June 2012 Grocery Challenge

Suffolk_lass · 12 June 2012 at 9:51PM

KatyReed+5 and all our other Newbies - Quick top tips to make this work for you:

1. I urge you to start at page 1 and read Zippychick's standing posts that are at the start of every month. As you will see; it is whatever works for you, we encourage, advise and even gently chide but we don't criticise or b!!!! (except about supermarkets) on here

2. This is followed by several pages of recipes previously posted on GC and collated by Rosieben (she hasn't been on here for over a month but we can ask one of the other guides to edit her posts if she is missing).

3. Then HelenJelly posts our targets; be they weekly, monthly or annual - she only picks them up if you post big and red (advanced posts give you the options).

4. As you will see, some of us give a summary of progress in our signatures (size of household, maybe other challenges on MSE, target and spend to date, but some have philosophical or poetic, sometimes thought-provoking statements; entirely up to you) personally I love the celebrations when someone clears their debts (Barbeduk in May for example :T).

5. Finally, as you read, if you Thank the posts you have a fighting chance of finding where you got up to and resuming where you left off (I have just worked through over 160 :eek: since Sunday so) it is worth sitting down frequently to catch up but if you can't keep up, read the page before last and the last and post away.

Finally, finally, good luck and enjoy - loads of experience and useful advice for free; not much of that left in this day and age!

All the best
SL

little_miss_moneysaver_3 · 12 June 2012 at 9:53PM

Evening all!

Just a loaf of bread today to add to my total. Been very good in the sm and normally sticking to my little list of milk, fruit etc. my mum has paid for the last couple of top ups as she's been staying with us so the total is not a true total, most of the things we would have bought anyway. Got £20, well £19.03 to last until the 22nd - payday

but we're well stocked up! Will update siggy in a mo

Katy welcome, one tip I would say is to think about portion size. I used to cook way too much although we didn't waste much, took it for lunches at work etc. I mean sometimes using two chicken breasts for two people when one would be enough etc (although these are normally got on ys). also I've been able to reduce costs a bit, but also not eating seconds so food wasn't wasted.
For my groc challenge I include food, drinks, household/cleaning stuff and toiletries. I don't include baby stuff like nappies yet anyway, have been stockpiling) or cat food. Some people include eating out and takeaways, I don't do this either.

Had curry today for tea with chicken from the roast on Sunday. Still another quarter and drumstick left so may freeze it for now. Then hm fruit crumble for pudding, yummy yummy. Baby always seems to kick loads when I'm eating a nice pudding

OH is out tomorrow night so I have lo bolognaise in the fridge so will have that and maybe jacket potato and salad for tea. Thursday I'm away at a funeral and OH is out at his mum's (normally Thursday we go there). Friday will be fish from the freezer with potatoes and veg.
Am liking meal planning again, easier now I'm at home though as I have time to prepare things and can do it over the whole day if I'm tired/in too much pain.

I'm rambling too much now. Thank you for everyone's tips and ideas. I may not post daily, but I try and read each day to keep me on track

mummy2mygirls · 12 June 2012 at 10:23PM

Hello Katy+5 Welcome. I will be keeping a eye open on all the advice and how you get on as ive got 5 kiddies aswell and the 3 little ones are the same age as yours, Ive got plus my older 2 are 5yr and 8 yr olds. So will love to see how you get one etc. Love all the advice people have already given. I have found going to the shops little and more often I seem to be doing better with the amount im spending - but find it harder as always got little ones with me. I cant get to the shops when its the time they normally make things cheaper as its bed time and madness

I include all food toiletries, baby milk, nappies and wipes (I do try and use washables but ive been so bad with them recently!! must get back into useing them soon!!) cleaning products and dog food. I dont include OH baccy as take that from a different budget. You can include whatever you want in yours and what ever works for you... Good luck.

I has a NSD today

which im happy with but will have to go to the shops again tomorrow as we are running low on toilet roll - im sure my kids use half a roll a time lol. Im only around £150 into my budget this mth so feeling like its going ok (so far) and will keep it to a small spend tomorrow.....

Made some flapjacks when the cooker was on for dinner tonight. Will be good to add to the lunch boxes tomorrow. Im trying to cook more and to also do it when the oven is already on instead off earlier in the day

MrsCD · 13 June 2012 at 12:03AM

mummy2mygirls wrote: »

I has a NSD today which im happy with but will have to go to the shops again tomorrow as we are running low on toilet roll - im sure my kids use half a roll a time lol.

Have you tried squashing the toilet roll a bit into an oval shape rather than round? It makes it harder to just pull like those pesky puppies do on the TV!!! :rotfl:

MunniMuncha · 13 June 2012 at 7:43AM

Hello again katy - the other site I would look at is Approved Foods - excellent for getting foodstuff really cheap - some of it is ood, but you can just buy stuff that is in date. Although, having said that it is the BB date, so it is still quite safe to eat!!

cleggie · 13 June 2012 at 8:04AM

Good morning!

