visit so I think we can still come in under budget. OH says we should get a Takeaway for dinner before we set off, reminded him of the GC but he says it can be paid for from expenses he will receive as an extra for a trip he had to make today:T

:T Had some MOC's posted through the door today for FARMFOODS, £2.50 off a £25 spend and £5 off a £50 spend. There is a Farmfoods a few miles away but I was wondering whether anyone on here could tell me if they shop there, what is good to buy and do you think they are reasonable? My DD1 is planning on taking her Laptop to Scotland so shall still be able to keep up to date with this thread, otherwise there would be too much catching up to do when I return. Anyway, shall plan a trip to Farmfoods when we return from Scotland, sure I can squeeze something else into freezer??!!

Made the giant jaffa cake for pudding on Sunday and it was great, was so big we had the rest last night - think the recipe was on the Jamie Oliver £5 challenge thread - not been using this long enough to know how to paste/copy link but someone else may be able to post it as I think it's worth trying and so cheap to make.

Good luck to everyone and thanks again for all the recipes and inspiration.

Kaz2904

When I shop in farmfoods the things I tend to buy are haggis, icecreams, frozen veg, and sweets.
They sell an awful lot of ready meals there but those are the only things that I find cheaper.

If (when) anyone comes under budget what do you do with your extra money? I'm thinking an extra mortgage payment but is it best to keep it in a savings account for a more spendy month or is that destroying the point?
The other alternative is to try and last until the money's gone, then start the new grocery month when it's run out. Keep that the same and hopefully roll it over again until eventually I have a month where I get to payday (22nd) without having spent the money from the previous months paycheque (IYSWIM?).
Ideas?

I know I'm a long way off but I don't think I've been in this position before when I have this much food, money, meals available and money left when it's 14 days to payday.
Going by what other people spend is encouraging me that actually I should well be able to afford to last at least another 2 days past pay day and will maybe try and last up to my birthday when I expect I'll have a housefull of people celebrating that I'm 30!

Frugaldom

CONGRATULATIONS Frankeroony & family, hope you are all doing well.

I'm in middle of attempting an ice cream recipe but I already know I have made a big mistake! I had egg whites left over to use up and followed the instructions for Italian ice cream and then realised that it said egg YOKES! Hmm... I am carrying on regardless and have added in crushed mint and some grated chocolate just in case it freezes OK and comes out edible. :rotfl:

Bargain_Rzl

Kaz, what I save on groceries I use either to save up for something specific, or for short-term savings. I have money allocated from my income for "savings" but this is for long term purposes and is money I don't dip into at all. Short term savings is for a rainy day, or for something spontaneous (say I want to go on a trip costing £50, if it's in short term savings I don't have to think about where to "find" it from, I can just do it and not feel I'm nicking it from myself IYSWIM!

Your second paragraph has just reminded me though... I'm the same age as you, and I want to make myself a 30th birthday cake - a proper boozy one. I need to make it this month, and have forgotten to allow for the ingredients in my budget :doh: