My $100 Grocery Challenge

In my last post I mentioned that we had trialled cutting back on our weekly food/grocery bills.  Tough times call for tough measures.  I am totally guilty of normally wandering the grocery store and placing whatever items take my fancy into the trolley and at the cash register handing over my credit card as I stare at the (what seems like) 4 bags of groceries and wonder where the $250 is going - every week! ... but I'm happy to say I think those days are over.
Since I posted about my mock up Great Australian $100 Grocery Challenge I have tried to put it into practice.  I have now kept my records for the last month and on average we have spent $133.40 per week at the supermarket/greengrocer (a total of $533.57 over the last month).  This includes $45 worth of baby nappy supplies, household items like toilet paper and cleaning products and even the occasional indulgence item, so it comes pretty close to the $100 per week for food only.
I have had to scour the fliers and choose meals based on what meat/vegetables/items are on special that week and I have had to visit 3 different supermarkets plus the greengrocers each week to make the most of the specials they have on offer, but seeing as at some point in the week I am already driving past them I am not making special trips - it's more of a time assigning issue (e.g. calling in after swimming to the supermarket near there).  I would definitely say that rearranging my schedule and spending some time planning my shopping and meals is worth the $500 saving for just one month.
The bonus is that we have a home-cooked meal each night without me staring into the freezer and pantry mid afternoon and not having a clue what to cook, the kids have been loving the food, we have less wasted produce because I only buy what I have planned to cook, and the hubby has nothing but praise for my shopping/cooking efforts, so for me that's a win-win all around.
Have you tried something similar or are thinking about how to cut back but aren't sure how?  Leave a comment :)

What's been happening around the haus

*We tried picking 2 of our corn cobs last week, but they were not quite ready - mostly still white kernels with a few yellow ones.  I'm not sure if they will ripen or if it is now too cold and wet.
*The main project of the concrete patio was achieved last month with mixed results - more to come on that.  Let's just say it's done.
*We hosted a farewell party for our friends who are moving, which included having 21 (25 if you count the kids) people over for dinner.  Everything went surprisingly well.
*I promptly fell in a heap after the previously mentioned farewell and spent the next week battling a throat infection.  The girls are now sick with colds - presumably with the same virus I had.
*We helped my sister build her side fence (read: Matt helped, I watched and held up the occasional piece of timber).
*We are trying to stay warm because winter has certainly hit.  With the wind chill at the moment the outside temperatures feel like 0 degrees Celsius even though the actual readings are more like 8 degrees (still freezing to me).
*Oh, and I have been trying my challenge of $100 per week in groceries and surprisingly I am making it work - more on that to come too.