Friday 27 November 2015

Black Thursday night

Hello and Good Morning. I've only gone and done it again. I was in two minds whether to do the yellow sticker stroll, can't call it a dash as it involves a lot of hanging around. A slow mooch, hovering between the aisles is called for to lie in wait for when the bargains are wheeled out from the back. I didn't fancy getting tangled up with some early bird Black Friday bargain hunters, but my fridge was bare, I needed to buy food. 
I made the quick decision to go and take a chance, so I jumped up off my chair and was out of the door before Rocky had chance to stir from his bed. I'm glad I did go. There was a sign at the door saying the store would close at midnight and re open at 5am. It's a 24 hour store, so I suppose on this occasion the staff needed to prepare themselves for the surge of customers. 
I arrived at the right time for the fruit reductions and had to wait for the vegetables and salad to come out. There were only two other ladies waiting, so I had a natter with the Chinese lady. We hovered and mooched, and waited. I could have done with a loaf of bread but none were reduced, so before I went through the checkouts I picked up a full price seeded Tesco's Finest loaf at £1.10. 
I had a £3 off voucher to use, but I needed to reach £20. After filling my trolley with reduced I was no where near the £20, so I decided to stock up on a few essentials, soya milk, tins of beans and spaghetti. All things that I will eventually need. Some cooked chicken for the kids also went in the trolley. I tallied it up as I went around and it was a few pennies over the £20. The till totted it up as just below £20, oops, have I made a mistake. I grabbed a small carton of milk to make it up. When I got home and checked the receipt, it shows I got an extra discount as some of the veg items were on a 3 for 2 offer, even though they were reduced to 10p each. 
Rocky inspecting the bags. 'You got anything in there for me?
Fully stocked fridge again. Love it.

Healthy eating for the next week, starting with a healthy breakfast. Raspberries, blueberries, melon, and grapes, with plain yogurt. Underneath are a few bran flakes and home made muesli, made with porridge oats, dried fruit, nuts, and seeds and a splash of soya milk. Chuffin lovely.

I won't list all the items and prices, but you know the score. 90% off the fruit, veg, and salad. Here is a taster of what I came home with.
New potatoes in a pouch with garlic to microwave in the bag.
Prepared iceberg lettuce
Fine beans
Prepared broccoli
prepared casserole veg with beans and leeks
Whole organic cauliflower
Tomatoes
Raspberries
Green grapes
Crispy baked potato slices
Button mushrooms
Blueberries
Spring onions
Brussel sprouts
Tobs of prepared fruit
Onion Houmous
Bag green salad leaves
Apple doughnuts

Nornal price to make up the £20
Soya milk
Baked beans
Tinned spaghetti
Small tins cat food
Value Quiche
Pack butter
Bag dry cat food
Bread
Cooked chicken

This morning I popped to Barry's and gave him five bags of assorted veg, he was chuffed and was planning his meals around them. I don't need to go anywhere this weekend, so no more money will be spent. The weather is looking a bit iffy so it will be sewing, crafting, dog walking, and maybe a bit of garden tidying.

Someone sent me a link for a programme on Channel 5 catch up. There is a problem with the web site, a lot of their advertised programmes can't be accessed because of copyright issues, which is a bit disappointing. Never mind plenty to watch on BBC catch up. I caught the first episode of a new drama, Capital. It was a bit confusing, very disjointed, difficult to make sense of it. However with an element of intrigue I might watch the second episode to see how it pans out. Toby Jones is the lead actor, I like what he does.

I hope you have a lovely weekend. Catch up soon. Toodle pip

20 comments:

  1. Lovely! A fridge well stocked with fresh healthy foods. Another fantastic haul. X

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  2. If you like Toby Jones have you tried 'Dectectorists' which is on BBC 4 at 10.00 pm on Thursdays? Lovely, gentle comedy with a beautiful theme song.

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    1. Hi. It's funny that you should say that, I've just this minute finished watching episode 5 while I eat my lunch. The woman who plays his mate's wife, Becky, is playing Toby's wife in Capital. Even more confusing, bad timing I think.

