March 2009 Grocery Challenge

Changingme

Well over this month at £328.64:eek: .Freezer is empty as away till the 18th will start again in May,well done to all who stayed in budget.

Frugaldom

Hello to all, I've just done a fairly biggish shop to fill up the freezer and top up on several items I needed but it's looking much more difficult to keep within budget this year. some of the prices are getting to be very, very :eek: when you're only used to buying the basic saver varieties! A great many of the items I buy regularly have doubled in price since last year and it's beginning to take its toll on the grocery budget! Even allowing for stockpiling the bargains and ordering from Approved F00d, it's looking increasingly difficult to live within the allocated grocery budget for the full year.

I'd like to declare my total grocery spend to date as £468.09/£1200 This includes all food, drink, toiletries, cleaning and laundry products for 3 adults, I have a small stockpile, the freezer is full and I have plenty of dry goods.

nickynoo08

I'm declaring £114.99 for march. I'm sooo chuffed. This is the first time i've come in under budget for months.:j I knew i could do it, i think i sometimes try too hard to stay within my budget and if i go a few £'s over i think sod it for this month there's always next month and tis month i tried not to think about it too much, looks like it worked. Fingers crossed for next month now;)

indebted

I'm declaring ashamedly at £429.51...hugely overbudget. I have had people to stay but that is simply no excuse. I'd like to set my budget at £350 for April please as I think I need to stop being over ambitous.

angelatgraceland

NSD today and eldest DD has been in baking mood so thats good! Ive just put bread in the oven which I made the dough for in the BM.
Picked up a rather nice fridge today from a Freecycle member to replace the one of mine which had broken down. Very grateful for that as otherwise it meant spending at least £120. Now I ened a bit of a declutter-although I did take a big bag of stuff the the charity shop yesterday. Helping out a family friend tomorrow-taking him a monitor and a double headboard so he will be pleased.

AuntieH

Hello
AuntieH and her crew are declaring £286.48 for March, £63.52 under budget! :j :j
Off to add my target to the April thread, see you all there! Good luck for April :T

GC81

AAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Posted and lost it all!!
So quick update instead lol

Total declaration spend of £162.09
So yeah!! Under budget

Thanks everyone for everything on this thread for their time and input

MrsBartolozzi

I see almost everyone has finished with March and is onto April, and I will declare today at £200 for March.
I am in two minds about the GC in April because my intention is to spend as little on food as possible!
You may remember that I was waiting to hear how much my car service would cost, and hoping that it would be in the region of £200 - well it was £370!!
OH paid by cheque as he was paid on Friday, and said he would just take the amount off the monthly house keeping I get from him. I do have the money in savings to pay for this, and I had saved £210 from March's HK so I have to either take £160 out of savings or save it from my monthly HK.
Ideally I would not have to touch the savings so I will try to spend very little on food this month. It is unlikely that I will get away with only spending £100 on food but I will try to get away with £150 as I have a reasonably well stocked freezer and cupboards.
The schools are off for 2 weeks which will make things a bit easier on food. My bed slug kids don't get up til noon and only have brunch rather than breakfast so there's more scope for cheaper meals than in a packed lunch box.
Off to get tyres now and a quick trip around the nearby T's for bargains.
Hope you all are doing well in your challenges, and see you in the April thread!

MrsB.

pinknfluffy

It's official I really am rubbish at this challenge, I upped my total by £50 this month and still went over. I'm a bit miffed at myself really as wanted to pay a lot more off of the mortgage this month than I have. I'm declaring £419.57 for March 19.57 over. Oh well if at first you don't succeed, try, try and try again. Off to join April now.

joanie

okay... i'm all done... Definately not going to spend anything today or tomorrow... so declaring at £298.41