January 2012 Grocery Challenge

sistercas · 30 January 2012 at 7:53PM

winchelsea i am so sorry to hear of your sad loss , my thoughts and prayers are with you x

pipersky · 30 January 2012 at 8:22PM

Winchelsea - add my thoughts and hugs to all the other lovely GC'ers x

Greying_Pilgrim · 30 January 2012 at 8:23PM

Winchelsea - Sorry to hear of your loss.

I'm going to declare at £139.90 for January - 1 day early, but as I will not be able to do any shopping tomorrow, I think it's fair to record it. It's a whopping 10p underspend for me :T, but I'm chuffed, because I knew that I had got the budget as 'low' as I could (esp the food budget at £60), but wasn't focused on my spending - and I know full well there was a bit of borrowing from other pots to buy groceries in the past. I've used January to really focus on my spending, and it's paid a dividend! (possibly better than I'd earn on the stock market in shares :rotfl:).

Side 'benefits' of being in the challenge have been that I have more or less stuck to my meal plan. I plan for 1 month at a time but this is the first month we have more or less stuck to it. I think there have been 3 changes - 1 because DP had an unexpected work event and food was supplied, 1 became lentil balls with curry sauce rather than just a curry as I was short on veg (bit bad as we're.....vegetarians!) and 1 became 'bought' quiche (M&S 'whoopsie') rather than the HM School cheesy pie - as the 80p whoopsie came out more economical than buying the cheese for the HM version!

Also, I have started a storecupboard pot/second purse, and not only is there money still in that but also I have bought store items (mainly spices this month) out of it.

Oh, and I should add that I remain grateful to CW18 for her spreadsheet (available on the Frugal Living Challenge), because it has been so easy to kept records of expenditure and the value of 'whoopsies' to our shopping 'haul'.

I am so glad I joined the challenge - I'm looking forward to February for some 'more of the same'.

Greying

Herbyme · 30 January 2012 at 8:37PM

Did a 'big' shop today (,uch smaller than in the past) at Mr S (seemed best value on my supermarket) and a small spend on a voucher (mainly) from M*S, so have another £50 to add, plus a receipt I just found (darn!) from earlier in the month, another £5/

Signature duly adjusted, it may not seem like much of an achievement but it feels like progress to me!

totallybored · 30 January 2012 at 8:43PM

Under budget:T only just though so I'm declaring £249.79 / £250

I can't believe I managed it so I'm really happy with myself. Spent £50 in Ald1 on Sat to use the two £5 off vouchers but this included £25 of booze:D

NickJW · 30 January 2012 at 9:16PM

Just popped in to say that my thoughts are with you at this difficult time Winchelsea

NSD for me today. Lunch was stuff from the freezer reheated and dinner is courtesy of my flatmate.

I think I will need to spend money tomorrow though. I have four slices of (thin) bacon, 2 eggs, pasta and cheese. I will probably need some mushrooms, maybe more bacon and cream for to bulk out a carbonara style dish if I do it 'to the recipe'.

I was probably thinking of risking adding a handful of saut!ed celery (needs using up) and peas and upping the cheese (so it melts into the pasta) to avoid needing getting the extra mushrooms and cream. It is a risk though, so I'm not sure if I should play safe. I'll see how I feel in the morning.

Lunch and breakfast are sorted tomorrow so at least they are no spends

EverTheOptimist · 30 January 2012 at 9:18PM

Winchelsea wrote: »

Hello all, I'm not declaring for this month as it has not been at all typical. As some of you may know, my DH Bill died of bronchopneumonia on 7th January. Our fantastic family and I are beginning to get back to normal a bit now, but as you can imagine, spending has been all over the place.

So I'll be back on track for February.

Well done everyone else on January efforts.

So so sorry to hear of your loss Winchelsea. Thinking of you at this sad time. Thoughts and prayers with you and your family.

ETO
x

elizabunny · 30 January 2012 at 9:24PM

Another NSD for me today. I have £3.30p for tomorrow and my new month starts on Wednesday. So hoping not to spend the £3.30p tomorrow and then I can add it to next month's challenge.

I made Cauliflower Rissoto for tea tonight. Sounds funny but is really yum. Followed this with HM lemon sponge. Also managed a batch of flapjacks for DHs lunchbox this week. They turned out better this time.

Just sampling a small glass of HM Sloe Gin now.......Oh the joys of the GC:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

PennyGrabber · 30 January 2012 at 9:33PM

Winchelsea, you have a lot of friends here, all of us thinking of you/sending prayers your way. I'm so sorry; use us and abuse us to rant/lament/etc.

NSD today for groceries, although I did spend £195 on an evening course!! I'm kind of hoping this will be recouped, as the course is on a Tues evening for 17 weeks, and that's when I normally do my moochy shopping, where I used to spend anything from £20 to £50! Plus, the course is on something that will help me set up my business.

So, as long as I can stay out of the sm on the way home tom night at half 8, Tuesday, Weds, Thurs should be NSDs, possibly Fri, will be shopping on Sat def. Wow, if I manage Fri as well, that would be 7 NSDs in a row!! I've never done this before!

Night all,

PG x

kersplatt · 30 January 2012 at 9:39PM

I will declare my total as whatever it is currently in my sig - think it's about £80.70 for January - as I was paid last Wednesday so technically onto the next month monetary wise since I try to clear down my current account to as close to £1 as possible to start the new month afresh

Alreayd started spending on my February challenge though!!!!

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January 2012 Grocery Challenge

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