July 2009 Grocery Challenge

cw18

Flat_Eric wrote: »

Would be interested to hear how little some of you allow to create a meal. :rolleyes2

My budget (food and drinks only) works out at the following.....

adult (including teenage son who's just turned 18) : £1.80/day, which is based on 70p for the main meal, 60p for the lighter meal, and 50p for breakfast, snacks and drinks.

child : I was doing a cooked meal for my younger GD (who was 4 in April) once a week, and allowed 50p for this. (Still have 5 to do the week she's on afternoons as she starts in Reception in September). I then budget for after school snacks/drinks for both GDs (elder one will be 6 early next month), and allow 30p each for this.



DS has eaten at college 3 days a week (during term time) since last September and pays for this out of his EMA -- but I don't reduce my budget. But he does tend to 'graze' more in the evening on those days, so a lot of his 'lunch' money from my budget probably gets eaten as evening snacks :rolleyes2

I had £58.40 in hand at the end of June, but £50 of this could be accounted for by the fact I've had 'free' vouchers to that amount I've deducted from my actual spend (6x£5 Mr M from the papers, and 2x£10 Mr T giftcards from doing surveys)

The 70p/head for the main meal is based on my keeping records of what I used to make main meals for several months last year, so I'm confident this part of the budget is pretty accurate.

cw18

Dancing_Shoes wrote: »

Where do I start with menu planning?
Do you plan every meal for the whole month including breakfast and lunch?

I've just fininshed week 4 of a 5 week plan - but I only meal plan the cooked meals.

It's only me and my 18 year-old son here, so lunches are whatever sandwiches we grab for ourselves (or toast and paste, or cheese on toast, or soup and roll, or - in the case of DS - cereal and milk). Over time I guess I've got used to what tends to get used for these, as I don't end up throwing out cold meats/cheese any more, but it's very rare for either of us to find something we fancy isn't available

Really need to toddle off and do my August meal plan now (which will actually be for 5 weeks and run until 4th Sept), as I want to try and get as much of the freezer/cupboard shopping as I can tomorrow while a coupon I have is still valid !!!

Shouldn't actually be too hard, as I'm planning on pretty much a repeat of the last meal plan which raised very few complaints from DS - but with a few adjustments to allow for the fact elder DS is home on leave for the whole month and won't eat a couple of the things which appear on it that younger DS and I do (like grilled salmon).

Dancing_Shoes

Do you think a £400 budget sounds like alot?
I know its all individual but trying to gadge whether we are spening way too much or is this a "normal" amount?

Tashja

Dancing_Shoes wrote: »

Do you think a £400 budget sounds like alot?
I know its all individual but trying to gadge whether we are spening way too much or is this a "normal" amount?

How many of you are there ??

Any special requirements - i.e - dairy free, wheat free, etc

Any pets

I have allowed 300 for August - this is for 2 adults and 3 children and cleaning stuff and nappies.

T xx

mooomin

£10.25 spent today at Morrisons.

£8 on cat food (3 boxes of pouches) Fussy little sods will only eat Felix.
£1 on pasta
£1.25 on rice.

Trying to save myself from going too mad as I have a Costco trip on Tuesday :j

cw18

I'm setting an August budget of £167.40 please Mrs M

Dancing_Shoes wrote: »

Do you think a £400 budget sounds like alot?
I know its all individual but trying to gadge whether we are spening way too much or is this a "normal" amount?

My August budget is unusually high for me as my elder DS (20) will be home all month - so this is food and drinks (nothing else) for 3 adults. Elder DS is bound to buy takeaways on top of this, but they're from his own money/wages so totally excluded from my expenditure. He'll also be buying himself alcohol - both for home and on nights out - but I don't buy any as I'm more than happy to do without, though I do have some in the house I need to check out (as most is probably well out of date and fit only for tipping) due to neither younger DS (18) nor myself being 'drinkers'

meanmarie

Declaring at €296.32 for July....€6.32 over budget and still have to go to 31st.....have something like €8.50 in Tesco vouchers which will be used in the event of an emergency....

Will try for €290 again for August Mrs MC

Marie

cw18

Tashja wrote: »

How many of you are there ??

Checking Dancing Shoe's previous posts (in case I'd missed family make up in this thread) I see there are "2 adults and 2 young children and 2 dogs."

I also have 2 dogs (a Dalmatian and a 'large' Yorkie). I budget for their needs separately, but food for them is currently set to £275/year (£22.92/month). Boosters, flea treatement and worming tables add on a further £140/year (£11.67/month). So I have a 'pet' budget of £415/year (£34.58/month)

Toiletries/cleaning is currently set to 40p/day (annual £146/monthly £12.17), but it looks like I may have to increase that to 50p/day (annual £182.50/monthly £15.21).


So as an "all in" my August budget would be up to £167.50 + £34.58 + £15.21 = £217.29 for three adults and two dogs. I guess this would be a lot higher if I had to include nappies and/or formula milk (clearly depending on ages of children)

MRSMCAWBER

Morning all

Well Our new month starts today so Im declaring in at €110 spent for July -although a lot of what I have spent is still in the fridge/freezer/cupboards
Im going to try and delay the first shop of this month for as long as possible ... it should be milk, fruit n veg that we need for most of the month -potatoes are coming on offer at 4kg for 99c -so I have given hubby a couple of €s to pick a couple of nets up today on his way home from duty if they have any -but I have counted that in with july's total.

the weather is all over the place -red hot 1 minute -throwing it down and thunder storms the next -but the beans in the garden seem to be loving it and they are now really getting going, I have enough for a few meals tucked up in the freezer allready and will be fetching more off for dinner tomorrow:j
ooohhhh on a non GC theme -can I just say thankyou to everyone who sent lovely thoughts for my mum -and say that its only 7.5 weeks ago that they found her lump on a routine mamogram -it turned out to be a high grade one that they described as "ready to explode" -mum opted for the mastectomy rather than a lumpectomy and 36 sessions of radio therapy -well on Thursday she went back for the results and SHE HAS BEEN GIVEN THE ALL CLEAR -they got it all and don't want to see her until next year when she will have another routine mamaogram:T -they are amazed at how, at 69 she has bounced back... so thankyou everyone -panic over
Right I will get off.... and see you all on the August thread once it's up and running
Hope everyone is well

JayJay14

MrsMc - what wonderful news about your mum, you will be able to sleep now!