Welcome to Katy and all the other newbies

You are most definitely in the right places. The ladies and gents on here have helped me so much, i am really glad i joined the GC.

So, today i am doing my 1st online shop with Mr T. They responded to the message i posted on their FB page about a code for £10 your 1st £50 shop, and i also have a £15 off a £75 shop.

I think i can use them together. So i think i may do a £75 which meand i'll end up paying £50 for it! Hopefully it'll work!!
Also, the new offer leaflet comes out today, with loads of coupons to use, so i will have a look at that 1st, to see if i can enter any codes from there.

Hope you all have a great day!

mummyyof5 · 13 June 2012 at 8:16AM

Today WILL be a NSD..DD has used my megarider for work...she finishes at 11 today so home in time for her brother to use it for college...very MSE.

HM pizza for tea I think ...

Mrs_Addicted_to_Spending · 13 June 2012 at 9:12AM

purplesheila wrote: »

Chilli con carnie for tea tonight. I have all the ingredients in so plan to have a NSD in the Purplesheila Household

DS still off school and he wants a bike ride today, I think we will go the alternative way past the ice cream shop so he doesn’t ask “Can I have an Ice Cream?” – We have ice cream at home so he is not missing out. Sometimes you feel mean saying no – especially to a £1.05 ice cream. But I have tried to keep this ½ term spend really low as I have given up work for the time been.

I did really well with spending this 1/2 term. We went to the Cinema one rainy morning to a Kids Club costing £5.00 we smuggled in our own goodies. And I purchases Ice cream from L!dl after a trip to the local park. We went to a Sailing Club for an evening out (free trial night) and it was our local fate day this last Saturday where a Fair comes to town. My Mum and Dad always give the kids a £5 each and my DS did extra jobs round the house for an extra £5. DD didn’t get any extra as she was a lazy mare and needs to learn.

Anyhow the weather was very poor and the fair was only charging £2 aride. Usually £3.50 – so even the fair folk are seeing a pinch in people’spockets

Both my children have Cub/Scout camp this Friday so that has cost me an extra £20. I don’t mind paying for Cubs/Scouts because they both get so much out of it. Last week DD came home after making fires and camp food – excellent life skills.

That all for now

:j

I stopped taking my purse with me when I had to pick up my children from school and walk past an ice cream van. Then I'd say "Oh sorry I haven't got any money with me" when they asked :rotfl:.

chelseabun wrote: »

£9.18 spent in Mr T today - not too bad, but could be better! I couldn't resist the cherries, but they were nearly £4 for a bag!!

I've updated my sig.

Welcome KatyReed - this is a lovely thread, you'll get loads of support and help with your budgeting here!

Have a good evening all! CBx

When I went to A!di on Sun they had cherries on offer for 69p a bag - not sure what quantity though.

cleggie wrote: »

Good morning!

Welcome to Katy and all the other newbies You are most definitely in the right places. The ladies and gents on here have helped me so much, i am really glad i joined the GC.

So, today i am doing my 1st online shop with Mr T. They responded to the message i posted on their FB page about a code for £10 your 1st £50 shop, and i also have a £15 off a £75 shop.

I think i can use them together. So i think i may do a £75 which meand i'll end up paying £50 for it! Hopefully it'll work!!
Also, the new offer leaflet comes out today, with loads of coupons to use, so i will have a look at that 1st, to see if i can enter any codes from there.

Hope you all have a great day!

I'll be interested to know how you get on with the 2 offers and if they let them both through! If yes, I might try that one myself

.

Spent another £12 on fresh stuff, milk, bananas, yoghurt etc yesterday so now I'm at budget with another week and half to go :eek:. However, I only need fresh stuff for this time period so shouldn't be too badly over budget, I hope

.

Kitchenbunny · 13 June 2012 at 9:13AM

Good morning everyone! I am determined to have another NSD today

We don't need anything, put it that way, so I figure if I don't go near a shop, I won't be tempted. At this rate I might get more NSDs than days where my wallet is opened!

Welcome Katy - good to see you

All the best with the challenge. We're a friendly bunch here.

Tea tonight is going to be a variant on this as in I'll be switching the lamb for boned and diced chicken thighs, and will be serving it on a couple of nice (but cheap!) rolls with salad.

Got everything in for it and I really fancy a curry

Have a lovely day, everyone.

K xx

helen_jelly · 13 June 2012 at 9:26AM

Morning all

24 Fairy cakes made this morning to take on hols with us

Welcome and Hi to all the new people - lovely to see you on here, read the fisrt post - lots of excellent advice and check out the recipes posted and collected by Rosieben. Please ask lots of questions as there are lots of clever people on here who will help out. Post every day - this helps you to stay focused :]]

Budgets noted to here - will update later

Helen x

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June 2012 Grocery Challenge

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