March 2012 Grocery Challenge

Ninno820 · 21 March 2012 at 9:30PM

tigerfeet2006 wrote: »

We will need extra money as well for interviews, if DH gets any more, so I will need to really keep a handle on the budget and spend as little as possible. It also means we won't be able to get away during the Easter Holidays in the trailer tent which I am disapointed with. I hope he manages to get a new job soon as I am getting fed up already. DH has just spent 2 days filling in forms and writing the covering letter for one school and I have just spent 2 hours checking it over and I spotted while cross referencing something with the job description they sent out when I noticed that it said that applications had to be in by the 16th. On the TES website and their covering letter it said 23rd. DH emailed them and they emailed back that originally it was 16th and they extended it to 23rd but then changed their minds and appointed today :mad::mad::mad: How blardy unprofessional is that. Really pee'd off at the moment.

So any way I am thinking of setting a budget of £380 next month and sorry for the rant.

that is a disgusting way to operate - and I speak as a head. If a mistake has been made with the dates then that's their fault. They should realise that they are messing people around.

The grocery budget finishes this Friday and I have spent another £11 on dog food. I'm over budget but it's still within my acceptable level so I'm pleased. Next month I have visitors up so the budget will have to increase.

angelatgraceland · 21 March 2012 at 11:06PM

I also try to make the week last one day longer to minimise my spending and this works well with the big payday rush! If you are say, getting paid on 23rd-try to hold on until 25th this month and 27th next month and so on-it stops the habit, and one day(about a years time)you should have a months grocery money just sitting in the bank!
Although I have a monthly budget, I split it into weekly mini budgets(just in my mind)so that it is regulated throughout the month. If I've had a big spend I work it out as a daily budget and see how many days I must wait before spending again! This works well for me and may work for others too. NSD for me today as ~Ive just run kids to jobcentre(2 trips) and helped a friend of the family get my old washing machine installed with my brothers help. I still need a new fridge and a new freezer but the ones I have at present still do work so I'm not in a hurry. Anything old of mine gets given away or put on Freecycle so someone else can get by for a little while too. Ive just logged on to tescopricecheck.com to see if I could have saved anything versus Asda as I had a delivery the other day. Not sure what they do as I've got to wait for an email with the results!

FrugalLina · 21 March 2012 at 11:08PM

Just stopping by to say still no more spending on groceries, but I will pop to get some value choc at Mr Ts tomorrow. Been a bit stressed at work as we reach year-end and funding (I work for a charity) is just not coming in, grrr.

I also want to say thank you for the lovely recipes and hints and tips on here, they are all really helping a lot!

tigerfeet2006 · 22 March 2012 at 12:29AM

Ninno820 wrote: »

that is a disgusting way to operate - and I speak as a head. If a mistake has been made with the dates then that's their fault. They should realise that they are messing people around.

The grocery budget finishes this Friday and I have spent another £11 on dog food. I'm over budget but it's still within my acceptable level so I'm pleased. Next month I have visitors up so the budget will have to increase.

Cheers Ninno. From what DH can determine they origanally set 16th with interview on the 20th and didn't have a strong field so decided to extend the deadline to the 23rd. They had a strong candidate come in on the 16th so they interviewed on the 20th anyway and selected the strong candidate. It is 2 failed schools who became an acadamy last year and will have a new campus next year and they are trying to obviously build a school that is sucessful and DH's speciality is turning things around so felt this school would be a fantastic challenge for him. Anyway onwards and upwards

rosieben · 22 March 2012 at 12:53AM

hello GC'ers! <waves>

sorry I've not been around much but I've been fully occupied making deocrations for my son's wedding next month. The end is in sight so I hope to be back within a few days and will catch up on all the recipes.

Hope you're all winning the battle of the budget

meg72 · 22 March 2012 at 7:48AM

Hi Rosieben glad you are Ok was wondering if we had worn you out with allthe workyou do for us. So pleased you have been doing something nice making decorations, would love to see some photos.

tessie_bear · 22 March 2012 at 7:49AM

hi...got big baking plans today for baking and gardening but the weather doesnt look that great...wont hurt the baking but might stand down the repotting....got stew for tea that is already made so that will be quick....just need to do veg and maybe pudding

take care tess

PennyGrabber · 22 March 2012 at 9:09AM

rosieben wrote: »

hello GC'ers! <waves>

sorry I've not been around much but I've been fully occupied making deocrations for my son's wedding next month. The end is in sight so I hope to be back within a few days and will catch up on all the recipes.

Hope you're all winning the battle of the budget

Sounds like you've been having fun! It'll all be worth it when the day arrives. Let us know when it is, and we'll all send our good wishes! We look forward to you rejoining us when you're ready. xx

tessie_bear wrote: »

hi...got big baking plans today for baking and gardening but the weather doesnt look that great...wont hurt the baking but might stand down the repotting....got stew for tea that is already made so that will be quick....just need to do veg and maybe pudding

take care tess

Repotting doesn't taste as nice as baking...:rotfl::rotfl:

It looks like it might be quite nice here today.

Have a good day everyone.

PG x

Kylieminoag · 22 March 2012 at 12:17PM

Well done Lisakay and all the rest of you who are on track

Time to confess I have gone bust for March! A combination of BiL2 coming to stay unexpectedly for three weeks:eek: and DS bringing new girlfriend round for dinner 4 times (well I couldnt feed her leftovers so early in the relationship!:o) means I have been trying to stretch things too far. I still have 8 days to go too and the fridge is bare so am going to have to do another big shop so my total overspend is going to be huge:mad:

On the plus side I do have a stock of cakes and dry goods from a*****d foods .... feel a bit like marie antoinette when bread is cheaper than cake "let them eat cake!"

At least I'm keeping track and know why I'm overspent - I never used to.

As the end of the mon(th)ey draws nigh - goodluck and well done to the rest of you
x
K

166million · 22 March 2012 at 12:45PM

mrs-moneypenny wrote: »

dh off for next two days so not sure what is going on re meal plans

dinner was omlette
tea will be morrys chicken style veggie chunks and leek pie followed by DD2s birthday cake made this morning

OOh Are Morrisons chunks like the Quorn ones?

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March 2012 Grocery Challenge

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