March Grocery Challenge

squeaky · 25 February 2006 at 10:04AM

Hello everyone,

Some of you, I know, will have already started your Grocery Challenge for the month since pay days seem to come round ever earlier; which means that you'll all be able to get this month's challenge off to a flying start.

For those joining the challenge for the first time I've copied the advice posted by Galtizz on how to begin.

Good luck everyone, and be sure you can always come back to this thread for help and support. The thread will be stickied for a few days to help keep it prominent and then you'll always be able to access it through the "Monthly Challenges" link in the blue bar at the top of every page.

Go for it !

Originally Posted by Galtizz

I have said this before, but for all the newbies to the challenge;

For the first month I took a guess at the budget but I really had no idea how much I was spending.

I found the best thing is to have a guess the first month but SAVE ALL OF YOUR RECEIPTS (and yes, that does include the ones from the local shop when you run out of milk ), then at the end of the month add them all up and have a look if you were on budget, if not, it doesn't matter because your budget was a guess. For the next month you can use the total of your receipts and take a bit off to get a realistic budget, just shave off as much as you think you can, it could be £1 a week or £20 a week.

If you are currently spending £200 a month don't suddenly drop it to £100 - you'll never do it but if you cut £20 a month off for a few months you'll get there eventually without feeling you're missing out on anything.

You might think you've done everything you can in the first month but someone always comes up with a new idea and, if you try it you often find you save a bit more (unless you are SarahSaver who is an expert at this and could only save more if she turned her back garden into a paddy field and lived on rice ) In the first month I thought, I'm planning meals, I couldn't possibly save any more, but then I started double cooking and freezing, and making soup instead of buying it in tins.

I've been doing this since Feb but only saved ALL of my receipts last month, it has given me a much better idea of where it is all going. Budget for next month is £80 for 2 of us, I'll start on 30/4. I could probably save more, by eating different foods but I can afford to live on £80, I have saved a lot of money since Feb. and I don't waste food or money any more. So I'm happy with my budget.

mossy · 25 February 2006 at 1:03PM

Well I'm carrying over from Feb's thread as my shopping budget runs from 20/2/06 - 19/3/06.

My budget from shopping is £200 for two adults and a child (2 year old) which includes everything apart from nappies and cat biscuits. I've had £200 as a budget for sometime but I can't remember the last time I stuck to it.

However this month I will!!! with the help of all your support and a bit of self restraint.

My extra target is £160, if I make it to that I will be very very happy but if I manage to stick to £200 it will still be a massive achievement.

Current spend so far is £72.78 and I have three more shopping weeks to go....freezer is full of enough food to last me next week so I just need a top up shop on Monday unfortunately these tend to cost me a lot so I'll have to be very strong and watch what I'm spending all my money on. :rolleyes:

Good luck to everyone doing the March challenge.

thriftlady_2 · 25 February 2006 at 1:05PM

I'm starting this on Monday.My target is £50 a week.

Wendrie · 25 February 2006 at 1:21PM

I'm going to start on Monday and am hoping to keep below the £500 for us - that is 2 adults and 2 teens, 2 cats. The budget includes all meals as we all either eat lunch at home or take it with us usually. But I've done the main shops from food co-op and Costco so this month should just be top ups and fresh stuff. Last few months it has been creeping up so hopefully this will focus my mind again

brummiebabe · 25 February 2006 at 2:27PM

Well I was £45 under budget last month!! Will stick to £270 for March, although it is a 5 week month for me :rolleyes2 ! My month will run from 22/2/06 - 29/2/06!

Best of luck everyone!!!!!!!

pawpurrs · 25 February 2006 at 2:35PM

I am tryiing to cut doen this month and will start on the 1st March am aiming for £200, for the month, mind you with the amount of stuf in the cupboard and freezer I reckon i could just buy veggies and milk for a month to use up stuff which is how i am cutting down at the moment

zar · 25 February 2006 at 2:44PM

I haven't done an official challenge before, but have been trying really hard in February to reduce our outgoings using the use-up challange thread as an idea. I will use previous months as a baseline rather than Feb because of the use-up challenge and short month - in the last few months we have spent over £300 and in February that dropped to £250.

Actually, thinking about it, perhaps I should combine my food and cash outgoings for this challenge, as food/drink is what most of our cash goes on (only other things included by accident would be occasional bus fares and newspapers - if its anything bigger I will take it out manually.) Our average spend in these two categories over the past year was £439 a month :eek:, but in February that is £278 so far (obviously a shorter month as well).

I think a sensible budget for March is £300 and anything else is a bonus. That is for 2 adults who love food; eating organic or free-range meat and often organic other produce. It includes eating out, bought cups of coffee and visits to the pub etc. It includes some cleaning products but not all. I'm beginning to wonder how we'll manage!

(I will be working on calandar months.)

elaine373 · 25 February 2006 at 2:45PM

I am going to have a bash at this months shopping challenge. I am aiming for 300 = 75 weekly. Thats for 2 adults, 2 teenagers, and 3 children.I have shopped for 75 a week before but never kept it up for a month.Wish me luck!!

Sarahsaver · 25 February 2006 at 2:54PM

Not buying any meat next week, I have enough odds and ends in the freezer. trying to stay within £20 a week;)

D&DD · 25 February 2006 at 2:55PM

:wave: Another new recruit here.There are 5 of us 2 adults,1 robust teen and 2 more kids.I hope to stick to £250 this month using lots of tips gleaned from the OS boards (thankyou all) this will include all cleaning,laundry stuff,toiletries etc.My month will run from the 28th of Feb to the 28th march.

gilly41 · 25 February 2006 at 2:59PM

Hi
Did the challenge last month and it came in at £201(which i was pleased with as my target is £200 per calendar month).This is for 2 adults and a Greyhound!! Started again yesterday as it was pay day and spent £113 in Tesco - so the remaining £87 is for the weekly bits and pieces.
Hope I can get in at under £200 this month. Hoping eventually to drop to about £160 per month but that may be a way off yet!!!
xx

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March Grocery Challenge

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