February 2006 Grocery Challenge

jcr16

well it has all gone to pot this month. our month runsa 23rd to 22nd. and my budget is £200 for 2 adults , 2 kids ( both in nappies 1 on formula) and 2 cats. this month we have spent nearly £400. and still running out. i know why we gone so over as instead of meal planning and doing 1 shop a week. i kept popping into supermarket for 1 or 2 things and came out with £20-£30 worth. also my hubby came with me a few times. and he bought magazines and food we faniced but never ate.

so this month i am going to try again.i going to try weekly shops in store rather than online. just to see how i go. i have increased the food budget to £250. for this month to help get back on track. although i not too worried if i go over , as at least i am trying.

novice_money_saver_2

I've just done some sums and worked out that I'm spending about £275 per month on groceries for 2 of us (including wine - hic!).

We cook everything from scratch (give or take the odd pizza) and we buy organic / free range / fair trade as much as poss.

We're not in financial difficulty so I don't necessarily need to cut this down. I just wondered whether we are reasonably average.

Any thoughts OSers? What do people budget for on their grocery challenges for 2 adults?

Thanks guys!

NMS

Heth_2

We are 2 adults as well, and spend between 200 and 225 pounds, usually depending if we have any guests for dinner that month. This also includes washing powder, loo rolls and cleaning products (all of which we buy from sainsburies) and some toiletries (not the stuff we get from boots). We also aren't in financial difficulty so don't have to cut down, though we are trying to to free up some money for other things. It also includes wine and other drinks, and we probably buy about 8-10 bottles a month at around 4 pounds each. We cook almost everything from scratch as well, occasionally buy breaded fish when on bogof and the odd pizza but thats it. I love cooking though, trying new recipes etc..

novice_money_saver_2

we buy a bit more wine than you..... :rolleyes:

my figure includes loo roll and cleaning products (the latter greatly reduced in recent months as trying to cut down on artificial cleaning products - although struggling to take the plunge with the vinegar....)

Heth_2

novice_money_saver wrote:

we buy a bit more wine than you..... :rolleyes:

my figure includes loo roll and cleaning products (the latter greatly reduced in recent months as trying to cut down on artificial cleaning products - although struggling to take the plunge with the vinegar....)

I haven't taken the plunge with vinegar either. Actaully we don't seem to buy many cleaning products (maybe I don't clean enough?). Think we've bought one kitchen cleaner sprays in the past year, (and of course washing up liquid) and for the rest still using products we found abandoned in the house, oor ones from before we moved in together. So am not sure we'd save much by using vinegar.

squeaky

Hiya

That's a how long is a piece of string question if ever I heard one.

We have a monthly grocery Challenge thread where people talk through their budgets and how they are doing so far, and I'll merge your post with the current one shortly.

You can always join the challenge by using the Monthly Challenges link in the Blue Bar at the top of every page which looks something like this:-



And in that post are links to all the other challenges and so you can browse for as much information on budgets as you like.

lolabug_2

I spend approx £40 per month for one. (but there is normally two of us at the weekend) That includes washing powder etc but not cat food which I buy in bulk. I am vegan so that probably saves some money but I do buy lots of fresh veg and fruit, though normally not organic.

I don't drink alcohol very often so thats obviously not included in the total.

novice_money_saver_2

Thanks Squeaky.

the grocery challenge always seems like too much hard work

I'll maybe do it if it turns out that my grocery bill is massively excessive compared to others. Don't want to be greedy

novice_money_saver_2

lolabug wrote:

I don't drink alcohol very often so thats obviously not included in the total.

good for you - :T

sometimes wish I didn't have such a taste for it ... :beer:

would certainly save some cash!

squeaky

novice_money_saver wrote:

Thanks Squeaky.

the grocery challenge always seems like too much hard work

I'll maybe do it if it turns out that my grocery bill is massively excessive compared to others. Don't want to be greedy

You don't have to do it, honest but these Challenges carry lots of posts on the budgets that people work to for their familes and so are the best places for you to find and compare against your own.