January 2008 Grocery Challenge

Pink. · 28 December 2007 at 6:23PM

Hello everyone,

Welcome to the first Grocery Challenge of 2008.

If your new month starts early feel free to join this thread, or if you're still working on your December budget, then keep on posting in the December Grocery Challenge.
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!

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.

I hope you all have a good month and can I take this oportunity to wish you all a very, very Happy New Year!

_party_

Pink

dlb · 28 December 2007 at 6:29PM

Hiya Pink.
Count me in this Month.
Working on £240 to see me throught till last day in Jan.
Approx £60 a week.
Good Luck everyone, hoping i can do better than this due to having quite alot in freezer and lots of leftovers to work with!!

MRSMCAWBER · 28 December 2007 at 6:31PM

Thanks pink

Hope you have a lovely new year too....

Im still finishing off my December challenge but im going to put myself down for
€200 for January... from the 1st to the 1st of February...

Im going to shop weekly mind... and save as much as possible -which should be helped by the amount of stuff i have got whilst i am back here in the UK...

good luck everyone

COOLTRIKERCHICK · 28 December 2007 at 6:31PM

count me in for this one.... last time i tried this everything went belly up so to speak...

even though this is a grocery challenge i am also counting in as in petrol electric tokens.. and coal.... etc.. so i am taking out £450 to last us the month... for four of us a doberman 3 indoor cats.....

this will work out roughly at 112.50 per week, and considering out electric is £30 a week... and our dog/cat food and cat litter is just under £20 a week.... this is going to be a challenge.... as being totally realistic we only have £120. per week ..after all the main standing orders/direct debts are paid....

i think january is going to be the easier month as the freezer and cupboards are full.. so will be trying to use that up to try and get me in the swing of it....

so here goes..... :eek: :eek: :eek:

TheDoolallyDilly · 28 December 2007 at 6:44PM

I'm in - I am going for a budget of £420 overall, but not starting until next week. We have cupboards full of stuff, so hopefully I will come in under budget again.

fallen_angel_shelley · 28 December 2007 at 6:48PM

Hi pink.
count me in. it's my 1st time so im going to set a budget of £200, we normaly spend about £225-260 for 2 of us. i don't need to buy to much this week, so im of to a good start. im also going to keep all receipts, so i have a better idea next month of what to set our budget at. keeping my fingers crossed that i can do it. good luck to everyone else. x

tattycath · 28 December 2007 at 6:58PM

:j HAPPY NEW YEAR:j

Hi everyone. My budget for November and December was £200 each month. So... For January I am setting the budget at £190.00 (I was under budget for both of the previous months...just). So now I have to try for lower. Good luck to everyone in this challenge.
This budget includes, groceries, catfood and all cleaning products etc

mumzyof2 · 28 December 2007 at 7:03PM

Hi i would like £200 to feed four of us. 2 adults 2 kids.

annie123 · 28 December 2007 at 7:03PM

Deep breath ...here goes... I'm in for the first time.:j

Usual spend £450pm:eek: this is for me, DH, adult DS and thinks she an adult :rolleyes: teenage DD.

Covers all food, washing, cleaning products etc.

Having looked at past receipts I am sure I can knock off £50 without missing anything.
(the stuff I buy and wish I hadn't as I see it later on my hips :eek: )
So I am going for £350 to start with for January.

Lelc · 28 December 2007 at 7:14PM

I'm back in for this. Haven't done it for months but really need to start getting back to serious saving.

I'll try for £200 for the month for 4 adults. I'm not including the dog food as dh buys that but will include the cat food (only 1 cat).

My freezer is chocka so I'm hoping that this month will be fairly easy.

lil_me · 28 December 2007 at 7:15PM

Everyone in for a totals list again? Just on doing some editing of the last one now, will put it in this post if people want that doing again.

Planning on spending no more than £260 this month which includes for family of 4 and the pets (2 large dogs, hedgehog and lizard) all food, meals out/takeaways cleaning stuff, toiletries etc. I was going to say £220 but it's also the boys birthdays and may take them out somewhere as a treat, DS1 is rattling on about Big Lukes. We've all been unwell over Christmas so should manage that as everything is still full, too full, unfortunately I think I will end up giving some things away that can't be saved by freezing...

Here is everyones totals for the month, I've added last months people to it, if you don't wish to be on it again just let me know, I will add people's budgets as we go along, never too late to join us, then at the end of the month we can all see how well we have done (POSITIVE THINKING)

