February 2006 Grocery Challenge

Kel_3

Hi,

I'm new to all this but would like to take part in he challenge this month. I'm starting my monthly budget at £250. This is for 2 adults, 1 toddler and 2 cats. To include all food, cleaning stuff and toiletries (inc. nappies).

Kel

isthatreduced

Count me in.
I hope to spend £150 this includes one take away a month lunches,cleaning stuff and toiletries for my 11 year old and myself begining on the 31st.
If nothing else it will make me take stock of what I spent and next month should be able to set a realistic target in reducing my spending.
Don't really need any toiletries as I have managed to fill a couple of boxes with free stuff .
I do sometimes hate the way I am frugal with some things and throw money away(that I don't have) with others.
I am a student and a lone parent so money is tight anyway.
I don't expect miracles this month and will use it as a learning experience.
Good luck everyone.

Icemaiden

Mine starts tomorrow, 30th Jan till 27th Feb. Last month I came £12.32p under budget which has gone into my savings pot, so again this month I will aim at £200 for everything, Asda, farm shop, milkman and cleaning items. This is for 2 adults, 1 starving teenager and 1 child.

nicki_2

I'm joining in this month too.. 27th January to 28th February is my month this time. My budget is £120 for EVERYTHING grocery & household wise for 2 adults (1 with an unbeliveable appetite) and 1 hungry almost-5-year-old. I usually budget about £40 a week but I've decided to make it just £120 for the month :eek: My problem is that the day I get "paid" is not the same date every month. My "wages" is a bank transfer from OH which varies on the date it clears due to holidays and weekends.

I've also decided that I'm going to cut our spending to £1000 a month for everything excluding credit card repayments (which will be covered by child benefit and child tax credit payments). I've worked it all out in an A4 hardback exercise book and have deliberately over estimated our bills so the excess each month can be put into my savings account to allow us to buy DD a new bed (she wants a cabinbed or mid-sleeper at around £200) and us a new mattress. I've also got money being put aside each month (from now) to pay for car insurance and tax, plus money for electricity bills. All this from £1000, how organised I've suddenly become with money and actually having savings! :j

wishingonastar_3

hi! i've read this thread through and quite fancy giving it a go, but can anyone advise me what sort of budget to set? there is just me and my dd, we have breakfast at home, i get my lunch at work (although i take yogurt and banana with me every day) she has a packed lunch, then we have tea at home and suppers. no idea what a reasonable budget would be. i usually spend anything upto £50 a week on foodm which having read this seems a lot. any advice greatly appreciated.

squeaky

Why not start then at say, a fiver below your usual spend, and make a point of accounting for every penny that you spend in a notebook, or a simple list in word, or a spreadsheet if you wish... so that win or nearly win... next time you'll have a definite figure to aim at?

Mrsbojangles_2

I'm in again, was my first month in Jan and I didn't think I would be able to do it, but surprised myself and feel quite proud. My month runs from today and its for 4 weeks as thats how OH gets paid. Setting my budget at £250.00 to include groceries, toilietries, cleaning stuff, kids pocket money and tuck shop money. I found it hard to keep track of last month as I paid via deb card and cash, so this month I will take out the cash and only use that.

To alll the newbies, you can do it, if I can anyone can! xx

rchddap1

February now begins. Jan didn't finish as I wanted....as ended up spending £63 at Asda on Saturday. OH needed a new coat, and a new flask and put them in the shopping trolley for me to pay for. I was still below my budget though by about £5.

I am expecting February to be slightly over budget as I'm planning for an online Tesco freezer shop in under 2 weeks time. I was hoping that the Jan underspend would cancel out the Feb overspend....oh well, looks like I have to be very good in March.

moggins

Beginning for us too. I'm just off to cancel my Tesco shop due to be delivered on Wednesday as although I found a 10 pound off code I really don't need anything and the things I get through loads off are all on special offer at the Co-op atm.

Spent 19 pounds this morning on lunchbox stuff, 3 packs of reduced chicken breasts, 2 packs of reduced chicken thighs, 1 pk toilet roll, 2 packs suet on special offer, plus some reduced stirfry veg mix and reduced cherry tomatoes

wishingonastar_3

squeaky wrote:

Why not start then at say, a fiver below your usual spend, and make a point of accounting for every penny that you spend in a notebook, or a simple list in word, or a spreadsheet if you wish... so that win or nearly win... next time you'll have a definite figure to aim at?

Right I'll say £45 a week then, for the four weeks starting wednesday that £180 for the month. i'll let you know how i get and on many thank squeaky for the help.