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  3. Well done on your bargains! I like Toby Jones too - he is very good. I liked him in Elizabeth I. I will try and watch Capital tonight. Debbie.

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  4. Hi Ilona, if you are referring to the link I put on your previous blog entry, i've just tried it and it definitely works? If you're watching catchup TV online and you get messages saying it can't show you it for copyright reasons, it maybe thinks for some reason you're watching outside of the UK?

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  5. Hi
    Ilona try and watch the "Ben Fogle New lives in the wild" series, especially the one from last night (26th Nov) it was absolutely briiliant about a couple who have left the rat race and live in the Yorkshire Dales with their 8 children, and even better the woman originally came from Huddersfield and the man from Doncaster. It is available on channel 5 iplayer on the computer
    take care jane xx

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    1. Hi Jane and Steve. I am on Channel 5 web site now, got Ben Fogle on the screen, click to watch and I get the message 'The programme you are trying to watch isn't currently available. Please try again later.' I have tried several times, and I keep getting that message. I click on, 'having trouble with this video', and get the help centre. Click on current issues and it comes up with a whole list of programmes not available due to a legal issue.

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    2. That's weird, if i'm able to watch there's no reason why it should block you. Have you got the latest version of your web browser? You could try deleting cookies from your browser too.

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    3. That's what I get, but it's because I'm in the US.

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  6. Definitely my kind of brekkie. Natalie

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  7. Ilona i dont understand, its playing OK on mine, i go onto "on demand- official site" and it comes on after a 50 second trailer. I have just watched the first 15 minutes of it to make sure it was OK and it is. Not sure whats wrong with yours.
    Firtly i typed in " Iplayer channel 5" then it came up with the list and i went to the "On demand official site" try that one, hopefully that one will work (fingers crossed) jane xx

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    1. Just tried again, still the same message keeps popping up. Wonder if it doesn't like my Windows XP.

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  8. Hi.I forgot to say,the other day, that the two critters snoozing so peacefully together warmed my heart...so sweet. That is some very savvy bargain shopping Ilona,good for you for sharing the bounty,you are very thoughtful to do that.I've been off dairy for ages but our Sobey's had large size tub of yogurt for $1.00 so I bought one,I'll freeze it for later on. My family likes their perogies with yogurt instead of sourcream.Your breakfast looks very yummy and healthy.Am not familiar with Ben Fogle,but I do like to watch U.K. programs online especially the drama mysteries on YouTube.Will have a look-see..I would never pay for satellite,cable,netflix, or satellite ever again.A family member regularly visits with a USB chip loaded with the latest movies for us.So nice!.Warmest regards D.

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  9. I love seeing your great bargains Ilona. I managed to get a few yellow sticker food items last night, together with a lovely basket arrangement of plants which I gave to my Mum reduced from £8.00 to 80p she was chuffed to bits with it.

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    1. Hi. Good find on the plants. Our Tesco often knocks down fresh flowers.

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  10. Wonderful buys for you!
    Happy you got what you needed!

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  11. I love the "Home Made Bag" proclamations! :) xx

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  12. That's amazing! I never know what time to go in for the best reductions. Is later better? Generally I stick to Aldi as they are always cheap but not as cheap as that
    Jane

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    1. Hi. The later you go the bigger the reduction. You need to go several times at different times, to establish how your shop does it. Generally they start marking down just after lunch time, usually starting with meat. A second sticker will go on about 4pm, and the last sticker goers on about 7pm. These are approximate times, every store has it's own methods.

      It's pot luck, the later you go the cheaper it is, but you might find nothing left as it has been taken by earlier shoppers who are happy with 50% off. It also depends on how much the store needs to get rid of before the end of the day. Sometimes they have nothing, sometimes loads.

      I pick up odd things from Aldi, but they don't mark down, so I go to Tesco, late.

      You need to invest time into checking out the system your particular store uses. Check their routines, go at different times and see what happens. be prepared to hang around and watch and wait. Good luck.

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