April Grocery Challenge

Lillibet_2 · 23 March 2005 at 12:11PM

It's payday today for me so I am starting next Grocery challange today.

My aim for this month for groceries/cleaning/toiletries/household stationary etc will be £90 for 2 adults, 1 bump, 1 cat & 1 dog. This is 50% of my actual available grocery budget. I also have a £20 budget for incidental household expenses etc.

I have £12 left over from last months Grocery budget so I am planning on using this to buy long term storecupboard items in preperation for when Spud arrives in August, I hope to build up enough in the freezer & cupboard to only need to buy fruit/veg/cheese & eggs in the 4 weeks after the birth, all from "spare" money! The plan is that this will leave the usual grocery money available for those "baby expenses" which are bound to occour & we won't be able to plan in advance.

Anyone else want to jump onto Aprils bandwagon, set your own personal budget & let us know how you get on?

VickyA_2 · 23 March 2005 at 12:32PM

Ooooh, yes, count me in. This is my first time doing this properly so we've got a total of £100 to spend this month - I say we, there's me and my boyfriend (now fiance!) and so far we've spent £23.21, which included some store cupboard items as well as fresh veg. However, where he works has a staff shop once a week of veg, so he'll top our veg up there each week. That's a point, I'd better make him write down how much he spends. We've also got quite a full store cupboard as I've been away for 4 weeks and it seems that he hardly ate in (I think numerous people took pity on him and fed him). So, I'll be doing the store cupboard challenge alongside the April challenge!

JCL · 23 March 2005 at 2:39PM

I'll start this on April 1st although don't get paid until the 15th.

Target grocery expenditure for the month is £60 (just for me!).

crazyhazy · 23 March 2005 at 2:40PM

I started my april challenge on pay day the 18th March, I was aiming for £120 for the month for me and my fiance and my dog who stays most weekends, and is currently with us for 10 days while my parents are away, although mum was very good and gave us most of her food. This target should be easily achieveable but I plan to reduce it in May depending how well we get on. So far we've spent alot £39.54 but our cupboards and freezer are full so shouldn't need any more major shopping for well over a week. I'm also following the pin money challenge and will put any money we save into this and at the end of the month transfer the total to our wedding savings account. I also found out I have a new job starting on tuesday and won't be working shifts anymore so that should make life a bit easier too, as one week in 3 we always ate quite erratically cos I was so late getting home.

Sarahsaver · 23 March 2005 at 3:03PM

I will do it again, but I dont know how much I can shave off my £20 a week. I think I will stick with that, although I have managed to have about £5 left this week and the only thing i need to buy is milk. My week starts on a Saturday, when I get £20 out of the bank and put it in my special purse;)

tiff · 23 March 2005 at 3:15PM

I'm going to keep my budget the same, £160 is plenty but not extravagant. I have the freezer full of meat and bread, and cupboards full of basics. I will start my April challenge on 28th April, our next pay day.

furrypig · 23 March 2005 at 3:31PM

Finally I am joining in and will start April Ist as away for a week over Easter so that makes more sense!
I'm still not sure exactly how much I should budget for

so I am going to try £200 for the month, sounds a lot but any money I come in under in going into the pin money challenge and will help me be more realistic in my budgeting the next month.
I am use to buying things as I fancy and not really knowing what is in the freezer, fridge or cupboard BUT NOT ANYMORE!! Meal planning and baking will be the norm:eek: .

Thanks in advance for all the inspiration and support I will get from you all!

:j Let's go for it!

moggins · 23 March 2005 at 3:31PM

We've had a five week month and with not working out an 'incidentals fund' I've had everyone coming to me for cash so it's not gone very well. I only have £50 left and still one week to go until payday.

It's been my first month though, and I've learned an awful lot so it has not been a wasted month for me.

I mangaged to get loads of fish reduced at Asda yesterday, used some vouchers and only paid £7 for the lot so I've got a fair bit available for next week and shouldn't have to spend a lot.

DingDong_3 · 23 March 2005 at 3:45PM

JCL wrote:

Target grocery expenditure for the month is £60 (just for me!).

Wow I'm impressed. I sort of started this month but home cooking etc.. is all new to me so it's taken me a couple of weeks to get organised and I'm planning on buying a slow cooker this week too.

I'm going to start on April 1st and budget monthly allowing myself £80. I'm toying with the idea of doing a major online shop at tesco and hopefully getting £15 discount and then just buying milk/fruit/veg/meat on the market or at tescos.

JCL · 23 March 2005 at 3:54PM

This is the first time I've done the grocery challenge so the £60 is a figure I've plucked out of the air to a certain extent.

However, I think it can be achieved. Plan to make a lot more of my meals from scratch - the soup recipe thread is full of excellent ideas and cheap aswell. Make use of eggs, pasta, rice etc. and see how I get on. Reckon I should still be able to eat well and maintain a healthy diet.

I'm also including lunch stuff and cleaning products in the £60 so will see how it goes. £15 a week should be enough.....I hope. I do like a good challenge though!

Glad · 23 March 2005 at 4:02PM

Do people count school dinner money into their challenge, both my children take £2 per day to school for dinners/snacks most days.
Son goes through spells of taking a packed lunch which works out at about £1 a day.

PLEASE READ BEFORE POSTING

April Grocery Challenge

Comments

Confirm your email address to Create Threads and Reply

🚀 Getting Started

Categories

Is this how you want to be seen?

Get our FREE Weekly email full of deals & guides - and it’s spam-free