May 2009 Grocery Challenge

mrspoor

Hi all, hope everyone's got the glorious sunshine today!

Have managed not to spend anything on food since the last big shop which I don't think has ever happened before - usually I'm in the corner shop every other day. Will need milk tomorrow, and possibly a few fresh bits (will have to rummage a bit to sort out meals for the next few days), and will probably book an online shop for mid next week to spend the last of the May budget.

Definitely throwing away less food than I used to, and my cupboards and freezer tend to stay quite well stocked these days.

I think I'll stick with £225 for my June budget, as I've no idea what we'll be doing, but I'll be trying to come in under budget if possible.

Have a great bank holiday weekend everyone! :j

clutterydrawer

I had a productive day

I didn't think those morrisons vouchers would be any use to me as i can't get through £30 of shopping in a week, nor can i carry it home on the bus. But I managed to get a lift to Morrisons last night and stocked right up on things i always buy anyway eg rice, sultanas, loo roll...so i used my voucher, and saved my £5 weekly bus fare

Only a little of it was for this month, most of it I will put on June's total. got some maths to do later!

oh and i didn't even buy the Sun cos my friend drives bin lorries so saved a copy out of the recycle box hehehehh

cw18

Got the courtesy bus to Mr M today. Had to 'flat pack' my shopping trolley for the journey there (the aisle was too narrow for it), but the driver said the bus doing the pick up was wider so I should be fine with it.

Bus arrived for the return journey - seats are wider too, so the aisle's the same width!! A very unimpressed driver (different one) put it into the boot, but informed me 'those things should be booked on in advance' Apologised, but explained that with back problems there was no way I'd have managed to lift the amount of shopping on and off the bus, let alone carry it home from the drop off point.......

As we were heading back to the bus door he asked whereabouts I live (within the town) and where I was getting off - he drops at two places, with the second being back at the store. I said the store was better for me, as it means no main roads to cross with the shopping.

Anyhow, we got back to there and I let the others off first as I needed my trolley. As I got up to get off the driver told me to sit back down!! His next job meant he was heading back past my estate with an empty bus to get to the collection point, so he dropped me off at the entry to my estate :T Meant I managed (just) to get the frozen and chilled foods put away before diving out to collect my GD from school

But I was right -- there's no way I can get to the £30 mark to use the £5 off vouchers on my own anymore :rolleyes2 Luckily DD's shopping took it comfortably past that point She's not asked about getting any of the discount, but given I ran her home (extra petrol for me for the 8.5 mile round trip) she's benefited there - and when she goes to Mr A (with 2 youngsters in tow) she normally ends up paying for a taxi home. So effectively she's saved the full fiver on her shopping anyway


Total bill came to £43.50 before the discount, with £21.10 of that being DD's and £3.45 being on a magazine that comes from a different budget. So my grocery spend was £18.95 - which gets reduced to £13.95 after using the coupon :T

(And that includes £2 on sweets :eek: )

Julimk

Would you put me down for £120 for June again please?

I have done the first shop of the month, which is the biggie but doesn’t include meat & fish for main meals, which I buy as & when I see whoopsied, but is mainly basic stuff of cans; basics like butter, milk & cheese, potatoes & onions; loo rolls, toiletries & cleaning stuff etc.

Looking back over my spending patterns I generally seem to spend a little over half of the budget - £60-£70, on this shop, a top up shop in the middle of the month of £10-£20 & bits & bobs in between, which is an average of about £10 a week.

I said I reckoned I would be OK if this came in under £70 & it has come in at £64.75. So I am happy with that & is about right for me.

Personally I prefer to shop in store so I can see what is actually available & make my own subs if things are out of stock. For example online there were no value spaghetti or pan scourers, but both were in store. And DD requested some peach & barley squash, online only Robinson’s at £1.28 but in store OB for 58p!

Changingme

Just been for this weeks shop used my Sun voucher in Mr T's total this week £36.38.am stocked with lunch and snack stuff for whole of next month total for May £274.88.Can you please put me down for £260 in June,thanks Mrs M.:T

SAVVYMUMMY_2

Hi all, just updated siggy.

I`m over by £44:eek::eek: this month and the kids are off next week with half term, again! serves me right to set myself a lower budget for this month(£150 less), but never mind. It`s alot better then before I did the grocery challenge.

I will carry on and give my final spend at the end of the month for you MrsM

Ninno820

Did appalingly (£55 over budget):eek:

Can I declare £200 for June- my month starts today - I am trying the cash only - split it up into weekly amounts and use the Mr M vouchers technique. Lets hope this is more realistic

Ninno

suzybloo

Hello again - kind of lost my way over the past few months, due to family circumstances, however some of these circumstances have left us with a little less than I would like as a cushion, so here goes - for the last week in May I will pledge £75, however for June I will pledge £350, as I will have incidentals to buy for DD1's birthday, and shopping to put away for holidays.
Sorry to hear so many have had a difficult time with employment - good luck to you all.
cheers
Suzy

Sunny_Donny

morning all
Spent £50.16 at all the usual suspects - only £5.69 left in the pot, so I think I am going over. Need to get BBQ pack from Iceland £4.50 with 50p off coupon, tomatoes, apples, and bananas. Will try and be frugal!!!! Will declare on 27th (pay day on 28th)

cheerfulness4

Wow! This month has made a mammoth hole in the budget - shocked when I've added it up, but have been taking advantage of the brilliant Gold Blend and pasta deals on offer.

Soooo MrsMc.... as I've spent a whopping £283.11 this month I need to declare a total spend so far off my annual budget of £470.85. :eek: