April 2008 Grocery Challenge

JennyBee_2

purplevamp wrote: »

Just bought a few bits today to make a lemon meringue pie. It's been made and is waiting to be eaten tomorrow when my Dad and step-mother visit. I just hope I don't sleep walk tonight :rotfl: .

Think we've blown the budget this month as we're getting a(nother) chinese takeaway. My diet is a far distant memory this month, and I did so well in March. 12 days to go and we've got at least one more big shop until May - then it's our 1st wedding anniversary :j (12/5)

Roll on May...

Purplevamp - Happy 1st Anniversary for the 12th May! It will be mine as well!!!

JennyBee_2

CRANKY40 wrote: »

Rather you than me! It's been nice knowing you :rotfl:

It's ok! I have survived!! OH has been traumatised by getting up at 6am on a Saturday just to go to Ikea but it was in fact rather civilised! Our nearest one is Bristol so just over an hour away! A few police men about but it was all ok! Nobody beating each other up for parking spaces! Managed to wedge some flat pack bunk beds (for the step kids) and a rather nice chest of drawers in the back of the car (along with a few other "necessities"!!). Considering we were going to buy all of it anyway (at some point) we managed to save £75 with the 21% off (DON'T do the maths - my dear husband paid for it!)

He has now had a coffee and gone for a lie down - bless!

Moniker

Well, I have got the beef roulades simmering away in my slow cooker on a low heat and very nice they smell too. I used just under half a pint of red wine and about a third of a pint of veg stock. We'll see if I have got it right this evening! The roulades were quite chunky so I am only allowing us one each and will freeze the other two for later. I only put on a pound on holiday and DH put on two (well we were only away for 5 days!) so hopefully it won't take too long to shift it! He's cycled over to his mum's this morning in an effort to keep fit - unheard of for him to do more than walk to the shop for the paper in the morning so I hope he doesn't overdo it!

However, I may have undone all his hard work as reading all the posts last night I got a sudden yen for chocolate muffins and knocked up a batch before supper. We had 'healthy' poached salmon and new potatoes, broccoli and carrots and peas - followed by a muffin (still warm) with ice cream for pudding! Nom, nom, nom!

faye1978 - don't despair - there is nominally only me and DH here to feed and I still find it hard to manage on a budget of £250-300. If you can manage under £200 you are doing very well. The trouble is if you don't have cheap shops like Aldi or Lidl nearby and if like me you have family members who also drop in for food from time to time it is hard to keep under that limit. The important thing is that you are trying. I know that I am saving a lot more than I was before I started this challenge and I intend to keep trying!

Anyway, have just made a batch of marmelade and the pinger has gone off to tell me to put it in the jars, so I had better get on with it. Catch up with you all later.

Moniker

weezl74

JennyBee wrote: »

It's ok! I have survived!! OH has been traumatised by getting up at 6am on a Saturday just to go to Ikea but it was in fact rather civilised! Our nearest one is Bristol so just over an hour away! A few police men about but it was all ok! Nobody beating each other up for parking spaces! Managed to wedge some flat pack bunk beds (for the step kids) and a rather nice chest of drawers in the back of the car (along with a few other "necessities"!!). Considering we were going to buy all of it anyway (at some point) we managed to save £75 with the 21% off (DON'T do the maths - my dear husband paid for it!)

He has now had a coffee and gone for a lie down - bless!

Hiya Jennibee,

we braved our local ikea at 6 a.m, and despite having had 2 cooked breakfasts and half of mine, my DH has been in a foul grump ever since. I wonder if it was worth the discount!:mad:

Impressed you braved the Bristol store, I think that one's a nightmare!:eek:

Back on topic, my sig reflects the scary state of affairs I'm in. approx £3.40 a week til end of June! But I have used the rest to have a well stocked fridge, freezer and cupboard, so I reckon I can still make it. The killer thing is trying to do it super-healthily for my 'other' challenge!:o

Wish me luck, and well done everyone...:T

Weezl x

llamahead

Well I have spent €280.39 so far this month on food/booze . In my defence, my parents were here for a week, my daughter was home from boarding school and I had friends round for drinks and snacks this month. Not sure what the exchange rate is but I am feeling fairly good about the total so far.

