January 2009 Grocery Challenge

littlechezza

Hi, I've always wanted to have a go a this but need some advce. Do you just keep all your receipts, also our pay day runs from 25th to 24th, but would like to give it a go from the 1st to 25th or this month, so I'll go for £150 and then next month run from 25th to the 24th, also do you include eating out and any advice on trying to Slimming World and also budget.
Thanks

spendaholic

Hello everyone. :hello: Good luck with both the new year and the new challenge.

My new month started this weekend and my new budget is £30 per week which, as there are 4 weekends between pay days, means a total monthly budget of £120. Please, MrsM, could you add me to the master list? Many thanks.

My first shop of the new month was yesterday and I spent £24.86, so I'm Very Happy about that. :T I've set up a "savings pot" within my Barclays account entitled "Tesco & fuel" and I moved £25 over from my current account. I'll use the card to buy shopping and fuel, as we get an extra half a point for every pound spent at Tesco, and I'll transfer the money over so that I can pay my regular payment plus whatever spend I have during the month. This is my bid to get that particular card down while still earning optimum points.

Now I'm off to see where I can get pudding rice ... I asked at Tesco and they directed me towards the Ambrosia ...

spendaholic

bumblebee87 wrote: »

id like to join, but our grocery month is 15th - 14th, so should i give you my target for end jan/start feb now???

littlechezza wrote: »

Hi, I've always wanted to have a go a this but need some advce. Do you just keep all your receipts, also our pay day runs from 25th to 24th, but would like to give it a go from the 1st to 25th or this month, so I'll go for £150 and then next month run from 25th to the 24th, also do you include eating out and any advice on trying to Slimming World and also budget.
Thanks

My pay day is 25 of the month or the last working day if that's a weekend. Sometimes it's quite early. If you would like to join in this month, I'd work out your budget to your next pay day from now and use that as a basis. Then start again on your next pay day. It worked for me when I first started (I'm an eternal returner). Sometimes the new month is started early enough on here, and sometimes you just have to save the information until the thread has caught up with you.

There are threads for slimming the old style way and on the regular boards too, but I don't know about eating out. No doubt one of the others will be able to help with that.

OrkneyStar

Yippeeee a new challenge month.
Our 'January' starts tomorrow (as you can see from my sig) but hoping not to break into the January money yet, a main shop planned for [strike]Fri 2nd Jan[/strike] middle of next week (although it will be things like yogs, milk, some fruit and veg maybe). I also have some loose change left from Dec which we will use to get milk if we need it (DS needs a cow lol). Hoping to use up some stuff from freezer, and also be imaginative (got two cook books for Christmas ). We also have loads of choccie and biccies for the time being too. Wishing you all a productive and happy January GC.
:wave:

dink1

Hi Guys,

A new month, a new year, another grocery challenge how exciting! still have loads in the freezer/fridge so far so good, will try to keep out of the shos until i need something as my will power is not good! Dink

alisean221

Please can I join this. I have never budgeted my food allowance. So although the amount I start with is £400 per calendar month probably sounds a lot. I have read others and know people spend much less but I want to see how we manage on this and then start to cut down. This is for me, my husband and 2 children but will include all food, takeaways and meals out, also cleaning products and toiletries.

I hope to start making big savings over the next few months. Any advice will be much appreciated

Tartan_Mum

Hi, I'd like to join in this month. One of my New Year's resolutions this year is get back on (and stay on!) the MSE OS wagon!

My budget for January is £300 - a lot for myself, DH and DS aged 2 but I hope to whittle this down. This includes all food, toiletries etc (nappies!!) and takeaways etc.

Good luck all..... TM x

Shelly1977

Somehow managed to spend only £48.28 in December. I would like to set my January target at £80 please.

danksshady

Hi, could I join - I am trying not to do a big shop till the end of jan as we have loads in
so £100 for 2 adults ,5 kids,5 cats 1 dog 1 rabbit

jtb2412

I'd like to join in for this month (will help me stay on track for the 2009 £4K challenge ! ) Have done the Grocery Challenge before but kind of lost track before Xmas due to running about like a headless chicken trying to organise everything and everyone ! :rolleyes:

Please can you put me down for £280 for the month (1st to 31st) - this is for 2 adults, 3 children and doggy (food and toiletries).

Good luck everyone and HAPPY NEW YEAR ! _party_ :beer: