September 2009 Grocery Challenge

Miss-spent_2

Declaring for September. Not got to the penny figures but know I stayed within £125 even including £5 for printer paper which doesn't really count. Absolutely amazing considering I usually spend double that at least. So How did I do it?
1 Used up loads and loads from all cupboards etc
2 Did a lot more home cooking
3 Only bought exactly what I needed which actually meant quite a lot of little trips to Asdas rather than weekly 'big shops'.

The biggest spend I had was just over £40 when I stocked up at the beginning of the month on milk, bread and meat.

Because I have used up all supplies I have now done a restock and shop for September and already spent £131-more than the whole of August. Put so much catfood on a storage shelf that it collapsed and smashed 4 nice vases! so feeling a bit sad.
Please can I state £250 for October

Winged_one

Thanks folks for the coconut ideas - I'll be putting them to use next weekend after all. (DH came shopping this weekend and spotted a pack of sinful looking lemon mousse, so we bought those instead - I know, bold!!)

We bought 1kg of lamb for the big curry night (€13.50), DH bought cod €8.07 for sunday, and we needed beer as well (we usually buy a box of 24 bottles and that lasts about 2 months). And the wine we have grown to like in Lidl was on a 6 for price of 4 offer, so down to €4 a bottle - so got that too as we are almost out of wine as well (again, that should last at least a month).

Total spends this weekend:
Mr. S (not Sains but Superquinn) €71.35
Mr. L €66.12
Mr. O (ddbins) €41
But that should leave me with a good lot of "stores" dinners for the next few weeks - I harvested a load of veggies too and I am putting more stuff into freezer too.

And because DD was bold on Sunday, we cancelled our planned treat of a family brunch outing (hadn't done in almost a year - but she needs to learn and we can live with it til next week) and had a pot of homemade courgette soup instead (so 4 less portions for freezer - but DD ate all of hers!!!:T) - cost: about 4p for 1 stock cube (from Sains - I think 4p is about right). (Had 1 tub HM veg stock in freezer, and used homgrown spuds and courgettes - just boiled all together and blitzed). For family lunch Sunday, DH and I lunches today, and 3 more portions frozen.

Think I need to concentrate more on storecupboard this month though....

Botany

I've just realised one funny thing:

I had 9.61 left for September. I went to Aldi this morning and spent £8.51... £1.10 left and the only thing left to buy is the Radio Times when it comes out tomorrow, which costs £1.10........... YES! It means that I will have spent £300 exactly! Not a penny more, not one less. I find it quite amusing especially because I am pretty certain that had I tried to be 'perfectly on budget' I would have failed!!!

Now, don't get me wrong.... I can STILL fail (esp if I stop at Waitrose and I let my tummy do the buying....) but nonetheless, it made me wonder, how many of you have ended a challenge on 'perfect budget' (exact to the penny)???

I'm sure a mathematician could calculate the odds but I don't know how

yummymummy05

Hi guys, I'm afraid I haven't been keeping up very well but as October started on friday I would like to declare £331.26 for sept and will go for £300 again in October!

I have already spent £25.95 and I will be popping into the village this afternoon for some milk, bananas and apples (another £5 gone :rolleyes:) and I have the monthly MrT shop coming tomorrow night (around £70ish).

now just need to meal plan the week!!

GemmaBuckle

Hello!
Time for me to declare - this is my first month on the Grocery Challenge so I'm quite proud to have come in under budget. I spent £144.23 of my £150 budget. Considering I was spending nearly double that last month I think I've done pretty well. I think I'll do better next month too, but I'll be sticking to the same budget just in case!
Gemma

mama67

My year to date figure is £1310 thanks HelenJelly.

[Deleted User]

Yay, I went to Aldi's this morning with my £7.94 which was all I had left for the September budget, (new October one starts tommorow) and spent £3.74 on lettuce,toms,cucumber, large bag of fairly largish spuds,onions,pears and bananas so have finally declared for September at £115.80 , £4.20 under budget. I am really pleased with myself as I have used up quite a bit from the freezer and storecupboards.
So onwards and upwards new 4 week cycle starts tommorow with £120.00 for the next 4 weeks.Haven't we all done well, great feeling to think I have cut my normal monthly budget by around £80.00.If I could keep it up that would be almost 1k a year,enough for a nice holiday, makes you think doesn't it.

PurpleSkies

helen_jelly wrote: »

Hi everyone

Purpleskies - just checking I've got it right - is your figure for the month or week. I've done it for the month.

done up to and including Purpleskies

Helen x

Yes, it's for the month, thanks Helen.

helen_jelly

Purpleskies - thank you

Budgets done up to and including Purpleskies

Thank you everyone - Helen x

hex2

Helenjelly I need to declare for September at £468.46, £18.46 because I just cant resist 'bargains'. I could have come in on target but there was stuff on offer in Lidl that will save me in the month to come.

Please put me down for £425 for October. Of which £115 is already committed to the monthly Sainsburys dog food/cat food/coffee pods order :eek:

Thanks