Downside was beloved Dyson passed away this month (moment of silence please....) So had to replace it - new one was €186.55 (with the tax off) but am expecting to be able to move a healthy chunk of money into German savings at the end of this month.

Keep going all - nearly there!

Mrs LH

moo2moo

I/m just over 1/2 way through the month and well over 1/2 way through the money. Outrageous expenditures of the week 80p on 2 tubes of Smarties as a treat for the DDs and £5.50 at the chippie in an attempt to feed the DDs and get them into bed v. quickly when a meeting over ran and we didn't get home till 8:15pm. littlest usually goes to bed at 6:30!

I did blow a whopping £53.56 at Tesco, mainly because their Butchers Choice sausages were 1/2 price at 73p (10 packs in the freezer), Cathedral City Extra Mature Cheese was 2 for £4 instead of £3.99 each dated until July 2008 (6 in fridge).... and £2 on a 400g Tobleronne and 65p on flapjacks... yummy!

Sunnyday

Afternoon everyone,

well i`ve bust this month - way over the limit lol, i have a good excuse though cos it`s my birthday.

Took my dad to MrM and they have offers on so i`ve stocked up.
Typhoo teabags are 160 for £2.59 and BOGOF so i have a carrier bag full of those, White bread flour is still 48p so i also have a carrier bag of that and herbal essences shampoo and conditioner are £1.42 for the big 400ml size and as its so incredibly thick i water it down and put it into pump action containers so it lasts ages so i have loads of it now.

If it take off the £15 i borrowed from the shopping money and add it up i`m over budget by around £40 :eek: but i have things stockpiled to save me over the coming weeks/months etc

DH is at work so i`m trying to stave off the urge to visit MrA for the doves wholemeal flour which is still 55p, the white has gone up though.

I bought quite a few things i didn`t need today so i need to try and force them into the freezer for next month so i`ll do that later.
I`m not cooking today unless i get the urge later so it will be takeaway for tea which is to come out of a seperate pot this time, it will come out of the GC budget in future though as we try to cut down.
Catch up later.
SD

teedy23

Hi all, reading back it looks like quite a few of us have gone over budget. I think this must reflect the rising prices, or is it just the time of year and we all feel a bit giddy with the coming of spring? My finances are in in a bit of a state right now, things I really should take care of are not being tended to, and I,m taken up with growing spuds ect. Had to buy card and present for a birthday party, but wont count that in my now in the red GC. I did manage to use £5.00 in mocs though as I bought from Asda.lol. Have to buy bread today and will got to tesco for this , have MOC,s going out of date and cant stand to let them go, I think this is wher I,m going wrong, I always spend more than I should just to use coupons. I want one of those butchers hook type things to hang my pots on as space is at a premium in my small galley kitchen, so will see if Mr T can supply that.

irishwexford

Received vouchers from Tesco yesterday giving £5 off a £20 spend for four weeks so instead of bulk buys I will spread shopping over the four weeks. I may be over budget this month as i went through a spell of no interest, too busy on the new allotment but have taken a grip now and did a freezer and storecupboard check. Have enough meat and tins to last another week so not too bad. I used to spend £200 or over for the two of us but now managing of £150 for month. I would like to get this down but decided its not possible as I do like butchers meat, free range eggs and chickens and veggies and fruit from market. We can afford this amount but if prices do go up much more will have to look for cheaper food. Since I started making soup this has been a godsend, instead of bacon rolls we now have this for lunch at weekends. Batch cooking also helps as I always have a good meal in freezer.
Still spending too much on personal spending but have one or two vices I will have to give up first.

mrsmortenharket

Hope noone minds me butting in now.

I get paid on the 18th so have always found it hard to join in these challenges.

So I am just going to take the plunge anyway & start off here & move over to the may one in a bit!

Am starting with £300, for 2 adults, 2 children & a cat. Have already stocked up on catfood though so am good for that.

£88.34 on Tesco delivery last night. Am going to Sainsburys soon for fresh stuff (I don't like fruit & veg delivered) & their wholemeal museli.

I have a fully stocked pantry & freezer.

Lisa