November Grocery Challenge

Wardy

:j :j :j :j :j :j

Really really happy - have managed to do the first week of my challenge, plan my meals for the rest of the month and my shopping list for when I come back off my hols.

Am under target, although only just, and on course for the rest of the month.

Have nothing left to buy now, until I come back, and know I can do the rest of the month. Am so proud of myself :T - even started home baking. Have stopped buying chocolate bars that cost a fortune and hubby is addicted to chocolate refridgerator cake and cookies that I'm making instead.

Just shows how much you can save when you put your mind to it. Our weekly bill has dropped from approx £80 to £40, and I'm so much more concious of what I'm buying and whether we'll eat it or it'll be thrown away.

Thanks to you all for motivating me :grouphug:

[Deleted User]

Hello everyone,
I did quite well on the October challenge, and managed to cut my groceries down to £78 .00 from about £100.00 and my petrol down from £72.00 to £60.00 .So far it's almost 4th November and I haven't spent a dime. I have been using up stuff in the freezer and my store cupboard and have found all sorts of things that I forgot that I had.
I live on my own, and need to use the car for getting around as I am disabled, but as I haven't had to shop quite so often I haven't had to go out so much either.
With the weather being so mild I still haven't put my central heating on yet, so I am sure I must be quids in as it usually comes on by the 1st October. I have returned to cooking cakes and biscuits as well and looking to use up things that I have before I buy something else. It's amazing how much you can save with just a little bit of thought.
I'm sure that half the time one wanders around the supermarket buying things almost automatically without thinking .I think supermarket shopping has brainwashed us into thinking that if your trolley isn't full then you must have forgotten something. Thank goodness for this site and all the lovely folk on it . I am going to see how much I can reduce my bill even further this month.
Cheers everyone and good luck

johanne

Im joinin in again - hopefully will stick to it this month. I get paid at midnight... (oo not long to go!!!) But im on SSP so wages will be maybe £300-500 down! :eek: :eek: And not even enough to cover my rent!

So variable expenses such as food are being cut RIGHT back this month... was planning on living out of just my storecupboard/fridge/freezer this week so done "weekly" shop yesterday which came to 96p :j :j Then was gonna spend about £5 on fruit and veg.....


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BUT DISASTER... (long story how) but basically i accidentally must of switched my Fridge/freezer last night before i went to stay over at my mums... meaning i come home tonight to find my freezer completely defrosted! :eek: Lost about £20 worth of stuff Salvaged a few bits for a meal tonight.... and a few bits seemed ok like frozen veggies and some icecream.... Cooked up some bolognese from a bag of mince that was only a bit defosted to freeze into 3 portions... but most was beyond salvage. So gonna have to get a few "select" freezer goodies now.



So due to crisis aiming for £50 now this month but hopefully will be less

kiwichick

johanneBUT_DISASTER..._(long_story_how)_but_basically_i_accidentally_must_of_switched_my_Fridge/freezer_last_night_before_i_went_to_stay_over_at_my_mums..._meaning_i_come_home_tonight_to_find_my_freezer_completely_defrosted!__:eek:__Lost_about_£20_worth_of_stuff_:(_:(_:(_QUOTE wrote:

Oh Crap :mad: I know how you feel, my kids(little sods) turned mine off 2 months ago and it was full. Lost about £60, was going to claimon insurance but excess is £50 and it would have meant higher premiums so had to absorb the loss.

I really feel for you

squeaky

kiwichick wrote:

johanneBUT_DISASTER..._(long_story_how)_but_basically_i_accidentally_must_of_switched_my_Fridge/freezer_last_night_before_i_went_to_stay_over_at_my_mums..._meaning_i_come_home_tonight_to_find_my_freezer_completely_defrosted!_:eek:__Lost_about_£20_worth_of_stuff_:(_:(_:(_QUOTE wrote:

Oh Crap :mad: I know how you feel, my kids(little sods) turned mine off 2 months ago and it was full. Lost about £60, was going to claimon insurance but excess is £50 and it would have meant higher premiums so had to absorb the loss.

I really feel for you

For keeping little fingers out of socket holes and off the switches there are covers that you can buy that fit easily in behind a wall socket and have a key.

They're not cheap at the best part of a tenner apiece (B&Q) but for any sockets that are seriously at risk they can be a real saver.

xlt_hunter

I thought I better jump onto the band wagon on finally getting my hard earned dough sorted out and stick to budgets.

I have set myself a target of £80 to cover all costs from shopping from 26th to 25th of every month. This should cover my needs and as well of the cats - 1 freezer stocked with Veg, ready meals (chicken curry misprices 10 for £1) and about 150 packs of beef from the BIG promo for the points towards my new cooker and worktops. Plenty of beef meals coming up.

Fuel wise I want to cut down from £28 a week spend to alittle lower, its helping now since I have got the fuel tank replaced at a cost of £186 and change of shift pattens from 5 days work - 2 days off to 4 days work - 3 days off. But due to a issue at work I and other collegues are having to go to another site approx 8 miles further away whist they are rebuilding so i would get 16 miles petrol money aday so that would work out approx £21 refunded by the firm every week

moggins

First shop of the month done yesterday I managed to scrape an extra week out of what I had left.

I spent £60 which is £10 over my budget but I did buy a birthday present for my son and a chistmas present for my daughter so really I spent less than £50 on actual food and considering I came home with 10 loaves of bread and 2 Aberdeen Angus rump steaks in amongst that I'm quite happy

vastsarah_2

i have been reading the posts on november shopping with a lot of intrest.
Yesterday i bought a note pad to write my weekly shopping amounts and any extras that i might buy!
I do budget £120per week but i know that i go over that,so for this first month i am hoping just to stay on target and not go over!!!
please wish me luck
from vastsarah

brummiebabe

GOOD LUCK VASTSARAH!!!!!!:money:

Left it too late to do my on-line shop (for delivery this weekend) so popped to local Morrisons instead!! Shopping today came to £64.05 but did have a gammon joint & 2pkts fresh chicken breast fillets in there!! Also, DH & 2 DS were with me - normally fatal!!! I think I did quite well considering, even putting things back, as I realised I was buying them because they were BOGOF & not because we would eat them!!!!!

Hope everyone else is keeping on track!!!!!

pink_fairy_7

Well spent £88.10 so far. This includes all the items I buy once a month. I have £81.90 to last until the 30th November. The cupboards and freezer are full so I've just got to get basics and fruit/veg every week.

Good luck vastsarah

pink fairy x