January Grocery Challenge 2015

WantToBeSE · 18 January 2015 at 11:03AM

I have £20 to last me until payday (Friday) and I think I can do it

I do need to get a few bits and bobs today, but should still stay within budget.
I cant believe that I managed to keep under budget this month. I am so pleased!!

BrassicWoman · 18 January 2015 at 11:04AM

Debating what to do about yesterday's home delivery blip

£20 was medicine and DVDs (to make up the delivery minimum) and £20 was food. And I can't go the rest of the month on about a fiver....

Do I up my budget by £20, or move £20 I didn't spend on petrol by being home ill into the food budget and ignore it? That feels morally ok, I can't believ I am so worried about it as it's only going to impact me!!! Trivial in the scheme of things, I think... and yet I have been trying to decide for an hour! Or do I try and do the next two weeks on a fiver?!

Wooftastic · 18 January 2015 at 11:17AM

BrassicWoman I wouldn't include DVD's in my grocery budget, they would come out of my 'pocket money' if that makes sense. I also wouldn't include medication as its an unavoidable almost an emergency expense.

Best of luck

CountingPennies · 18 January 2015 at 11:31AM

Online shop results..... £35.25!! So buy shopping at Aldi I saved £7.32!!

Things I noticed, cheese from Aldi is smaller block. Tesco didn't sell that size. Aldi free range eggs are in 15's, whereas tescos are 12's. 20-odd cheaper at Tesco, but less eggs. Muffins only in 4 packs at Aldi, 6 packs at Tesco. Few other differences but nothing major. I could never do a "full" shop at Aldi. Our store isn't huge, and there are a lot of value products at Tesco which we like and are much cheaper than Aldi, but I will try to go to Aldi for some bits but it all depends if I have a lift or not. Too far to walk with heavy bags and no bus route there.

Interesting to see the results tho.

CP xx

cw18 · 18 January 2015 at 11:52AM

BrassicWoman : I have a budget for groceries which is just food. I have another which includes over the counter medicines (first aid), and DVDs are from the 'wants' section on my budgetting rather than a 'need' (such as food).

But if you've saved petrol by not going out, then I see no reason why that money can't be used elsewhere - whether you count it as covering the meds/DVDs or add it to your grocery budget then being up to you

Tidy_Up_Tash · 18 January 2015 at 12:07PM

NSD today.

OS has just taken DS2 to the walk in surgery. He's got a rash and temperature. We're sure it's nothing to worry about, but better safe than sorry. DS2 wants to spend his Xmas Money after, having seen DS1's haul yesterday

zafiro1984's mention of leek and potato soup has me craving for it, so will be cooking up a batch for lunches this week. Also a large chilli for dinner this week and next.

BrassicWoman I don't count anything but food and household supplies in my budget. Anything else is a treat and we'll only buy it if we are sure we can afford it or, as cw18 said. we've saved money elsewhere and want to spoil ourselves

gayleygoo · 18 January 2015 at 12:07PM

BrassicWoman, I wouldn't count the DVDs and medicine towards the grocery budget either. DVDs would come out of my "allowance" budget and I have separate budget for medicines, vitamins, OH's berrocas etc. Although budget maybeisn't the right word for medicine, since you usually can't control the costs and some months you might spend £20 on them and nothing in other months. I just write it in my spending diary so I know where the money went.

I have it worked out though over the course of the month, and the year, that all my budgets come in under what I expect our monthly and yearly income to be (and budgets include saving for birthdays, xmas, holiday, emergencies, car tax/insurance/mot, school uniforms and all other occasional costs I might expect to incur.) If you have saved money by not buying fuel, maybe that money could go into a pot or different budget towards something else?

gayleygoo · 18 January 2015 at 12:17PM

Oh, and my spending for this week was £54.52, bringing the total to £206.72. That leaves me with £113 for the next two weeks, should be doable since my cupboards are full. I'll need meat, dairy, spuds, fruit and veg, so off I go to figure out a meal plan for this week.

Islandmaid · 18 January 2015 at 1:09PM

£6.89 spent in Ald!, kilo of pasta, carrots, swede, potato,s, some ham for sarnies, tomato puree and 2 sticky buns

NewShadow · 18 January 2015 at 1:27PM

Didn't want to go shopping today so raided the dry goods store, also known as the chest of draws in the lounge, to pull together a quick staple:

Stand-by Slow cooker chilli

200g TVP,
200g red lentils,
1 tin toms,
1 carton passata,
1 pack dried onions,
2 tins kidney beans,
1 chunk of frozen garlic,
1tbsp beef stock powder
1tsp cumin seed,
1tsp coriander,
1tsp paprika;
1/2 tsp of cayenne pepper,
Slow cooker then topped off with boiling water.

Throw it all in together and cook for about 6-8 hours.

A firm favourite - Fat free, high protein, cooks without supervision, and all the ingredients can be bought in bulk/stored for when needed, keeps well in the fridge/freezer.

The stock gives the flavour of meat, and the texture is almost indistinguishable from a meat chilli. Could be properly vegetarian if you changed the stock used.

I have it over rice/ potatoes for dinner, or by itself for lunch - serve with cheese if available (everything tastes better with cheese... and well... both calcium and fat are important :rotfl:)

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January Grocery Challenge 2015

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