February 2009 Grocery Challenge

jtb2412

Scotsaver, tips re: butchers (I've just converted to getting my meat from butchers - been doing so since about Nov). Not an expert but would suggest the following

Ask the locals, they know what the best ones in the area are !

You may find (I certainly have) that butchers are only very slightly more expensive than the supermarkets and the taste is far superior.

Don't forget you can get cheaper cuts in a butcher that you can't get in a supermarket.

Bulk buy and ask for a discount. I tend to phone through a big order, usually about 3 or 4 weeks worth of meat. I do have a chest freezer so can do this but it depends on how much room you have to store it. It also saves me time as I can then just pop along and pick it up. I usually (not always) get 10% off my order (about a tenner a month :T ).

Ask for 'specials', they've always got some deals on just like the supermarkets.

If you haven't got the space to store, pop along on a Saturday a little while before closing, he may be selling some meat off cheap.

I think that's it for now. The other thing to mention is the friendly service. He will want your custom (many butchers are seeing a huge rise in the number of new people coming through their doors, people are converting ). If you build up a good relationship, he will want to keep you coming through your doors and will most probably do you some good deals.

HTH ..... let us know how you get on !

Tigger888

Having totally blown January's budget I'm aiming to do much better this month! Mrs M, could you please put me down for £250 for February -

Many thanks!

CRANKY40

Could you put me down for £120 for Feb please Mrs M.

WelshWoofer

Morning all!
My first post on the new thread.....

My February officially starts today and it will be the first shop of the month tomorrow at Mr Ts. I was planning a big stock up shop but having inventory'd the freezer I've found that I don't actually need that much - its mainly fresh fruit and veg, dairy and a few household bits and pieces.

I've got a budget of £160 this month and really need to stick to it as I've definitely decided to resign in the summer and retrain as a science teacher so its all systems go on economising, paying off debts and trying to save a bit. Had a good chat with the OH last night who's fully supportive and he's even agreed to try value chocolate digestives as a compromise ( a big concession from him!!!:rotfl: )

I'm going to try to shave the budget further (maybe by sacrificing a few bits and pieces that I use (I'm a veggie so expensive meat substitutes sometimes and buy quite a few toiletries and unnecessary bits) but we eat a lot of fresh stuff (and we're trying eat more healthily) that seem very very expensive!

So, I'm off to fiddle with my shopping list and to try to have divine inspiration from somewhere!:o

Wish me luck!

PurpleSkies

Could you put me down for £40 for Feb please?

My laptop broke last week so I've lost my budget for Jan so will have to dig out receipts from the start of the month before I can declare that total.
Feb budget will just have to be done with pen & paper! (or just do it at work along with posting on here! )

Plus now I have the added expense of buying a new laptop!

jintyb

Im a newbie to this but can I join in . My month runs from 20 Jan to 19 Feb is that ok for this thread?
Im aiming for £150, this is for 2 adults and a dog and a cat.

Thanks!!

belfastgirl23

OK I'm game to try for £120 for February despite my dismal failure last month I somehow can't seem to focus on the GC at the minute, don't know what's going on really - comfort eating or comfort spending maybe. Either way I have to get a grip on both my diet and my wallet.

I'm hoping that this month will be okay, we're both in London for a stretch of time coming up and the £ for that comes out of a different budget. And my cupboards are pretty full. That said I need to do a lidl shop sometime soon, i've been buying expensive tinned tomatoes and oatcakes rather than making the effort to go there. Might manage it this PM.

Hope you're all doing okay and good luck for feb.

fatcattaff

Hi there

Can you put me in for £320 for this month? I didn't use red the last time, so I don't think I was official, iykwim I know Feb is shorter, but we've averaged everything out and I can't be bothered to seasonally adjust. There are only 3 of us, but we usually average £500, so this is an improvement. I won't carry over my shortfall, either. I was about £20 over for Jan, but I bought some Christmas stocking fillers for 09 and birthday gifts for 8 year olds friend in there, so I figure that's forgiveable. Hope that's o.k. Just off to update my signature for Feb!

Thanks.

jintyb

Kiwisaver wrote: »

I feel like my February is doomed already - popped to shop for three things and came out with fifteen. :eek: None of them any goodies or nonsense, just bread, salad, fruit and veggies and a small pack of mince came to $41.56. It's not strictly February yet and 1/3 of my budget is gone - blimey!!

When I got home and unpacked my one bag of shopping I thought to myself, really there's stuff all here to come to that much? Checked my receipt and lo and behold, 4 large potatoes (1.1kg) I got for jackets that were $1.99 per kg have been rung up as peaches. Peaches are $6.99 per kg :mad:

So will the shop believe me if I go back and tell them I never bought bloomin peaches? If I did I sure as heck wouldn't have bought a whole kilo of them. :eek: As if it isn't hard enough trying to stick to a budget. Grrrr!

I would def go back to the shop, take a couple of the spuds with you as proof and stand your ground! That happend to me once : I bought two loose chillis and they charged me about £7, they had put them through as cherries which were some mad price!
Hope you get on ok !

Frugaldom

Hi guys, I've no chance (again, sorry) of catching up with all the posts but I am still here. I've a little less than £1000 left to last me the rest of the year but have made several bulk purchases that should last throughout 2009. I now have a proper pantry (almost completed but already in use), the larder is pretty much full, the freezer is full and the lettuce seeds are coming along nicely.

Hope everyone had a good January, good luck for February and welcome to the newcomers - have fun frugalising your grocery-spending habits.