Monthly

affordmylife £200 spent £120.86
angeladavis £150
Angelraesunshine £315 spent £310.17
annie123 £350 spent £275
arbroath lass £240 spent £222.89
Aril £160
Atalanta £400 spent £377.59
atypicalblonde £120
aytch £250 spent £236
azjh77 £70
bails £160
bananakinz £240 spent £198.78
barole £100 spent 111.06
Beckyneedstosavecash £75
belfastgirl23 £110 spent £105.50
BigMummaF £350 spent £305:72
blackfairykitten £200
Blairweech £150
bobbadog £
Bobbykins £225 spent £159.53
Brassic £
broke mary £200
BrokeWelshChick £80
brummiebabe £350
Cadi £100
CanadaBound £190
carolt2 £200 spent £210.97
catherineblack £160
catzine £150
charleypink £300 spent £252.90
cheerfulness £ spent £96.48
chewy62 £280
chocolate.orange £260
C1aire £50 spent £56.17
COOLTRIKERCHICK £450
cornishlady £400
craftycrofty £250 spent £252.34
CRANKY40 -£140 spent £141.96
curly girly £200 spent £158.99
dawnylou £250
DdraigGoch £300 spent £187.96
Disdisbiff £170
dlb £240
Doom_and_Gloom £40
EagerLearner £130
egon £240 spent £239.14
elle_gee £180
ellie2912 £170
EverTheOptimist £75 spent £58.03
fallen angel shelley £200 spent £193.39
FBF2007 £200
fifi35 £170
findingmyownway £150
fingersxed £400
Fitzio £150 spent £168.52
flossyblog €200 spent €150.66
frankerooney £200 spent £186.55
FrenchMaid £200
Freyasmum £40 spent £15.72
full-time-mum
FunBrum £120
funkyfunkymonkey £250 spent £326.36
galacticgreen £200 spent £199.43
Gemmzie £400 spent £346.27
georgiasmum £200
Greenshieldstamp
HariboJunkie £100
hayley11 £150
Hayze1980 £200
Herbaholic £280
High Peak Lass £200 spent £300+
hilary1 £225
Holllysan £320
honeybe21
hypno06 £125
ihatedebt £200
In Search Of Me £150
Irish Mom €200.00 spent €210.64
irishwexford £160 spent £127.79
Its me again £250
izoomzoom £225 spent £177.29
jacci45 £300
jackie_w £200
jackiegibbo £175 spent£251.24
Jacks xxx £300 spent £239.58
jacquij123 £400
JAMIEDODGER £300
Jammygal £200
jmf76 £200 spent £282.81
JoJoB £150 spent £190
jpe20 £180
Justamum £300
JustKeepSwimming£192.86 spent £138.18
kayharcombe £200
kayree41 £300
Kazmeister £250 spent £247.96
Keiss 21 £400 spent £396.10
Kel £280
kittynortheast £360 Spent £329.44
kiwi88 £250 spent £298.07
kunekune £500
lauradora £50
Lelc £200
lingojingo £250 spent £113.68
lil_me £260 spent £227.60
lililou £240
LilMissEmmylou £250
littlemissclumsy £250
Little Miss Naughty £200
Lizzieanne £400
LouiseJ £250 spent £241.52
loumac £150 spent £155.65
MadCad £400
madsmum £200
Maisie M £200 spent £272.30
malvena £50
maximus_leeds £200
meanmarie €320 spent €317.75
MERFE £180 spent 176.10
methekidsandthecat £240
miecherox £340
mikeD £244 Spent £202.12
millionaire in training £200
miserly_mum £240 spent £203.26
Miss Behaving £250 spent £247.34
MissEyre £120
Mollymop5 £150 spent £155
Moniker £250, £254.92 spent
MoneyGypsy £150
Mooloo £320 spent £342.20
mother noah £200
Move To Portugal £200
mrsdoyle1981 £240
mrs hatter £350
mrs-moneypenny £500 spent £560.49
mrsmortenharket £300
mrs saver £220
MRSMCAWBER €200 spent €61.12
mumofcookers £250
mumzyof2 £120
Murtle £150
natzini £125
NEgirl £210
ness w
newlywed £
nopot2pin £ 120
nykmedia £120 spent £86.09
oldMcDonald £175
Orchid-96 £200
Patches41048 £250 spent £243.65
patentgirl £240
pipkin71 £150
poohbear59 £160 spent £159.84
positivelypurple £500
prettyscreams £200
rachelmk £100
razra £80 spent 64.27
redmel1621 £300 spent £319.54
rosieben £40 spent £18.35
Sassamac £150 spent £148.00
saverram £120
savingforarainyday £300 spent £266.33
Sazrina £150
scroft21 £160
shaaark £175
shell2001 £325
shelovestobuystuff £200 spent £267.75
sickofhavingnomoney £200
Silaqui
singlemum £180 spent £183.40
Skint_Catt £200
skintas £200
Skyegirl £200 spent £174
Sola £200 spent £219
sparklewing £250 spent £258
StressedSteph £300
stripey cheese skirt £250
sunshine6650 £120
suzialwaysbroke £400
sweetpea03 £200
taffy1969 £400
tallullahbelle £300 spent £305.49
Tartan Mum £350
tattycath £190 spent £179.17
teeni £250
Teterow £110
the_cat £200 spent £207.91
theamazinggem £160 spent £170
TheBees £350 spent £350
TheDoolallyDilly £420 spent £358.56
Tired_Mummy £275
topcat9 £310
Tracey04 £200
tranquil £350 spent £397.58
tru £220
Trying_hard £120
undercover_angel £200
Upsey_daisy £150
vanilla £350
VickyA £120
waddy80 £120 spent £128.60!
welshgirl78 £200
whatatwit £300
whitetigeress333 £180
willow girl £160
windowshopper100 £150
witchypoo £250
wmf £120

Weekly

1463emma £40
39redrose £50
Angelmummy £60
arbroath lass £60
Cheap Date £100
crockpot £50
cuddlymarm £50
curly cabbage £20
DenBo £25 1st £25.29
dont want to be in debt £70
dumpling £100
Janeryan £40 spent £141.28 (month)
JustKeepSwimming £45
kbl €120 spent €673.69 (month)
kittiej £40
LMac £40
md123 £60
noggin £50
peony £25
rugbymum £87.50
scotrae £25
skipboy £60
stressedmum £150
Sunnyday £ 55 £2.16 under budget
suzybloo £100
vegaslover £100
mrs-moneypenny £100
wornoutmumoftwo £50

PLEASE READ BEFORE POSTING

January 2008 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