October 2009 Grocery Challenge

aless02 · 5 October 2009 at 2:57PM

hiya! Did the monthly shop on the weekend (trialling doing a large monthly shop with only top-ups once a week for produce/milk) and did better than expected (esp since had to buy laundry soap)! Well for some reason Mr A doesn't seem to sell sausagemeat at all, so wound up buying a couple packs of sausage to de-case for my random recipes...much less MSE, grrr. Never seem to be any good whoopsies when we go either

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barneydee_2 · 5 October 2009 at 3:13PM

hi all

last month I came in under budget I was up for £275.00 I spent £223.78:T
so this month I am going for £250.00 I think it should be do able mind I have a week of work this month where I am going to make my Christmas pud and cake, I have some of the ingredants but not all.Plus I am trying to buy a few treats for Christmas over the next couple of months. I made a excel spreed sheet last month for the first time, what an eye opener it was to see where we waste money so this month I will try and improve.
I will try and post more often this month.

Dee

Fire_Fox · 5 October 2009 at 3:25PM

Been to Tesco to spend a load of vouchers but realised a £6 one expired yesterday. :mad: Ended up with £64 of groceries for £41 after coupons, of which £27 was food (including two reduced organic chickens!). Also spent £2.50 on ten pouches of good quality cat meat at Home Bargains, taking my Grocery Challenge total to £73/ £100 just ten days into my month!! :eek:

Frugaldom · 5 October 2009 at 4:01PM

Hi guys, just updating signature to reflect a £3.50 spend. DD picked me up some flour and veggies whilst she was in town. So far, so good - managing on hm bread and eating from store cupboard & freezer. Hope I can keep things organised for a full month, 5 days down, 26 to go.

pinkpower · 5 October 2009 at 4:16PM

After planning my meals and writing my lists/comparing prices on mysupermarket, I headed off to Aldi Lidl and MrT (for the missing items) on Saturday. I spent around £200, but barring milk and fruit that should see me through to the end of the month. Have told the family not to see the stockpiles as a challenge - its meant to last!The freezer has never been so full - I hope we don't have a power cut!!
I have my £5 'sun' voucher for Waitrose, so I will be going there for the milk etc.
Do peopole find they have a tendancy towards getting obsessive about this, or it it just me?!

Catzpaws · 5 October 2009 at 4:34PM

Having now done my bulk buying in Chinese/Indian supermarkets (some FAB prices!) for spices/curries/lentils, etc., my strategy for the rest of the month is to go Aldi twice a week and stick to the shopping list. V important!!

Splitting the rest of the budget into the remainder of the month, I have about £35 per week to play with. Should be manageable with planning and being sensible.

Just need to be sensible with the booze and treats!

valk_scot · 5 October 2009 at 4:53PM

Right....did my big weekly shop at Mr T's on Friday for stuff like cat food and litter, milk, the nasty milk bread that the kids prefer toasted to eating crisps and all the other odds and sods like washing up liquid. Found a good buy in the Reduced dry food shelf....4-packs of Tesco tuna chunks for £1.39, reduced from £2.78 because the outer sleeve was torn. We eat a lot of tuna so bought 2 x 4packs. £43.78 in total.

Saturday: Went to local farm shop for 12 free range local eggs, £1 per 1/2 dozen, plus got DH two boxes of dates at 2-for-£1. £3.00 in total.
Also went to local B&M and bought two jars of Pataks curry paste @50p each, plus (wait for this) a Vesta Beef Curry. This last is for a joke C-mas pressie for my DH. My late MIL used to recount tales of the then teenage DH eating one of these every single night as a suppertime snack, lol. £2.40 in total.

Sunday. Was at Apple Day and got given a box of mixed apples in return for demonstrating, but also fell for a jar of HM apple and ginger jelly. £1.00

So total spent so far £50.18.
Balance £400.00-£50.18=£349.92.

Mrs_Tradition · 5 October 2009 at 4:56PM

Hi All
Just a quicky as leaving for home.
Spent so far £76.04 leaving me £53.96 for the next 2 weeks. 311.04 over on the weekly shop but I bought all my meat in the frist week so that's why.
On target though for my new £130 challenge
Night all
x

Frugaldom · 5 October 2009 at 4:59PM

pinkpower wrote: »

...Do people find they have a tendancy towards getting obsessive about this, or it it just me?!

It's an obsession, everyone I know who budgets and does the frugal lifestyle bit is completely and utterly obsessed by it to the point that our 'rich' credit card indebted friends and family think we are lunatics.

Welcome to the club!

nannyboo1 · 5 October 2009 at 5:22PM

Blairweech wrote: »

Hi all,

NSD yesterday as I am off sick with a bad cough.

I am struggling with the ethical vs cheap food debate - I really want to go organic, fairtrade etc but don't think I can afford it...maybe it is that I lack faith in my cooking skills, and am afraid of mucking it up and ending up having to chuck it out. And I am always tempted by cheap meat and offers.

Any ideas/tips to help lower the cost of organics? (or point me in the direction of a suitable thread)

Outdoor Lass - Where do you buy your meat from? It seems good value, I have been looking at the meat/veg box schemes and at ~£60, I would have to do some seriously creative cooking/eating and keep other spends to an absolute bare minimum.

One thing I can say is when I used to have a veg box delivered I used everything because if the money it cost. When I buy fruit and veg normally it tends to go off and into the compost bin because I don't spend much on it. When I was spending money I made sure that I used it or cooked it and froze it so I wasn't wasting my money - if that makes sense.

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October 2009 Grocery Challenge

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