November 06 Grocery Challenge

Pink. · 29 October 2006 at 4:12PM

Hello everyone

Another new month is about to start for most of us, while some of you are already well into things.

As always this challenge is to reduce your own grocery budget to levels that you will be pleased with, not forgetting that we always recommend that you stay inside your own comfort levels and take things gently one step at a time.

If you are new to the challenge I have quoted the advice from Galtizz below which will help you get started.

Please post into this thread for help and advice and support at any time. Good luck to everyone taking part!

Galtizz wrote:

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.

Pink

Peem · 29 October 2006 at 4:18PM

Well

I'm back again for another go. Third time lucky? P'raps

I'm sticking to the £300 mark - and am going to be ever so vigilant!:shocked:

Good luck everyone

gelato_cat · 29 October 2006 at 4:29PM

Don't faint, but I'm a single person and spend £50-80 per month. This is for all meals (I take my lunch to work) and whatever toiletries and household goods happen to be on special offer (otherwise I get them at Wilko).

I also have two cats though, so have to buy food and cat litter for them.

Does it sound like I am spending too much?

Suze

Peem wrote:

Well

I'm back again for another go. Third time lucky? P'raps

I'm sticking to the £300 mark - and am going to be ever so vigilant!:shocked:

Good luck everyone

judi24 · 29 October 2006 at 5:21PM

I would like to join this challenge too. In our house thier are 6 of us. 2 adults, 4 children aged 15, 13, 4 and 2 and a cat that can only eat Iams!

I'm not really sure how much to budget. Before reading this site i reularly spent £100-125 per week in ASDA! I have rediced it a bit but I'm not sure waht is reasonable. Any suggestion from any one on how much in average they spend per head.

I am also just starting a new full time job that requires about 2 hours travel a day so I don't have much time for meal peparation either. any tips would be great.

pollyanna24 · 29 October 2006 at 6:01PM

I did bad again this month. September I spent £205, this month £203 (and hopefully no more) out of a budget of £160.

Gona try again, if it doesn't work this month, am just gona have to up budget me thinks. Although I have stocked up on deodorants and babywipes and casserole sauces which have already come out of November's budget, so guessing that it may go over already!

WelshWoofer · 29 October 2006 at 6:15PM

Hi,
I think I made October's buget of 100 quid but only just! May be a few pounds over come to think of it.

Anyway, November is a busy month for me with visitors and work. No travelling this month (yet!) so that means that hopefully I can cook at home every day and help the diet as an added bonus!

This month I'll try 100 quid for the groceries (me, OH and small greedy dog) and 20 for the cleaning/toiletries. It's a long month (pay wise) this time so fingers crossed!

thunder_fairie · 29 October 2006 at 6:24PM

I am new here to the site and would like to give this challenge a go ... I realy do need to cut back on shopping, also on buying in takeaways ... I have 2 children and a husband aswell as myself to feed at home, but fortunetly I have all day to prepare what ever Penniesaving dishes as I am an at home mum for at least another 3-4mths probably.
I might also go back and read the other challenges you have done in the past and might give them a shot if nobody minds because we realy do need to cut back and save some pennies. ( aswell as making ends meet)
Debbie x

inspiremetosave · 29 October 2006 at 6:34PM

Hello,
My food shopping bill is terrible, I can easily spend £100 a week and thats just for me, OH and 2 cats! I am going to aim for £150 including toiletries and work lunches, the hardest thing for us is that my partner works nights so he eats alot of convenience food!

thunder_fairie · 29 October 2006 at 6:43PM

:j Ok now I see ... lol ... this is the challenge ... sorry slightly new here.
Well ok lets see we normaly have to stick to a bugjet anyway and it is normaly I guess looking back over reciepts £200.00 a month on food for the 4 of us. But we also spend about £60.00 in takeaways a month as well .... making a rand total of £260.00 a month.
Should I also count the amount I spend on the school dinners as it amounts to £58.00 a month aswell.
Ok sorry thinking and typing out loud here .... I will include that also as I can probably make a better packed lunch in future, also cheaper.
So my total current bugjet is £318.00 and I guess my target for November is £298.00 (£74.50 wk)
That does not sound to bad at all... after the takeaways are cut out and packed luches made that kind of achieves that anyway. I will keep my fingers crossed anyway.:o

aurorahelios · 29 October 2006 at 6:50PM

I'm sticking with my normal budget of £200, thats for me, OH and 3yo DD. Its a level I feel happy with , includes some luxuries so we don't feel we're going without. That amount includes alcohol consumed in the house, all cleaning stuff and nappies ( although I'm hoping we can lose these, DD is very resistant to the whole toilet/potty idea though).

catznine · 29 October 2006 at 7:06PM

£200 for us this month! I needed to allow a bit more to cover the extras for Christmas.

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November 06 Grocery Challenge

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